by Sandi Lynn
“Aw, come on, Anna Banana. The two of you just need a little space. You had a little spat and you’ll make up as soon as you both cool down.”
He didn’t text me once the entire weekend and I didn’t text him. Damn, was he stubborn. I strolled into the office with my head held high and a nervousness that settled in my belly. He wasn’t in yet, so I listened to the voicemails that were left on the phone, wrote them down, and threw them in a messy pile on his desk with a smile.
“Morning,” he mumbled as he walked into his office.
“Morning.”
“How was your weekend?” he asked.
“It was good. How was yours?”
“Great. I got shitfaced with Christopher on Saturday and pretty much slept it off all day yesterday.”
“Did you bring anyone home with you?”
He cocked his head at me and gave me a displeased look.
“Anna, I would never—”
“I know. I shouldn’t have said that.” I put up my hand.
“Come here.” He held out his arms and I walked right into them. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I’m sorry.”
“Me too, sweetheart.”
I broke our embrace and looked at him with a smile.
“What?” He smiled back.
“You called me ‘sweetheart.’”
“I did. Because you are my sweetheart and I love you and I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“I love you too, Wes. I don’t want to fight either.”
His lips met mine for a brief moment and then he broke our kiss and locked his office door.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“We need to make up properly.” He smirked as he picked me up and carried me over to the couch.
“I think we need to fight a little more.” I smiled as I slipped my shirt back on.
“I agree. Maybe we could fight some more tonight for a while and then make up again.”
“Sounds good to me.” I kissed his lips. “By the way, I left something on your desk.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see when you open it. I better get back out there. I heard the phones ringing.”
“Okay.” He kissed me.
I inhaled a deep breath as I walked out of his office and braced myself. Within seconds, his door flew open.
“Get in here!” he spoke in anger.
I looked over at Tori, who was staring at me with a smile on her face. I walked back into his office as he shut the door.
“What the hell, Anna? You’re quitting? You didn’t even discuss it with me first!” he shouted.
“Okay. Calm down and stop yelling.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! This is bullshit!” He threw the letter across his desk and rubbed his forehead. “Is this because of our fight?”
“It has something to do with it. But not because I don’t like working for you. I do. Wes, this isn’t for me and you know it. I’m not a personal assistant. I have personal assistants. I’m used to being a boss. I’m used to being in charge of things, not being in charge of other people’s things.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just I like having you here in the office with me every day.”
“And I like being here with you every day, but I can’t spend the rest of my life being your personal assistant. I hope you can understand that.”
“I do.” He sighed. “Come here.” He wrapped his arms around me, and I laid my head on his shoulder. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to run a cupcake business.”
“What?!” He broke our embrace.
“I know you’re in shock, but actually, you shouldn’t be. I gave it a lot of thought over the weekend and I met with Francine. I ran the numbers and it’s going to work. I’m going to make it work.”
“And where are you getting the money to invest in this cupcake shop?”
“Have you forgotten who I am?” I arched my brow. “I have the money.”
“You’re serious about this?”
“Dead serious. We’re calling it the Cupcake Nook.”
“Cute name.”
“It’s going to be more than just a cupcake shop. We’re going to have a coffee and tea station and cute little tables and chairs set up for people to come in and enjoy some coffee or tea with their cupcakes. We’ll have wi-fi, and a small room off to the side where people can book it for tea parties and parents can hold birthday parties for their children. We’re going to make it a big event.”
He stood there with a smile on his face.
“You’re really excited about this.”
“I am. You wait and see, Mr. Carter, this is going to be a huge success.”
“If you’re running it, I have no doubt. Congratulations, Miss Young.”
“Thank you.” I kissed his lips.
Chapter 26
Four Months Later
Wes
“Hey, buddy. I need you to sign this before I send it to our lawyers,” Christopher spoke as he handed me a contract.
I picked up my pen, gave the contract a final look over, and signed on the dotted line.
“Want to go grab some lunch?”
“I’d love to, but I can’t. I told Anna I’d drop by the shop. Tomorrow is the grand opening.”
“Damn. Already?”
“Yeah. She’s been working so hard. I just hope it goes well for her.”
“You have your doubts?”
I leaned back in my chair and placed my hands behind my head.
“A little. I just don’t think a shop like that will survive. She’s going to take a big loss the first year.”
“Wes, come on, she practically ran an international wine company. She knows what running a business involves. You don’t need to protect her.”
“But I want to protect her. I can’t help it. I was walking by Cartier yesterday and I saw this beautiful ring in the window that caught my eye. I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
“Seriously? Already?”
“She’s the one, Christopher. The only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love her and I want her to be my wife.”
“Wow. Congratulations.” He grinned.
“Thanks. But don’t congratulate me yet. She might not say yes.”
