Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
KENZIE
"I'll ask around the office. Maybe someone has contacts for an angel investor," Bo says. I know she's trying to help, but it seems like a long shot. “There are websites too,” she states, typing away on her laptop.
“I really want this. Why is everything in my life such a battle?” I peer over her shoulder as she creates an account for me.
“It’s life. You have to do everything in your power to get this. You are the person Gabriel wants to buy his shop. You care about the employees, and you'll do fantastic. You can't give up.”
“I know.” I flop into the chair beside her, propping my chin on my palm. I rattle off information for her as her fingers fly over the keys. “Damn, you're fast.”
“I do this all day,” she chuckles.
“I'll make some coffee.” I stand and enter the kitchen. Sherlock is on my heels.
“This might take longer. I hope Gabriel will honor the contract. We might need to amend the date.”
“I had a huge grand opening planned, too,” I say as the coffee sputters from the espresso machine.
“Let's keep our fingers crossed. It might work out. You have to project positive vibes. You thought no good men left, and then you met Mikael.”
I can't disagree. However, I aimed to land the perfect boyfriend so I didn't have to spend Valentine's Day alone. I have a great friend in him, but it hurts to sit on the sidelines and see him date other women like I don't exist.
“He's nice. But he's not into me.”
“I think he'll come around. You're both so down to earth, and he's not pretentious, even though he's famous.”
“I know. But he loves the jet-set women who are in his inner circle.”
“Maybe you'll become a famous entrepreneur, and you'll be a part of it,” she presumptuously states.
“I doubt that. I'll be happy to keep the place going and pay rent,” I reply, setting two lattes on the table.
“There, it's done,” Bo beams as she hits the publish button.
“Now what?”
“We wait.”
I hate waiting.
“I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight.” The dread of losing the store and my unknown future should someone else buy the place looms before me like a Death Eaters in Harry Potter's world.
I sip my latte, knowing it will keep me up all night or knock me out. It's a fifty-fifty crap shoot. My life is hanging like peat moss. I'm gonna roll the dice. I have to explore every option. My career is the only thing in my life that I have control over. I can manage it and grow it to the best of my abilities.
Men—not so much.
“So,” Bo sips her latte, “how was the hockey game last night?”
“Awesome. I might have been on the news. I rooted for the team Mikael and his friends sponsored.”
“I'm sure it broke your heart looking at all that man candy. I assume his friends were there.”
“They were. I think his teammate, Finn, is single.” She gives me a side-eye of disdain.
“We already have one hockey player in the mix. Do we need two?”
“You have a point.”
“Not that I'm opposed to looking,” she adds, covering her smirk with the rounded coffee cup large enough to house a croissant.
“You'd fit in more so than me. You have a killer wardrobe. I could never pull off your sexy yet business-casual.”
“That gives me an idea. We need to get you out of jeans and make Mikael drool.”
“Mm. I don't know. He has Chelsey.”
“They are a new item, not entrenched. What do you have to lose?”
I shrug. I have nothing to lose. I can't sink lower than where I am now. It's Saturday night, and I'm dateless. Again.
The weeks are passing, and Mikael hasn't made a pass.
“I don't know how long I can be his friend considering the fact he'll never see me as dateable.”
“He was jealous when that man chatted with you at the pub,” she states. “He even bought champagne and picked up dinner.”
“He's a nice man—nothing more.”
“We'll see,” she coos as if she has a plan.
There's no foolproof plan for obtaining a boyfriend. I'm convinced I'll see a shooting star before I land a date with the hockey player. My odds are better with astrological events, as Mikael intends to date women he knows rather than take a risk on someone new.
Meanwhile, Cupid hasn't done me any favors. I'm resigning myself to the fact that I'll make everyone’s Valentine's Day great for my customers and watch from the sideline—like always.
Now, I realize it wasn't a date, and I have to accept that I'm not good enough.
My heart breaks a little every time I see him.
Am I destined to be on the sidelines of life?
Sherlock, who is curled on the rug under my feet, I reach over and pet him. He opens his eyes. “I love you,” I say. He licks my hand and returns to sleep.
