“I gave my boss a bright pink mug covered in hearts,” I said faintly. “On my first week.”
“You gave your boss a thoughtful, cheerful gift that made him smile,” Norma corrected. “Trust me, that man could use a little more light in his life.” She paused, studying my face. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” I lied. “I just… I didn’t realize DK stood for Dane Kavanagh. I thought it was someone else. I thought it was going to be a woman, actually, based on how many women work here versus men. And what do you mean, smile? He barely smiled at all!”
Norma laughed. “Oh, honey. Welcome to Cupid’s Arrow.”
CHAPTER 2
DANE
AFew Weeks Later
“I have no interest in being a model.” I swiveled in my chair to face the floor-to-ceiling windows in the Cupid’s Arrow conference room.
Lucas shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what you think. Everyone else is interested in you being a model.”
The city sprawled out below me, a glittering maze of lights that never quite dimmed, even at this ungodly hour. It was nearly midnight, but the marketing team was having a last-minute meeting before the rollout of Cupid’s Arrow’s Valentine’s Day promotion, and it was all hands on deck.
Including mine, apparently.
“People don’t know what they want,” I said. “That’s why Cupid’s Arrow works so well. We help them figure it out.”
“Save it for the commercial.” Lucas chuckled. “Clearly you’re a natural at this, even if you don’t see it.”
“Well, I believe in what we do here. Some places try to take advantage of lonely people, but we want people to find the companionship and joy they deserve.”
He snorted. “Says the man who doesn’t believe in love.”
I’d rather have been anywhere else. My apartment. The gym. Hell, even stuck in traffic on the FDR would’ve been preferable to this circus. “My love life is none of your business. Stick to your job description.”
He nodded like it didn’t matter. “Done.”
The promotion itself was solid. The team had done good work. But somehow, because I’d been voted Most Eligible Bachelor of NYC just a few weeks ago during the New Year’s celebration—a title I neither wanted nor asked for—the board decided it would be brilliant marketing to feature me in a commercial.
The irony wasn’t lost on me but I wasn’t talking about that kind of thing with Lucas.
“So the model dropped out,” Lucas continued, perched on the edge of the conference table like we were in a frat house and not an expensive conference room. “Her team called it a ‘medical event,’ but my sources tell me it was a poorly executed facial filler appointment.” He shot me a grimace and shook his head. “Another one bites the dust.”
“Your sources,” I said flatly, not turning around.
“I have people everywhere, boss.” I could hear the grin in his voice. “The point is, we’re scrambling to find a replacement. The shoot is tomorrow. As in, twelve hours from now.”
I closed my eyes briefly, summoning patience I didn’t possess. “Can’t we push it?”
“The media buy is locked in. The board wants this out by the end of the week to capitalize on your bachelor status before everyone forgets about it.” Lucas paused. “Their words, not mine.”
I finally turned to face him. “This is ridiculous.”
“This is marketing,” he corrected cheerfully. “And it’s going to be amazing. You doing what you do best, that dark, brooding,and handsome thing the ladies love so much. Definitely need you in a tux with a shiny red bowtie.”
“I don’t have a dark and brooding thing.”
“The advertising folks say you do. Take it up with them.”
“Why don’t we just hire models?” I asked. “Male and female?”
“Do you know what kind of publicity this generates? The algorithm already loves you, but this? Dane, this isgold.”
