The Funny Thing about Love: Feel Good Sweet Romance stories

by Laura Burton

  “What about when your client does something abhorrent, like hurting a child?”

  Olive made a face. “There are limits to what I can fix. I don’t typically take on clients who have a questionable character.”

  “You can choose that?” He raised his brows.

  She nodded. “I’m one of the best at my firm. They allow me to turn down work when I don’t believe in it. It’s what they do to keep me happy.”

  Wow. What would it be like to see her in action? A cool and collected Olive? That was hard to believe. How could she balance both parts of her life? His own serious behavior flooded into his personal life. If he could achieve that kind of balance, maybe he’d be more fulfilled.

  They finished their meals. Olive pulled out her purse, but Kayson shook his head. “I got this.”

  Olive’s brow lifted. “I’m perfectly capable of paying for our meal, Kayson. It’s not like this is a date.”

  The statement stung but she was right. “I know that. Just let me get this one.” He reached for his wallet, and his hand brushed against fuzzy fabric.

  Olive snickered. “Oh, does the Grinch not have pockets?”

  “Funny,” he said dryly. He motioned to the bag with their wet clothes. “My wallet is in there. Do you mind?”

  She held up the bag. “In here? Well, I guess I’m just going to have to pay anyway.”

  Kayson lunged and snatched the bag from her hand. Shaking his head, he retrieved the wallet. Why did some girls insist on paying all the time? He tipped the waitress, and they headed out to the street. Kayson led the way down the sidewalk, his hand caressing the small of her back. It felt so natural to be with her. He had to figure out a way to keep this going. Maybe after his test, he’d ask her on a proper date—one where he didn’t resemble a green monster.

  He had no idea where they were headed, but he didn’t care. As long as they were hanging out, he’d revel in her companionship.

  Olive’s phone buzzed, and she reached into her purse to retrieve it. They stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as she held up her finger and mouthed the word “sorry.”

  She answered the phone and turned away from him. Kayson stepped back to give her some space. He couldn’t make out the conversation on her end, but she didn’t sound happy. When she got off the phone, she turned and gave him an apologetic look.

  “I have an emergency I have to attend to. I’m so sorry I have to bail on you.”

  “How long will it take? Maybe I could go with you.” To end this day early would be a major disappointment. “Besides, I’d love to see you in action.”

  Olive smiled, considering his proposal. “I guess it won’t be that long. Sure, you can tag along, but we have to hurry.” She grabbed his hand and her dress, and they jogged down the street toward the metro.

  “What’s the emergency?” he said between puffs of air.

  “It’s dumb. The mall on Eighth Street kicked out a mother who was breastfeeding her child without a cover. That’s a big no-no in today’s current climate. Protestors have already swarmed. People are boycotting the place, and businesses in the mall are threatening to leave.”

  “That seems a bit of a harsh reaction.”

  “Not really, considering the woman who demanded they kick out the mother was practically dressed in lingerie. She was showing more skin than the mother by far. The online photos are going viral because people are posting them side by side.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yeah.” They waited at the stop for their train. “Absolutely avoidable. I’m betting the person who sanctioned it has already been fired. But that doesn’t fix the problem. They need to make a public statement and gesture.”

  “What are you going to propose they do?”

  She brushed the hair from her face. “I have the perfect idea, but I don’t know if they’re going to go for it.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m going to suggest they rebrand their mall to not only welcome breastfeeding women but sponsor a breastfeeding awareness campaign.”

  Kayson squeezed her hand. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. I hope they go for it.”

  “If they know what’s good for them, they will.”

  Chapter 12

  Olive stalked through the mall, head high as she made her way to the corporate offices. Reporters flashed their cameras, waiting for the head of the company to make an appearance. Kayson’s presence beside her surprisingly added to Olive’s confidence.

  They strode to the secretary’s desk.

  “I need to see Mr. De Jong, immediately.”

  The secretary gave them an odd look. Olive’s brows pulled together as she glanced at Kayson. Then she had to fight giggles that threatened to escape. She’d forgotten they were dressed like crazy people.

  “May I ask who’s here to see him?”

  Olive forced a straight face. “Olive Greene. I’m his PR manager.”

  The woman’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Go on back. He’s expecting you.”

  Olive dragged Kayson behind her. When they got to Mr. De Jong’s office, she turned to him. “You might want to stay out here considering the way you’re dressed.” She bit back her smile.

  “Am I not allowed to go in there too?”

  She raised her brows. “I told you, with my reputation for results, I can pretty much do what I want. If you want to come in, that’s fine.”

  He nodded. “I’d like to.”

  Olive shook her head and laughed quietly. “Try not to draw too much attention.”

  “You mean they won’t notice a giant Grinch sitting in their meeting?”

  She shoved his shoulder. “Keep your mouth shut and let me do my thing.” Olive pushed open the door, and he followed behind her, closing it.

  Mr. De Jong had the news on his television. As she came in, he muted the report. “I don’t know how it escalated so fast.”

