15. Gianna

"It's so cool, the way they take the little balloons and make them look like sparkles and stars." He'd relaxed by the time we pulled up in front of the zoo, as if he'd simply taken me at my word. It was the honest truth. I was happy to just be with him.

I ran my hands over the tight red material of my dress, willing myself to settle. The huge sign above us that read Boston Zoo was probably the biggest piece I'd ever completed. The way the animals peeked out from behind the letters made me just as happy today as it did the day I'd finished the design. But obviously, I was riding a high caused completely by the fact that my work was on display in downtown Boston.

"You did good, Mariposa." With a smile, Emerson squeezed my hand. "Really damn good. Be proud of yourself."

We stopped there for a moment to take pictures for his mom and sister, and once he was satisfied with the number he'd taken, we wandered under the silver, gold, and black balloon arches and into the event.

"What's your favorite animal?" he asked as he surveyed the table cards and picked up two with puffins on them.

There was no question that the theme for the players' table would be that bird. I swore every one of the guys was obsessed with Puff. The bird had become an honorary member of the team after my brother had accidentally hit him with a pitch last year. It was hard not to love the Atlantic puffin. Even I had to admit the little guy was adorable. And currently, everyone was on puffin baby watch, because any day now, Puff was going to become a daddy.

"Wait…" Emerson grabbed a card with a python off the table. When I'd called Jake a month ago, asking about what animal the firm would want, he'd insisted on the snake. His favorite. How fitting that an image of the slithering, shudder-inducing creature was printed beside his name. Although the comparison might not be fair to snakes. They'd never done anything to warrant being associated with him.

"Are you telling me the name of this place is actually douches?" His eyes were wide. "I thought Chris was just messing with you all this time."

"It's Doucette," I corrected.

He blinked and then started to chuckle. "Douches."

"It's Da-shh-eee-ttt." I rolled my eyes.

With a yank, I took Jake's card out of his hand and put it back on the table. Of course Jake wouldn't be here yet. The man loved to be fashionably late. He thought it made him important to have people wait on him. My brother's head had almost exploded last Thanksgiving because Jake had been an hour late and hadn't even bothered to apologize when we had to hold dinner.

Continuing my perusal, I scanned the rest of the cards, quietly admiring my own artwork.

"Why did management choose a duck for their table?" I asked when I noticed the mallard printed on each place card.

"Beckett loves them." Emerson tucked the two cards into his inside jacket pocket. "Rumor has it he slept with a stuffed duck until he got married."

Squinting, I waited for the grin or a laugh. But his expression remained neutral. Seriously? The broody billionaire had slept with a stuffed animal for forty years? "Are you messing with me?"

Emerson's only response was a smile.

"No way." I shook my head.

He shrugged. "Just what I heard. You still haven't told me—what's your favorite animal?"

"I'm not sure I've ever really thought about it." I perused the area, stopping on the sign I'd created for big cat alley. "Maybe a leopard."

Slipping his hands into his pockets, he rocked back on his heels and nodded. "Capable. Independent. Fierce. Just like you."

"I don't know about that." I chuckled, pushing away the slight discomfort that ran through me in response to his compliment. "They're graceful in their movements, though. I like watching them. How about you?"

"I can't pick one." He lifted his chin, zeroing in on my brother, who was standing across the room with a black bird on his shoulder. "Puff's one of my favorites, of course," he said confidently. "But I love bears. They're so much fun to watch. And monkeys." His eyes widened. "How could anyone forget the monkeys? They're crazy. And giraffes. Ever fed a giraffe?"

I shook my head but chuckled at his excitement. Of course he couldn't pick one. To Emerson, just about everything he encountered earned his awe. That outlook on life was so foreign to me, but it was hard not to admire him for it.

As we walked farther into the zoo, the area opened up into a beautiful, wide wooded space. Fake trees, flowering bushes, and rocks served as decorations and created an atmosphere reminiscent of an enchanted forest.

"Wow, it doesn't even look like the zoo anymore," Emerson said.

About fifty tables were decorated in black and gold and silver, just like the balloon arch, and beyond them was a dance floor and a stage. On one side, several tables were loaded with cellophane-covered baskets. And in each of the four corners was a bar. The scene was gorgeous, and since it was a clear night, the stars, although few and far between because of the city lights, shone above us.

Emerson's hand found the small of my back as he guided me toward his teammates. We'd barely said hi before Hannah Erickson, ever on the job, asked Emerson to help her with content for the Revs' social media.