“Or she might say yes and then ditch you at the altar.” He laughed. “Just kidding.” He put his hands up.
I grabbed my suitcoat from the back of the chair and put it on before walking out of my office and heading over to the Cupcake Nook. I walked through the door and smiled as I saw Anna standing there yelling at a contractor about something. She handed him a check and he walked away in a huff.
“What was that all about?” I asked as I wrapped my arms around her.
“He tried to rip me off and thought he could get away with it. He tried to charge me for material that wasn’t even used in the store. Shady motherfucker.”
I chuckled. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”
“No. Not when it’s my money. I’m happy you’re here. What do you think?”
“I think it’s amazing. You did a great job, sweetheart. Where’s Francine?”
“Right over there. Francine, come say hi to Wes.”
I stared at the woman walking towards me in disbelief that it was actually Francine.
“Hi, Mr. Carter. Welcome to the Cupcake Nook.” She smiled.
“Hello, Francine. The place looks great.”
“Thanks. Anna and I worked really hard.”
“I know you did.”
“Excuse me. I’m going to go check on the cupcakes that are in the oven.”
I gave her a friendly nod and then looked at Anna.
“That is not the same woman I met four months ago.”
“Pretty spectacular, right? I told you I was helping her make herself over.”
“She looks like a completely different woman and she seems more confident.”
“That’s because I taught her how to be a confid
ent woman. Her ex-husband really shattered her self-confidence. She feels really good about her makeover, which gives her more confidence in herself.”
“You did, good, sweetheart.” I kissed her lips. “I need to get back to the office. I’ll see you later. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She smiled.
After leaving the shop, I went over to Cartier and paid a visit to my friend, Marcus.
“Wes, welcome. It’s always a pleasure to see you. How are your parents?”
“Good day, Marcus. The parents are good. Still traveling the world and enjoying the retired life.”
“Ah. Good for them. What brings you in today?”
“I would like to take a look at a ring I saw in the window.”
“Very nice. Which one?”
We walked over to the window and I pointed to the one on the pedestal that sat front and center.
“Excellent taste, Wes. Does this mean what I think it does?”
A bright smile crossed my lips. “Yes, Marcus.”
“How exciting. Let’s go have a seat and you can take a better look at it. This is one of our finest platinum rings with a four-carat cushion-cut high-quality flawless diamond. As you can see, the ring is set with all these brilliant pave diamonds going down each side. We just got this in a few days ago. It’s part of our new exclusive collection. This is the only one made.”
I held the ring up and looked at the diamonds through an eyepiece. It was truly flawless. I knew in my heart this was the ring for Anna.
“This is the one, Marcus. How much?”
“Because it’s a limited ring, it’s priced at a hundred thousand dollars.”
“I’ll take it.” I grinned.
I walked out of Cartier with the ring box in my pocket. Now that I had it, I needed to find the perfect time and place to propose to her.
Chapter 27
One Month Later
Anna
The Cupcake Nook was a tremendous success. So much so that we needed to hire another baker and sales associate just to keep up with the demand. Francine was over the moon that everyone loved her cupcakes, just like I knew they would. If things kept going at this rate, we’d be in for a nice profit our first year.
I was back in the office going over some numbers when I heard a sweet man’s voice from behind.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
A smile crossed my lips as I turned around in my chair and saw Wes leaning against the doorway with his hands tucked tightly in his pants pockets.
“Hello, handsome. What are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?”
“I wanted to surprise you. Plus, it’s Tori’s birthday, so I thought I’d get some cupcakes for the office.”
“That’s sweet of you.” I made a face at him.
“I know she’s not your biggest fan, but she has worked for me for a long time.”
I got up from my chair and kissed his lips.
“Maybe you should fire her.” I grinned.
“Maybe you should be nice.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “Come on, tell me which cupcakes you want.”
We walked out to the cases and Wes picked out some cupcakes for the office.
“I have a surprise for you,” he spoke.
“I love surprises. What is it?”
“You’ll have to wait until tonight.”
“Is it something kinky?” I grinned as I leaned over the counter.
“It could be.” He winked before kissing the tip of my nose. “I’ll see you later.”
After he walked out of the shop, Francine walked over to me.
“He’s so dreamy. I wish I had one of him.”
“He is, isn’t he?” The corners of my mouth curved upwards as I glanced over at her. “Your dreamy guy is out there for you. You just haven’t met him yet.”
I stepped off the elevator and into the foyer of the penthouse. Kicking off my shoes, I walked to the kitchen, where I found Wes opening a bottle of wine. After setting the bag of Chinese food down on the island, I reached up and kissed his lips.
“Hi.” I smiled.
“Hi. How was the rest of your day after I left?”
“It was busy but good.”
