Page 513 of Manhattan Bossholes

The stunt was heading in a very wrong direction, but it wasn’t like I could just announce that I’d sooner marry a rattlesnake. Not in front of a media audience that adored Heidi. No, I needed to control this—give an answer that satisfied the mob while not giving anything away.

“Let’s just say we still have some secrets, but you’re going to have to wait until the catwalk to find them out,” I said, with as much fake cheer as I could muster.

My eyes shot to Natalie and her expression was openmouthed shock.

People booed good naturedly at my non-answer.

“My boyfriend likes to keep people guessing, even me!” Heidi giggled and squeezed my arm.

I hoped I didn’t noticeably flinch when she called me her boyfriend. I glanced at her and narrowed my eyes so that only she could see. “Yes, seems we’re all a bit surprised today.”

But even as I said it, I knew it would be good for the company and the new line. The fashion bloggers would be writing about us already, but if we could get the gossip bloggers to spread the word—including pictures—then that could be the spark needed to make this all go viral.

“Hey, James, you got more wedding dresses for us today?” another reporter called out. “Is this your way of telling us you’re launching a full bridal line?”

The crowd applauded and I hid my frown. We’d always considered adding a bridal line but now if we ever did in the future, it would forever be tied to this moment. Hell, Heidi might even try to take credit for it. But that was a problem for down the road. This night still needed to pay off or there wouldn’t be a future for the company, with or without wedding dresses.

“You just have to wait and see,” I teased, pulling out all the stops on my acting abilities. I hoped my expression looked believably happy. Heidi and I locked eyes and I tried to channel my rage so that she was the only one who could sense it.

But she either didn’t notice or didn’t care as she giggled, then leaned closer to give me a kiss on the cheek. She kept her lips pressed against me while the flashes around us made my vision swim. What choice did I have but to put on my trademark smirk and hope the paparazzi were getting the scoop they needed to help make the evening a success?

I glanced beyond the crowd to where Natalie was standing. Her shoulders were hunched and her face looked pinched, no doubt thanks to the way her world had just flipped upside-down within the past five minutes. Punching that bedbug of a human MG and Heidi crashing our show in Natalie’s finale dress? How much more would we have to deal with? I found myself starting to move towards her without any conscious thought. If it hadn’t been for the hold Heidi had on my arm, I’d have walked away completely. I gave my head a quick shake to clear it. That was the second time tonight I’d seen Natalie and just reacted, without thinking it through. It made me uneasy. Since when was I impulsive? Since when did I act without thinking? Since when did I lose control?

Since Natalie.

I had to get my head back in the game. I looked around the room and spied Calliope furiously punching at her phone. She grinned at the screen, then glanced around the room. When she spotted me watching her, she hopped up and down and gave me a thumbs-up with an even wider smile.

From what I could decipher, she was letting me know that the world was enjoying the surprise reunion with my ex. That would put eyeballs on Branson, which was exactly what I wanted. Exposure like this, fake as it may be, was priceless in a crowded marketplace. I felt a genuine smile spread across my face at the thought of all of the social media attention we were going to get. And this was even before the show. Things were looking up.

“Give your girl a kiss, will ya?” a voice shouted at us.

A chant started to kick up around us.

“Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!”

Heidi leaned closer to me with her eyes shut and her plump lips puckered. Part of me wanted to look over to Natalie—to check in, make sure she was okay—but that was an urge I needed to suppress. This night wasn’t about making sure Natalie was okay. It was about saving the company. I had to stay focused on that goal and not let anything distract me, not even Natalie. When this was all over, she’d understand.

Staring into Heidi’s face, I braced myself to gently grasp her chin and give her the quickest, most brotherly peck imaginable.

When I looked to where Natalie had been, she was gone.

21

NATALIE

I’d given the performance of a lifetime.

Hovering in the wings and smiling as gorgeous models wearing our cutting-edge designs paraded down the runway, pretending that my heart wasn’t breaking over James and Heidi’s revelation. I was there to do a job, not cry like a dejected teenager.

I could do that later, right after I screamed at him.

My heart dropped at the thought of the confrontation to come. We were close to the end of the after-party, and I’d successfully managed to avoid James for the entire thing. I doubted anyone had noticed that I was keeping away, though. James certainly didn’t seem to. He’d been busy chatting up various movers and shakers. Meanwhile, I’d been kept busy posing for pictures with Skyler, our brand ambassador. People loved the contrast of my ripped up black gown and Skyler in the deconstructed runner-up bridal gown we’d salvaged for her finale dress. It wasn’t as perfect as the one that had been stolen from us, but it was pretty damn good.

Because everything I designed was. The ground might be crumbling beneath my feet, but I knew for a fact that no one could touch my work.

“You holding up okay?” Skyler whispered in my ear. “Tired?”

I nodded but kept the smile plastered to my face and adjusted my grip on the glass of lukewarm champagne, untouched but for one tiny sip. “You don’t even know,” I whispered back. “You?”