Page 74 of Forty, Flirty & Fake-ly Yours

"I did not?—"

"You did. Twice." Her smile softens. "I haven't seen you like this since... well, ever."

"Like what?"

"Like you've finally met someone who matches you. Who challenges you and supports you and makes you forget about being careful."

"We're just?—"

"If you say 'maintaining a professional image' I'm telling Derek about the time you tried to tweak his proposal to me.”

“It worked, didn't it?"

"Because I locked you alone in the supply closet until you promised to let love be messy." She squeezes my arm. "Maybe it's time to take your own advice."

Before I can respond, Joel's voice cuts through the ambient chatter...

"Roz." Joel's voice cuts through the ambient chatter. "Can we talk?"

I turn to find my carefully coiffed ex-husband looking exactly like the kind of person who thinks love can be charted out like a business plan.

"Of course." I aim for polite indifference.

Olivia squeezes my arm before disappearing, leaving me alone with the man who once promised forever then traded up for a newer model.

"You look different," Joel observes, studying me like I'm a quarterly report. "More... current."

"Amazing what happiness will do." The half-truth tastes strange on my tongue. "Though I'm sure Samantha's thrilled you approve."

"Still so defensive." He sighs. "I meant it as a compliment. You've finally started embracing modern approaches. Moving past all that intuition nonsense."

"Nonsense?"

"The whole 'love is magic' philosophy that made scaling impossible." He gestures toward where Grayson stands. "Though I have to admit, I never expected you to actually date someone like Dixon. Always thought you'd stick to your... limited perspective."

The champagne turns sour in my stomach. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that it's nice to see you finally understanding what I tried to tell you years ago – that relationships are ultimately about strategic advantage. Publicity, resources..." His smile doesn't reach his blue eyes. "Though I suppose that's what drew you to Dixon. All those algorithms to compensate for your questionable judgment."

Something in my chest cracks. "You don't know anything about?—"

"I know you're finally acting like a real businesswoman instead of a romantic idealist." He glances toward where Samantha's holding court by the gift table. "Some of us figured that out sooner than others."

"Right." I set down my champagne before I'm tempted to throw it. "Because Samantha's such a brilliant strategist."

"She understands her place." His voice carries that patronizingedge I used to mistake for confidence. "Unlike some people who never quite grasped the bigger picture."

I'm moving before I realize it, pushing through clusters of Seattle's tech elite with their startup pitches and venture funds. The Collective's massive windows blur as I search for escape.

The rooftop garden is mercifully empty, string lights reflecting off rain-slicked surfaces like stars. Seattle's skyline spreads out below, a glittering reminder of how far I've come from the woman who once thought Joel understood real connection.

"Running away?"

I close my eyes at Grayson's voice. "Just needed air."

He moves closer, his presence somehow filling all the empty spaces. "Want to tell me what went down in there?”

I open my eyes. “In there?”

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