“And that’s why Ella does all the cooking, you see, Kenzie, I just burn everything no matter what setting I use on the stove!” Alex laughs as Kenzie finishes a story about how one of the girls at the bakery accidently burnt an entire batch of muffins one morning.
“He does, you should see it. He once burnt a pot of boiling water… I ask you: who does that?” Ella laughs.
“Well, I’m sure he was just distracted—“ Kenzie tries to defend Alex.
“Yeah, he was distracted by the game that was on TV, or by an email that his boss sent,” which earns me a glare, “or by a car that drove too fast down our road or by a ringing phone… you see, Kenzie, the list just goes on and on.”
“What can I say, I’m easily distracted,” Alex doesn’t disagree with anything Ella said. Instead, he laughs with her and then leans in to kiss her quickly on the cheek.
“Mr. Parker, Mr. Clark, you will have the finalized contracts Monday morning,” Mr. Forrest says a few minutes later when the table falls silent.
“Wonderful, we look forward to them.” I shake his hand, sealing the deal.
Carter has already taken care of the bill for our meal, so we quickly say our goodbyes and walk out of the restaurant. Mr. and Mrs. Forrest leave, followed next by Alex and Ella, leaving Kenzie and me on the sidewalk.
“Carter has arranged for a car to take you home: it should be arriving any minute now,” I explain, shooting Carter a death glare for not having the cab here by now. Apparently, the one he called didn’t show up, so instead he had to call a car service. This would be so much easier if I could just have Carter take her home, then I would be assured that she arrived safely and we wouldn’t have to rely on someone else to get her home.
“Nicholas, it’s fine, I could just take the subway. There’s a stop just a couple of blocks—“
“Kenzie, I can’t let you take the subway home. This may not be an actual date, but I’m too much of a gentleman to let you do that. The car service will take you home tonight, and I promise they won’t tell me where they drop you off.”
“It’s unnecessary, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”
“Thank you for this evening. Everything went smoother than I expected,” I say.
“I’m sure you will be happy when you receive the signed contract on Monday.”
“Sir, ma’am.” Carter gestures to the car that is slowing just in front of us.
“Thank you again, Kenzie, especially for rearranging your schedule at the last minute to accommodate me.” I lean down, placing my lips against her cheek gently. I swear her breath hitches when I squeeze her hand in mine just before I pull away from her.
“I believe Bridget has been in touch about next week?”
“Yes, I’ve confirmed with her that I’m available.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Chapter 13
Kenzie
“So Kenzie… who’s your new boyfriend?” Ginny asks the moment I walk into the bakery.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” I’m confused… how could Ginny possibly know about Nicholas? It has to be Nicholas that she is talking about, because I haven’t been out with any other guy or even had interest in a guy for years.
“One of the afternoon girls brought a picture of you in—“
“A picture?”
“Here, it’s in my office.” She leads me back and hands me a piece of paper. On it is a blurry picture of Nicholas and me from the business dinner Friday night. We are sitting next to each other at the table; Nicholas’s eyes are on me, but it looks like I’m talking to Ella. I didn’t think he was watching me during the dinner, but he was probably just making sure that I didn’t say something that I shouldn’t have, given the limited time we had to prepare. The headline below the picture reads:
“We couldn’t believe it either! Billionaire playboy Nicholas Parker is seen for the second time with a mystery woman. Until recently, Nicholas Parker had been attending events solo after being seen with half a different dozen women in less than two months. Now, in the span of two weeks he is seen with the same one twice! Who is this mystery woman and what spell could she have put on Parker to get him to take her out twice?”
“Oh that…” I stutter.
“You’re dating a friggin’ billionaire, Kenzie?!” Ruth, one of the other girls who works the morning shift rushes in.
“I… I…” I’m caught completely off guard.
I hadn’t expected that part of my life to mix with this part. I thought I could keep them separate: I should have expected that wouldn’t be the case if I was seen publicly with Nicholas, the purpose of our arrangement.
“Nicholas Parker and I are dating—“
“For how long? Why didn’t you say anything?” Ruth asks.
“Ruth, enough. As long as Kenzie is happy, that is all that matters,” Ginny interrupts. “Now, I believe we have some donuts, muffins, and breads to make for today.”
I want to hug Ginny in that moment, but instead I lead the way out of her office to the kitchen where I start my orders.
I wasn’t expecting it to be common knowledge so fast that Nicholas and I were dating, but I guess this is exactly what he wanted, what he needed, so the press would begin to paint a different picture of him. I don’t remember seeing any press at the dinner the other night, but the little bit I saw of our picture looks like it was from someone’s cell phone who I can only assume then sold it to the media. The media hasn’t yet figured out who I am, but I’m sure it won’t be too much longer before my name is leaked to the press, either purposely or through some investigating. I need to remember that at any time I could be questioned about my relationship with Nicholas. I need to stay on my toes and be more prepared the next time someone asks about us.
“Kenzie, someone is asking to speak to you about a catering order,” Ginny informs me.
