Page 32 of Unwrapped

“So,” Tessa says, wiggling her eyebrows as she takes a sip of her coffee, “spill. How was it with Mr. CEO last night? Did he like the cookies?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “I knew you were going to start with that.”

“Of course I am!” she says, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Don’t leave me hanging! You’ve been all dreamy-eyed for days now.”

I roll my eyes but can’t stop the smile that creeps across my face. “Okay, fine. It was… really good. We talked about a lot of things, and, well… he wants to help with the bakery.”

Tessa blinks, surprised. “Wait, what? Help how?”

I bite my lip, feeling a mix of excitement and hesitation. “He wants to be an investor. Like, a serious one. He said he believes in what we’re doing, and he wants to put money into it, help us grow.”

Tessa’s mouth falls open slightly, and for a moment, she’s quiet, processing. Then she sets her coffee down and leans in, her eyes wide. “Whoa. That’s… huge, Ivy. But are we really going to let Asher Mercer be our investor? What if things get weird? What if this thing with you two doesn’t work out?”

I nod, understanding her hesitation because I’ve had the same thoughts myself. “I know. That’s what I keep thinking too. But… I also know that the bakery could really use the help. We’ve been putting everything we have into it, and having someone like Asher backing us could make a huge difference.”

Tessa leans back, chewing on her bottom lip, clearly thinking it over. “It’s definitely tempting. Obviously he’s smart, connected, and it’s not like he’s going to micromanage us. But are you sure it won’t complicate things between you two?”

I shrug, sipping my coffee to stall for time, and then decide to come clean. “Well… it might already be a little complicated.”

Tessa narrows her eyes at me, clearly sensing something more. “What do you mean, ‘already complicated’? Ivy, what aren’t you telling me?”

A blush creeps up my neck, and I fidget with the coffee cup in my hands. “We, uh… we slept together… twice.” I hold up my fingers. “Actually, waaaay more than twice but we’ve spent two nights together.”

Tessa’s eyes widen, and for a second, she’s speechless. Then she bursts into giggles, setting her coffee aside as she turns to face me fully. “Oh my God, Ivy! You didn’t tell me that part! And here I thought you were just baking gingerbread and exchanging shy looks.”

I laugh, hiding my face in my hands for a moment. “It just… it happened. It wasn’t planned or anything. But, Tessa, it was… amazing. Like, beyond anything I could have imagined. And it wasn’t just physical, you know? It felt… real.”

Tessa’s laughter fades into a warm smile, and she nudges me with her shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Ivy. I really am. I’ve never seen you this… glowy about someone.”

I roll my eyes at the word glowy, but I can’t deny that I’ve been feeling exactly that. “It’s still new, though. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But about the bakery—do we take his offer?”

Tessa taps her chin thoughtfully. “I say we weigh the pros and cons. Pro: we’d have some serious financial backing. Con: we’d be tied to Asher’s involvement, and if things with you two went sideways, it could get awkward. Pro: his connections could open doors for us we wouldn’t have otherwise. Con: it might feel like we’re giving up control.”

We talk it through for a few more hours, going back and forth until the pros start to outweigh the cons. Tessa leans back, sighing. “You know, as long as we stay clear on our vision and Asher respects that, it could work.”

I nod in agreement, feeling more confident. “I think you’re right. He’s not the type to take over. He trusts us to know what we’re doing. I don’t think he has any interest in that. He just sees what we have and wants us to truly succeed, and if we sink all of our cash into a down payment, it really handcuffs us.”

Tessa grins. “Okay, then. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” I ask, excitement bubbling up. “We’re really doing this?”

“We’re doing it,” she says, holding out her hand for a high five. I laugh and slap her hand, feeling the weight of the decision lift off my shoulders.

Just as we’re about to settle back into discussing the next steps, I narrow my eyes at her. “By the way, what was up with you at the holiday party? You were so evasive, pushing me toward Asher all night.”

Tessa flushes, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that’s impossible to miss. “I wasn’t… evasive,” she mumbles, looking everywhere but at me.

“Oh, really?” I press, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, Tessa. I know you. What were you up to?”

She hesitates for a moment, clearly debating whether to spill. But then she sighs, giving in. “Fine. It’s… Zane.”

I blink, caught off guard. “Zane? Asher’s brother, Zane?”

Tessa rolls her eyes dramatically. “Yes. He’s so… ugh. Annoying. Rude. But also—” She stops herself, her cheeks flushing even more.

I stifle a grin. “But also what?”

“He’s… infuriatingly attractive,” she admits, exasperated. “And I don’t know, there’s just something about him that drives me crazy. In both the good and bad ways.”

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