I have his unconditional love.
He loves me unconditionally. It has to be enough.
Bo and I watched a new romantic comedy on TV. I appreciated two worry-free hours. As much as I want the shop, I have to be prepared for the possibility that it might not happen.
In my world, failure isn't an option. It's final. It's win or lose. The winner takes all.
I can't fail.
But I don't get to bend the universe to my demands.
If I could do that, Mikael would be in love with me.
And I'm not on that board.
I silently cry into Sherlock as he licks tears from my face.
Am I destined to be alone forever?
***
I reluctantly pull myself out of bed. I feel like I have a hangover. I'm lethargic. My feet are concrete boots, and I force myself to walk. I dress for work, and today, I have decided to be impractical.
I flip through the closet and pull out my leather jeans that hug my curves and a tight T-shirt stretched over my boobs. I take the time to curl my long hair.
“What am I doing?”
Sherlock whines from his coveted corner in the bathroom.
He swipes his paws over his eyes.
“I have to try something, Sherlock,” I console him.
But really, I'm talking myself into a new plan of action.
I'm not a quitter.
Satisfied at last, I head to the kitchen for a latte. I'll eat at the shop.
I feed Sherlock and let him into the backyard.
With hope in my heart, I head to work.
Sylvie comes in early.
“What's up?” she asks, eyeing my outfit.
“I'm changing things up,” I volunteer before she asks questions I don’t want to answer.
“I don't blame you. Mikael has been here every day. I think he has it bad for you.” She turns on the oven and takes loaves of bread out of the proofer.
“I doubt it.”
“What's up between you two?”
“Nothing. That's the problem.”
“I don't understand it. He looks for you when he enters the store. And that woman he was with the other day—I don't trust her.”
“Why do you say that? I thought she was nice.”
“Appearances can be deceiving. Trust me, I've encountered many women in my day who wanted to steal my man, and when she realizes you like him, or he likes you—she'll come at you like a raccoon after chickens.”
“What?” I laugh.
“Oh, trust me, it isn't pretty. Raccoons are vicious when they go after meat, and they can pull a chicken's leg and eat it live. Vicious. Remember that.”
“Wow. That's a visual I could have lived without,” I reply. I feel for the poor, unsuspecting chicken.
“Why would he pick me and not Chelsey?”
“No clue. You’re what he needs. If you're lucky, she'll do or say something stupid in front of him, and that will be that,” she slaps her hands together as if she’s finished.
“If she's who you say she is, she's too calculated to let that happen.”
She shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not. Besides, you're real—she's not.”
“He chose her.”
“For now. I don't see a ring. And why do you think he brings his girlfriends here?” She gives me a side-eye.
“I don't know,” I reply, sipping my latte as I lean against the counter.
“He's not comfortable around her. I think he cares what you think of the women he dates.”
“That's crazy talk.”
“What's crazy is that he doesn't know he's in love with you.”
“I don't believe it.”
“We'll see. I bet he comes in today.”
“Mm. We'll see.”
Sylvie was right. At one, Mikael strolls in.
“Hey, Kenzie!” He's a vision as he strolls in. His jeans are painted on him, and the top two buttons of his shirt are undone.
My panties drop. Oh, Lordy, I'm so in love with him; my heart aches.
“Hello, Mikael. What can I get for you?”
“I'm starving.”
Sylvie nudges me. “He wants you. It's in his eyes.”
I nudge her in return and giggle.
“Hi, Sylvie, how's your daughter?” Mikael asks.
I send a quizzical glance to Sylvie.
“Great, thank you. She made an A on the test she agonized over.”
“I told you. Teenagers—they keep you on your toes. I know I put my mother through the wringer,” he beams.
He and Sylvie seem familiar with each other.
My phone pings. I glance at it.
Bo: You have an investor. Call me.
I glance at Sylvie. “I have to take a call.” She nods, and I slip out the back.
“Mikael is here. What's up?”
“You have an anonymous investor for the shop!” she squeals.
“You're kidding. How did that happen so quickly? I thought it took months.”
