Chapter 5

I was watering Wanda's office plant when my email pinged.

It was a notice from HR: [All staff are required to attend the annual company dinner at the Magnolia Hotel tomorrow at 6 PM. Dress code: formal attire.]

Vernon, the guy at the next desk, groaned and started rummaging through his wallet. "Great, another suit rental. That place I used last time jacked up the price to two hundred bucks a day..."

I glanced down at my own navy suit.

The cuffs had Kiton's signature invisible stitching, and the lining was embroidered with the name of some foreign master tailor.

Last week, I had three of these flown in—just to match the peeling paint on the mirror in the company restroom.

"Grayson." Wanda suddenly appeared at the edge of my cubicle. "You..."

Her gaze dropped to my cuffs, and she reached out, pinching the fabric and rubbing it between her fingers.

A thin layer of cold sweat broke out on my back.

"Nice fabric," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Where'd you buy it?"

"Just an online special," I replied, keeping my expression neutral. "Ninety-nine bucks, free shipping."

She let out a cold laugh and tossed an invitation at me. "Sit with me at the dinner tomorrow night, and don't wear that. You look like a kid raiding their parents' closet."

I glanced down at my tailored suit, the one people said made me look like a Wall Street hotshot, and for the first time, I started to doubt my own taste.

*****

The crystal chandeliers at the Magnolia Hotel were dizzying.

I was standing in a corner, texting my butler, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. [Park the car at the back entrance. And don't use the Phantom.]

"What are you doing hiding back here?" Wanda said, tugging at her collar.

She was wearing a smoky gray mermaid dress, her usual ponytail let down, the ends curling in lazy waves.

My throat tightened. "You..."

"Look like a woman?" Wanda rolled her eyes. "That's what Carmen from Finance said."

"You look just like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday," I blurted out.

She was about to retort when the host announced the start of the event.

We were swept into the ballroom by the crowd.

Instinctively, I reached out to shield her, but my hand landed on bare skin.

The dress's deep V plunged all the way to her waist.

I yanked my hand back as if I'd been burned.

Wanda's ears turned red, and she shot me a deadly glare. "Eyes front, dammit!"

*****

The awards ceremony didn't exactly go as planned.

"And the team of the year goes to... Planning Group Two!"

Just as the spotlight swung our way, Wanda was reaching over to drop a shrimp onto my plate.

Startled by the sudden applause, her hand slipped.

The shrimp tumbled off her fork and landed smack on my tailored pants, leaving a nice, shiny oil stain right in the most embarrassing spot.

"Congratulations, Ms. Tillery!" the host boomed. "Please come up to accept your award!"

Wanda froze.

I glanced down at my pants, then at her pale face, and suddenly stood up, clapping. "Ms. Tillery totally earned it!"

Under the weight of everyone's stares, I grabbed a napkin and discreetly covered the stain.

With my other hand, I gently nudged her toward the stage.

She stepped on my foot three times in her heels, her voice trembling. "Did you do this on purpose?"

"Does the stain look like Mickey Mouse to you?" I whispered, trying to lighten her mood.

She finally let out a laugh, her mark at the corner of her eye catching the spotlight and sparkling like a tiny star.

*****

On our way back to our seats, we ran into Andrew.

He was holding a glass of champagne, his eyes flicking between me and Wanda. "Grayson, you're being awfully attentive tonight."

I raised my voice on purpose. "Good evening, Mr. Shortle! Love your pants, by the way!"

Wanda pinched my side hard from behind.

Andrew's smile twitched as he walked away, and I caught a glimpse of his phone screen.

He was texting my dad: [Grayson does have a thing for that employee.]

A chill ran down my spine.

"Hey." Wanda suddenly tugged at my sleeve. "Your tag's showing."

I turned my head and saw a corner of my suit lining flipped up at the back of my neck.

The gold embroidery "G.C. Exclusive" sparkled under the lights.

"This knockoff's pretty fancy," she said, squinting at it. "What does G.C. stand for?"

"Factory code," I blurted, quickly flipping the collar back down. "Garbage Clothes... you know, cheap stuff."

She was about to say something when Vernon rushed over. "Grayson! Carmen's son wants to see your watch!"

That was when I realized my Patek Philippe had somehow slipped out from under my cuff.

Wanda's eyes flicked back and forth between the watch and my face.

Thinking fast, I blurted out, "It's a kids' watch. You know, the kind with a heart rate monitor."

To make it more convincing, I hit the call button right there.

Three seconds later, my butler's voice came over the speakers in the ballroom. "Sir, the car is ready."

Dead silence reigned.

"Voice assistant!" I laughed awkwardly, hanging up fast. "See? It can even mimic a grown-up's voice. Pretty cool, right?"

Wanda looked at me like she'd just witnessed the absolute rock bottom of human intelligence.

*****

By the time the event ended, it was pouring rain.

Wanda's heel got stuck in the gutter.

I crouched down to help her, and I heard her mutter under her breath, "These stupid shoes cost me half a month's salary."

Before she could finish, the heel snapped with a loud crack.

She stumbled and fell into my arms, and through her soaked dress, I could feel her heart pounding.

"I'll carry you," I said, squatting down and getting ready.

"Oh, please!" Wanda shoved me away. "With that scrawny frame of yours?"

Not taking no for an answer, I just picked her up bridal style.

She squealed and clung to my neck, her breath hot against my ear. "Grayson! Put me down, right now!"

"Hold still." I tightened my grip. "You're way lighter than my pig back home."

She couldn't help but laugh, even in the rain. "Someday, I have to see this legendary pig for myself."

Inside the hotel's revolving door, Andrew was already pointing his phone at us, ready to snap a pic.

The flash went off, and I quickly tucked Wanda's face into my shoulder.

*****

The next day, everyone at the office was gossiping about two things.

First, someone showed up at the company dinner wearing a so-called "kids' watch" worth 700 thousand dollars.

Second, Wanda was caught on camera getting into a black Maybach.

I tried to explain it was just a fancy Uber, but nobody believed me.

"Care to explain?" Wanda kicked open the wall of my cubicle and slapped a photo down in front of me.

I stared at the blurry car logo in the picture, scrambling for an excuse. "It's just a luxury Uber. With a coupon, it cost only nine bucks."

She folded her arms. "And this?"

She pulled up another photo: my pant leg had ridden up as I carried her last night, my socks on full display.

The Hermès "H" logo was plain as day.

"Just a cheap knockoff from Amazon," I muttered. "Nine bucks."

Wanda suddenly leaned in, so close I could count every one of her eyelashes.

There was a faint jasmine scent on her, and her fingertip pressed right against my collarbone. "I'm only going to ask you this once.

"Why is this so-called 'Amazon suit' the exact same one Chairman Nelson Carroll wore yesterday?"