It was a beautiful day in Hong Kong. It was made even lovelier by the executed copies of our partnership. Little pleases me more than a well-done deal. (Well, perhaps a FEW things do please me more.) In any case, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again—I am delighted to be in business with you. This partnership will be fantastic for both our companies.

My best,

Grant

She breathed deeply as she pulled on workout clothes. It was a good thing that Grant had written to her. It was the necessary reminder of why she was spending more time than usual with Nate. So she could have a better chance of becoming the woman that the Grant Abbotts and Scott Nixons of the world would want. A woman who’d learned to rein in her controlling tendencies, her alpha female-ness.

Fine, even if Grant wasn’t writing to her about her, who cared? Either way, she was a woman on a mission. She was in hot pursuit of the big love, and the only way to get there would be to excise the parts of herself that had held her back from truly having it all. That was what Nate was helping her with.

Only that.

She contemplated heading to her gym for a swim. She’d been on the swim team in high school and still loved the water. But right now, she craved speed. Riding a bike in New York City required a determined sort of focus that would help clear her head. Heading to the basement of her building, she retrieved her wheels from the bike storage area, strapped on a helmet, and attacked the West Side Highway Bike Path, burning off the final remains of the waste of energy she’d let consume her last night. Jealousy was such a stupid, worthless emotion and there was no need for her to be envious whatsoever of Nate’s after-hours activities. She had no claim to him, and besides, he knew the score. He was merely training her to hand her off to someone else.

For a new start.

And a new start called for a new dress. Whether for Grant, or the next man who was suited for her.

After her workout, she’d go shopping. That would pass the time until the baseball game. She’d see Nate tonight, and she’d smile, having forgotten completely about the fact that he’d promised a photo. What photo? Who cared? Not her.

The emerald-green dress hugged her in all the right places, and her friend Jane agreed.

“That is a rocking dress,” Jane said, nodding appreciatively as Casey stepped out of the dressing room of the boutique on Christopher Street. “It’s sexy, but it’s not over the top.”

“So I should get it? Is it first date material? Would you wear it if you were on a first date again with Matthew?”

Jane laughed, practically doubling over, then shook her head, her wild curly brown hair framing her face.