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“I could do with another drink, that’s for sure,” she said, and he handed her a long, tall glass of so rose-colored and bubbly She held the flute up to the light and squinted at it “Perilously close to pink there, DeLeo, but I’ll take it Networking is thirsty work”

“Made any good contacts yet?”

“One very good one, a lady named Fiona Potts She seems very interested in enerous patrons, along with her husband But they like to keep their philanthropy as private as possible They do it for the right reasons, not just to look good”

“Mmm, this is nice,” Piper said with raised eyebrows “Raspberries, ginger…it doesn’t taste like alcohol at all What is it?”

Matt smirked and snatched up a canapé from the table “Try it with some of this duck liver pate”

Both her hands were full, one with the glass, the other with her purse so she had no choice but to let him feed her the dainty piece of toasted bread and its savory topping She chewed slowly and nodded her approval “Yu “I could eat and drink a whole boatload of this”

He smiled and took a mouthful of the pink fizz hiarlic”

She thrust her purse into his free hand “Hold this while I find a plate I’, and I bla expertise”

“It’s not wine”

“Then… Oh no, you’re kidding lass to reveal a logo etched into the glass “PCB No 68 also goes very ith prune, cherry, and apricot tarts, according to theto have an absolute blast at the launch Don’t have lunch that day”

“Pink beer I just don’t believe you got me to drink pink beer I hate beer But this doesn’t taste like beer”

“Brewed in the same way, but with a secret blend of fruit and botanicals Different, isn’t it?”

She held the glass up to the light and stared at it “And it’s more of a blush rose color Coral, fuchsia, or salmon, not nasty old pink”

“Where were you when I was brainstorency rebranding exercise”

“Not on my account,” she said and smiled as she spotted a pile of china plates stacked up a few yards away at the end of the table “I’ll be back in five and then you can do the same”

“Don’t rush,” he said and tucked her purse under his armpit “There’s someone I need to speak to quickly”

Three hours flew by in a ind of food, drink, and swapping business cards as the entire gallery buzzed with laughter and exciteo all over the place until you lass of beer,” Piper said happily “And you should have told me beforehand that you were the official sponsor of the evening”