  Olive headed straight for his desk. “In this day and age of instant media, nothing can be brushed under the rug. Millennials have cornered the market on what is worth noticing and what isn’t.”

  “What are we going… to… do?” The executive tipped his head to the side and looked past her to Kayson. Mr. De Jong met her eyes, his own full of questions.

  “Simple. You have to make nice with the young mothers. You’re going to donate to La Leche League and invite them to the mall for a day-long awareness event. Hire some photographers to take pictures and hang posters everywhere. When you make your apology statement, assure everyone you have fired the idiot who kicked out that mom and you will provide sensitivity training to the remainder of your staff.”

  Mr. De Jong raised his eyebrows. “That sounds expensive.”

  Olive folded her arms. “Suit yourself. I’d wager by this time tomorrow, you will have lost fifty percent of your revenue and at least thirty percent of the stores who lease from you. Not to mention your damaged reputation that will follow you for the undetermined future—you might as well file for bankruptcy now.”

  His brows lowered over his eyes. “How much will it cost me?”

  Olive touched the screen of her phone and placed it on his desk. She slid it across to him. “I’ve done the math, and this will cover everything I suggested.”

  Mr. De Jong glanced at the number and sighed. He scrubbed a hand down his face and rubbed his jaw. “I don’t see how I will make back the investment.”

  “From my research, I can tell you no other places of business in the immediate area promote breastfeeding as being one hundred percent accepted. Breastfeeding is on the rise, and if we do some additional advertising about how much you care about families—maybe do an event for families after the holidays—your foot traffic will increase.”

  He considered her for a moment before giving her a short nod. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  She smiled at him. “The reporters are ready for you. I don’t think you want me out there with the way I’m dressed, so I’ll wait for you in here. You know what you’re going t
o say? Or should I type it up for you?”

  “I’d be more comfortable if you write down a few key points.” His gruff voice dripped with frustration.

  She empathized with him. Fixing preventable problems wasn’t fun. She sat, grabbed a notebook from his desk, and scrawled a few topics he needed to touch on. “Make sure to express your apology and how much you love young families. That’s what they need to hear.”

  He grabbed the notebook and jerked his chin forward. Leaning toward her, he whispered, “What’s with the Grinch?”

  Olive glanced at Kayson as he waited on the far side of the room. “That’s my kid brother. He’s a little crazy, if you know what I mean. He thinks we’re in a storybook.” She motioned to her dress. “I’m the princess.”

  Mr. De Jong nodded slowly. “That you are.” He tapped the notebook in his hand. “Thanks for coming so quickly. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”

  He walked around his desk, shook her hand, and headed for the door. Pausing beside Kayson, he patted him on the shoulder. “You have the best day, sport.”

  Kayson’s brows pushed together. “Thanks?” When Mr. De Jong left the room, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “What was that all about?”

  Olive hid a smile. “I have no idea.”

  Kayson approached her. “That was great. I can see why your company likes you so much. How do you know about all this stuff?”

  “I keep up on trends. In case one of my clients makes a big mistake, I have a few solutions up my sleeves at any given moment.”

  “Impressive.”

  “It’s nothing, really. Like I said, I enjoy fixing things.” She gave him a half-smile and ran her fingers through her hair.

  “I’m serious, Olive. The more I get to know you, the more I realize you have it together.”

  Her eyes shot to his. She was hardly together. Everything about her life was a mess, but how could he grasp that from their brief interaction today? “I think you’re seeing things that aren’t there, Kayson.” She chuckled softly.

  Kayson cupped her cheek in his hand. “What I see is a woman who can command the attention of a wealthy businessman and make him bend to her recommendations—despite being dressed in an evening gown. A woman who knows how to have fun and be light-hearted, and a woman who couldn’t care less what other people think. To me, that woman has everything figured out.”

  Olive’s heart hammered against her chest. What was she supposed to say to that? His hand moved from her cheek as he threaded his fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck. He pulled back his hood and leaned in, his lips brushing against hers.

  His shoulders raised as his other hand came up to frame her face. Olive’s legs went numb. If he let go, she’d collapse to the floor. Shots of electricity emanated from his lips as he deepened the kiss. Her hands came up and wrapped around his neck. One of his hands slipped to the small of her back as he pulled her closer.

  Exhilarating as it was to be held by Kayson, thoughts of her future doused the intimate moment. She was moving. She’d set everything in motion yesterday. Hunter said he’d stop by tomorrow to help her haul a few things to storage.

  Olive placed her palms on Kayson’s chest. Gently, she pushed him away. “Kayson, don’t.”

  He tilted his head and swallowed hard. “Olive?”

  She shook her head. “We can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “We just can’t.” She turned away and grabbed her purse. “We need to go.”

  Kayson grabbed her arm. “Wait, Olive. Talk to me.”

  Olive refused to look at him. “It won’t work, Kayson.”

  “You don’t know that. That’s why people date.”

  “I can’t spend the rest of my life waiting around for what-ifs. I’m getting my life together. I’m moving.”

