MadisonI nearly choked on my water. "What?" "Come on, Madison. He's been watching you all night when he thinks no one's looking." Jackson raised an eyebrow. "And that blonde, Katherine, right? Keeps glancing at you too. There's clearly something going on." I glanced across the room. Alexander wasn't looking our way anymore; his attention was focused on the small group around him. His posture seemed tense, and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "You didn't answer my question about your boss." "Sorry," I snapped my attention back to him. "What about him?" Jackson leaned closer, lowering his voice. "There's obviously something going on between you two. The way he keeps looking at you..." "There's nothing going on," I said quickly. Too quickly. Jackson raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Right. And I'm secretly Batman." I laughed despite myself. "You're ridiculous." "Maybe," he conceded with a grin. "But I'm also observant. He's been watching you all night like a hawk
MadisonOnce we were safely out of earshot, Jackson leaned close to my ear. "You're a lifesaver. I now know more about yacht maintenance costs than any human should." I laughed, genuinely this time. "Happy to help. How's the rest of your evening going?" "Besides yacht guy? Pretty surreal. I just ate an expensive canapé." He shook his head in amazement. "This party is unreal, Madison. Is this what your work events are always like?" "Only the important ones," I admitted, accepting a fresh glass of champagne from a passing server. "Alexander Knight doesn't do anything halfway." "Speaking of your boss," Jackson nodded discreetly toward where Alexander stood with Katherine, "is that him with the blonde? He looks exactly like his photos, only more..." "Intimidating?" I supplied. "I was going to say 'smug,' but intimidating works too." Jackson studied them for a moment. "Is that his girlfriend? They look like they belong on a magazine cover." "That's Katherine," I said, the name still
MadisonI shrank back slightly, hoping she wouldn't notice me, but my attention was drawn to Alexander. He stood with Katherine, his hand not quite touching the small of her back as Caroline approached them. Even from this distance, I could see Caroline's practiced smile as she air-kissed Alexander's cheek, then turned to Katherine with exaggerated warmth. "Probably plotting world domination together," I muttered under my breath, watching as the three of them fell into conversation. Caroline laughed at something Katherine said, touching her arm in a gesture of familiarity that spoke of a long-standing relationship. Of course, they knew each other. They probably summered together in the Hamptons as children, attended the same elite schools, shared the same rarefied air their entire lives. I took another deep breath, fighting the urge to flee. I was Madison Harper, project manager of Knight Industries' Manhattan development. I had every right to be here. "Madison!" Caroline's voice
MadisonMy phone vibrated in my clutch. Jackson's name flashed on the screen. "It's Jackson," I told Hazel, my heart skipping nervously as I answered. "Hey, where are you?" "Madison, they won't let me in! I've tried explaining I'm your friend, but the security guy keeps insisting my name isn't on some list." "What? That's ridiculous." I glanced toward the entrance. "You're at The Summit, right? Main entrance?" "Yeah, been standing here arguing with Mr. Muscles for ten minutes. He's enjoying this power trip way too much." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Give me a second, I'll sort this out." "Maybe Alexander doesn't want your date crashing his party," Hazel whispered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. I rolled my eyes. "He's not my date. And Alexander doesn't even know I invited him." "Sure, keep telling yourself that." Hazel drained her champagne and set the empty glass on a passing server's tray. "Stay here, I'll go rescue your not-date." "Thanks, Hazel. I owe you." "Ye
MadisonWe circulated through the room, stopping occasionally to chat with colleagues I knew. Everyone seemed surprised by my appearance, their double-takes both flattering and slightly embarrassing. "Have you seen the birthday boy?" asked Tim from Accounting, his eyes lingering a bit too long on my neckline. "Not yet," I replied, subtly adjusting my posture to block his view. "Is he here?" "Haven't seen him," Tim shrugged. "Rumor has it he's making a grand entrance later." After extracting ourselves from Tim's increasingly obvious ogling, Hazel and I found a relatively quiet spot near a massive ice sculpture of the Knight Industries logo. "No sign of Alexander," Hazel observed, finishing her champagne. "Think he's avoiding his own party?" "Maybe he's getting ready," I suggested, checking the time on my phone. It was nearly nine. "Or dealing with some last-minute crisis." "Or making out with Katherine in a supply closet," Hazel muttered. I shot her a withering look. "Not helpf
MadisonI stood before my mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back. The midnight blue dress hugged every curve, its silky fabric catching the light as I turned. The plunging neckline revealed just enough cleavage to be daring without crossing into inappropriate territory, while the slit offered a tantalizing glimpse of leg with each step. "Wow," I whispered, smoothing my hands over the fabric. My hair fell in loose waves around my shoulders. The smoky eye makeup and berry-tinted lips completed the transformation. I slipped on the strappy silver heels I'd splurged on during my shopping trip with Hazel, immediately adding three inches to my height. The total effect was... powerful. Different. Not Madison the personal assistant or Madison the project manager. Just Madison. My phone buzzed on the dresser. A text from Hazel: "Car's here. I'm downstairs. Move your ass!" I smiled, grabbing my silver clutch and taking one final look in the mirror. "You can do this," I told my re