Chapter 16
16
KAISEN
B y the next morning, the rain had finally stopped. Last night after dropping Dorie off after midnight, it had still been pouring. I couldn’t believe the woman was going to be heading right back into the bakery this morning.
She said the shop was closed today but she had to go back in to work on some cupcakes or something. The woman was a machine. I thought I was a workaholic but she put me to shame.
I felt bad for my success—almost. Dorie worked just as hard as I did. Maybe harder. And she was still struggling. My work had rewarded me very well. I could stop working today and I would never spend all my wealth.
Giving Dorie a coffeemaker felt like the least I could do.
I rolled out of bed and opened the blinds. I had nothing on my schedule until this afternoon. I could lie around the house or go to the bakery and bug Dorie. I wanted to set up her coffee machine but she was giving me some pushback on that.
I grabbed my phone and texted her anyway to see if she’d let me go to her place. She texted back and said she was already at the bakery and the place was locked. I wasn’t surprised.
Then I texted Cullen and confirmed our lunch date later, which would be followed by the dance lesson.
“Now what?” I sighed.
There really was nothing else for me to do. I wished I had a hobby. Beyond my yacht. With nothing better to do, I put on my running gear and walked across the street to head down to the beach.
The scent of salt and seaweed filled my senses as I jogged down the path toward the beach. The storm had washed everything clean. My sneakers sank into the sand.
The beach was nearly empty, just a few early risers walking their dogs or collecting shells along the shoreline. I could get used to the view. I had to admit, it was nice. A change from Central Park.
By the time I got back to the house, I was sweating. It wasn’t hot by any means, but I had pushed myself pretty hard. The run was filled with thoughts of Dorie. I had so much respect for her and what she did. How she did it. She was an amazing woman.
I met Cullen for lunch at a little café near the waterfront that served overpriced salads and artisanal sandwiches. It was the kind of spring day that made you forget how miserable the rain had been just the night before. I ordered a BLT and Cullen went with a turkey sandwich.
“You’re getting a tan.” Cullen chuckled. “The sea air looks good on you.”
“I had a nice run this morning,” I said. “Did you guys go over the brochure and stuff from the venue?”
Cullen nodded, taking a sip of his iced tea. “Yeah, everything’s set. The venue’s perfect, and the caterer is locked in. Now it’s just a matter of finalizing the guest list and seating chart.”
I leaned back in my chair, glancing around the bustling café. “How’s Eliza holding up with all the planning? I know weddings can be stressful.”
“She’s doing great, actually,” Cullen said with a smile. “I think having Dorie there to help take some of the pressure off has made a big difference. Eliza’s always been a little scatterbrained when it comes to the details, but Dorie’s a rock.”
I nodded, unsurprised. From what I knew of Dorie, she seemed like the type to thrive under pressure.
“Thank you for helping out while we took our time getting out here,” he said.
“Sure.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to be married soon,” Cullen said.
“Me either.”
“But she’s awesome,” Cullen said, his whole face lighting up. His eyes were shining with pure joy as he talked about Eliza. It was clear he was completely smitten. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. To have someone look at you the way Cullen looked at Eliza must be an incredible feeling.
“I’m really happy for you, man,” I said sincerely. “Eliza is a great woman. You two deserve each other.”
“Thanks,” Cullen said, taking another sip of his tea. “I still can’t believe it sometimes. I’m marrying my best friend.”
I nodded along, half-listening, my mind still stuck on Dorie.
“You’ve been weirdly quiet,” Cullen said.
I shrugged, picking at the crust of my sandwich. “Just helping out with the wedding stuff. You know, the usual.”
Cullen raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Uh huh. And what about Dorie? You two seem to be spending a lot of time together.”
I froze for a second. “What about her?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
Cullen smirked, his eyes narrowing. “Come on, Kaisen. I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s up. What’s going on with you two?”
I sighed and tried to shake it off. “Nothing’s going on. We’ve just been working together, like you all insisted.”
Cullen’s smirk widened. “Working together, huh? Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling. “Shut up, Cullen.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Seriously, though. What’s the deal? You like her?”
I hesitated, my mind racing. Did I like her? Yes. More than I wanted to admit. But the idea of saying that out loud, especially to Cullen, made my stomach twist. I’d spent my entire life avoiding anything that even remotely resembled love or commitment. My parents’ marriage had been a disaster. I’d seen firsthand how much it had hurt my mom in her final months. I wasn’t about to open myself up to that kind of pain.
But Dorie was different. She was kind, hardworking, and frustratingly stubborn. She didn’t care about my money or my status. She saw through all of that, straight to the person I tried so hard to hide. And that scared me.
