“That was smooth,” Mindy said, and I glared at her before I glanced back at the door. I could have forgotten about the gorgeous bakery owner but there was something in my head telling me that I needed to try again. It was telling me that this woman would change my life and I couldn’t ignore it. I wanted Candace Morris and I’d be damned if I failed at getting her.
Chapter 3: Candy
Bitter-Sweet
I tasted the batter and jerked back from it. I smacked my tongue to try and remove the taste. My intern Michelle stared at me with wide eyes and I wanted so terribly to tell her the brownie batter was delicious, but the point of me being her mentor was to help mold her into a better baker.
“You have the texture down beautifully, but you need to work on your flavor combinations. Raspberries can be very tart, so mixing too many of them with dark chocolate will only make the chocolate more bitter. A little goes a long way.”
She nodded her head and turned to dump out the batter. I felt for the girl. I remembered my days as a young baker and the numerous mistakes I’d made in the kitchen. It was part of the process and she’d be a better baker for it.
Twenty minutes later, I smiled when I tasted her second batter. “Perfect,” I said, and she beamed.
I took on an intern from the culinary arts school every year. There were so many kids just looking for their big break or to have someone believe in them which was why I did what I did. When I’d been going through school, I’d been told that my creations were “too creative” and that they weren’t appealing. I hadn’t believed them, and I was glad I hadn’t because if it weren’t for my massive imagination, I wouldn’t have won the cooking show against some of the country’s best bakers. I wanted to be a positive light in a world full of negatives, especially for little brown girls like me.
I’d just pulled out some chocolate chunk cookies for a pickup order when I heard Sasha yell, “Um, Candy! There’s a fine ass, rich white man out here asking for you.” My eyes slid closed and I shook my head as I removed my apron. I loved Sasha and even though she had more money than she knew what to do with, she really was “Holly-hood.” Born and raised in Calabasas but had the heart of someone from Compton.
I made it to the front and froze when I saw who she was referring to. I tried to mask my reaction because I couldn’t let on to how attractive I thought Trenton Hunter was. When he’d walked into the breakroom earlier that day, I’d nearly swallowed my tongue. He was easily over six feet tall and had these wide shoulders that his perfectly tailored suit curved around beautifully. And good lord could that man wear a suit. He had a great shape and looking at him, I would have pegged him for closer to thirty than forty.
He kept his face clean-shaven which showed off his sharp jaw and full lips. But it was his shockingly green eyes that really stole my breath. They were the truest shade of jade that I’d ever seen up close. They seemed unreal, so I thought they were contacts but when he stepped closer to me, I could see they weren’t. His black hair was pushed back and away from his very handsome and appealing face. But then he had to go and open his mouth and ruin everything.
A man asking about my satisfaction within minutes of meeting me was not okay. Unless he was a waiter at a restaurant asking about my meal, there was no need for him to be worried about my satisfaction. I’d gotten out of there as quickly as I could because I knew immediately after warmth shot up my arm, simply by shaking his hand, that he was trouble I didn’t need in my life.
So I didn’t understand why he was in my shop. I looked behind me and saw my staff peaking around the corner to see what was going on. I shook my head and waved them off before I turned back to face him.
“Hi, Mr. Hunter, what brings you here?” I asked, even though I just wanted to scream for him to leave my shop and never return. I didn’t need his trouble and he reeked of trouble.
He smiled sweetly as I approached, and I ignored the way my heart tripped over in my chest at the sight of it. Ignoring it was my only choice because I couldn’t let myself show any interest in this man. I knew his type, and I knew them well which was why I had to stay away.
“I was actually stopping by to personally tell you that the cake you made was amazing. If it weren’t my birthday, they probably would have destroyed the entire thing without a second thought. Truly, it was amazing.”
That made my chest swell with pride. My work was my pride and joy and it always made me happiest when someone liked what I created. It was the ultimate reward. So, even though I wasn’t a fan of Trent Hunter, I could still appreciate his appreciation for good desserts.
“Well, I’m really glad you liked it Mr. Hunter. Online reviews also help us out a lot so if you don’t mind writing one, it wouldn’t go unappreciated.”
“Consider it done,” he said with a grin.
When nothing else was said, I raised a brow and asked, “Was there something else you needed?” He shook his head as if he was shaking thoughts from his head.
“Right, there was,” he said before he took in a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize for my comment earlier. I didn’t think before I spoke, and it came out wrong. I’m not a sleezeball, I promise. I just didn’t want that to be your first impression of me.”
I wasn’t really sure how to respond so I simply nodded. He stared at me as if he was waiting for me to say more but I didn’t really have anything to say to him and things were starting to get really awkward.
“So, I just thought I’d come in and clear that up,” he said.
“Okay, well I appreciate you stopping by and I’m really glad you enjoyed your cake. If you guys ever need us again for any future events, don’t hesitate to stop by.”
It was the most professional dismissal I could have given and yet, Mr. C.E.O didn’t seem to catch onto it, or he was just blatantly ignoring it. I glanced over at Sasha, who was staring at us with wide eyes. I knew what she was thinking but I tried not to go there.
