Page 16 of Midnight Kisses (Spicy Fat Cinderella Retelling)

MILES

It was late February when we went back to the Sky Tower on a proper date.

Ever since the common cold had brought us together, Perry had spent most nights at my place, or I’d stayed at hers.

I’d mentioned at dinner over my kitchen bench that it was unclear to me if this constituted ‘dating.’ Perry was of the opinion it didn’t count, as we’d skipped over that and spent more time together than apart.

I didn’t see the point of anything that meant less time with her, but Perry got a dreamy sort of look in her eye when she gave me examples of date activities.

So, tonight, in an effort to retrofit, I picked her up from her house clutching flowers and made her wait for me to open doors for her, all the while draping her in compliments.

I even refrained from leering at the way her leg split the thigh-high slit of her dress when she stepped out of my car. And if that wasn’t romantic, what was?

“Why are we here?” She frowned up at the Sky Tower.

“I’m being romantic,” I announced, romantically. “This is where we met the night I walked into the wrong bathroom and you rode my face and changed my life.”

“Miles!” she scolded, but her eyes sparkled. “Don’t make it sound like it happened the moment you said hello.”

“At least two moments after I said hello.” I held the elevator door and together we shot up into the sky. “And I was working hard, blondie. I was throwing out all of my best lines, flexing, trying not to pant like a dog…”

“…Chemically burning your dick…”

“ Nearly chemically burning my dick,” I corrected. “You know damn well my dick is in perfect working order.”

“Yes, yes,” she kissed my cheek, and I wrapped an arm around her. “It’s a marvel.”

“Feel free to keep doubting me, blondie. I’ll take you back to the bathroom and prove it.”

She laughed, but the pleasure of her response was ripped from me as the doors opened to the party.

I didn’t actually know the cause this one was fundraising for, I’d just told Sadie to get me tickets for the next thing here and make a big donation.

I wanted to bring Perry back here and dance all night with her in my arms, and maybe see if I could entice her into the bathroom for a quickie.

It was our two-month anniversary of the former and our three-month anniversary of the latter, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than a repeat.

Unfortunately, the minute I took my gorgeous girl into the room, she got swept into conversation. People liked Perry and wanted to talk to her. Speaking to Lara Savea, she had an excited flush in her cheeks.

I hovered at her elbow and nodded whenever she said something impressive. So I was a bobblehead on a dash.

I was absorbed listening to my lovely girl… My date? My girlfriend? My whatever she wanted. The key bit was my— so I didn’t notice the short woman with pale hair and a pissy expression pushing through the crowd towards us until she was right in front of us.

“Peregrine Anders?” the woman demanded, her tone immediately pissing me off.

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 was you ? 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, and make 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 Skin is 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’m obsessed with 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’s Perry Skin, you troll. Not you skin.

” 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, “— other skin products we had in the bathroom. The coconut ones. Our ones. Not yours.”

“Bullshit,” I said under my breath.

But Perry said, “An easy mistake to make.”

“I’m going to carry on with my rounds,” Ginger said. “I’m running this whole event. As you know, it’s a lot of responsibility.”

Perry wished her well, and the odious woman melted back into hell, or wherever she’d come from. The woman with the nails hugged Perry again, and Lara shook her hand and reminded her to call her office next week.

Then it was just us.

“Want to dance?” I asked. “Or shall we go see if we can find Ginger’s car in the parking lot?”

“Why would we do that?”

“To key it.”

Perry barked a laugh. “Dance. Definitely dance.”

“Dance then key?”

“Let’s just dance.”

She pulled me onto the dance floor and I wrapped my arms around her.

She melted into my embrace and we swayed for a few songs.

I thought about how courageous she was, how loyal, how kind, how funny, and good.

I also thought about how hot she was and how much I wanted to get her home to bed, but that was just one of the things I wanted to do with Perry.

I also wanted to get two spoons and eat ice cream out of the same container as it melted in the tub on my counter.

I wanted to lie in bed with her on Sunday mornings as she scratched my scalp and told me about her business plans.

I wanted everything she would give me, and more besides.

“Hey, blondie?”

“Mmm?”

“You’re it for me.”

She pulled back in my arms to look at me. “What does that mean?”

“Anything you want. Everything you want. Be my girl, my girlfriend, my life partner, my significant other. Call it whatever the fuck you want. I’m ride or die for you, baby.”

A slow grin spread across her face. “Really?”

“Yeah. I want to fuck you to sleep and lick you awake. And I want to make you laugh and kiss you when you cry, and call bullshit when people try and wrong you. I want to be with you.”

A dazzling smile covered her face. “I want to be with you, too. You’re one in a million, Miles. Everyone who meets you knows that. I just want you to be my one.”

I kissed her then. I didn’t give a fuck who saw, or if we were making a scene in the middle of the dancefloor.

I’d found her by chance but I was keeping her on purpose.