Page 25 of Faking It with my Small Town Billionaire

I hear Jasmine gasp.

“You should wash your mouth out, Mrs. Caldwell,” Jasmine retorts. “What a wicked thing to say.”

Cindy puts on her sweetest smile. “Oh, Jasmine. I was only joking. Lily knows that—right, Lily?” Turning on her heels, she calls out a farewell and leaves.

Jasmine’s mouth is still hanging open from the remark, but I shake my head. “Don’t let her get to you,” I say calmly.

Only, beneath my thin veneer, I don’t feel calm at all. Maybe because Cindy’s remark hit a nerve. I mean, it’s the truth, right? Well, apart from the getting into Orson’s pants part.

“The woman is a disgrace,” Jasmine growls, clearly incensed. “In fact, that woman needs God.”

“I’m not sure he’d have her,” I quip back.

That breaks the tension, and Jasmine bursts into that wonderful laugh I love so much.

The next council meeting is a little awkward. They know that I know that they know, and yet, no one says a word. I watch as Orson tries to keep his face straight while giving them an update from sponsors and building contractors, which only makes it worse. Clearly, he finds this amusing. I, on the other hand, am mortified.

When we finally get into the car and travel back to the bakery, he can’t hold it in any longer.

“You’re like a bunch of kids,” he chuckles.

He doesn’t know it, and I would never tell him, but his deep, throaty laugh does something to me. I can’t explain it, but my stomach seems to do a somersault every time I hear it.

“Well, I wasn’t going to bring it up,” I counter.

“No. You just let the poor elephant sit in the room while everyone ignored him. And let’s face it, that room isn’t big enough for us, never mind the elephant.”

I can’t help laughing now as a ridiculous image flies into my mind. “I’d sooner have the elephant than the dizzying heights of your office,” I say when I stop laughing.

“You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I do. A long way down to inevitable death,” I quip.

He chuckles again and shakes his head. “You do know that the glass is two inches thick? The only thing getting through it might be that darned elephant.”

“But how? The elephant’s in the library.”

This sets us both off into hysterics, and we’re still laughing when we get to the bakery.

As he always does, Orson jumps out of the car and strides around to my side, opening my door for me. He offers his hand, and I take it, letting him pull me from my seat.

For a second, we smile, gazing at each other. It’s an unusual moment and something I definitely haven’t felt before. I’m nearly sure Orson feels it too because he physically shakes his head and seems to break out of whatever the heck it was.

“I’ll see you soon,” he says.

“Sure,” I answer too quickly. “Goodnight.”

He strolls back to his side of the car and smiles over the roof. “Goodnight, Lily.”

The weekend flies by, and on Tuesday, Orson sends me a text.

Don’t forget to ask Jasmine to cover you on Saturday. And when you’re packing your bag, bring something light.

What do you mean, light? I text back.

A swimsuit, for a start.

A swimsuit? Where the heck is he taking me?

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