“Spit it out, Eli.”
I’ve never smiled so brightly as in that moment.
“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
Epilogue
Quinn, three months later
The podium is already in place outside of the Pierce Industries building, and Eli—it’s still hard for me to think of him as Eli and not Christian, even now—can hardly stand still. He’s about to announce that he’s been cleared of any wrongdoing by the federal government, which—wouldn’t you know it—takes identity theft pretty seriously, and that all the charges against him have been dropped.
“It feels good to be a free man,” he says, watching the press gather outside.
I roll my eyes. “You’ve always been a free man. It’s not like they made you wait in prison.”
“They could have made me wait in prison.”
“There’s no amount of bail that Pierce Industries wouldn’t have paid, and we both know it.”
Eli shrugs, still grinning at me.
An elevator dings its arrival across the lobby, and I turn to see his father, Harlan Pierce, step out.
That whole story—what a doozy.
The moment they stepped out of his office together three months ago, it was clear that any past misunderstandings had been cleared up—or at least forgiven for the time being.
“Quinn Campbell!” said Harlan Pierce jovially, and I shook his hand with an air of joyful confusion.
“You don’t seem very surprised by this news, sir,” I couldn’t help saying.
He winked at me. “It’s hard to surprise a man who’s known you your entire life.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
From then on, Christian and his father were genuinely close. Once a month, they’ve been attending therapy sessions together. I can’t imagine having to do that with my own father, who has thoroughly enjoyed his life in a small town in Northern Michigan. The last time we argued was when I was in high school and going through a rebellious phase.
“Hello, lovebirds,” he calls now, striding across the lobby. He can’t wait to stand next to his son while he makes this announcement. It’s not likely to be the last of the press coverage about the strange story of Elijah and Christian Pierce, but at least it’s a relatively happy ending.
“Mr. Pierce,” I say, greeting him with a smile.
“Is this one all ready to go?” he asks me, putting an arm around Eli’s shoulders.
Eli shrugs him off good-naturedly. “I’m standing right here,” he jokes.
“He’s as ready as he’ll ever be,” I say, then take Eli’s arm and turn him toward me. I give him a once-over, making sure his outfit is in pristine condition, then straighten his tie.
I glance out the door. The press looks to be fully assembled, and it’s supposed to rain later this afternoon—they won’t stay long if we don’t give them something to pay attention to. “Let’s go entertain our guests.”
“As you wish,” Eli says, raising my hand to his lips and kissing it theatrically.
“My goodness,” I say, teasing. “Keep yourself under control. We are at work.”
Not long after that insanely hot kiss on camera brought down the wrath of HRM’s management upon my head, I got to build a press release announcing my new position at Pierce Industries as Vice President of Reputation Management. I forced Harlan to put me through the full interview process, even though he created the position for me.
I don’t feel guilty about any of it. I’m damn good at my job. I can’t help that I’m in love with the boss’s son, and that Pierce Industries can use a top-of-the-line public relations professional on their staff.
I lead the way out onto the sidewalk. The fall air is pleasant—not too hot, not too cold—and the cloud cover is easy on the eyes.
I step up to the podium with confidence and wait for the chatter among the reporters to stop.
“Thanks for being here, everybody,” I say, scanning the crowd. “Harlan and Elijah Pierce of Pierce Industries.”
Then I step back, ceding the podium.
The two men step up in front of it together, Harlan slightly to one side, and Eli takes a folded piece of paper from his pocket and smooths it against the polished mahogany surface of the podium. “Hello, everyone,” he says with a half smile that has me wet in an instant.
A shiver of pleasure goes through me when I think of what we’re going to do in bed later…
Snap out of it, Quinn. You’re on camera!
Eli is halfway through his statement. “—pleased to announce that I have been cleared of all wrongdoing. I thank you all for your support during this difficult time, and I look forward to sharing the future success of Pierce Industries with you.”