“Cara, how nice to see you!” I walk out front and am immediately surprised to see Cara Parker waiting at the counter for me.
“Kenzie, I’m so glad you are working today! I need to talk to you about a catering order,” she says.
“Sure, why don’t you have a seat at a table and I’ll grab our ordering forms.”
I gesture to one of the empty tables. Luckily the morning rush has ended, so it’s pretty slow. Had Cara shown up during the morning rush, there is no way I would be able to sit with her and discuss orders. The mornings are hectic no matter what day it is: great for business, but leaves very little time to take care of anything else.
“How are you, Kenzie?” Cara asks when I sit down next to her.
“I’m good, how about you?”
“I’m great! My mom is hosting a morning meeting for a fundraising committee next week and we were hoping you could cater the meeting? It’s nothing huge, but everyone just loves this place!”
For the next ten or so minutes, Cara and I discuss the menu for the meeting and what will be needed. She arranges to pick up the order the morning of the meeting, since we don’t offer delivery.
“So, I saw you and my brother made the gossip rags again,” Cara says.
“I just saw that too,” I answer honestly.
“He hates the press. I can’t believe they followed him to a business dinner.”
“I don’t think we were followed. I think someone recognized your brother and took the picture to sell it to the press.”
“You might be right. How did you two meet again? I don’t remember Nicholas mentioning you before the gala, but then again he doesn’t talk much anymore. I can’t remember the last time he came to a family dinner… ”
“We met at a coffee shop a couple of months ago,” I answer with the cover story that Nicholas and I had previously agreed to.
“Oh, I hadn’t realized you two knew each other for that long. Well, I have to go. Maybe you can get Nicholas to come to dinner this Sunday?”
“Cara, I don’t know—“
“I know my mother would love it. Please… try to get him to come? Of c
ourse you come too—“
“We’ll see, Cara. No promises, I’m not sure what our schedule is.”
“Okay, thanks, Kenzie!”
“Kenzie, do you have a minute?” Ginny asks just as I finish meeting with Cara.
“Of course,” I follow her back to her office, where she shuts the door.
“I’m only going to bring this up once because it’s none of my business. This Parker guy… he treats you right?” she asks.
“Yes Ginny, he’s a perfect gentleman.”
“Good… you’ve had enough pain in your life. I don’t want to see you have more.” That surprises me because I’ve never spoken to her about my past.
Maybe she just assumes because it was a case worker from the shelter that set up the interview for me. I know my case worker wouldn’t have said anything to her about my past—we had talked about it before I agreed to let her arrange the interview for me.
“Listen, you’re still the only one here who knows that I’m trying to sell this place, and I want to thank you for keeping it to yourself—“
“Of course, Ginny.”
“My lawyer called me just now and told me he might have someone interested in purchasing the place.”
“That’s wonderful! Do you know who it is?”
I’m happy for her, but disappointed that my days here might be coming to an end. I don’t allow myself to focus on what will happen if I can’t stay on here as an employee. The two dates I’ve had with Nicholas have given my bank account a nice bump; I’ve even managed to put more away this month than I thought I would since Nicholas really compensated me well for the last minute business dinner. I tried to tell Bridget it wasn’t necessary, but she said that Nicholas already paid the money to her so it’s mine whether I want it or not. As long as Nicholas maintains the arrangement, I know I’ll be able to pay my bills until another job comes along if the new owners don’t want to keep me when they take over.
“Not yet. My lawyer says the company is insisting on complete confidentiality about the purchase. I thought it was weird, but apparently it’s quite common. Businesses don’t want their competitors to know that they are looking to open a new shop in town.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Right now they’re just reviewing our financials, but I wanted to keep you updated…”
“Thank you, Ginny, I appreciate it.”
Finally, back at my apartment a few hours later, I’m relieved that the morning is over. In a matter of hours, the two worlds that I thought would remain separate have collided. I guess I expected it would be like when I worked at the department store and the bakery at the same time; maybe once in a while customers would overlap but when they did, it was never a big deal and no one really questioned it. I was naïve to think that I could keep this arrangement with Nicholas separate from anything else in my life. I should have known that it was very probable that my coworkers at the bakery would see my picture in the media. I know a few of the girls read those gossip magazines on their breaks, so I shouldn’t have really been that surprised.
When my arrangement with Nicholas ends, I’ll probably find another job to help make ends meet. I don’t know if I’ll go back to being a personal shopper or not, but I don’t think I can see myself taking on another client with Bridget. I think I only feel comfortable with Nicholas because we had met before, although when I think about it, we really only had a few minutes with each other that day on the sidewalk. I don’t know why that would make me feel so comfortable with him now. Whatever the reason, I’m not so delusional as to think that I would feel like this with every guy that Bridget sets me up with.