Without hesitation, he jumped in, and the next thing I knew, he and Puff were doing a choreographed dance. Two head nods, a shake back and forth, and three spins.

A laugh bubbled out of me as I watched. It may have been the cutest moment I'd ever witnessed.

"Wait, the beginning glitched. Can you do it again?" Hannah asked, her blue eyes focused on the screen of her phone as she tapped one black stiletto on the bricks below her feet.

"Anything you need, bebé," Emerson assured.

That one word had my spine snapping straight. How was it that two tiny syllables could cause so much annoyance?

The team's head of PR was beautiful. There was no denying that. Tight black dress that ended just above the knee. Brown hair in a high ponytail. She looked buttoned-up and professional, yet also elegant. I hated that I felt jealous. And I couldn't help but be reminded of another buttoned-up professional who was always dressed in black. It was dumb. I wasn't dating Emerson, and he wasn't Jake. Not to mention, Hannah seemed nice. Nothing like Libby. I shook it off and scanned the tables again, eager to take my mind off the situation.

"Em, I'm going to look at the baskets." I nodded toward the far side of the room and stepped that way.

"I'll just be a sec," he assured me before turning back to once again dance with the bird.

It blew me away that he hadn't originally been invited to this event. If he weren't here, who would have danced with Puff for the Revs social media? Chris sure as shit wouldn't have done it. And although Kyle Bosco was known for his antics, he looked pretty content where he was cozied up to the gorgeous blond I was pretty sure was a model I'd seen on a magazine cover or two. From what I knew of the guy, I couldn't see him leaving his date for a bird.

I glanced back at Hannah again, who was barking out orders. Did she have the first clue just how incredible Emerson was? I hoped so.

Giving him his space to be the Boston Rev goofball everyone knew and loved, I scanned the baskets and tickets for a variety of sporting events and shows. But nothing really caught my eye.

A few members of the zoo's board mingled nearby, as well as a few people from the zoo's marketing team I'd worked with. Before long, Emerson appeared at my side, and instantly, he was chatting up anyone who came our way. We wandered from one table to the next, bidding on a couple of items that jumped out at him, before he ushered me over to our assigned table. After dinner, the president of the zoo stood up to give a quick call for donations. He even thanked the firm for the amazing job on the rebranding.

"He should have fucking thanked you by name," Chris muttered from my left side.

"They said they wouldn't name people for fear of missing someone." That's just how things were done at these events. And plenty of people had come over to thank me and praise my work already.

"That's bullshit." Chris shook his head and glared at the zoo president, who was still yammering on.

"Agreed," Emerson whispered.

"We should say something." With a grunt, Chris pushed his chair back.

My heart skipped. I absolutely didn't want them to make a scene.

"Didn't Walter come talk to you?" Avery asked, peeking around my brother.

"He did," I assured her, grasping Chris's arm to keep him from standing.

She whacked his other arm. "It's the way her company does this stuff. Don't be difficult."

Scooting his chair in again, he slumped. He meant well, and I appreciated the support. As annoying as Chris was, he was also my biggest champion.

And having an ally in Avery was a relief. If she didn't approve of my brother stepping out of line, then he wouldn't say a word. Avery was the only person in the world who could truly control him.

"You going to dance with me?" Emerson gently bumped me with his shoulder.

"Not likely," I joked. "But I'll grab refills for both of us."

"Want me to get it?" he offered, brows lifted high.

I shook him off with a smile. He'd gotten the last one, but he'd had to go back again after he dropped my drink halfway back when someone pushed their chair out quickly and Emerson bumped into it. It was easier if I did it myself. So, with a small, reassuring squeeze to his arm, I stood and headed to the bar. As I stepped up, I recognized Jake's boss waiting for the bartender.

"Hello, Mr. Whittemore," I said, stepping up to the bar next to the president of Doucette Designs.

He turned away from the liquor, scanning my face with a polite, impersonal smile, clearly not recognizing me.

"Gianna Damiano?" I prompted.

His face remained blank.

As disappointment swirled inside me, I forced myself to keep my tone friendly. "I worked on this project."

"Oh, yes." He smiled. "That's right. You assisted Jake with the signs. I didn't realize any of his artists would be here."

My smile slipped as my heart splatted on the floor beneath me. So Jake hadn't given credit to me on the project like he promised he would.

"Well." He picked up two wineglasses off the bar and lifted them. "Have a good night, miss."

