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Ashley eyed her but didn’t challenge her on that statement. “Whatever you say, Payton. Now, come on. We need to see who’s here. You never know who you might meet at these things.”
“The kind of people who have millions to drop on an apartment?”
Ashley swatted at her. “Yes. Obviously. Considering that Brian is trying to sell out this building tonight. At the launch.”
“See, that’s crazy. That people have that much money.”
Ashley leaned in as they started to move through the crowd, the musky scents of dozens of brands of colognes mixing together. “And that’s why you have to mingle. Because you never know who you might meet.”
Payton doubted that she’d meet anyone who would change her life here, but she knew what Ashley meant. She was looking out for someone in the music business or someone adjacent to the music industry. All she needed was a foot in the door. Or at least, that’s what she kept saying.
Payton didn’t think she could live like that. Yeah, she hadn’t found her ideal career yet, but she’d find something. Eventually. She wasn’t afraid of going back to bartending or cat sitting. But Ashley might have to. Or at least be happy with always moving from gig to gig.
Payton apologized to a man who she’d accidentally bumped into, and although she kept moving to keep up with Ashley, not wanting to lose her in the crowded room, she could have sworn that was Jack Lowe. He was the co-owner of the company where Payton worked.
Why was he here? Although, he would have that kind of money to buy one of these apartments.
And if he was here… Was Madison?
Payton’s eyes moved around the room as she followed Ashley over to where Brian was talking to a group of people, but Payton couldn’t see her.
She inhaled a deep breath before she knocked back what was left of her champagne. She wasn’t even sure what she’d say to her boss if she did see her out in the wild like this.
Payton spent long hours with that woman, from getting her early morning coffee to late nights at the office going over the next day’s itinerary, but it had always been in a work capacity.
Payton didn’t know what she’d say to her if she was here. Because as confident as Payton could be around women, and usually it was older women, there was just something about Madison Dunne.
She had the most captivating hazel green eyes. Expressive. She could have this serious expression on her face, a mask almost, but her eyes always had so much going on. And Payton would know. She spent far too long looking at her boss, staring into those mossy green eyes.
And Madison Dunne just had swag. There was no other way for Payton to describe it.
Confidence. Fashion sense. Ruthless negotiating skills.
It was no accident how Madison got to where she was.
So, Payton had a crush on her boss, but she would argue that it was a healthy crush. And even though she showed Ashley pictures, Payton knew she didn’t get it. Photos didn’t do Madison justice.
Because Payton was sure that if Ashley saw her, she might cut her some slack.
It was more than Madison’s perfectly tailored skirts or blazers. Everything looked good on her.
It was more than her glossy black hair and the way it was always styled immaculately. Whether her hair was straight and sleek, or she came into the office with loose curls that fell across her shoulders, Payton desperately wanted to know what it was like to run her hands through her hair.
Madison Dunne was sixteen years older than her, and if Payton had thought that this crush was something she’d get over in a few months of working with her, she was sorely mistaken.
One year later, and Payton would do anything for a chance with her gorgeous boss.
2
Madison didn’t know why she’d agreed to come to this launch. She had no interest in buying an apartment. She’d found the perfect penthouse within walking distance of the office almost ten years ago, and she had no intention of ever leaving it. Even if it was worth a fortune now.
But Jack wanted to buy a two-bed that overlooked Central Park, and apparently, he trusted her judgment for more than just business decisions. So, here she was, spending a Thursday night mingling with politicians and sports stars, lawyers and bankers.
It was a funny business, what her and Jack did. They never had to advertise, not in the last decade anyway. And yet, they still had more work than they could take on.
Turns out that a lot of people have reputations to fix.And a few of them were here tonight. Sometimes, that made it awkward. Sometimes people embraced the fact that they had to do some damage control. Maybe, it made for a good story. She didn’t know. But it did pay the bills, and their company had grown year on year since they’d started working together almost twenty years ago.
Madison sipped her champagne, hovering by the piano player tucked into the corner of the room. Despite making a living working with people, she was an introvert, and after a long day at the office before coming straight here, she was tired of making small talk.
