Anya pulls a brown paper sack from her bag on the floor and holds it out to me. “Maybe this will help then. I brought beignets from that place you like.”

I squeal and rip into the bag immediately. I pop a beignet in my mouth, where the soft pastry melts on my tongue like butter. “Man, these are better than sex. Who needs men when you have melt-in-your-mouth French pastries?”

“Would you say that if you knew Mr. Lavin was asking about you the other day, I wonder?” Anya smiles craftily when I swivel around to face her. “Well, that got your attention, didn’t it?”

“Andre was here? What did you say?” I narrow my eyes. Anya is quirky enough to do or say just about anything.

“He wasn’t here. He called last week to finalize plans with the marketing team for the press conference today. Before I transferred his call, he asked if I’d heard from you. If you needed anything.”

She leans against the file cabinet and crosses her long legs. “I think he was trying to find out when you’d be back without being totally obvious.”

“I’m sure he was just making polite conversation.” I tuck a stray curl behind my ear and try to look nonchalant.

“Maybe. But I saw the way he looked at you... I even like the way he says your name. Cassandra,” she purrs, rolling the “r” the way Andre does. She lets out a dramatic sigh and pops another pastry in her mouth.

“I figured you two would have worked it all out by now.” She taps the heel of her black stiletto against the carpet. It makes a soft scratching sound every time it hits the floor. “I guess that means the sex wasn’t that great, huh? Which is surprising because that bathroom picture was hot.”

I choke slightly and then gulp down the piece of beignet that was stuck in my throat. “For the record, the sex was amazing. I just thought some time apart would be good for us. To make sure he’s thinking with a clear head. With the head on his shoulders, as his friend pointed out.”

“That guy was a jerk.” Anya makes a face.

“Yeah, but he’s saying what a lot of people are thinking. My mom even saw that article. She thought I was prostituting myself to pay the bills.”

“But we know the truth. And personally, I’m putting my money on Mr. Lavin. I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls again today.”

The thought makes me smile. After my night of ice cream therapy with Mya and Ariana, I feel like I’m ready to see him. Maybe tonight after work I’ll call him and we can talk. My insecurities won’t disappear overnight but that’s something I’ll have to work on.

James passes by and waves. “Casey, welcome back. The Lavin press conference is about to start. Anya, I need you. Uh, Casey you can sit this one out if you want. Considering the circumstances.”

Anya chuckles once he’s gone. “Well, that was awkward. Come on. The press conference is being televised so everyone’s in the boardroom watching. It’s not like you have to actually see him in person. This is the first project you’ve assisted on so you should be there for the formal announcement. Then we can sneak out for a little retail therapy. I’m sure someone is having a sale.”

Anya leads the way down the hall to the biggest conference room. Most of the other employees are already there. Milo is near the front, his attention on the large flat screen mounted on the wall.

After I made the suggestion that Andre star in his own campaign, he emailed the idea to Mya that night. She loved it but since the article came out right after that, I never got to see the final campaign.

It’ll be interesting to see what the team has come up with.

The soft murmur of voices in the room quiets as the camera zooms in on Andre climbing the stairs to a small podium. The space behind him is swathed in large white curtains. He’s no doubt planning to unveil the new campaign in dramatic fashion.

I move a little closer. It’s hard to tell where he is until the camera pans out and the unmistakable image of the National Monument appears behind him in the distance.

He’s still in town.

My heart dances a little in my chest. Even though he told us he was staying until the campaign was resolved, after all the drama of last week I wondered if he would return to Italy. I look down at my feet hoping no one else notices me mooning over him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. It is with great pleasure that I make two announcements today.” Andre leans on the podium, giving the impression of being completely at ease before the large crowd. It’s only when the camera zooms in closer that you can see the shadows beneath his eyes.

“I am pleased to unveil the new face of Lavin Couture.”

There’s a dramatic flourish as the large, white sheet on the left is yanked down to reveal a stunning ten-foot photo of Andre. There’s a moment of shocked silence before the audience breaks out into cheers. Andre chuckles and bows in response.

“After much debate, someone very dear to my heart pointed out an obvious truth.” He pauses and stares directly into the camera. “This beloved woman told me that I was the essential ingredient that makes Lavin Couture what it is. It is an extension of my personal style and up until this point, it was my whole life. Not anymore.”

The reporters in the crowd jockey to get closer to the stage, shouting questions and waving their hands in the air. He pointedly waits until they stop shouting.

“Last week I was the subject of a vicious tabloid article. It included pictures that are a shocking violation of my privacy and while I am used to being the target of such gossip, the woman I love isn’t. I am done allowing the press to use scare tactics and lies to sell papers.”

The crowd is quiet.

Tags: M. Malone Mess with Me Romance
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