Page 105 of Manhattan Bossholes

Her pretty mouth twisted as she looked up at me. “Hmm, not sure. Maybe you should say it again?”

“Well, first there’s that dress,” I began. “I thought my favorite from your latest shopping haul was the flowery one, but this one is really working for me.” I slid my fingertip in behind the silk draped across her breasts.

“Mmm,” she sighed as I brushed against the lace of her bra, then dipped below it. “Don’t do that. I can’t hang out with your father while I’m horny.”

I laughed and pulled my hand away. “You’re right. Down, boy.”

I smoothed my hand across the front of my bulging pants.

The elevator chimed, and I was thankful when we walked out into a deserted anteroom. By the time a hostess came out, we were both presentable again.

She led us to where my dad was already seated at a marquee table for four overlooking Central Park. He was in a blazer, dressier than normal for a casual lunch.

“There they are,” he beamed. “What a beautiful couple!”

He pulled me into a back slapping hug, then gave Piper an equally long one, like he hadn’t seen either of us in months even though we’d met for yoga the week before.

“Sit, sit,” he said, pulling out a chair for Piper next to him. “Vincent, you sit there.”

He pointed to the chair across from Piper. Why was he arranging a seating chart for a simple lunch?

I sat down, eyeing him. He seemed jittery. Yeah, something was definitely going on. My heart sank as I braced myself for what I was now certain was about to come.

He’d met someone.

“What’s happening?” I asked him. “Who’s joining us?”

He gave me an impish smile. “Who said someone’s coming?”

The waitress arrived to take our drink orders, which shifted his attention away from the question. But I knew I was right, and I felt preemptively angry that he was rushing into romance yet again.

“Tell us what you’ve been up to,” Piper said. “I feel like you pack a million adventures into every single day.”

He chuckled. “I’ve been getting into birding of all things. It’s fascinating! Did you know that Manhattan has a vibrant and active birding community? We meet right in Central Park.” He pointed out the window to the park thirty floors below us.

“And what does that involve?” I asked, not hiding the skepticism in my voice. “Are you climbing trees? Piloting bird-watching helicopters?”

“Would you stop?” he chastised me gently. “You’ll be happy to hear I’m keeping my feet on the ground and only my eyes on the skies. I bought phenomenal binoculars. And I downloaded a bird song app so I can identify them by sound alone. I’m getting quite good at it.”

“What a wonderful hobby,” Piper beamed at him. “Maybe I’ll come sometime?”

He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. “I’d love that.”

I smiled despite the knot of tension in my stomach. My dad made no secret of how much he adored Piper, and it always made me happy to see how she lit up at having a father figure who enjoyed her company.

“What have you been up to, my dear?” he asked her. “How’s business?”

Her smile went wider at the mention of Strapped.

“It’s overwhelming in the best possible way! Mercedes has been a godsend. We definitely needed the funding from her, but what’s invaluable is her industry insight. Even though footwear is a different animal, there are a ton of parallels in terms of supply chain and establishing retail relationships. And we’re already launching our bag division! Darcy crunched the numbers and saw that the price of leather was at an all-time low, so we made the leap.” She paused for dramatic effect. “I don’t think Macy’s would’ve given us a second thought if it wasn’t for Mercedes’s introduction to the head buyer.”

“You’re going to be in Macy’s?” he gasped. “Piper, congrats!”

I puffed up with pride at her accomplishments. “Hey, don’t give Mercedes all the credit. You’re the one who came up with the flagship bag designs. Three of them, Dad, and they’re all home runs.”

She shrugged modestly. “No, it’s a team effort.”

“And what about you, Vincent?” Richard asked. “Give me the inside scoop on all of your launches.”