I forced a smile, but suddenly, a drink didn't sound so appealing. Turning away from the bar, I scanned the event space again, stopping on the table with the snake design rising up from the large floral arrangement in the middle. A few people milled around the ten chairs. Did any of them know that I'd created every design for the new signs on my own, or did they all assume it was Jake?

"Gianna?" a singsong voice called behind me.

Although I didn't recognize the voice, I turned at the sound of my name. A woman with wild red curls and a bright smile approached. Her hunter-green dress ended mid-calf, the color complementing her pale skin perfectly. She was pretty in the wild child way, but I didn't have the first clue who she was or how she knew my name.

"Yes?" I asked, fighting the urge to cross my arms to brace myself for the impending uncomfortable conversation with a stranger.

She held a hand out to me. "I'm Dylan." Her voice was friendly, and from the positive vibes radiating off her, she was clearly comfortable, as if she knew me and we were going to dive into a conversation we'd had a dozen times.

Even after studying her and shaking her hand, I was still at a loss for who she was.

"The confusion is vibrating off you like a bass drum beat." She smiled. "Although you don't know me, I think you probably know my fiancé, Cortney. He played with your brother before he moved into management."

"Oh." This was Cortney Miller's soon-to-be wife. I hadn't met her, but I'd heard a lot about both her and her daughter. "My brother says Willow is the sweetest baby ever."

She chuckled. "I think her daddy would pounce on anyone who claimed anything different. Even if he's a baby hog and tries to keep everyone at arm's length."

"Well, new baby, germs. I get it." Although kids weren't in my immediate future, I could imagine myself worrying about the same kinds of things someday. If I ever had the opportunity to have a family. My lack of urgency about kids had been an issue with Jake. He was a few years older than me and thought kids were more of a now thing, while I thought they were more of a later thing.

"I absolutely adore the signs. It's like the universe brought us together for this new fun project I have." She beamed at me.

I blinked. Project?

"Oh, I should probably explain it." She laughed. "I'm opening a daycare facility at Lang field."

I fought the frown at the stadium name. Seriously, the Langfields had named their ballpark Lang Field.

"I own a company called Little Fingers," Dylan said, launching into a detailed story about how she and her friend had started a preschool that, over the years, had grown into six, with another in the works. And how the universe had provided exactly what they needed each step of the way. "So now it's provided you."

I blinked again. I didn't want to be rude, because maybe she'd found me on LinkedIn or Indeed, since I was job hunting, but working in a preschool setting was the last thing I was interested in doing. And to be honest, I'd probably be terrible at it.

"I see where you're going with this, and what I should have said was that I'm looking for someone to design a logo for our Lang Corp location."

"Oh." I nodded, flooded with a sense of relief. "Okay, well, if you reach out—" I snapped my mouth shut. Because when the zoo had contacted me, I'd encouraged them to reach out to the firm to make plans. But why? There was no clause in my contract that said I couldn't work on side projects, and what loyalty did I have for a company that had literally uninvited me from the event held by a huge client that I had personally brought to them and worked with every step of the way? Not only that, but Jake had taken me off the two big accounts that I had pitched last month. So why would I actively work to bring them business? The president didn't even know who I was.

I glanced around the room, stopping at the table decorated with snakes.

"That whole area is a murky cloud of grays and blacks." Dylan waved her hand. "I don't jibe with auras like that." She winced. "It really crushes all my pretty teal. But your orange is like a beacon. Passion with just a pinch of red. You remind me of my friend Delia."

I had no idea what she was talking about. My dress was definitely red, even in the low lighting, not orange. Then again, hers wasn't teal; it was more of dark green. But she was right. That table was full of dark suits and black dresses.

"I get that tonight is a big night for you, so I don't need an answer now." She passed me a white card. "But I hoped you'd wanna come by one day. I wrote my address on the back of Cortney's card. Just slip it right in." She pointed at my chest. "You'll remember it later when that dress comes off, and it falls to the floor. The universe will put me back in the center of your mind."

She pointed again to my chest, one brow arched, so I obeyed, slipping the card into my bra.

"Great." She clapped. "My phone number is on there too. Just swing by anytime. I'm sure the universe will make sure I'm home."

"It will what?"

Her pretty gold eyes, full of more knowledge than I ever hoped to possess, sparkled. "Don't worry," she assured me with a pat on my arm.

"Firefly." Cortney appeared beside Dylan then, towering over both of us, tall and impressive in his navy suit. I'd mostly seen him with his typical man bun, but tonight, his golden hair hung down past his shoulders. "What did she say?"

