Page 10 of Icing on the Cake

I watched Beau work the room at the holiday mixer. He’s charming and suave. He had every person in that room eating out of the palm of his hand.

“Hey.” Sage places her hand on my arm as I’m exiting the aisle. “Lunch this week. We’ll talk, okay?”

I nod but don’t feel much like talking at the moment. My body buzzes with tension and fear. How could I have been so stupid to trust someone I barely know? I don’t usually make rash decisions, but my darn heart wanted to believe in the fairytale ending.

Despite everything, I still want to believe.

I slam the car door and stick the key in the ignition with every intention of driving away, but something holds me in place. Anger, fury, disappointment, denial? I want answers, a reason why there isn’t room for everyone at the table.

The meeting disperses, and people exit the building. I wait impatiently until I spot Beau leaving the meeting. He’s surrounded by a cluster of business owners, but I gather my courage, determined to get answers.

My heart pounds in my chest as I cross the parking lot. I count the steps from my car to Beau as a distraction, wishing the hurt and anger bubbling in my gut would calm down.

Beau catches my eye, and something sparks in them that catches me off guard. He appears disappointed, too. Perhaps I took the sting of his speech too personally or read too much into the short time we’ve spent in each other’s company. How could Beau know I’d be impacted by the proposed changes? Why would he even care?

But this isn’t just about me. My friends and fellow businesses are impacted. I swallow the knot in my throat and lift my chin high. This fight is for what’s right, not about me.

“I was afraid you left before we could talk.” Beau reaches for me, but I know better than to engage physically. It’s hard to resist the magnetic pull between us even when we’re a room apart.

“What you’re advocating for could destroy businesses like mine.” My voice shakes as I speak, but I push past it. “Do you even realize the impact these changes would have? They would put good people out of business, leaving them without resources and a livelihood.”

I expect him to interrupt at any moment, and part of me wishes he would. It would save me from digging deep within myself to find the courage to be heard. Hope and Sage exit the building just past Beau’s shoulder. They stop and watch, whispering among themselves. I can only imagine they’re deciding to intervene. As much as I wish they would, I’m gathering courage with every word I utter.

“Just because I don’t have a storefront doesn’t mean I don’t work in a clean environment or deliver quality products.” Beau’s eyes soften as he listens. He doesn’t interrupt or give any indication that I’m being ridiculous or overly dramatic. “I take pride in what I do and refuse to let you or anyone else undermine that.”

I feel the weight of my words as they hang between us, the tension so thick it crackles with electricity. Though anger and frustration course through me, so does a flicker of hope. We had a magnetic, almost surreal connection. I know it’s still there. If there is a way to bridge the divide between us, there isn’t anything we can’t overcome.

***

Beau

My heart begins to pound the second I spot Eisley approaching. The disappointment in her eyes is palpable, and I can’t help but feel the same. She shirks when I reach for her. I may have blown any chance of discovering where our budding attraction could lead.

When she speaks, her voice shakes, and her hands tremble. I realize how difficult it is for her to gather the courage to confront me. I want to comfort her and let her know we can fix this, but honestly, I don’t know how. How can I stay true to my convictions when I feel so strongly about being a voice for the community?

“I understand your concerns about quality assurance, Beau,” her voice strains. “But there are other ways to ensure customer satisfaction without imposing burdensome regulations.”

I can’t ignore the validity of her argument, nor her genuine concern, but I can’t shake my nagging doubts. There’s no denying I’ve fallen for Eisley, but I can’t let my feelings cloud my judgment.

“I hear what you're saying.” My brow furrows with concern. How can I make her believe this proposal has nothing to do with my feelings for her? It’s business. Nothing more. “I can’t ignore the risks posed by unregulated businesses. We need to find a way to balance consumer safety with the needs of small businesses.”

“And you think putting us out of business is a balanced solution?” Eisley throws her hands up and shakes her head. “I don’t understand why my refrigerator and oven are less safe due to the fact that my bed happens to be down the hall.”

Her mention of a bed shouldn’t cause my brain to stutter, but it does. I’d like to share a bed with Eisley one day. One day soon. Who knows what might have happened between us if things hadn’t gone as they did at the wedding? We had instant chemistry, just like the night of the holiday party. We clicked then, unlike now.

Looking into her eyes, I can’t shake the feeling that there must be another way to find common ground. We both want the same thing: to serve the needs of the community, yet we’re each approaching it from opposite ends.

“What if we find a way to work together?” I say, softening my voice. I reach out to her, desperation clawing at my gut. “If we put our heads together, we can find a solution. What do you say?”

Eisley eyes me warily. Her gaze follows the movement of my hand as I reach for her, yet hold back if my advance is unwanted. She stares silently at me for several long seconds. It feels like an eternity, with everything I want for the future hanging in the balance.

“Okay.” She slips her hand in mine. “Where do we start?”

Her lips tip into a somber grin, and my shoulders relax. A glimmer of hope stirs deep inside my soul, and I know that there’s a bright future beckoning us. It’s past the horizon but far from out of reach.

CHAPTER 8

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