Page 35 of Midnight Kisses

Lara looked sideways at her, but didn’t otherwise acknowledge the interruption. “Like I was saying, Perry, call my office and ask for Tyler. I’ll let them know to expect your call.”

“I’d love to!” Perry said, her face shining. “Thank you so much Lara, this is an incredible opportunity.”

“What opportunity?” demanded the short woman.

I opened my mouth to tell her to fuck off, but Perry put her hand on my arm. “Hello, Ginger,” she said politely, but her smile was tight. “It’s nice to see you.”

“What’s this opportunity?” Ginger repeated, looking from Lara to Perry.

The correct response was to tell her to mind her own fucking business, but Perry wasn’t me, so she answered.

“Ginger, this is Lara Savea. Lara, this is Ginger.”

“From Phillys and Roller.” Ginger nodded. “I know. Hello again, Lara.” She leaned towards Perry and hissed, “Why are you talking to guests?”

My jaw fell. I wasn’t the only one fixated by this. Ginger’s pushiness had quietened all the conversations nearby and avid eyes were on us.

“I’m interested in Phillys and Roller becoming a distributor for Perry Skin,” Lara answered for herself, her voice brisk. “I tried her hand cream in the bathroom here once, and liked it. I was telling Perry she’ll need to scale up her production just to meet my personal requirements.”

Perry and Lara shared a laugh.

Ginger’s eyes flicked from Perry, to the door to the bathroom, and then back to Lara. I could see the wheels turning, but even I didn’t expect what she said next.

“Those creams were supplied by Momentum Events. They’re ours.”

My jaw dropped. I knew who this bitch was now, she’d texted me from Raro, distancing herself from the products I knew were Perry’s.

“That’s bullshit,” I said. “Perry Skin is my girlfriend’s brand, and you hired her then hid her in the fucking bathroom. Perry made the most of a bad situation, and freely made her products available to better your guests’ experience, just like she betters everyone’s experience all the fucking time, and now you’re trying to say that wasyou? Go and fu?—”

“Miles.”Perry put a hand on my chest. “Please. It’s fine.”

It was not fine, but I swallowed my fury. Perry had made steady progress with her fledgling company over the last month and I was incredibly proud of her. Every day she found new ways to show people she worked with—and anyone unwise enough to doubt her—there wasn’t anything she couldn’t achieve if she put her mind to it. Now this woman was going to rock up here, be incredibly rude to Perry,andmake demonstrably false claims? I could have spit, I was so fucking angry. But I bit my tongue because Perry had asked me to, and I knew she was right.

I made do with glaring my thoughts through my eyes.

Fuck you, you fucking vulture.

Perry raised her chin. “Perry Skinis my brand. I hold all of the paperwork, all of the pending patents. I also hold all of the records of lab testing, all of the development work. It took me years to get to the point where I could place my own products somewhere for public use, and I can prove all of that. But I’m sorry I didn’t ask you if I could place my products in the bathroom here.”

“I’m not,” said Lara, after a raking look at Ginger. “I’m pleased you did.”

“Thank you Lara,” Perry acknowledged. “But I still shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry, Ginger.”

Ginger shifted her weight from foot to foot. She was disarmed by Perry’s apology and her calm, matter-of-factness. She didn’t know what to do next.

I had some suggestions.

“Hold up, I know you!” A woman behind Ginger reached out, wrapping long, shiny nails around Perry’s wrist. “I remember you from the bathroom on New Year’s Eve. You told me about the spinach in my teeth that had been there since the hors d'oeuvres, and you gave me that pretty face spray. You were such a lifesaver. I immediately followed Perry Skin on Picstagram, I’mobsessedwith your sprays.”

Perry smiled. “Yes, I remember you, Cate-with-a-C. Hi.”

“Hi, babe,” the woman replied, hugging Perry. Then she turned to Ginger. “I’ve seen all of the Perry Skin stuff on Perry’s Instagram. It’sPerrySkin, you troll. Notyouskin.” Ginger flinched when the woman poked a long nail in her direction. “Why would you try and take credit for her business? It’s giving bitter, babe.”

“I…” Ginger faltered. Looking around the room she found no leeway, no support. Only disdain from Lara and I, outright hostility from the woman with the nails, and censure from the watching crowd.

Devoid of other options, she offered my girl a wide, very insincere smile. “Sorry, Perry. I must have been thinking of the—” she paused for a heartbeat, “—otherskin products we had in the bathroom. The coconut ones. Our ones. Not yours.”

“Bullshit,” I said under my breath.

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