"Oh, nothing yet. But she's gonna come over soon."

The confidence in Dylan's voice shocked me. I'd hardly said anything, so how did she know I'd show up?

"She needs some time. Not everyone can feel the way auras mesh so clearly. It took you a while too. But she'll get there. Don't worry." She lifted on the toes of her flip-flops—the last thing I'd expect her to wear with such a formal dress—and gave him a quick kiss on the neck. Then, grasping his hand, she turned back to me. "We'll see you later."

As they wandered away, his large hand settled on the small of her back and he leaned down, bringing his mouth to her ear. The way she beamed up in response showcased just how much love coursed between the two of them. It almost seemed like a blanket wrapping them tight and keeping out anything else.

"What are you doing here?" The high-pitched female voice was like an ice pick to the temple. The sound had my hackles raising and instantly sent me back in time to a moment in New York weeks ago.

"What are you doing here?" The voice curled my toes.

"I work here, Libby." I didn't turn away from the coffee machine as I filled my cup. All week, I'd been waiting for this moment. The day after Jake had broken the news over dinner, he'd announced to the staff that Libby was moving to the New York office. He'd also switched out all the photos in his office for ones of the two of them. Like he could rewrite history and convince the world that the two of them had been legitimately dating rather than cheating.

"I thought you were in Boston so that we didn't need to deal with this weirdness," she huffed.

With a deep breath in, I turned and took in her small frame. She'd always been petite, and in one of those awesome fuck-yous from the universe, she was a tiny, cute pregnant person too. Her belly rounded like a little basketball so that from the back, she probably didn't even look pregnant. I hated her even more for that. Even at seven months pregnant, her belly was smaller than mine.

"I'll be working on the zoo stuff after today." If only I could have made it that one last day without seeing her.

"Libby!" another voice called and Nina popped her head into the breakroom. "I heard congratulation are in order. Let me see the ring."

Ring? My stomach dropped to the floor. No way. Jake had always claimed he wouldn't rush into marriage. He wanted to live together for at least a year before taking the leap. "Testing compatibility," he'd always said.

Libby lifted her hand and set it on her little bump, smirking at me. The large diamond sat on a gold band. "He asked last night when we officially moved in together. You should see our new place. It's perfect."

My eyes stung, but I refused to do anything but lift my chin and lock my jaw. I pictured a tree falling on the house. Crushing the adorable brownstone I'd found. That was all it took to lift my mood and stop the tears from forming.

"Oh, Gianna. I didn't see you there." Nina's eyes widened, and she stepped back.

"How is it possible you missed her? She's the size of two normal people." Libby scoffed.

I pulled my shoulders back and kept my head high. I hadn't been insecure about my weight since high school, and I wasn't going to let bitchy women change that.

"I'm headed out." Of the breakroom, the office, New York. I wanted out of all of it.

Nina couldn't meet my eyes as she stepped out of the doorway so I could pass.

"God," Libby groaned in a stage whisper. "I don't get why Jake was ever with her."

"At least you'll always know he traded up."

Their laughter echoed down the hall.

"Gigi," Jake snapped from his office. "Can you please do a coffee run?—"

"Gigi?" Jake's voice brought me back to the moment.

I blinked, bringing the couple in front of me into focus. I almost didn't recognize Jake. Instead of the perfectly quaffed style he'd worn since before I met him, he had a buzz cut.

With a harsh breath in, I gaped. "Your hair."

He glowered, fisting his hand at his side. "Your friend owes me free cuts for life."

I gave Linc a hard time a lot, but at the moment, I truly felt the depth of our friendship. The man definitely had my back.

"I don't care if a wasp landed on him. Hell, even if it had stung him, the guy should be professional and not flinch half my hair away."

With a hand to my mouth, I coughed to keep myself from laughing. The man could not pull off a buzz cut. I'd always said he was pretty, but now it was more pretty awkward.

"What are you doing here?" Jake snapped after a long beat where I just stood, trying not to giggle.

I took a breath, steadying myself, and lowered my hand. "Emerson had a ticket, so instead of sitting with you, I'm sitting with him and his friends."

"Emerson?" He squinted as he repeated the name, like he had no idea who I was talking about. But my brother was always talking about his best friend. There was no way he wouldn't recognize the name. Actually, there was. Jake probably didn't bother to pay attention when Chris was speaking. That was on-brand for the asshole.

