The smartboard behind him shifted to an image of a smiling Lucy Dubois, then a slow scroll through her feed. Cameron turned to it and frowned at the screen. “It’s all Hollywood stuff.”

  “Hollywood romance stuff,” I corrected. “Which works perfectly for us. So far none of her brand deals have explicitly tapped into that part of her influence—it’s mainly been makeup and clothing lines that she uses and wears. But if we connect with her and get her to pair her wedding bell predictions with our rings? Tons of eyeballs. And probably a ton of copycat purchases. People want to act like celebrities, so if they can have a celeb-adjacent ring…”

  “Brilliant! I love it,” Sandrine said.

  “Spell it out,” Cameron barked, staring only at me. “Give me a concrete example of what you mean.”

  This, I could do. “Okay, so right now Lucy is predicting that Joe, the lead singer from Calculated Mischief and Jen R. from that baking show are going to get engaged within the next three months. She could do a post and say that Joe should propose using our Veritique Iconic ring, since they’re an iconic duo. Or maybe we could do a staged paparazzi shot where Jen is in our flagship store with Joe, and then Lucy makes the prediction about which ring they’re considering? There’s a ton of ways we could work this partnership.”

  The murmurs around the table sounded positive. I stared at Cameron, waiting for him to defy logic and shoot me down.

  “I like it.”

  Shocker—the man could see reason! I tried not to break into a victory grin.

  “But,” he continued, “I need numbers. And I want our research department to go deep on her background before we approach her with an offer. She needs to be squeaky clean. Once all of that’s complete, I want to meet her in person. If I don’t like her, it’s not happening.”

  I had no idea if Lucy would clear Cameron’s hurdles, but I was thrilled he’d given my idea an initial green light.

  Maybe things were going to be okay with my bosshole after all?

  “We could also try reaching out to celebrities directly, to avoid involving a third party. Since Veritique usually doesn’t do that,” Glen suggested, clearly trying to get back into Cameron’s good graces. “There’s this guy, an author, who has the hottest book on the market right now. He’s right on the cusp of becoming a household name, so we could probably get him for cheap.”

  I froze. I had a creeping sense that I knew where the conversation was headed. No, this wasn’t happening.

  “Where’s the romance angle?” Cameron asked. “It’s not like we can do a tie-in with a thriller writer, or an American history author. I’m guessing you don’t read bodice rippers, Glen.”

  “No, that’s the thing, it’s like love stuff a guy can read,” Glen perked up. “His name is Steven Brudny and⁠—”

  My vision started to blur, and my stomach lurched as I clutched the polished wood table in front of me.

  How was this possible? Was my ex always going to haunt me? The smartboard now showed an image of his book cover, which I hated to admit was really compelling—a bright blue background with a vintage-looking tattoo heart graphic, stuck through with a dagger and the words Unhinged Heart printed in script on the banner in front of it.

  “…wrote a few fancy book club books I never read, but his latest has really caught fire.” Glen leaned into his idea, getting more animated as he spoke. “It’s not a trashy romance book, because I wouldn’t read that crap.” He laughed derisively. “It’s more like a dissection of everything that went wrong with his last relationship. It’s funny as hell and brutally honest. I mean, he talks about how he used to envision other women when he and his ex were, uh…anyway, it’s raw and unflinching.”

  Yeah, so raw he also talked about how grossed out he was by my morning breath, and how clingy I was toward the end of our relationship. He made me sound like an obsessive stalker, when the truth was I just wanted some answers from him. I mean, Steven ghosted me after three years together. I wasn’t hysterical, I was heartbroken. My reactions to the end of our relationship were all normal and understandable. But none of that came through in Unhinged Heart, which was way more focused on showing how he “won” the breakup and how much better off he was without me. And if it wasn’t humiliating enough to have his utter contempt for me spelled out in black and white, the goddamn book was everywhere. In bookstore windows, on morning talk shows, in the hands of people on the subway. And now even here, in my brand-new, chance-of-a-lifetime dream job. No matter where I went, I couldn’t escape how very stupid I had been to waste all those years on Steve in the first place.

