Page 78 of Wanted

It’s quite expensive, and it’s a luxury I could never afford especially for a small company like mine.

“A stamping machine.” Those words come out of my lips in a soft sigh. But inside my chest, my heart has swollen and is jumping with excitement.

“And of course, you need a seal.” I look at it without knowing what to say. Braxton has been working with the company’s marketing department to help me choose my store’s name, but I still haven’t decided, although I have several good contenders.

From a gift bag, he takes out a glass object and puts it in my hands. When I lift the cardboard covering the bottom, I see the perfect name for my company in blue ink.

Bee my honey.

“This is wonderful,” I say with a smile, as I blink the tears that fill my eyes and make everything blurry. “Thank you, Lionel.”

He has done so much for me in the past few weeks, not only has he given me wings to fly, he has taken it upon himself to be there every step of the way, encouraging me when forces have failed me and giving me the little push that urges me to continue.

Since I arrived in California, I’ve discovered the true meaning of having a partner.

“You like it?” he asks me when he sees I continue to trace the seal’s fine lines with my fingers.

“I love it,” because of what he has done and what it represents. They even added a couple of bees flying around.

This is my store. What I believe in. This is me.

“Let’s get back to work!” he encourages me. We soon put the stamp in place—the process is relatively straightforward—and in about an hour, we have stamped at least a hundred soaps.

“You know this kitchen is going to be too small for you soon, right?”

“Are you already tired of seeing the countertops full of molds and materials?”

“Not in a million years, Hvezda. This is your house, and you can do whatever you want in it,” he says decisively. “What I mean is, this is the first step to success, and as organized as you are, the kitchen is not that big. You need your own space, at some point, you will have inventory and supplies purchased at wholesale.”

Fuck, I hadn’t thought about that, what Lionel is saying is true.

I could have turned the house’s living room into a factory back home in Carrollton, but here I simply don’t have a solution to this dilemma, which I feel I will have soon.

Lionel realizes my worry, so he keeps talking. “Fortunately for you, it turns out that you know a good architect and I have inside information that in the building of his construction company there is a space that could work very well for you, it’s on the first floor.”

What is he saying?

“Lionel, you can’t do that!” I say, overwhelmed by the mere suggestion.

“Why not? The building is mine and I can do whatever I want with it.”

“And your partners? Your investors?” Surely they won’t be pleased to find out about this.

“I have investors who occasionally partner with me on individual projects, but the construction company is mine. If I decide that I want to set my company on fire tomorrow, I could do it.”

I look at him with my mouth open, of course, he isn’t going to do that, too many people depend on him.

“After the party, we can visit the space, see what you think of it, and work on a design together. So by the time you decide to hire help, you have already organized a production place outside the house.”

In that, he’s absolutely right, I would like our home to preserve its privacy. I don’t want to have strange people hanging around every day.

Not forgetting the issue of security.

“You are the best husband in the world.” I go to the other side of the bar where he’s standing. I tighten my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his strong chest.

“Does that mean I’m getting rewarded tonight?” I hear him say with a voice full of humor, while his hands frame my face to place the sweetest of kisses on my lips.

“You are such a romantic, Lionel.” My protests die on his lips, and to my regret, the kiss ends. We still have a lot of work to do, and Catherine needs the soaps ASAP, as her staff is already waiting on them to add it to the swag bags for the guests.

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