Page 24 of Love your Billionaire Boss

“Come on, man!” yelled Chad, exasperated. Kenny laughed and ordered one more beer before sneaking out and grabbing an Uber back to the hotel. He just wanted to watch a movie and doze off.

The rest of his teammates were hurting on the flight home the next day, and Kenny was glad he wasn’t one of them. He was still tired, though. When he got back to his condo, he headed straight for the shower and then fell face down onto his bed. He was exhausted and was looking forward to a day off tomorrow to rest.

His phone vibrated and he unlocked it to see all the notifications he had been ignoring the past few days. He scrolled through the texts and missed calls quickly, almost missing a text from Cleo. He sat up quickly and opened it. She had sent a group text to him and Nico:

I have some samples ready to try!

Kenny lay back and placed his phone on his chest. He smiled to himself before dozing off.

Chapter 9

Cleo

Cleo moved around her kitchen quickly, pouring flour into one bowl and whisking frosting in another. The place was a mess, and so was her brain. She had been doing multiple batches of cupcakes, tweaking things with each bake to see which one was the winner. This party was a big deal and she wanted to get it right.

It also didn’t help that she still hadn’t heard back from Nico or Kenny. Maybe they had changed their minds and gone with someone else to cater the party. They would have at least told her, right?

She let out a sigh as she poured the batter into a pan. She popped it in the oven and set the timer before finally taking a little break. She leaned against the countertop and wiped her hands on her apron and looked around at the bowls and spoons cluttering the frosting-covered countertops. She was usually a neater baker than this. Clearly, she was stressed.

Her phone dinged and she looked around the kitchen frantically. Hopefully, it would be a reply and give her confirmation that all this wasn’t for nothing. She searched the countertops for her phone, but came up empty-handed. She opened the drawers, but didn’t find it, and searched cabinets with no luck. She heard another ding and looked curiously at the empty bag of flour sitting on the counter. Reaching inside, she found her phone.

“Nice one, Cleo,” she said, shaking her head.

She unlocked her phone and saw a text notification. It was Kenny, and she’d be lying if her heart didn’t skip a beat:

I can swing by to try the samples. I can head over in 30 minutes.

Cleo wasn’t anticipating Kenny to come. She thought this was Nico’s thing. She bit the inside of her cheek and read the text again. Why did she feel so nervous all of a sudden? She was already nervous before, but now it was multiplied by the fact this cute guy was going to come over. And be in her kitchen. And try her baking. And see her in this state.

She replied: Sure. I’ll text you the address.

Cleo typed in her address and hit send before taking a deep breath. It was time to get to work. She pulled the cupcakes out of the oven to let them cool and then began frantically cleaning the kitchen. She basically threw everything in the sink and began scrubbing the dishes and arranging a few things in the dishwasher. She wiped off the counters, grabbed a broom, and swept the floor from sugar and flour. Then she arranged the desserts on different trays until she was happy with the presentation.

She looked around, satisfied with her work and then heard a knock at the front door. He was here. She walked toward the front door and saw her reflection in the entryway mirror.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped.

There was frosting clinging to her hair and flour sprinkled across her forehead. She wiped away the flour and began trying to untangle the frosting that was dried like cement to her brown hair. There was another knock at the door. This was the best it was going to get. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Kenny stood on the front step and gave her a smile. She smiled back as she took him in quickly with her eyes. He was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt that wasn’t tight, but hugged his muscular arms in a non-trying way. He had a baseball cap on and his long hair peeked out from underneath. She was suddenly even more self-conscious.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi.” He gave a little wave.

They looked at each other for a moment before Cleo caught her bearings.

“Come in, come in.” She waved him in and stepped aside.

When he stepped past her, she could smell his aftershave and tried to hold on to the delicious scent. He looked around the living room as if taking everything in.

“This is a nice place,” he said, looking toward the kitchen.

“Thanks.” Cleo took his momentary distraction to look in the mirror again. She wiped some flour from her nose and tucked a piece of frosting-covered hair behind her ear. When she turned from the mirror, she saw Kenny smiling at her amused. She felt her cheeks burn.

“Sorry, I’m a mess.” She looked down, embarrassed.

“Not at all.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

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