Page 53 of Love your Billionaire Boss

“Fine by me.”

After introductions were made, Kenny quickly forgot their names. He wasn’t interested. He hadn’t been interested in anyone since he met Cleo. Sure, he had tried, knowing the distraction would be good for him, but nothing worked. After their night together, he didn’t even try any more, much the petite blonde’s dismay.

“Do you want to dance?” She leaned in, her elbows on the table, eyeing Kenny flirtatiously.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” he said, taking a sip of beer.

“Oh,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment.

Kenny watched Justin and Nico exchange a quick look, but they didn’t say anything.

“Come dance with us!” The dark-haired girl wrapped her arm around Justin’s and grabbed her friend’s hand, pulling her with them. Nico and Maddy joined them, leaving Kenny alone, which was fine with him. He laughed at Justin’s awkward dance moves and shook his head as he watched Nico making out like a middle schooler at a school dance.

At the end of the night, Kenny stood by as his friends exchanged numbers and then hailed a cab. The three of them piled in. They started toward Justin’s hotel to drop him off before heading home.

“That’s the most fun I’ve had in a while,” said Nico, catching his breath.

“You all right there?” asked Kenny, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m winded.”

“From dancing or sucking face?”

“Shut up.” He slugged Kenny. “You’re just jealous.”

Kenny laughed and shook his head. Tonight was fun. It was just what he had needed before tomorrow’s big night when he would finally see Cleo.

Chapter 19

Cleo

Cleo’s kitchen counters were so full, she couldn’t even see them. She sat at her kitchen table folding up white pastry boxes and lining them with tissue paper. She took her time because she wanted everything to look professional for the party tonight. She was thankful Bridget had given her the night off so she was able to take the job when Nico had offered it to her.

Folding up the boxes was a mindless task, but she took comfort in the routine of it. Unpack, fold, line. Unpack, fold, line. She tried to focus on these three steps and these three steps only. She didn’t need her mind wandering to Kenny.

She had been fighting back her nerves all week as the party got closer and closer. She had hoped she would have heard from him since their night together, but there had been nothing. It had clearly been a one-night thing and she had to accept that. What had she really expected? The handsome, professional athlete would fall in love with the pudgy baker? She shook her head at her silly thoughts as she folded up the last box.

Now it was time to pack the boxes up with the pastries she had spent the past few days whipping up in the kitchen. It was quite the task for one person, especially since Nico kept adding to the guest list and receiving more RSVPs than he had intended. He had finally given her the final count three nights ago, so she could get started.

The party had gotten so big that they had to move locations to a home twenty minutes from the city. She had hoped it would have been at Nico and Kenny’s condo as initially planned. She loved their kitchen and was comfortable there. Well, she was, until everything with Kenny happened. Maybe it was better this way. Their condo simply didn’t have enough space, which was saying something about the size of the party.

Cleo started packing from smallest to largest. She started with the cupcakes and cookies, and ended with boxing up the individual tiers for the four-tier red velvet cake. She would assemble it there. She was arriving early to get everything set up. Thankfully, whoever owned the home was providing the trays and cake stands. All she had to do was get the pastries and cake there in one piece.

She finished placing the top tier of the cake in its box and looked around the kitchen with her hands on her hips. She was proud of herself. This was the largest order she ever had, and she’d done it all on her own. Elle would be there in about two hours to help her pack up her car and head to the home where the party was being thrown. She was so thankful she would have her best friend there to calm her nerves. As big as this party was going to be, she knew she would still see Kenny. At least, she thought. Hoped. He couldn’t avoid her (or the dessert table) forever. Or could he?

She headed upstairs to get ready. She opted to take a bubble bath in hopes it would relax her. Avoiding the shower helped too. Every time she went in there now, all she could think of was Kenny behind her, breathing in her ear and kissing her neck. Not a bad memory to have, but not one she needed to think about when she would see him tonight. It also wasn’t a memory she should hold onto any longer. They were done.

She drew a hot bath, poured in some bubble bath, and sunk into the tub with a relaxing sigh. This was exactly what she needed after being on her feet for the past few days in the kitchen. She leaned her head back against the tub and closed her eyes, going over a mental checklist. Everything was ready, except for her.

Once she was finished with her bath, she wrapped herself in a towel and laid her minimal makeup collection on the counter. She put on a feel-good playlist on her phone and started to get ready. There was the usual concealer and mascara, but she added a hint of blush and winged eyeliner that took her three tries. It was finished off with a swipe of rose lipstick that would be fitting with her chef coat. After brushing out her long brown hair, she pulled it back into a low ponytail. She smiled confidently at herself before heading to her closet to get dressed.

She put on a form-fitting, knee-length dress with a pair of black ballet flats, then pulled down the pink chef’s coat she had splurged on for the party tonight. It was the perfect shade of blush pink. She wanted to look the part of a chef. This was a big night after all.

Despite seeing Kenny and wanting to look good for him, she also wanted to look professional and put together for potential clients. Now that the party’s guest list was bigger, there was more opportunity for her. She had her business cards ready to go and was planning on setting them near her desserts. Maybe tonight would be her big break.

The doorbell rang. Elle was early, which was fine. There was a lot to pack up in the car. Cleo glanced at herself one last time before heading downstairs.

“Wow. You look great,” said Elle once Cleo opened the door.

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