“Me, too. A firm contacted us with the offer.”
“Is it someone who works with your firm?”
“No. All that matters is that the paperwork looks great. You only need to sign, and the store is yours.”
“It's too good to be true,” I murmur.
“I know. I know. But my boss says it all checks out. I'll bring it home for you to look over.”
“Great.” I hang up and take a deep breath. How did this happen?
I return to the counter, and Mikael is waiting for his order.
“Everything okay?”
“Fine. An angel investor picked me. Bo just called.”
“She mentioned she worked for a huge attorney in town. They're handling it?”
“She said I only need to sign. I'll look it over, of course,” I add.
“That's fantastic. We need to celebrate,” he says, and his blue eyes twinkle, The world fades away for a second. I envision my life with him and Saturdays curled up before a fireplace. He can't keep his hands off me, and then I remember Chelsey.
“I doubt Chelsey would like that.”
“She's cool. We're friends.” But as he says it, his eyes are roving over me. “I like the outfit,” he says with a grin.
“I thought I'd change things up. Aren't disruptors in these days?”
“You don't need to do anything to stand out in a crowd, Kenzie.” His deep and reassuring voice strikes a chord in me. My pussy gushes. I yearn for him to kiss me. Touch me, anything but to feel his physical presence on me!
Sylvie hands him his lunch in a to-go box, and he grabs his water off the counter.
“Congrats on the shop. I'm glad it worked out. I'll text you with details.”
“Okay,” I reply, forcing my tone to be chipper to cover my devastation that he didn't ask me out on a real date.
My shoulders slump in defeat.
Sylvie pats me on the back. “He only had eyes for you, and judging from his bulge, he left in a hurry because he was horny.”
“No! Really?” I’m grinning like a kid with a bag of candy.
She nods. “Oh, yeah. He’s into you big time.”.
My heart soars over this. He's attracted to me.
So why doesn't he make a move?
I excuse myself to call Bo again. I need more details. I'm ecstatic to get the money I need. I enter the office and inform Gabriel that the sale is happening.
“I'm proud of you, Kenzie,” Gabriel smiles. “Do you have a menu for Valentine's Day?”
“It's in my head. But I'd like to review it with you.”
“Of course, sit.”
I teeter on the edge of the chair. He grabs a pen and poises his hand over a notepad.
“I have the cake orders that need to be delivered. I need the red velvet and chocolate cupcakes with ganache topping. Sylvie said she'd make the chocolate-covered strawberries.”
He scribbles on the paper. “Have you thought of decorations?”
“Heart-shaped balloons and a background made of red hearts for a kissing booth with an instant camera in it.”
“That's fantastic. I never thought of that. You'll do very well, Kenzie.”
“Thanks. I think sweetheart candies on the tabletops, with two roses in a vase.”
“Wow. Great.” Gabriel tweaks his goatee. “I'll be in Florida for a vacation to look at homes, so I won't be here for it. Please take pictures.”
“You won't?” My voice raises in disbelief. I can't expect him to be here after he's sold it, but support would be nice.
“I'm sorry. The kids want me to spend the week with them. You understand.”
“Sure.”
“You'll be fine,” he reassures me.
Will I?
I stand. “I think that's it. Will you order the supplies?”
“Consider it done.” He stands and offers me his hand. “Well done, Kenzie.” We shake.
“Thank you for everything, Gabriel.” He's been a father to me. The father I wish I had. My eyes tear.
“It was nothing. You're a part of my life. I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm relieved you are going to take over. I didn't want my business to change into a commercial bakery where everything is filled with chemicals and baked off the premises.”
“I didn't want that either.” Besides, commercial baking plants would only leave special orders for me to bake. This bakery is a labor of love.
I hug Gabriel. “I'm going to miss you.”
“I'm a phone call away, and you have to come to see me. I insist.”
“For sure,” I say, wiping my misty eyes.
“I'll miss you,” he says, his voice cracking with emotion.
“I know the feeling,” I smile. The air is heavy with sentiment. I bolt from the office and head to a mixer. I have work to do.