"Emerson, my brother's"—this was where I should have lied, but the idea of labeling Emerson as mine in any way, shape, or form made my stomach flip. Not because I thought Jake would care, but because I cared—"friend."

"Emerson Knight, number twenty-one, the Revs' third baseman?" His voice went up at the end, and he glared across the room.

I followed his line of sight and found Emerson watching us with a tentative look on his face. I gave him a nod, silently signaling that I was okay, then I turned back to my ex.

"Yeah."

Libby shifted and crossed her arms over her black dress. "I need to sit. My feet are starting to hurt." Her whiny tone dug into my eardrums. How the hell could Jake stand to listen to her talk regularly?

"Go sit, baby. I'll be right there." He dropped his arm from around her shoulders and pressed a hand to her back like he was gently urging her to move.

"Fine," she huffed, stomping off.

Jake watched her go for a moment, then turned back to me, giving me a once-over. He paused his perusal at the square neckline of my dress, then worked his way down to my hips and back up again.

I knew the look. It was full of interest. I'd seen it from him plenty of times, but at the moment it just felt gross. Arms crossed, I donned my armor and narrowed my eyes at him.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and hit me with a smarmy smirk. "Thought you were dating someone."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Emerson." The lie was so much easier now that I was pissed. "We've been dating for a couple of weeks."

In response to my admission, the man fucking laughed. He full-on belly laughed for a solid thirty seconds before finally getting himself under control. "Funny, Gigi."

"What?"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled again. "There is no way. Guy like him could have anyone. No way he picks someone"—he waved a hand up and down, gesturing to my body—"like you."

My first instinct was to explode on him, but I tempered my response. Honestly, I could see his point. Emerson was a famous baseball player, and women threw themselves at him daily. Me? I was an average Jill.

Annoyance flared inside me. Putting myself down wasn't something I really ever did. I was pretty and loved my curves, but Emerson…

I turned, feeling his attention still on me. Green eyes seared my skin, so full of concern, and one eyebrow lifted in a silent question. Are you okay? I was. I didn't need to be rescued. Pride, or maybe self-perseveration, had my mouth moving.

"We've been friends for a long time." I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, if I hadn't been with you?—"

Jake's mouth turned down.

"It probably would have happened sooner."

The scoff that left him was full of disbelief. "Or you're pretending so you don't look stupid or have to admit you can't get over us."

That statement fueled the fire that had been missing. Over him? The idea that I wasn't was laughable.

"Are you kidding me?" I ground out. "I couldn't give a single fuck what you think. Get over yourself. I certainly have."

"Like I said on the phone, I'll believe it when I see it. It's pretty pathetic. Humorous, really." He smiled a condescending smile, and something inside me snapped.

"Right." Without another word, I turned on my heel and stomped across the room, rage fueling every step.

Emerson watched me carefully as I came closer, his expression open, but a hair of confusions in his brow.

Jake needed proof? Then I'd give it to him. Without slowing down or allowing myself another thought about it. I stepped up to Emerson, grabbed the sides of his face, and pressed my lips to his.

The second his warm lips pressed into mine, every cell inside me shifted.

He sucked in a breath, clearly shocked. I couldn't blame him. I was shocked too. But surprise fled quickly, and then he brought a gentle hand to my cheek and opened his mouth against mine. In the next heartbeat, he took control of the kiss, running his tongue along the seam of my lips and guiding me to open.

Without hesitation, I did. With a sigh, I let him explore every inch of mouth and dominate my tongue.

I melted against him, my knees going weak. Holy hell. The man could kiss.

It was more than I expected. More than I'd ever felt. Need flooded my body and settled deep in my core.

With that same hand, he ghosted over my rib cage, then my waist. His fingers barely pressed against the fabric of my dress, but I shivered in response anyway. In a quick move, he snaked an arm around me and pulled me tight to him.

There was no denying how turned on he was. Not with the way his erection pressed long and hard into my hip. My immediate reaction was a gasp, but that quickly faded into a whimper as a fierce need to feel him filling me up pounded through me. I never wanted this moment to end. But he had other ideas. After one more slow exploration, he slipped his tongue out of my mouth.

I pulled back, though I remained pressed tight against his hard body, staring into the fathomless depths of those emerald eyes, where I swore I found a desperate need that matched my own. For one second, I wanted to lean back in. Take more from this man. But in a blink, reality set in.

This wasn't real.

Even so, that kiss might have been the realest thing I'd ever experienced. I was in so much trouble.