  “I’m not getting the romance from the story, Glen,” Cameron said, fiddling with his phone like he was bored.

  The screen changed to Steve’s author photo. A few women made admiring noises because it was a damn good picture of him.

  “No, hold on, that’s the thing! The book pivots to him meeting the girl of his dreams, and the final part of the book is all about how perfect she is, and how she taught him the real meaning of love. I looked her up and she’s gorgeous. It sounds like he really traded up.”

  A few more guffaws from around the table. I had to force myself not to shoot eye-daggers at the guys, my new colleagues. They didn’t know. No one did. I bit the inside of my cheek as tears welled in my eyes.

  “Okay, I like it. Let’s add it to the list of possibilities,” Cameron answered. “Felicity, do some research and let me know what you think.”

  There was absolutely no way I was going to entertain doing anything with Steve Brudny, but it wasn’t like I could refuse my boss in front of everyone. Not without an explanation I very much did not want to give. I tried swallowing the lump in my throat and mustering up a smile, but my eyes just kept watering.

  Shit-shit-shit I was crying on my first day! This wasn’t possible! I needed a minute alone to collect myself. I pushed back from the table quietly, hoping I could slip away without too many people noticing.

  “Whoa, you’re leaving already, Felicity?” Cameron laughed, and every head swiveled to me. “Can’t take the pressure? You better buckle up—this is nothing.”

  The absolute nerve of making me into a spectacle when all I was trying to do was catch my breath!

  I raised my chin, hoping there was no evidence of tears. “No, I’m good!” I said in a steady voice. I reached for the empty water glass in front of me. “Just need a refill, that’s all.”

  I’ve always been able to think on my feet.

  “Alessandra can take care of that for you,” he replied smoothly. “Sit. We’ve got another hour or so before we’re done here.”

  He said it like I was an unruly child in a classroom, and my face burned.

  And for the next fifty-eight minutes, I was trapped between the twin gazes of my ex smiling smugly at me from the screen and the bosshole at the end of the table ready to treat me with an equal lack of respect.

  This job was a fucking huge mistake.

  6

  CAMERON

  Iloved being in our flagship store. With the clean lines and signature silver and black color scheme, the place managed to walk the line between being the fairy tale bucket list location every bride-to-be wanted to experience and being masculine enough so our male shoppers didn’t feel out of place. Nearly every woman who walked through the double doors mimicked the scene from the 1950s movie that featured our shop, Very Veritique, doing a twirl on the iconic circular mosaic in our lobby.

  We were gathered after hours for a meeting with Lucy Dubois, piggybacking our first official meeting with her and the internal reveal of a new line of engagement rings. It was a select group, just Sandrine, Glen, Clara, our lead designer, Dominick from legal, and Felicity.

  Of course Felicity. She was the reason for the meeting that I hoped wasn’t a complete waste of time. Lucy had obviously passed our background checks, and now it was a matter of a chemistry test. Could a storied brand like Veritique really connect with an influencer? I was having a hard time imagining it—but every argument I tried to form against it in my head just sounded like my dad and his utter refusal to adapt to anything new or hear anyone out. That wasn’t who I wanted to be.

  I needed to at least try to be open to this new direction.

  Lucy and Felicity seemed to be hitting it off, chatting away in a distant corner of the shop. It gave me the chance to scrutinize the woman who’d been nothing but a nuisance since her first day with us.

  No, that was a lie. Felicity was already doing a phenomenal job; it was more a matter of our oil and water personalities that put me on edge. Everyone else on the team adored her, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. So why was I always on the receiving end of a glare? Like now, I was merely taking note of what she was wearing—a bright blue dress that showed off an hourglass figure—and she shot me a narrowed-eyes stare that made me feel like I’d been caught leering at her.

