JENN
Oh God.
“Jenn?” Millie is still beside me, clueless to what’s going on. “What’s wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
I did, alright. The ghost of my former self. But this isn’t how my confession is supposed to go.
“I… I have to… Sorry,” I blurt, tearing away.
I hurry across the room to Austin, panic beating in my veins. “Hey,” I greet him and the chic woman. My pitch of my voice is too high. “What’s up?”
“Kim, this is Jenn Walker,” Austin says, frowning. “My head of marketing.”
The woman looks me up and down. “Yeah, no.” she says bluntly. “This isn’t Jenn.”
Austin shakes his head. “There must be some kind of mix-up.”
“I’m Jennifer!” I blurt, my heart racing. I fumble in my tiny clutch purse and produce my driver’s license. “See! You must have me confused with another Jenn. There are lots of us,” I add brightly. “I had five in my kindergarten class alone!”
“Right,” Austin agrees, looking relieved. “Just a mix-up.”
“Maybe…” The woman shoots me a suspicious look. “But didn’t you say that your head of marketing did the launch for the Griffin hotels? And Farraday Cruises? Because I know the Jennifer Walker who did those campaigns, andsheisn’t her.”
My heart drops.
“Jenn?” Austin asks, his voice painfully even. “What’s she talking about? Those jobs were on your resume. At least, I thought they were.”
My chest aches. I didn’t want it to happen like this! I’ve been waiting for the perfect time, trying to get us through this launch, but now?
Now there’s no escaping it.
“I can explain,” I gulp, reaching for his hand. “You see, the recruiter must have mixed us up to, I didn’t realize until I got to the interview. And then, well, you insisted on me coming to test those spas, and flying to the Hamptons, and, well…” I trail off.
“You lied to me?” Austin’s voice is raw with betrayal. He pulls away.
“No, I…” I swallow. “I mean, yes. I did.”
He’s looking at me like I’m a stranger, and I guess, to him I am. But before I can say anything more, his business manager Hakeem interrupts, jolting me back to reality.
“It’s time for your speech,” he says, shooing Austin to the center of the packed room.
Because, despite the fact that everything is imploding, we’re still in the middle of a crowded party, full of lights and music and fabulous guests having the time of their lives.
It’s the worst timing in the world, and I can see Austin is reeling as he takes the microphone that’s thrust in his hand. Paloma taps a glass and calls for quiet.
“Introducing our fearless leader, the man behind the Vital mission, our all-star… Austin Banks!”
There’s silence.
Oh God.
At the mic, Austin clears his throat. I hate how rattled he looks—maybe not to an outsider, but to someone who knows him. He closes his eyes for a moment, and when he opens them, he looks more in control. The applause fades out. He clears his throat.
“Thank you all for coming. Vital is the realization of a lot of planning, hard work, and team effort—like all great things in life.” Austin forces a smile. “You know, this was a big swing for me, and yes, that pun was intended,” he adds, to laughter in the crowd. “Starting over again in a whole new career, whole new dream, it’s been a wild ride. I’ve always trusted my instincts… For better or worse, I guess,” he says, eyes finding me in the crowd. It’s just a glance, but the coolness there makes my heart ache. “But it’s almost always for the best. I’m so appreciative of the people who believe in the mission. I’d like to thank my staff and the investors who have supported this whole endeavor. Here’s to Vital becoming a, well, vital part of the wellness scene in New York!”
There’s applause and cheers. I can see Seb, Flynn, and the other guys from Mavericks whooping him on, and as soon as the speech is done, a crowd forms around Austin, congratulating him.
But he brushes them aside, heading straight for me with a determined expression on his face. “We need to talk. Now.”