“Was there anything else, Mr. Hunter?” I said.
“Trent,” he replied. “You can call me Trent.”
I didn’t want to call him Trent. I didn’t want to call him much of anything. I wanted him gone and away from me. Because I knew men like Trenton Hunter. They were all charming until they got what they wanted from you. I wasn’t into that. I had never been the type to just randomly hook up. I was a relationship type of woman. I was freshly thirty-years-old and unfortunately for me, I attracted men like Trent.
“Mr. Hunter...” I began, but he cut me off.
“Have dinner with me,” he said, and I clenched my teeth. I stared him down until he finally caught on to his error. But before he could respond I cut him off this time.
“I know you’re probably used to making demands in your line of work and I’m sure your employees happily jump high when you say jump. But I am not one of your employees Mr. Hunter. You can’t demand or command me to do anything. I’m not sure what kind of women you’re used to, but I can assure you, Sir, I am not them. Next time you’re interested in someone, try asking them out next time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” And on that note, I turned and walked back towards the kitchen.
It wasn’t long until Sasha joined me. “Out little worker bees, the adults need to talk,” she said to my assistant bakers. They glanced at me and I gave them encouraging smiles. I knew Sasha had a lot to say and I really didn’t want the staff to witness the drama that was my past.
When the last assistant left, Sasha turned to me with narrowed eyes. “What was that all about?” she began. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Sasha kept going. “That was a perfectly fine as hell man and he was clearly interested in you, but you bit the man’s head off before even giving him a chance.”
I rolled my eyes and told her about the events that happened at the office that morning and his comments. Sasha stared at me for a long time and I braced myself for the rant that was coming. I was not disappointed.
“You always do this. No matter how charming or sweet a ma
n is, you always find fault in him. Sure, what he said was a little cringey, but I don’t think the man meant any harm. You’re just so closed off that you aren’t even willing to take a chance. He came here to apologize and ask you out,” she said.
“Demanded,” I corrected, and Sasha rolled her eyes.
“You want something to be wrong with him so you can justify brushing him off. He meant no disrespect and you know it.”
I looked away because I didn’t want her to know she was right. But I also had standards.
“Okay, so he wasn’t that bad, but it was still cocky. You know I hate guys like that.”
“Yeah, you also hate them boring, short, too talkative, not talkative enough, too skinny, too buff, and should I go on?”
My jaw clenched and I stared down at the prep table. I really hated when she was right. I hadn’t always been this way but all it takes is being burned one good time to change the way you see things.
“Listen, babe, I know Ridge fucked you over really bad. I was there for it remember? I saw the destruction he left behind but if you keep giving him power over you, you will never move on. You deserve to be happy; you just won’t allow yourself to be.”
I sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling. Sasha was my best friend and she always told me like it was. She didn’t tiptoe around me and it was one of the many things I loved about her. She genuinely cared about me and my wellbeing. She’d been there for me through some of the roughest times in my life. I knew I could always count on her to keep it real with me.
“I know,” I finally agreed. “It’s just hard. I see him in all of them and it’s hard to shake. But Trent? I see it the most.”
“Because he’s loaded and looks good in a suit?”
I pressed my lips together because her saying it out loud made it sound ridiculous. “Not just that. He’s charming and extremely good looking. That’s what made me notice Ridge and look how that turned out.”
“You’ll never know unless you try. You’re not getting married, it’s just dinner.”
I sighed and shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. I doubt he’ll be coming back after the way I dismissed him. So I doubt we’ll be seeing him again.”
Sasha smirked in a way that told me she was up to something and nine times out of ten, I didn’t like what it was.
“What did you do?” I asked and Sasha fluttered her long eyes lashes at me.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said before she turned to leave the room. “Take a chance Candace, it could be worth it,” she yelled from over her shoulder and then she was out of the kitchen and I was once again alone with my thoughts.
I knew Sasha was right and I’d never be able to move on from Ridge if I didn’t take a risk, but I didn’t think Trenton Hunter was the man I needed to help heal my broken heart.
Chapter 4: Trent
Afternoon Delight
I paced back and forth in my office two days later as my thoughts had a tennis match in my head. I was going crazy. After Candace’s very obvious dismissal of me, I wasn’t sure how to react. Women didn’t normally tell me no. They were always thrilled when I paid attention to them. Most of them thrived from it but Candace wasn’t your typical woman.
When she’d walked away from me for the second time that day, I’d felt defeated. I’d never had a woman turn me down so flatly. It was a shot to my ego, but it was one that I needed. I wasn’t challenged enough in my love life and it was a bit refreshing to have a woman know what she wanted but wasn’t expecting me to be the one to give it to her.
It was almost lunchtime and I was hesitant to go to the deli. I’d have to pass the bakery and I didn’t have it in my to simply walk by. That feeling in my gut was still telling me to go for it, that I’d regret walking away. Which was why I finally left my office and walked towards the bakery. But I didn’t go to the deli. I saw the line through the window and also spotted Candy behind the counter. She was smiling brightly at her customers and I stood there like a creep. She was clearly busy, and I didn’t want to disturb her. She already thought I was an asshole and I didn’t want her to think any less of me. So I walked past the bakery and continued on to get my lunch.