  Of course, the possibility existed that I was leering, because the woman was a fucking goddess. It wasn’t like she dressed to show off her body—everything she wore was more than appropriate for our somewhat buttoned-up office culture—but even the little slits in her skirts that showed off the back of her knees were enough to make me think of what she had going on a little higher up. I laughed at myself. I could bed any gorgeous woman I wanted, yet here I was, getting hard at the thought of a knee thanks to the new hire.

  “Why don’t we get started?” I said loudly, my voice echoing around the grand space.

  Everyone moved toward the display where our most senior retail associate, Bernard, was waiting with a black velvet pillow. Felicity wound up standing right beside me, but she managed to avoid meeting my eyes. It was as if she couldn’t stand the sight of me.

  “Welcome, everyone,” Sandrine said. “We’re so excited to be spending time with Lucy Dubois tonight!”

  Everyone clapped and the influencer beamed at us, miming clapping movements back at the group. She had that practiced way of holding herself, like she was poised to be photographed at any moment and was always ready to present her best angle. She was attractive in that Instagram model sort of way, with overdrawn dark eyebrows and lips that had seen their fair share of needles. Standing next to a natural beauty like Felicity, my first thought was that the woman looked slightly alien. But then I berated myself for being too judgmental. For our purposes, her looks were inconsequential. What we needed was her reach—and she had plenty of that. Lucy was a pro at her job, and if everything went according to plan, the partnership was going to be a home run.

  “We wanted to start off today’s meeting with an introduction of our latest engagement ring line, so Lucy can get those creative juices flowing,” Sandrine continued, directing a smile at the influencer.

  “I am beyond about this opportunity,” Lucy exclaimed. “Like, pinch-me moments galore!”

  Okay, the woman’s enthusiasm was charming. I hoped it would translate to positive press for us.

  “Clara? Why don’t you step up and begin our tour,” Sandrine said.

  Our lead designer was the quintessential creative with a severe black bob, matching wide-rim black glasses, and some sort of black avant-garde dress and cape combination I couldn’t figure out. Nor was I going to ask, because she would tell me—at length. She wasn’t always the easiest personality to handle, but she was the best in the business.

  “Of course. Tonight, we begin with the Aeternum,” Clara intoned, her German accent making her sound somber. She plucked the ring from the black velvet pad in front of Bernard and held it in the air. “A pear-cut, five carat diamond with fifty chevron-shaped facets in it, set on a pavé-studded band. This is a statement ring that demands attention.”

  “Oh, it’s glorious,” Lucy squealed, clapping. “But I need to see it on someone! Not me, because these paws haven’t had a manicure in a week.” She turned to Felicity. “Look at your perfect hands. Put it on for us!”

  Felicity blanched, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, no I couldn’t. Let’s have Sandrine⁠—”

  “What’s your ring size, Felicity?” Bernard asked with a knowing smile. “A six, perhaps?”

  “Uh,” she paused, staring at the ring like she was afraid of it. “I have no idea, actually.”

  “All of our rings are presented in a size six in store, and I know for a fact that Sandrine is a seven. But I think the Aeternum will fit you.”

  Felicity picked up the ring like it was a bomb about to go off. She glanced at me, then slid it on her finger.

  “Wow, it’s stunning,” she sighed, turning her hand back and forth and then holding it up next to her face.

  “Perfect fit,” Bernard said proudly. “Like you’re Cinderella.”

  Lucy already had her phone out, recording the casual try-on. “You should see how it sparkles on video, I don’t even need a filter,” she exclaimed. “Oh, my followers are going to love this content!”

  I glanced at Dominick and gave him a pointed look.

  “Um, Lucy,” Dominic adjusted his glasses. “You can’t post anything yet, since we still need to work out the contracts.”

  “And this is just an internal reveal—we’re not ready to go public with this line yet,” Sandrine added.

  “Right, right, right,” Lucy said, still recording. “Of course, I won’t post a thing yet. But it’ll help me with my brainstorming later.”

