He’s properly conscious public relations isn’t simply what I do. It’s who I’m, and what I really like. Carson is ready to take over Bennett Media Group, and although he retains sending covert messages, like flowers and acquainted tortes, my means, I want to maneuver on.

Simply not this previous weekend.

“Why?” Luke asks, leaning again in his chair.

“One thing got here up.” I wave off his query as I deal with the report in entrance of me. “Now, the place have been we?”

“How’d the man take it?” Luke presses. “After he despatched that giant bouquet of white roses, a month in the past?”

I attain for my glass of water. I may need let of us across the workplace, together with these two, consider the flowers, which occurred to be the identical shade of these within the bouquet I’d carried on the wedding ceremony, have been from a person a good friend had launched me to. Which, in impact, is true. The very fact no word was hooked up helped my trigger. However although I knew who actually despatched them, a query remained. Why?

Earlier than I can reply, Cooper pipes up. “And the strawberry cake, final week?”

“It was a torte,” I snap. And a scrumptious one at that. And never from the potential date, as everybody assumed. It was from Carson. The sticker on the bakery field was from the resort.

“My unhealthy,” Cooper says, holding up his fingers.

“Look,” I hedge. “I’m sorry. When you should know, I’m having second ideas about courting, proper now.”

I believed the entire getting over a person by getting beneath one other was a good suggestion. Till push got here to shove and Saturday rolled round. And I didn’t assume it was honest to steer on a person after I’m nonetheless excited about my final…fling.

It sounds ridiculous, even to me. However earlier than both of them can chime in with additional interrogation, Luke’s PA knocks on the door then pushes it open.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she says, capturing a look again out into the hallway. “However there’s a supply right here…for Ms. Stone, and it appears vital.”

My abdomen drops as she steps apart, and a person carrying a full-on, old school newsie getup and a broad smile strolls in. He’s sporting a tweed jacket, flat cap, and suspenders hooked onto corduroy trousers over a striped shirt, with a leather-based satchel slung over his shoulders.

“Ms. Mallory Stone?” the person asks, his shiny eyes touchdown on me.

“This oughta be good,” Cooper murmurs, standing up and clapping his fingers collectively as he welcomes the person farther into the nook workplace.

“I’ve a supply for you.” The person retrieves a cream-colored envelope with my identify handwritten on the entrance from his bag with a flourish. “Scorching off the press,” he provides with a wink as he ceremoniously holds it out for me, flat on the palm of his hand.

“Thanks,” I murmur robotically, glancing at Luke and Cooper, who appear delighted by this absurd scenario.

“I’ll wait,” he provides, stepping again.

“Okay…” I slip the only piece of paper out of the thick envelope. As I unfold it, a well-recognized photograph strip flutters to the ground. I snatch it up, scanning the unsigned word on the again, written in neat block handwriting. This can be a copy for you. I’d by no means relinquish the unique.

I drop the photograph strip again into the envelope earlier than both of my pals asks to see it. However the sight of it jogs my memory how Kelsie requested if something was up between Carson and me a number of weeks in the past. I assured her there wasn’t, however questioned why she was bringing him up out of the blue, months after her wedding ceremony.

She stated it was as a result of Carson hadn’t been seen with one other lady since then. And the way Sawyer had talked about his good friend appeared off and busier with work than traditional. Mentioned how we appeared to hit it off, if the grins we have been sporting within the footage from the photograph sales space have been any indication, and questioned if one thing was happening between us. I assured her that wasn’t the case.

However now, I flip my consideration again to the current, unfolding the letterhead from Bennett Media Group, with its brand embossed on the high of the web page.

“What does it say?” Cooper asks.

Luke elbows him. “Give her a minute, will you?”

My coronary heart kilos as I learn the temporary assertion then look up. “It’s a press launch. An announcement that tomorrow, at midday, Bennett Media Group shall be holding a press convention.”

My hand trembles however earlier than anybody notices the fluttering I stuff the letterhead again within the envelope together with the images.

“Can Bennett Media Group count on your presence?” the supply man asks, his eyebrows elevating expectantly.

What he’s actually asking is, Can Carson Bennett count on your presence?

I shouldn’t go. There’s nothing that may be introduced that can considerably change something. Carson’s the golden boy, groomed to take over a media conglomerate. Which implies he’ll at all times be press. And I’ll at all times be PR and a battle of curiosity, who’d be a definite legal responsibility to the repute of his household’s firm.

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