When I finished out my day at work, I was in the same situation I was in during lunch. I wanted to stop by and speak to Candace. I wanted to prove to her that I was more than capable of acting like a decent person and that I could ask her on a date properly.
Mindy stuck her head into my office and announced she was leaving. I waved her off without looking so I didn’t even notice she hadn’t walked away.
“What in the world is eating at you?” she asked, and I finally glanced up to see concern on her face. Mindy talked a lot of crap, but she cared about me. My ex-wife used to think we were having an affair but that had never been the case. Sure, Mindy was a beautiful woman, but she was like my annoying little sister and has been that way since she came to work for me. There had never and would never be anything going on between us.
“I’m fine,” I grumbled but Mindy knew me well enough to call bullshit. Which she did.
“You’ve been off since your birthday party. Is this about Candace?” she said, and I tried not to wince. Sometimes Mindy was too smart for her own good. “Wow, her rejecting you is really bothering you, huh?”
I sighed and shut down my laptop. I knew Mindy wouldn’t let this die, so I took the road less traveled and told her the truth before she tried to start digging on her own. When I was done, she gaped at me. I hadn’t thought what I’d said at the bakery had been too bad but then Candy had ripped me a new asshole before she left me there gaping. It was her friend Sasha who told me not to take it personally. That I should come back another time. I hadn’t really planned on coming back because Candace had made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested in me, but I couldn’t stay away. I needed to find where this feeling in my stomach was leading me too.
“For such a smart man, you can be really dumb sometimes,” Mindy said, and I wasn’t surprised by her assessment. “Candace isn’t one of your little barflies. You can’t just wink at her and have her in your bad. She has class.”
“And how do you know that? You only spoke to her a handful of times.”
“Because I’m a good judge of character. She carries herself with class. And have you seen that bakery? It screams class act. You don’t demand a woman like that on a date. You ask like a gentleman. And then you plan something nice for her. You don’t take her to the country club or to that stupid bar where you go cruising. Put in some effort. Then show her who you are, not the guy you pretend to be for your high society, asshole friends. If you show her the real you, then there’s no way she can tell you no.”
I was admittedly surprised by Mindy’s words. We joked around a lot and I knew she cared in her own way, but she had never complimented me.
“So, you think I should go for it?” I asked and Mindy smiled.
“I do. I think you deserve someone good after that bitch of an ex-wife.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from agreeing. One of things I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do once Melissa and I divorced was that I wouldn’t bad-mouth her, no matter how badly she deserved it.
“And you think Candy is good for me?”
Mindy’s face went soft which again was something new to me. She placed her hand on top of mine and said, “I do. I think it’s time for you to find someone who can ground you and I think Candy is already showing she can do that.” She patted my hand twice before she turned and walked towards the door. “Try again, Trent, and don’t fuck it up this time.”
I knew Mindy would never steer me wrong which was why I walked in the opposite direction of the bakery and made a quick stop into the flower shop. I didn’t know what to get her but then I saw a beautiful arrangement of sunflowers and roses. It was a combination I never would have put together, but they went together beautifully. I paid for the flowers and slowly walked back towards the bakery.
I was
nervous as I approached. I knew the worst thing she could do was say no, but I really didn’t want her to. The need to get to know her better was planted deep inside and I didn’t think I could get rid of it. Therefore, I took a deep breath before I walked into the bakery.
Candy was behind the counter working with a customer. She glanced up at the sound of the bell and her eyes widened when she saw me. I waited for them to turn into disgust, but they didn’t. They looked curious. She flashed me a quick smile before she returned to her notepad and the customer. That smile did things to my chest that had never happened with any other woman. What was it about this one that had me all twisted up in knots?
I waited patiently as she finished with her customer. The woman looked me over from head to toe as she walked out and I watched Candy shake her head.
“You know, I don’t think men get enough credit for the way they are sexualized by women. Must be tough,” she said, and I chuckled as I approached the counter.
“It’s an everyday struggle, I’m not sure how I’ve survived.” Candy chuckled and it again did things to my chest.
“These are for you,” I said handing her the bouquet. She stared at it with wide eyes before a slow smile appeared on her face.
“Do I want to know how you knew my favorite flower?” she asked, and I wanted to fist pump at my amazing luck.
I smiled and took in another deep breath. “My last apology didn’t go so well. So I decided to try again. I’m sorry if I came off as an asshole. I promise you, I’m not always that way. But something about you makes me nervous and I lose my brain a little.”
“I see you’ve found it,” she said with a small grin on her face. I laughed and nodded.
“Yes, I have.” I placed my hands in my pockets and rocked back on my feet as I found the courage to finally ask her what I’d been trying all week to do. “Candace, if you’re not too busy this weekend, I would really love it if you could accompany me to dinner. Would that be something you’re interested in?”
The Billionaire’s Secret Page 2