“I don’t know,” I said finally. “She’s complicated.”
Cullen chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Complicated, huh? Sounds like you’ve got it bad.”
I shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. “Drop it, Cullen.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. But seriously, if you do have a thing for her, just be careful, okay? Dorie’s not like the women you usually date. She’s not going to put up with your usual crap.”
“How long have you known her?” I asked.
Cullen shrugged. “Couple of years. She and Eliza are really close, so she wanted me to meet her before things got too serious.”
I nodded. “Is Dorie seeing anyone?”
“Not that Eliza knows about,” Cullen said confidently. “And Eliza would definitely know. And Eliza would tell me. We tell each other everything.”
I nodded, oddly satisfied.
“So what are you going to do about it?” Cullen asked.
I shook my head, taking a sip of my water. “Nothing. Dorie’s not interested.”
“How do you know that?”
I gave him a pointed look. “Have you met her? She’s made it pretty clear she can’t stand me.”
Cullen laughed. “That’s just her way of flirting. Trust me, I’ve known Dorie a long time. She’s not as tough as she tries to act.”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m only here a couple more weeks.”
“You two are a lot alike. You’re both stubborn as hell and have this weird aversion to letting anyone get close.”
I checked the time, done with the conversation.
“Don’t we have a lesson to get to?” I asked. “I’ve got ants in my pants and I want to dance.”
He laughed. “Alright, alright, I get it. No talk about women or relationships.”
We finished our lunches and I followed him to the dance studio. Despite what I had said, I wasn’t looking forward to ballroom dancing. Waltzing wasn’t exactly my forte—but I figured it couldn’t be that bad. Cullen was no Fred Astaire either. We would look stupid together.
When we walked into the studio, Eliza and Dorie were already there, chatting with the instructor. Dorie looked stunning. She was wearing a simple dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, and her hair was pulled back into a loose bun. My heart skipped when she smiled at me. I had to force myself to look away.
“Finally!” Eliza exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “We’ve been waiting forever. Let’s get started!”
The instructor led us through the basics, explaining the steps and demonstrating the moves. Cullen and Eliza picked it up quickly, twirling around the room like they’d been doing it their whole lives. Dorie and I, on the other hand, were a different story.
“Ow!” Dorie yelped as I stepped on her toes for the third time. “Kaisen, watch where you’re going!”
“Sorry,” I muttered, my cheeks burning. “I’m trying.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re terrible at this.”
I grinned, despite myself. “Yeah, well, I never claimed to be a dancer.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just follow my lead, okay?”
I nodded, letting her guide me through the steps. She was graceful, her movements fluid and effortless, while I felt like a clumsy oaf. But there was something about the way she smiled at me, the way her laughter filled the room, that made me forget how bad I was at it.
“Do that again,” I said as we were pressed close, my hand on her waist.
She looked up at me with confusion. “Do what?”
“Smile.”
She looked surprised before she smiled again. A real, genuine smile that lit up her entire face. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I forgot who I was and my rule. I felt myself leaning in, my heart pounding. Dorie was looking at me. Before I could do something stupid, Cullen and Eliza twirled by, laughing and exclaiming about how much fun they were having.
I pulled back. The moment was over. Dorie looked away as well. We continued dancing, both of us doing our best to ignore the tension sizzling between us. As the lesson went on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between us. Something I wasn’t ready to name. She was clearly feeling something as well.
Now what?
How in the hell did we pretend that moment didn’t happen?
“Did you work today?” I asked, trying to find something to talk about that would make this less weird.
“I did. And I finally got Eliza to confirm what she wanted for her cake. I’ve been working on the design for a couple weeks.”
She spoke almost too quickly, as if she were trying to fill the silence with anything other than the unspoken tension hanging between us. I nodded, grateful for the distraction.
“That’s good,” I said, my voice sounding a little too forced. “She’s been changing her mind every other day, hasn’t she?”
Dorie laughed. “Every other hour, more like. One minute she wants a three-tiered vanilla cake with gold leaf accents, and the next she’s convinced she wants a naked cake with fresh berries. Honestly, I was starting to think she’d never make up her mind.”
The dance instructor clapped his hands. “Okay, let’s try a simple waltz. Partners, face each other and take your positions.”
Dorie stepped closer, her hand sliding into mine while my other hand found its place on her waist. Her free hand rested lightly on my shoulder, but it felt anything but casual. It felt like a current running between us, electric and undeniable.
“Relax,” she murmured. “You’re stiff as a board.”
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered back, though I tried to loosen up. “You’re not the one who’s about to trip over his own feet. Or yours. I’ll owe you a pair of shoes after this.”
“Just follow me. One step at a time.”