Page 73 of Manhattan Bossholes

So why the hell couldn’t I shake the jealousy?

Then Piper slid her arm around Rodrigo’s shoulder to give him a quick side hug. When he dropped his head to her shoulder and she rubbed his back, something in me twisted.

I’d seen enough.

The perfect night meant everyone was outside, so the only spot for me to disappear to was the darkness inside, just beyond the sliding glass doors. I needed a few minutes to myself, to breathe. I smiled my way through the crowd, doing my best to avoid getting dragged into yet another endless conversation about exactly how we’d distilled the heliotrope or how perfect Maya looked in the new campaign, and let out a sigh when I finally crossed the threshold and pulled the door shut behind me.

The party sounds muted, and I could finally exhale.

It was a triumphant night for Summit, but I felt hollow inside. Something had been shifting with Piper, and it felt like she was slipping away. But every time I asked what was wrong, she insisted everything was fine, leaving me with no clue how to make things better.

I loosened my bow tie, popped open a few buttons on my shirt, and dropped into a chair.

“You taking that all the way off?” a voice floated out to me.

My shoulders reflexively sagged because I recognized it immediately.

Maya. The last person I wanted to see.

“Hey,” I said. “I’m only here for a minute. I need to get back outside.” And away from you, I thought.

She was playing the part of supermodel in a beige-y mesh corset dress that made her look naked. At least her outfit would guarantee tons of social media event coverage.

“Babe, you sound so sad! What’s wrong?” she pouted as she sashayed to me. She always strutted like she was on a catwalk with the world watching.

“Don’t call me that,” I sighed.

She came and stood right in front of me and placed her hands on her hips. “You look miserable, but I bet I know how I can cheer you up.” She gave me a wicked smile. “It starts with me on my knees.”

“Maya, come on. Enough,” I grumbled, leaning back in my chair to put some space between us. How many times did we have to go through this?

But Maya was relentless.

“We both know what makes you happy, babe. You need some vitamin me.” With one swift motion, she hiked her skirt way up her thighs then straddled me.

I only had time for the one thought: Are you fucking kidding me?

She was lightning fast as she wrapped her arms around my neck and tried to pull me into a kiss. I stood up so abruptly she slipped off my lap and almost fell onto her ass.

“For fuck’s sake, Vincent!” Maya sputtered as she tried to right herself, grabbing onto the edge of the table. “Why are you acting like this? I know you still want me, it’s so obvious!”

“I’m in a relationship, and you know it,” I said through gritted teeth.

Maya threw back her head and laughed. “You expect me to believe you’re actually serious about that little photographer? Please. You’re only with her to try to make me jealous. It’s not even real, is it? Admit it. You’re totally faking it.”

The pressure and stress that had been building within me exploded. I didn’t want to have this ridiculous conversation with her, but she’d left me no choice.

“You know what, you’re right,” I shouted back at her, not even caring how loud my voice was. “It did start off as a fake relationship, and you were the reason! You refuse to leave me alone, so Piper and I agreed to play the part of a couple so you’d finally get the message. Obviously, it didn’t work, because you’re acting as desperate as ever.”

“Desperate?” Maya shrieked back at me as her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Vincent, look at me! It’s physically impossible for a body like this to be desperate.”

“Well, why don’t you stop acting this way and stay the fuck away from me?” I barked back at her.

“And why don’t you stop giving me mixed messages?” she seethed. “Hiring me for the most important campaign in Summit history? That means something, don’t you dare try to deny it.”

“It was business!” I roared at her.

“Just like your fake relationship with your ‘creative director,’” she screamed back at me, making mocking air quotes as she said Piper’s title. “It’s all business, no heart, just like you.”