“I won’t forget this,” he hissed. “And you haven’t seen or heard the last of me. Passion Creek isn’t big enough for you to hide forever.”
They watched him wriggle as the security guard almost lifted him off the floor as he was “guided” out of the gallery.
Matt blew air out through his teeth. “I hope you weren’t still holding a flame for that jerk, because I think I just messed up your last chance.”
“How will we ever buy a decent house and have babies now that you’ve trashed his entire career?” She winked at him when she saw a slash of horror cross his face.
He shrugged with relief when he realized she was joking. “Shit, was I that good?”
“Ballistic, nuclear, amazing.”
“So no hard feelings?”
“Regarding Stan? No way, but I wasn’t being paranoid about bumping into him, see?”
“Perhaps I need to talk to some people about that.”
“Um, no, just leave it alone for now. It’s over and he’s a coward.”
He scratched his chin and looked serious. “Okay, if that’s what you want, but maybe you shouldn’t go back to your place tonight. I’m guessing he’s been there before?”
“I’ll be fine and promise not to answer the doors to strangers once you’ve dropped me off.”
“We can go now if you like.”
He seemed genuinely concerned, which softened the brittle way she’d been feeling during the Stanley incident. “My nemesis has left the building, so let’s do what we came here to do. And I’ve only seen one painting, for goodness’ sake.”
“And I think you’ve only had one drink, half of which that bonehead spilled all over you.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I’ll get it cleaned first thing.”
“Nobody but you is ever going to wear that outfit, so if you want to wear it again, I’ll pick up the dry cleaning bill. And if the stain doesn’t come out, I’ll get you a replacement.”
“It’s the most fabulous outfit I’ve ever worn,” she said quietly. “I hope it’s not ruined with that Champagne stain. I was going to ask you if I could keep it after the official PCB No.68 launch, you know, when we go our separate ways.”
“Why would you need to ask that? I’m not going to try and squeeze into it.” They both laughed as he pointed ironically to the breadth of his chest and the length of his legs compared to hers. “And no other woman could ever do it justice after you, Piper. Those heels are just…they’re just wow.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, remembering how Stanley would sulk if she wore high heels because it made him look short. “Thank you for the compliment and for buying them for me.”
“Don’t thank me, it was all part of the deal.” He snapped his gaze away from her. “I blackmailed you into it, remember?”
She had almost forgotten that small but pertinent detail, almost forgotten that she should be resenting every moment she spent with Matt DeLeo, but somewhere along the line she had slipped into wanting to be with him. It was a dangerous place to be. She had no long-term place in his life and no hope of ever achieving that—he’d made that absolutely clear and she’d been singing from the same hymn sheet ever since they’d met in Sanibel.
Perhaps it was the sudden, in-your-face contrast between Stanley and Matt that was unsettling her. Matt was the tall, dark, handsome hero versus the self-interested cheat who had made such a fool of her over the years. Her heart had been stamped on enough. She should take an immediate emotional step backward before she got terminally stung as well.
“I could do with another drink, that’s for sure,” she said, and he handed her a long, tall glass of something rose-colored and bubbly. She held the flute up to the light and squinted at it. “Perilously close to pink there, DeLeo, but I’ll take it. Networking is thirsty work.”
“Made any good contacts yet?”
“One very good one, a lady named Fiona Potts. She seems very interested in my jewelry.”
“Ah, yes, Fiona, one of Passion Creek’s most generous patrons, along with her husband. But they like to keep their philanthropy as private as possible. They do it for the right reasons, not just to look good.”
“Mmm, this is nice,” Piper said with raised eyebrows. “Raspberries, ginger…it doesn’t taste like alcohol at all. What is it?”
Matt smirked and snatched up a canapé from the table. “Try it with some of this duck liver pate.”
Both her hands were full, one with the glass, the other with her purse so she had no choice but to let him feed her the dainty piece of toasted bread and its savory topping. She chewed slowly and nodded her approval. “Yum, that works well,” she said after swallowing. “I could eat and drink a whole boatload of this.”
He smiled and took a mouthful of the pink fizz himself. “I like it with mascarpone cheese or mussels in garlic.”
She thrust her purse into his free hand. “Hold this while I find a plate. I’m absolutely starving, and I blame you entirely for your wine pairing expertise.”
“It’s not wine.”
“Then… Oh no, you’re kidding me? It can’t be.”
He twisted the stem of his wine glass to reveal a logo etched into the glass. “PCB No. 68 also goes very well with prune, cherry, and apricot tarts, according to the market research done so far. You are going to have an absolute blast at the launch. Don’t have lunch that day.”
“Pink beer. I just don’t believe you got me to drink pink beer. I hate beer. But this doesn’t taste like beer.”
“Brewed in the same way, but with a secret blend of fruit and botanicals. Different, isn’t it?”
She held the glass up to the light and stared at it. “And it’s more of a blush rose color. Coral, fuchsia, or salmon, not nasty old pink.”
“Where were you when I was brainstorming a name, Miss Piper? I feel the urge for an emergency rebranding exercise.”
“Not on my account,” she said and smiled as she spotted a pile of china plates stacked up a few yards away at the end of the table. “I’ll be back in five and then you can do the same.”
“Don’t rush,” he said and tucked her purse under his armpit. “There’s someone I need to speak to quickly.”
Three hours flew by in a whirlwind of food, drink, and swapping business cards as the entire gallery buzzed with laughter and excitement. “I can’t believe I never noticed the PCB logo all over the place until you made me drink my first evil glass of beer,” Piper said happily. “And you should have told me beforehand that you were the official sponsor of the evening.”