I'm walking to my car in the early afternoon, and Chelsey approaches.
“Chelsey, hi!”
“Oh, can it, Kenzie. You're trying to steal Mikael from me.”
“What are you talking about? I doubt a shirt that covers my boobs and black jeans exude 'Fuckable.'
“You were at the hockey tournament. I saw you on the news. It looked to me like the two of you were cozy as hell.”
Meow. The cat's claws are sharp.
“You're jealous,” I breathe, shocked that a woman of her stature would be jealous of me.
“I don't take kindly to homewreckers.”
“It was a public event. I wouldn't call it a date. Besides, his friends from the team were there. I don't see a ring.”
She shifts on her sky-high heels, miffed. 'I will. Don't worry,' she huffs.
“By all means, knock yourself out.” I turn to leave. ”You don't look good in green.”
“I’m not wearing green,” she argues.
“Right,” I smirk.
“Oh,” she says, realizing what I meant. “You're a brat. Mikael will never fall for you.”
He might not, but I refuse to let him have the upper hand.
It's not in my nature to give up.
“Whatever,” she says, then she makes an about-face and returns to her Mercedes parked on the street.
I slide into my used SUV and start the car so it will warm. I phone Bo.
“What's up” she asks.
“I got a visit from Chelsey. She's warned me off Mikael.”
“No kidding. See, I told you he's into you. Women smell that a mile off. It sounds like there's trouble in paradise.”
“I have no clue.” I rest my hand on the steering wheel, hoping it will stop shaking.
“I can't believe I defended myself.”
“Good going. I bet she's rattled.”
“So am I. She stomped off in her six-inch heels.”
“How impractical,” Bo snorts. “Are you going to tell Mikael?”
“No. I don't want to run to him with my problems. He's known her for two years. He should know what she's capable of by now.” I didn't realize I had said that out loud.
'You're right. By the way, I spoke to the attorney handling your paperwork, and it will be finalized when you sign the papers. I'm bringing it home tonight.”
“Great. I'm anxious to move on to the next chapter in my life.' Even if Mikael isn't in my next chapter, the shop will keep me occupied. I force myself to think about the opening day. I need to prepare press releases and ask Bo to help me.
The drive home is filled with mixed emotions. I take Sherlock for a walk to the park, and everywhere I turn, Mikael pops into my thoughts.
I spent the afternoon cooking lasagna with Italian sausage for dinner. I even made a salad and pulled out a bottle of red wine.
Bo stumbles in before six.
'That smells delicious.”
“I hope so. I thought we'd have a nice dinner to celebrate.” The night is suspiciously absent one person.
Bo's eyes travel to the table. “You should have invited him.”
'I don't want to rock the boat with Chelsey. Am I a homewrecker?'
“Don't be ridiculous. They aren't official, and she's not living with him or engaged. He's fair game.”
I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. I pull the bread out of the oven and flip it into a basket lined with a linen tablecloth.
Bo sheds her coat and kicks off her shoes.
She opens the wine and pours it. She hands one to me.
“To you. You're a fighter, Kenzie. I'm proud of you.”
We clink glasses. “Thanks. Do you have any idea who the silent partner is?” I search her face for a tell that she's keeping a secret, but nothing registers.
“I couldn't keep a secret from you,” she replies as she sits and digs into the gooey pasta that's drowning in white cheese.
“I didn't think so,” I murmur, helping myself to a crispy piece of garlic bread. “Don't you wonder who the mystery person is?”
“Sure. But all that matters is that you landed an investor, and the contract is fair.”
“Right.”
After dinner, we reviewed the contract together, and I signed on the dotted line.
“The place will be yours, and just in time for the grand opening—just what you wanted. See, some dreams come true,” she gloats. It's as close as she'll come to an “I told you so.”
But the window to my dream of having Mikael as my partner is closing. I'm afraid he'll get swept into Chelsey. People make bad decisions regarding their love lives daily. Money and power don't mean the person makes all the right decisions in life—just the financial ones, in my opinion.
Even with the Chelsey drama, I'm not letting her spoil my incredible day.
The shop is mine.