Page 168 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Right!”

I tugged on the bottom of one of her braids. “Hair looks good to me.”

Hailey lifted her hands, running them over her head.

“Like it?”

She beamed at me. “I love it.” She threw her arms around my neck, squeezing me with the strength of a tiny octopus.

“I feel like I’ve just been demoted in the hair department,” Dominic said, walking over with Aiden. I tried not to flush at the sight of him.

“Cora did it,” Hailey announced, standing up on the stool and launching herself into Aiden’s outstretched arms. Watching Hailey go to him so freely stirred something inside my chest. Seeing this sweet side of Aiden wasn’t helping the not-blushing thing.

“I see that,” Dominic said.

“She did a very good job,” Aiden said.

“I’m a little rusty,” I admitted.

“Better than I could do,” Dominic assured me. “But I’ve learned pink ponytails are a must.”

“Gotta be pink,” I said, laughing as Hailey nodded seriously.

“Uncle Aiden, you want to come see Uncle Vincent’s baby?” Hailey asked. “Daddy said we can go after work.”

“Uncle Aiden has to go on a little trip,” he said to her. “But how about we go next time?”

“Kay,” Hailey said, squirming to get down.

He set her on the floor, then looked up at me. My breath caught a little in my throat. Holy hell, how was I going to spend an afternoon in the car with him? “What time did you want to head out?” he asked.

I sucked in a breath and let it out before responding. When Aiden had offered to drive me back to our hometown, saying yes had been the obvious answer. It really wouldn’t make sense for me to take the train if we were both heading into New Jersey tonight. But I wasn’t able to think about anything other than our kiss even when he wasn’t just a few feet away from me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to hold it together through the drive.

“I figured we’d head out whenever you were able to get away,” I said. “I’m not sure what your day looks like.”

“I was thinking we should head out a little early—get ahead of the rush hour traffic,” Aiden said. “You brought your bag with you?”

I nodded. I’d hauled my duffle onto the subway this morning so I would be ready to leave whenever he was.

“That makes things easy. We can head out straight from work then,” Aiden said. “We’ll take the Mercedes.”

“What happened to the Ferrari?” I asked teasingly. “Was one ridiculously expensive car not enough for you?”

“It’s in the shop,” he said. “Getting detailed. Someone left powdered donut sugar all over the passenger seat.”

“I suppose I should just be glad we’re not taking the helicopter.”

15

AIDEN

“Idon’t think the gymnasium has ever looked so good,” Cora said.

I snorted, taking a sip of my Old Fashioned. She wasn’t wrong—the high school gym had been transformed. Cora and I had pulled things together in Trish’s absence, sorting out the decorations and the catering, dressing up the space with balloons and streamers and a massive WELCOME BACK sign that had been a health hazard to hang. There were more than a dozen large circular tables with centerpieces in maroon and gold, our school colors, and a station set up with old yearbooks, class photos, and trophies from various sports and activities. A photobooth sat in the corner of the room, and it was a big hit. There’d been a line winding across the gym to use it since people started arriving. Next to that was the buffet and the bar, which also had a near constant line. Across the gym, a DJ had set up, and twinkling lights glittered down on the dance floor.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing…I just think there’s something inherently cheesy about high school reunions.”