  Chapter 13

  He stumbled back a step, her words hitting him like a punch to the gut. “You’re moving? Why didn’t you say something?”

  She whirled, anger flashing in her eyes. “I told you not to fall in love with me, didn’t I? Nothing was supposed to start between us.”

  He choked out a laugh. “You can’t control that kind of thing. Statistically speaking—”

  “I don’t care about statistics, Kayson. I gave you a warning, and you agreed.”

  Kayson ran both hands through his hair and turned away. He squeezed his eyes shut. What could he say to make her stay? Olive was what he’d been missing all this time, and she’d been right there under his nose.

  Facing her again, his features pinched, he took both her hands in his. “Is there any way you’ll reconsider? I know I can’t make any guarantees, but if you give us time to get to know each other better…”

  Olive shook her head. “Kayson, I’ve lived here my whole life. My entire family is moving to other parts of the country. They all have their lives together. Then there’s me, with nothing to show for my life except multiple flooding accidents and my career. You think I’m this put-together person, but I’m a big mess.” She yanked the door open to reveal Mr. De Jong, hand outstretched toward the doorknob.

  His brows shot up as he took them in. “I thought you would have left already, Ms. Greene. No matter. Thanks again for your suggestions. The reporters ate it up.”

  Olive nodded. “You’re welcome.” Mr. De Jong moved to the side to allow them to leave.

  Kayson jogged after her. He fell into step beside her, hating the way the air between them felt heavy and dismal. Anything he might say sounded trite or selfish, like he wanted her to stay so he could feed off her energy.

  They walked in silence. Kayson no longer cared about the odd stares they got. His thoughts were on a one-way train. He had to come up with a way to get her to stay.

  By the time he realized they were heading to their apartment building, it was too late to recommend they do something to lighten the mood. He’d royally screwed everything up. At the elevator, Olive handed him the bag with his clothes inside and gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Sorry for cutting things short. I’m just not up for anything else today.”

  He backed out of the elevator when it opened on his floor. He held up the bag. “Thanks.” The doors started closing, and he shoved a hand between them to stop them from shutting all the way. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

  She lifted her gaze from her hands to meet his. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  Kayson’s heart dropped into his stomach as the door closed and the machine rumbled upward. He sighed as he made his way to his apartment, dropped the bag on the floor, and collapsed onto his couch. He should forget about her. He barely knew her, so it should be easy. But every thought that crossed his mind was shadowed by visions of her dimpled smile or the way her curves filled out that dress.

  Despite his scheduled time off, the hospital called Kayson in the following day. Kayson spent the day with his head in the clouds. He couldn’t think of anything that would convince Olive he was worth the risk. They barely knew each other, so he couldn’t exactly go to her door and proclaim his love—that would be unbelievable.

  The idea of love lingered. He’d had two serious relationships. He had cared for Sara and Kristin, but he hadn’t felt strongly enough about either to propose. When he thought about Olive, his feelings were different. Olive was different. She was like coming up for air after two minutes under water. Contemplating never seeing her again tore up his insides. Was that love?

  He went about his rounds with a sour disposition. It couldn’t be love. Love at first sight didn’t exist. Then again, he hadn’t fallen for her at first sight. It was more like at first dimple.

  A smile touched his face. He loved that dimple, and that laugh, and… everything about her. It took seeing the whole picture to appreciate it. That’s what he needed to tell her. He could prove to her he was worth it by helping her see the bigger picture.

  When he got off work, he swung by Amelie’s Patisserie and grabbed a few cronut
s. His stomach churned. What if she still said no? At least he could say he tried. He’d regret not doing everything he could to get her to stay.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, he clutched the bag of pastries and repeated to himself he could do this. He stopped by his apartment and changed into the Grinch outfit she’d picked out for him. He’d planned on burning the thing, but now he was glad he hadn’t. At her floor, he skidded to a stop in front of her door and raised his hand to knock. He might look ridiculous, but he could do this.

  He rapped on the old wood, just like he had a few days ago when she’d flooded her apartment. Only this time, he couldn’t wait to see her.

  The door opened, and a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes stared at him. The guy’s gaze raked up and down Kayson’s green outfit before a half-smile crossed his face. “Can I help you?”

  “Is Olive—” Kayson’s voice squeaked. He cleared his throat. “Is Olive here?” The pounding in his chest was so loud it echoed in his ears. This guy could probably hear it too. Who was he, and why was he at Olive’s place?

  The man folded his arms. “She’s in the shower at the moment.”

  Kayson swallowed hard. He’d lose his nerve if he didn’t talk to her right now. “Can you let her know Kayson is here to see her?”

  The man arched a brow. “You want me to get her out of the shower so some weirdo in a Grinch suit can talk to her?”

  Kayson coughed. Maybe the Grinch suit was overdoing it. “It’s important.”

  The man straightened and turned his head to face the apartment. “Hey, Olive! Someone’s at the door for you. You decent?”

  Kayson craned his neck to get a better look, but the man’s tall frame didn’t leave much room.

  “That’s a stupid question.” Olive’s voice drew nearer.