He poured the wine into our glasses while I reached up and grabbed a couple plates down from the cabinet. I took them over to the table with the bag of food and we each took our seats and began to eat while I waited for the surprise he had for me.
“Well?” I said.
“What?”
“What’s my surprise? I’ve been dying ever since you told me.”
“I need to go to Paris for a meeting and you’re coming with me.” He smiled.
“Wes, that sounds wonderful, but I can’t.” I pouted.
“What do you mean you can’t? Yes, you can, and you are.”
“I can’t leave the shop. Not now.”
He took in a deep breath and set down his fork.
“Anna, you can leave the shop. It’s only for a week. The shop will still be there when you get back.”
“But it’s only been open a month. I can’t just walk away.”
“You’re not walking away, sweetheart. You’re taking a much-needed vacation. You have worked your ass off in getting that shop up and ready, not to mention the countless nights we didn’t see each other during the whole process. I want to take you away for some fun and relaxation and spend time alone with you. Please let me do that!” he sternly spoke as he pounded his fist on the table.
I sat there and stared at him in disbelief. His anger was turning me on.
“Okay. When do we leave?”
“We leave in a week. I already rented the private jet.”
“It’ll be good to see Paris again. I love it there.” I smiled as I reached over and placed my hand on top of his.
We climbed into the car that was waiting for us at the airport when we arrived in Paris. Wes told me we were staying at the Shangri-La Hotel, but the car pulled up to the Peninsula.
“I thought we were staying at the Shangri-La,” I said.
“Oops. Did I say that? My bad.” He smirked.
We climbed out of the car and headed into the lobby.
“Ah, Mr. Carter, nice to see you again. Miss Young, welcome.”
“You remember me?” I asked.
“Of course. How could I forget the beautiful American woman who made a fuss because the Rooftop Garden suite was already booked? The key to your suite, Mr. Carter. As always, enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you.”
“What suite did you get us?” I asked as we stepped into the elevator.
He glanced over at me with a smile on his face but didn’t answer my question.
“You got us the Rooftop Garden suite, didn’t you?”
“I did.” He grinned.
“Shut up!” I playfully slapped his arm and he chuckled.
He opened the door to the suite, and the minute I walked inside, a surreal feeling washed over me as the memory of the first night we met flooded my mind.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong. It’s just the last time we were here together, we were strangers, sharing a beautiful night and expecting never to see each other again.”
He grabbed hold of my hand and led me to the living area.
“I know. That’s why I wanted to stay here, in this very room, again, with you.”
“I love you, Wes Carter,” I softly spoke as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“And I love you, Anna Young.” His lips gently touched mine. “We need to change. I booked us a couple’s massage and we need to be down in the spa in about fifteen minutes.”
“Oh my god!” I spoke with excitement as I threw my head back. “That sounds wonderful.”
“I knew you’d love it. So we better get moving.” He slapped my ass.
Chapter 28
Wes
After the long flight, a couple’s massage was just what we needed. It was wha
t I needed to try and calm the nerves that were flaring up inside me. Tonight was the night. The night I’d propose to Anna and ask her to be my wife. What if she said no? Would she? I didn’t think she would, but with her, you never knew. If she said no, it wouldn’t be because she didn’t love me. I knew she did. It would be because she wasn’t ready. It wasn’t all that long ago that she planned a wedding and ran from it as fast as she could. She was also still in the midst of putting everything that happened back in California behind her. I believed that was one of the reasons why she took on Francine’s business, to keep herself busy to drown out the hurt she’d felt from the betrayal of her family. She hadn’t spoken to her father since that day. Not because he hadn’t tried to reach out to her, but because Anna said she could never forgive him. Both Nina and Matthew were indicted on embezzlement charges and received prison time.
“That was amazing.” She smiled as she hooked her arm in mine and we went back up to the suite. “I’m starving. Can we go somewhere for dinner?” she asked.
“Of course.” I kissed the side of her head with a smile.
We stepped into the suite and Anna and I went into the bedroom. Hanging on the closet door was the dress I ordered for her to wear tonight along with the tuxedo I ordered.
“What are these?” she asked. “They weren’t here earlier.”
“I had them delivered while we were down at the spa.”
I took the white garment bag from the door, unzipped it, and revealed the long strapless black dress.
“This is for you to wear tonight for dinner.”
“Wes, it’s beautiful. Are we going somewhere super fancy?”
“Yeah.” I grinned. “We are.”
“How exciting! What’s in this bag?” she asked.
“That’s my tuxedo. We better start getting ready. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you in that dress since I bought it.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait to put it on.” A bright smile crossed her face as she pressed her lips against mine.
I was standing in the living area, looking out the large window with my hands tucked into my pants pockets, when I heard Anna’s voice.