Page 81 of Love your Billionaire Boss

“You’re blushing,” said Mae, looking at her amused.

“Need any help?”

Cleo turned and saw Elle approaching them. She wore a form-fitting black dress and her hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail.

“Elle! You look fantastic,” said Cleo, as she gave her a side hug, trying to balance the pastries.

“Thank you.” Elle did a little twirl.

Cleo smiled at her friend. She was happy to see her so confident. After her breakup with Brad a few months ago, which was her idea, Elle had felt a little lost. It was the best decision for her because she felt like they had drifted into more friend territory. She said it felt like they were just roommates. It was heartbreaking for her, but she eventually found her way.

“I think we’ve got it, but thank you,” said Cleo as they headed back inside. The doorman held the door as they made their way to the elevators.

As they rode up, the three of them enjoyed their girl talk. Elle quickly filled them in on who she was talking to lately. Since she had been coming around to more of the baseball games with Cleo, there were a few players who had their eye on her. She was enjoying the attention.

When the elevator doors opened to the party, Elle was immediately approached by Nico, as if he sensed she was nearby. Mae and Cleo giggled as they nudged Elle on their way to find the kitchen. It wasn’t hard to miss with how gigantic it was. They began plating the pastries onto serving trays for the waiters to pass out later in the evening.

“These look and smell fantastic,” said Mae.

“Thank you,” said Cleo.

“You know, Jonas is looking to invest in some smaller companies around the city.”

“Mhmm.” Cleo finished one tray and moved to the next.

“He was thinking a bakery…”

“Mmm.”

“Cleo, are you hearing what I’m saying?”

Cleo paused what she was doing and looked up at Mae, as if just then processing what she had heard. Mae looked at her with a big smile, which reassured her that she had heard right. They wanted to invest in her?

“Do you mean…?”

Mae nodded enthusiastically. “You’re amazing at what you do. We know you’d become a city hotspot. We would just be investors. Everything else would be up to you. Your vision.”

Cleo couldn’t find the words. Her eyes started welling up with tears, but she blinked them back quickly. “Mae, I don’t know what to say.”

“I know it’s a lot. But just promise you’ll think about it.”

Cleo suddenly gave Mae a huge hug. “Thank you.”

Mae hugged her back tightly. Just then her phone rang. She pulled away and searched her purse for her phone. “It’s Jonas’s mom. I have to take this. She said she’d call around bedtime so I could say goodnight.”

“Okay. Tell Lily hi!”

Cleo watched Mae walk out of the kitchen and then let out a deep breath. She couldn’t believe her dream was going to come true. Of course, there was a lot to still figure out and she wouldn’t accept their offer unless she knew she could make it a successful business that would pay them back and then some.

She finished plating the final tray and walked dreamily out of the kitchen and back into the party. She saw Kenny leaning against a pillar, holding two glasses of champagne. When he spotted her, he beamed and signaled for her to come over. She felt like she was floating as she made her way through the party. His eyes on her made her feel like she was the only one in the room.

He handed her a glass of champagne and pulled her close to him, kissing her gently on the forehead. She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. This was a whole new life for Cleo. She had a famous boyfriend. She was interested in baseball now. Instead of serving drinks at Murphy’s, she sat at the booth with Kenny and his teammates. She no longer needed two jobs because her baking business took off and she was about to take the next big step. None of this would have happened if she had run back to Indiana. Plus, there probably wouldn’t be a hot baseball player there to sweep her off her feet.

Epilogue

Kenny

Kenny stood with his hand on the door, ready to enter the bakery, but he stopped at the sight of Cleo through the window. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun and she wore her pink chef coat. Her smile was beaming as she filled the pastry case with fresh muffins. He didn’t think she could get more beautiful, but seeing her doing what she loved proved him wrong.

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