  Felicity was staring at the ring on her finger. It looked beautiful—I’d approved the design, after all—but it wasn’t right for her. The Aeternum was a big, flashy piece, better suited for a woman who felt like she had something to say to the world—at top volume. A status-seeker. I didn’t know Felicity well, but that didn’t seem like her.

  “What do you think of it?” I asked her.

  She was close enough to me that I got a hint of peach in the air around her. Of course she smelled sweet.

  “It’s something else,” she replied, still fixated on the ring. “I think it’s a couple years’ worth of rent on my finger. And it’s heavy!” She shook her hand back and forth gently. “I feel like I’m wearing a kettle bell.”

  “Are you telling me you’re too weak to carry eight carats?” I chuckled at her. “You’re in trouble. Just wait until you see the Brilliant. You won’t be able to pick your arm up off the counter!”

  I took her hand in mine because I wanted a closer look at the ring’s facets, not realizing I was taking her hand in mine in front of a room full of people until I heard Lucy “aww” about it. At that point, letting go and backing away would have been more awkward than continuing, so I brazened through.

  Felicity jumped like I’d electrocuted her but relaxed when she realized I was giving the ring professional scrutiny and nothing more.

  “What do you think, Romeo?” She asked in a lighter tone than I’d heard her use with me. “Am I a worthy Juliet?”

  She did a little curtsy.

  “No. I don’t know if it works on you,” I said honestly.

  She snatched her hand back, looking wounded. “And why not?”

  “It’s not a good match…somehow the ring looks like costume jewelry on you.”

  “Excuse me?” her eyebrows shot up. “You’re saying I make it look cheap?”

  “That’s not at all what I’m saying,” I grumbled at her, taking her hand in mine again.

  I studied the ring on her finger even though she was trying to squirm out of my grip. Pale skin, almost translucent, and silky soft. The ring was a giant, shiny speed bump on her delicate finger.

  I looked into her eyes. “There’s no question the Aeternum is an outstanding piece of jewelry, but it’s not your ring. The right ring complements a woman, it doesn’t try to upstage her. The ring best suited for you will be a reflection of pure, natural beauty. The truth is, someone like you could wear a piece of twine around their finger and still make it look like a million bucks.”

  They were statements of fact that I’d say to any shopper, but saying them to Felicity while holding her hand had a different vibe in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

  Her mouth went into that pretty little O shape, and I swore I heard a literal squee come from Lucy. I glanced over and saw that she was filming us.

  “Remember, you can’t—” I began.

  “I know, I know,” Lucy laughed at me. “No posting. I just want to capture these moments because it’s a total swoon-fest!”

  As soon as I realized what she meant, I let go of Felicity’s hand abruptly.

  Sure, it might look like there was something brewing between us, because we were two attractive, red-blooded humans with needs. But how could Lucy miss the undercurrent of wary tension between us? It radiated off of Felicity. Although her hand had relaxed into mine in a way that felt almost familiar.

  No, there was no way. I had to have imagined it. I was about to stress to Lucy that Felicity and I were nothing more than colleagues, but Clara tapped the glass display case with her giant emerald ring, reorienting everyone back to her.

  “If I may continue,” she said in a serious voice.

  Clara didn’t like foolishness, but it wasn’t like I did either.

  Bernard placed another ring on the black velvet pad in front of him, and Clara picked it up and held it in front of her.

  “The Novo,” she said solemnly. “Featuring two round, brilliant diamonds precisely set to frame a third round center stone. At just three carats total, it’s smaller than the rest of our new collection, but our Novo stones have an unparalleled clarity that sets them apart.”

  Clara held it out to Felicity, and she gamely tried it on.

  “Me likey!” Lucy sang out when Felicity held up her hand.

  Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the ring, but there was only one I wanted to see, because I knew it would be perfect for someone like Felicity.

  “Bernard, please get me the Eternity,” I said in a low voice.

  He pulled out the ring and slid it to me on the pad right as Felicity was taking off the Novo. I held up the Eternity and cleared my throat, so everyone turned to me.