Piper: Unprofessional to mention my hangover
Zach: Practical to treat it
Piper: Skinny vanilla latte as big as they can make it
Zach: See you at 3, Cinderella.
That nickname again. Piper felt a little flutter of... something she wasn't going to analyze during a professional meeting.
"Ms. Daws?" Mr. Martin called to her. "What are your personal thoughts on the memorial technology showcase?"
Piper smoothly pocketed her phone. "I believe it's essential. The digital afterlife management platforms are revolutionizing your industry. I think you should consider allocating the entire west wing of the exhibition hall for interactive demonstrations."
Piper circled the table, distributing folders containing the information they needed to review for the next part of their session together.
The familiar rhythm of a well-organized corporate event settled her.
This was where she belonged—managing conferences with clear objectives and predictable outcomes. Here in this space, there were zero chaotic wedding spectacles or emotions running high with family members showing up at all hours with purse vodka.
"Once we're all settled again let's discuss options for the keynote speakers," Piper continued, advancing to the next slide for when they regrouped. "I thought we would invite Dr. Montgomery from the university's Thanatology Department, and Jake Winters, founder of Forever Digital Footprint? If they're available, they would be phenomenal."
"I'm so glad we made the right choice in hiring you." Mortimer flashed a huge toothy grin that sort of made her squirm uncomfortably.
While the directors all poured water and ate their snacks, she finished up her room reset. She refused to let her mind wander to the upcoming wedding venue assessment with Zach and his gallon of coffee.
She didn't think about how she needed to be thorough—checking sunset angles, acoustics, capacity, and power outlet access. No, she didn't think about that because after Babushka left last night, she'd created a comprehensive checklist that accounted for all Tess's requirements while still prioritizing Anna and Drake's preferences so she wouldn't have to think about it.
The rest of the D.I.C.K. planning session went smoothly, and it was nearly two when Piper moved on to finalizing the budget options.
"Now, if you'll direct your attention to page seven of your packets, you'll find the budget breakdown from last year's—" Piper's sentence died as movement at the conference room's glass door caught her eye.
Through the frosted logo of The Falcon, she made out a familiar silhouette in the lobby.
Tall. Athletic build. Casual stance that somehow managed to look both relaxed and purposeful.
Zach.
Way too early.
Her headache intensified as she watched him charm the receptionist at the front desk, who was now pointing in the direction of her meeting room.
"Ms. Daws?" Mr. Martin prompted. "The budget?"
"Yes," Piper nodded, dragging her attention back to the meeting.
No. Absolutely not. This is NOT happening right now.
"I think we can negotiate a five percent reduction in the audio-visual package while actually upgrading the equipment." She continued the discussion on autopilot while keeping her eye on Zach through the glass.
The D.I.C.K. board members nodded approvingly at her budgetary thoughts when Zach finally turned toward the conference room.
His eyes met hers through the glass, and his face broke into that infuriatingly fascinating smile that had been forefront in her mind since their first sidewalk encounter.
He held up what was clearly a coffee carrier in one hand and mimicked knocking with the other. Then he winked at her, and Piper's stomach did a completely unprofessional flip.
"Is everything alright, Ms. Daws?" Mr. Martin asked, following Piper's distracted gaze.
Piper fixed her professional smile. "Absolutely. I just… I know we're nearly done here today, but there's someone I need to… there's just a little…" She swallowed past the sudden nervous lump in her throat. "I need a five-minute recess."
