Page 20 of Sparks Will Fly

“I want a caramel cookie Frappuccino with two pumps of sugar and extra whipped cream.” She turned to me before her eyes widened in glee, and she called off something else. “Oh, and could you ask them to add a sprinkle of nutmeg please.”

“Okay,” Aisley grated.

“Why are you so happy?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Her energy was contagious.

“I love Morning Brew.”

“Well, let me know how else I can keep that smile on your face. You want something to eat too?”

Her cheeks rose as she tucked her chin to her chest, trying to hide from me. I lifted her crown with my finger. I swear when she looked in my eyes, I heard Tony! Toni! Toné! singing in the back of my mind. It started as a tickle then became a loud serenade as her innocent gaze locked me in place, inviting me to lay my head on her pillow and relax.

“No, just coffee for now,” she whispered. “Now around noon, that’ll be another story.”

I winked then lifted her hand to my lips. I placed a soft kiss on it, never breaking eye contact with her.

“Don’t worry. I got you.”

I could not move from the floor to ceiling windows that gave a beautiful view of Mount Juliette in the distance. The sky was a beautiful array of pinks, oranges, and blues as the sun rose higher in the sky. I was frozen in place, not just because of the snapshot of beauty before me, but also because I needed fresh air to come off my Romani high.

I didn’t know what to expect today when he arrived, and his energy was off. Once I saw the suffering he was truly going through, I was sucked into his orbit. I knew there was destruction to his fragile heart, and repairs had to happen. He didn’t need to ask me to fill in the role because the call was like music to my ears. A delicious journey that was sure to have rough edges and sweet centers awaited me. I was ready to risk it all by taking a dive into those murky waters.

Since we’d come into his office, he was busy shuffling through papers on his desk. His desk phone ringing sliced through the silence.

“Romani Rogue speaking,” he answered with the call on speaker phone.

The confidence in his voice made my knees wobble. I cleared my throat, hoping to get myself together, but the more words that slipped through his juicy lips the weaker I became. I was starting to feel like this day couldn’t end without me feeling them.

“Good morning, Romani. Throwing your towel in the ring has made the asking price go up.”

His chair creaked when he leaned back a little.

“What are they asking for now?”

I walked around to the front of his desk, unable to pretend that I wasn’t listening. His eyes landed square on me as I took a seat in the lounge chair on the other side of the desk. He began to pull at the hair on his chin as he watched me.

“Breathe,” he mouthed with a toothless grin.

I wasn’t sure how he knew I was on pins and needles waiting to hear her response.

“Bidding is starting at a quarter of a million dollars,” the woman on the other side of the line finally said.

I gasped, slapping a hand over my mouth. Hearing what it was going to cost had me ready to faint. I was never going to get approved for that much. However, the thought of parting with the community center still didn’t sit well with my spirit.

“Alright. You know what to do. I think this purchase is invaluable. Therefore, I don’t care what it’ll cost me.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll be in touch when I have updates.”

“Bet. Thanks, Shelia.” His voice brought me back to reality. “Why are you looking like that?”

I ran a hand down my face with a shake of my head.

“That’s a lot of money. All hope is lost.”

“No, it’s not. I’m confident that we’ll outbid the other guys.”

I sat up quickly. My chest pressed against the front of his desk as his words rang from one side of my brain to another.

“The other guys? What other guys?”

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