Page 24 of Oops, I'm Having My Best Friend’s Baby!

“Yeah, it looks like it. Oh my God…”

“Is this from the school job? From the weird engagement story that got published?” Kai asked.

“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head, but then as she skimmed through the next email in her inbox, a familiar name caught her eye.

“Oh my God,” she breathed. “I’m going to have to tell her thank you.”

“Who?” Kai asked, still trying to catch up.

“Lily Espinoza. Apparently, she’s been singing my praises since the reunion, telling everyone she works with how amazing I was for accommodating her super bad allergies. I didn’t think anything of it because, of course I’ll make sure you’re able to eat what you want without worrying about needing an EpiPen. It seemed just like the normal thing to do.”

“I guess it mustn’t be that normal, then,” Kai said. “To be that accommodating. I can see how a lot of caterers would have just told her it was too hard to cater for someone with anaphylaxis.”

“Right? Well, I’m glad I did because it seems like everyone she works with wants to hire me now. And apparently, she works with a lot of important people.”

Amy couldn’t keep the smile off her face. This was insane. This was life-changing, and on this sort of boat, surely they had champagne somewhere. She felt like popping a cork would be the only way to express how she was actually feeling right now.

But when she looked up at Kai, he was… serious. Maybe serious wasn’t even the right word, but he certainly wasn’t as excited as she thought he might be.

“Everything good?” she asked.

“You know I could recommend you to people I know, right?” he said. “Like right now, and you wouldn’t have to worry about booking jobs.”

Amy blanched. She should have known he would take the first opportunity he could to offer again to shout her name from the rooftops.

“No, Kai, please don’t,” she said sternly.

“Why not?”

“Because you have an insane amount of influence.”

“Yes?” he said, still not getting the point. Amy sighed through her nose.

“I want to know that even if I get lucky breaks here and there, it’s because of me. Because of my work and what I did. If Lily Espinoza wants to recommend me to people, it’s because she actually enjoyed the food and I did a good job making sure she was safe with her allergies. And that’s something I did that I would do for any client. I had no idea she knew these sorts of people, so…”

She sighed when Kai just kept looking at her blankly.

“It just…” he started, so obviously picking his words carefully that Amy had to smother a laugh.

She failed, though, because he grinned at her, looking relieved that he wasn’t actually in trouble.

“It just doesn’t really make sense,” he said with a shrug. “That’s all. I don’t get it.”

“I know,” Amy said. “But you know how my parents were. Any sort of favor they would hold over my head. Money for gas, making me dinner, raising me, it was all just a big favor, and favors need to be returned…”

Suddenly Kai was by her side, sitting on the edge of the bed with an arm slung around her shoulder.

“If I introduced you to some contacts, I wouldn’t hold that over your head,” he said gently.

“That’s not the point. I just don’t want you to. That’s it. Just, please don’t.”

He nodded and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m happy for you anyway,” he said into her shoulder. “You know that right?”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks for bringing me on this big boat.”

He laughed, warm breath tickling her shoulder before letting her go.

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