I will say though, it’s been nice not working twelve and fourteen hour days and actually having a day off each week when I don’t work. Before signing on with Bridget and quitting the store, I rarely had a day off. I wouldn’t work both jobs every day, but there were plenty of days where I would work one job and not have a day off. Today, I am sort of working two jobs… I have a date with Nicholas this evening to attend an exhibit being featured at the museum. Tonight is a preview night exclusive for members, including Nicholas, whose donations have made the exhibit possible. I’ve never been to this museum, so I’m looking forward to it. Once again, I will be meeting Nicholas and Carter at PFS, but unlike the dinner the other night, we will be leaving together from the museum, since it’s likely that people will see us leaving at the end of the evening and we don’t want it to raise questions why we are leaving separately.
Ring Ring
“Hello, Kenzie, it’s Bridget. How are you, dear?”
“I’m good, Bridget, how are you?”
“Very well. I was just calling to make sure you have everything you need for the date tonight?”
“Yes, I believe so. Stacy helped me pick out a dress with matching accessories. I’m meeting Mr. Parker at PFS and his driver will be taking us to the museum. Afterwards, they will bring me back to PFS before we go our separate ways.”
“Did you see your dinner the other night made the press?”
“I did.”
“That means that after tonight it’s very likely that you and Nicholas both will be in the press tomorrow morning. The media is expected to be at the museum to cover the exhibit opening. I expect you will be pictured very quickly, as this is the third event that you will be seen with Nicholas. I know this is all new for you, so I wanted to check in and see how you were doing with the publicity and to see if you had any concerns before the pictures start coming out tonight?”
“Today was actually the first time that someone figured out the girl in the picture with Nicholas was me.”
“Oh?”
“A few of the staff at the bakery where I work figured it out. I guess it was a preview of what’s going to happen after we’re seen tonight.”
“Are you okay with that, Kenzie? Customers may start asking you questions about Nicholas, reporters will probably figure out who you are, and start calling you or showing up at your place of business. I’m not trying to scare you, I just want you to be prepared.”
“I appreciate that, Bridget. Today was a shock, but I think it was a good shock. I’m more prepared now; I know what to expect, and Nicholas and I have reviewed our backstory so we’re on the same page.”
“Good… if you ever have questions with dealing with the media or persistent reporters, you let me know. I’m going to send you a slideshow in a few minutes, which covers some key points in dealing with the media that you might find helpful. Smile, be nice, but never give away too much information. No comment is always a safe response if you don’t know what else to say. Don’t let them get to you, but if they do, don’t let them see it. If they find a weakness, they will go after it, so stay strong and call me whenever you need to. I’ll help you deal with the media if you have a problem.”
“Thank you, Bridget; I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
“Anytime. Good luck tonight. I look forward to seeing the pictures tomorrow morning.”
I spend the next couple of hours getting ready for my date with Nicholas. Having never been to an exhibit opening before, I rely heavily on Stacy’s advice about what to wear tonight. I wear a red dress that falls just to my knees: a scooping neckline, cap sleeves, and a slightly open back. The dress is complemented by black shoes, a diamond tennis bracelet, and matching necklace. My hair is curled, letting it fall casually over my shoulders. Somehow between the dress boutique and the salon, they have me leaving my apartment looking like a completely different person than when I woke up.
Tonight, I’ve decided to splurge and request a car service to take me to PFS to meet with Nicholas and Carter. I could have easily taken the subway to PFS, but the thought of walking around in heels on those steps doesn’t appeal to me. Right on time, my phone dings with a text letting me know the car service has arrived. I quickly crab my clutch and head to the slick, black sedan waiting out front for me. A few of the people hanging out on the front stoop whistle wh
en I walk by, but I ignore them and get into the waiting car.
“Ms. Rose, it’s nice to see you again,” Carter greets me in the lobby of PFS when we arrive.
“And you, Carter.”
“Mr. Parker should be down momentarily.”
As if he knew we were waiting, the elevator doors open, revealing Nicholas, looking handsome as always. Although we didn’t coordinate our outfits, it looks like we did; he is wearing a black suit with a deep red tie that almost matches my dress perfectly.
“You look beautiful, Kenzie.” Nicholas kisses me on the cheek.
“Thank you, Nicholas.” I can’t help but blush when I see several people in the lobby staring at us. I don’t think they expected to see their boss kissing a woman, even if it was only on the cheek.
“Mr. Parker, Ms. Rose, the car is waiting.” Carter leads us into the elevator, which brings us to the parking garage.
“I’m not sure if you saw, but it turns out we were photographed at dinner last week,” Nicholas says.
“So I’ve learned,” I laugh. “One of my coworkers printed out the picture and brought it in, then Cara—“
“Cara?”
“She came to the bakery this morning to place an order, and she mentioned seeing the picture. Then Bridget called to make sure I had seen the picture and to remind me that press would be covering the event tonight and that this will be the third time you are seen with me.”
“I expect the media to really kick it up a notch after tonight,” he sighs.
“That’s what you wanted, right?”
“It is, but I just hate that it had to come to this. I would much rather skip these events and focus on PFS, instead of having to spend time concocting lies to keep the media from portraying me as a playboy.”
“Hopefully, after tonight they will think we are in a committed relationship and will give you some space.”
“Let’s hope so.”
The Arrangement Duet Box Set Page 13