“Then let’s do the following. I will, of course, pay for an Uber and any other expense you incur.”
“That sounds like an adventure. I’m up for it,” I said before I could help myself.
His eyes sparkled. When he spoke, he sounded as if he was trying to suppress a growl. That was even sexier.
“Piper… I can’t stay at the office late, but I’ve managed to get Charlotte to go to sleep between six and nine in the evening.” His tone was serious again. “We can have dinner at my place and discuss the budget during that time. If you’re ready by then and don’t have anything else planned, that is.”
My heart was in my throat right now, beating erratically. Was this truly just for business purposes or something else too? I felt closer to him after everything he’d revealed to me, but I didn’t want to read into anything.
“I don’t have any plans tonight, and I’d like to get the budget ironed out. That way Sonia, Nina, and I can get started with the layout of the commercial.”
“Excellent.” Beckett unhitched himself from the table, and I took that as my cue that this meeting was officially over. I immediately got to my feet, shoving my laptop into my bag.
“This was very productive!” I emphasized a little excessively. Boy, I was nervous.
Beckett’s smile was almost cynical, as if he knew exactly how on edge I was—and that he was responsible for it.
“I can’t wait to see you tonight. Let me walk you out.”
“That gentlemanly streak pops up often, huh?” Just like that, my tone turned flirty. One day maybe I’d accept that I couldn’t control myself around Beckett LeBlanc, but today was not the day, so I tried to act professional again. “Which I appreciate very much, of course.” I spoke in as serious a tone as I could muster.
Beckett walked toward me, pointing toward the corridor. “This isn’t gentlemanly behavior, Piper. It’s just common courtesy.”
I was about to start arguing about that, but I was trying really hard to remain professional, so I just smiled. As a young woman with blonde hair passed our way, I said, “Thank you for the productive meeting, Mr. Leblanc.”
His eyes bulged when he saw my outstretched hand. He frowned, but his expression melted into a satisfied smile yet again. He was having an entire conversation with himself, and I wanted to know exactly what he was thinking.
Don’t ask, Piper. Don’t ask.
I wassoproud of myself for keeping my mouth shut.
Beckett walked with me to the top of the stairwell. “I’ll see you tonight. Thank you for the excellent collaboration.”
Oh, he was mocking my professional tone.
My body hummed as I went down the stairs. I only managed to exhale properly once I was outside. I clutched my bag to myself, drawing in deep breaths. Oh goodness, what an experience.
I checked the clock and calculated how long it would take me to get to my office and then to Beckett’s penthouse. It was easier to stay in the Quarter. I had noise-canceling headphones with me, so I could work from a coffee shop here just as well as from the office.
My favorite place to work was on Decatur. It was a mix of a bookstore and a coffee shop. The owner was this cantankerousold lady who kept complaining that people stayed there for hours, but I secretly thought she enjoyed it because she liked to chat with the customers.
I loved putting together budgets. People thought numbers and marketing weren’t related, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
I came to a stop when I reached Fragrant Delights. I’d run out of all the perfumes I’d gotten from here, and I knew for a fact that Celine and Isabeau had special ingredients for each custom-made perfume. I could just pop in and out in a few minutes. There were no customers inside, so I pushed the door open. The two women were debating the pros and cons of making products exclusively of lavender.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Isabeau said, and then she straightened up. Her eyes fell on me.
“Hi there,” I greeted.
“Piper, hello,” Isabeau said.
I blinked. “You remember me?”
“You’ve purchased three of our perfumes,” Celine said. “Of course we remember you. You’re a return customer.” That was sweet of them. “What can we do for you today, my dear?”
“I need a refill from the last one we made.”
“Of course!” Isabeau narrowed her eyes. “Unless you want us to try our hand at creating something new. It’s been a while since we made your last one, and we have some delicious new notes to try.”
