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Beau shrugs as he stands in front of the large window, eyes casting curiously over the large buildings parallel to mine, then turns to me. “Figured I could enjoy lunch with you since the launch is stressing you out and all.”
I shake my head and give him a small smile. “Although sweet, I’m not going to be able to have lunch right now. There’s a million and one things to do, and no time to take a break for food.” Not only that, but I don’t want to have to divulge more than my image can handle and I have a feeling that he’d make sure I ate this time.
He shakes his head and walks over to me, leaning into the desk with a smirk on his face. “I’m not taking no for an answer. We can eat in here, would that help?” My eyes cut to the veins in his arms that are protruding from the weight he’s putting on them and slide up to the sleeves that look like they’re about to rip at the seams.
Does he not have a shirt that fits him?
“Uh, I guess.” If Beau senses my nerves, he doesn’t let on as he lifts from the desk and taps the corner of it before walking out of the office.
Just like every other day, I don’t get a minute to myself before Deanna is barging into the room with a weird twinkle in her eyes. Her gaze darts back over her shoulder, eyeing Beau as he steps onto the elevator, then she brings it back to me. “Who is that?” There’s longing in her gaze as she fans herself.
I narrow my eyes at her, the long weeks of the launch catching up to me on top of the jealousy I’m feeling, and snap, “It doesn’t matter who he is, he’s not your concern. Isn’t there a job you should be doing?”
She flinches at my tone, then nods curtly at me before strutting right back out of my office. For the life of me, I just want a few minutes to myself before Beau comes back in here with food I know I shouldn’t eat.
Of course that doesn’t happen. Within the time span of Beau leaving my office, then coming back with it, I’ve had someone from every damn department come knocking on my door with a question. It only irritates me further because they’re questions that anyone in this place can answer, which means my bad mood is palpable as Beau sits across from me digging into his burger.
I’m ninety percent sure that my tongue is hanging out of my mouth like a dog who’s in need of a drink. The grease from his burger is dripping, landing on the paper he neatly situated on my desk, and I have to hold back a groan from the sight. How the hell have I managed to let others decide what I eat, or what I look like?
This is my fashion empire, shouldn’t I be able to do whatever the hell I want?
I can imagine my publicist storming into the room right now, taking one look at the large hoagie sitting in front of me, and throwing it away with a shake of her head.You don’t want all that food to go to your hips, it’s bad for pictures.I’ve heard it a million times before when I first started out, and the only reason I began listening to her is because her nasally voice made me want to stab my eardrums.
Beau takes the last bite of his burger, then glances down at the hoagie in front of me. “You haven’t eaten,” he says.
I roll my eyes and push the sandwich away, silently praying that Beau will pull it away from me before I do something drastic and eat all of it. Before he can say anything else though, my office door bursts open, and my publicist stalks into the room. Her gaze lands on Beau for a minute longer than necessary, then she shakes her head and moves it to my desk.
She gasps at the sight in front of me and quickly rushes over, tossing the uneaten food into the garbage. Penelope Rivers isn’t one that you want to have on your bad side, especially in an industry like this, which is why I’ve tried my best to abide by her rules.
“Penny, good to see you,” I say with a fake smile. I’d give anything not to have her in my office right now, but she must be here for something important. Especially without calling me first.
She shakes her head with a sigh, then cuts her gaze over to Beau. “Can you excuse us?”
Beau looks from her to me, then the trash can where she tossed the sandwich, and shakes his head slightly. “I’d rather stay, at least until Piper has eaten.”
Penny’s right eye twitches, its favorite action when she’s getting agitated, but she merely ignores him and turns back to me. “We have to do damage control, pronto.” Since she always comes prepared, Penny quickly shoves her phone into my face and shows me exactly what I need to control.
Figures. Right before my launch, Bailey Tresla, my competitor, has something to say about my clothes. I’ve never paid any mind to the threats she makes, seeing as I’m still doing well for myself, but Penny always insists that I make a statement when she does. I shove the device back into my publicist's hand, then turn to Beau with a smile.
“Think we could rain check this?” I glance over at Penny briefly and shrug. “Seems as though I’m needed.”Nothing new at this point, Piper.Even if I did want to enjoy my hoagie during lunch, I wouldn’t be able to.
Beau growls low, but lifts slowly from the chair he’s sitting in and heads toward the door of my office. I thought he would leave without opening his mouth, but it seems as though he had other plans. “I’m not sure Piper here needs you controlling the things she eats.”
You could hear a pin drop at the silence that ensues after his statement, then the door is shutting behind him and I’m left alone with Penny. She walks over to the chair where Beau was sitting and swipes at it frantically as if he has some sort of disease. What did I ever see in this woman again?
“Okay, good, now that he’s gone,” she says with a sigh. She then goes over everything she thinks I should do about the threat Bailey’s post imposes so close to the launch. All I have to do is agree to it and everything else will be handled for me — the writing, the picture they choose, and everything else.
“Sounds good,” I mutter. “Go ahead and get it done.” Whatever keeps this woman off my back. Now, not only do I have people to handle here at work, but I have to keep Beau from lashing out about my eating habits at home.
Chapter Ten
Beau
Angryisn’ttherightword for what I’m feeling right now. I’ve been enraged since yesterday, especially when I tried having a decent meal ready for Piper when she got home and she only looked at it before going to bed. I wrapped it up and put it in the fridge, in hopes that she would get into it later in the night, but it was still sitting exactly as I left it when I got into the fridge this morning.
Why the hell is she letting people dictate shit like this for her? I’m sure if her father found out what she’s doing to appease her employee, he’d be just as upset about it as I am. Maybe not. Guess it’s best I not say anything. I’d rather him not question why I’m so caught up in the issue and have to explain my way through it.
For days, I’ve walked out of the guest house to find the driveway empty of Piper’s car, but it’s sitting there perfectly washed today. She’s currently in the fashion room of her house, probably making sure everything is good for launch, while I’m sitting outside in the backyard brooding over events of yesterday.
