under your feet, son. Life is shorter than you think. Don’t waste the next few years focusing only on your work when you can have it all.”
Once again, he’d managed to surprise the shit out of me. “You know?”
He let his head drop back as he laughed, a deep, booming guffaw that I hadn’t heard in far too long. “It’s my heart that’s the problem, Dane. There’s nothing wrong with my eyes. Of course I know. Now get your girl and do whatever you have to do to keep her. I’ll be keeping an eye out for my invitation to the wedding.”
I had no idea what to say to that, but it didn’t matter. Jefferson clapped me on the shoulder and went back inside, shutting his door while I tried to process just one more thing on this crazy, entirely unexpected afternoon.
Chapter 37
LEAH
Dane had looked slightly dazed when he’d come to pick me up for our date, and thirty minutes later, I understood exactly why. I stared at him from across our candle-lit table, my eyebrows high and my lips parted.
“You’re officially in charge of Killen Cosmetics?” I said, my voice just above a whisper so we wouldn’t be overheard.
The restaurant we’d chosen for dinner was quiet at this hour since we’d beaten the rush, but there were still some other people in the dining room and this wasn’t the kind of news any company wanted leaked. Dane had told me there’d be an official announcement in the coming days, but for now, very few people knew.
It sounded like it was pretty much only Jefferson’s lawyers and housekeeper, Dane, and me who were in the know. No pressure or anything.
Dane took a long sip of his drink before he nodded. “I’ve signed the papers and said yes to the old man, so there’s no getting out of it now. You’re looking at the newest CEO of Killen and the only one ever not to share a last name with the company.”
“You’re going to be great,” I said sincerely, smiling as I held my drink up between us. “Cheers. May all your ups and downs in the future be only in the bedroom.”
He laughed, leaning forward slightly as he clinked his glass to mine. “Thanks for the sentiment, but I’m rather partial to swimming pools and the ocean as well.”
“Good point,” I said, taking a sip of my wine as I watched him do the same. “So that’s what he’s been doing, huh? Setting the wheels in motion for the big handover.”
“That’s part of what he’s been doing,” he said, but there was suddenly something that looked a lot like pride gleaming from his eyes. “He’s also been working with our manufacturing department to increase our production capability for Beautiful Moments.”
“Well, that’s good news.” I smiled, a little more relieved than I’d ever admit that I hadn’t sunk the new product with my big mouth before it had even come out. “I’m glad people are so excited about it. It’s a divine fragrance, though. They should be.”
“Yeah, but they haven’t smelled it yet,” he said, sliding his hand across the table to take mine. “The increased demand is all because of you.”
“Me?” I scrunched up my nose, my head starting to shake automatically. “No way. If people want it, it’s because of the campaign you guys put together. Leave me out of it.”
“I can’t leave you out of it because it wasn’t the campaign that caused people to suddenly be desperate to get their hands on it. It’s that video of you.”
“What?” My heart stammered and mouth dried up. “The one where my neck looks like its covered in hives and my shoes are in my hand?”
“That’s the one.” He grinned and wound his fingers through mine. “It’s turns out people really liked your authenticity. They loved the fact that you were so candid about your allergy, and apparently, they also just loved you.”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out for a few seconds. “They loved me?”
“They did,” he confirmed, then sat back in his chair again with a satisfied smile on his lips. “Jefferson himself said it seemed that people weren’t very interested in sweethearts in the traditional sense anymore.”
My head was spinning and my mouth was drier than ever as I locked my gaze on his. “He’s definitely not firing me then? A part of me has been thinking that when he comes back to the office, he’s going to give me my marching papers.”