Page 30 of The Billionaire's Fortunate Accident
“What about talking about it with me?” he asked in a jealous tone.
“The next time we go to eat, I’ll talk to you about it. I’d love to see your facial reaction when you hear my idea. I’ll still need to try out foods from all over the world to incorporate them into my thing. I think it’s going to be a whole new category. Maybe it can be called Texas fusion foods.” I thought about how much it copied the Asian fusion thing and was quick to add, “Nope. Don’t like it.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something great. I’m damn proud of you, baby bro.”
Hearing someone say they were proud of me did things to my heart that felt great. “Aww, thanks, Baldwyn. See you later. And tell Sloan I’m excited.”
“She is too. She’s dying to hear your ideas. Bye.”
“Bye.” I ended the call, ready to get to work on Jessa’s meal.
It was hard for me to remember what I’d done during the days before finding my calling. I must’ve slept through them or something.
Now that I was wide awake and alert about what I wanted to do with my career, I was on fire. It took me no time at all to put together the egg rolls, then I let them rest in the fridge, wanting to freshen them just before taking them to her.
I had an hour or so leftover before I had to take off, so I took a little nap to help rejuvenate myself. There had never been a time in my life that I’d had so many thoughts running through my mind at the same time.
But the lack of sleep caught up to me and took me under its spell. Dreamless sleep pulled me in, enhancing my thoughts as I woke up without any hesitation when my alarm went off. “Time to get going.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jessa
Throughout the remainder of the night, I chastised myself over how quickly I had judged Stone based on the money he had. I didn’t like to be judged, hence why I didn’t talk freely about my family and worked to pay for my education anyway. I was actually hiding the fact that I came from a wealthy family while Stone just hadn’t gotten around to telling me.
Stone had told me that I was scared — afraid to fall for anyone. I didn’t like the idea of being afraid of anything. I was okay knowing that I might not know how to love a man, but beingafraidto wasn’t a thing that sat well with me.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with that ill-feeling yet, but I did know that I wasn’t going to actively push Stone away or try to find faults with him merely to justify why I didn’t want to date him.
There was still the issue of my limited amount of time, but that was just the way things were. If he genuinely liked me, he’d keep on doing what he’d been doing, coming to see me at my jobs. If not, then at least I wouldn’t have to blame myself for things not working out.
Sleep was a commodity that I couldn’t live without. Being upset with Stone had taken a toll on it, though. I’d barely gotten a couple of hours of rest, as I woke up many times wishing I hadn’t said all the things I’d said to him. If I could’ve taken it all back, I would’ve.
My eyes were heavy as I walked into the hospital’s cafeteria for my thirty-minute break. With how things had gone the night before, I had my doubts that Stone would actually come. My heart hung heavy in my chest, making it so that I couldn’t pull my head up to see if he’d come or not.
If he’s not here, I might cry.
“Morning,” I heard his familiar voice saying.
Jerking my head up, I looked to my right. And there he sat, waiting for me at a small table for two. A black tray sat across from him. “Hi!” My heart leaped with excitement, hoping things between us would go back to normal. “You brought me something?”
“I said I would.” He leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out to one side. “I worked on a recipe, then got up early this morning, got the ingredients, then went home and cooked. I got a wink or two in before I came up here. I feel rested, though. I think it’s odd that I’m not exhausted. It must be from the excitement of finally having a project.”
I took the empty seat, feeling a bit sheepish about how things had gone the night before. I needed to clear the air before I ate his food. “Stone, I’m really sorry about the things I said last night.”
“I accept your apology. It’s water under the bridge. So, take a gander at what I made for you.” He leaned on his elbows, anticipating my reaction.
Pulling the lid off, I found three egg rolls, cooked to a perfect golden color. A slightly greenish sauce filled one of the side compartments. In the other side compartment was a small package of assorted nuts, berries, and other things. “So, we have egg rolls as the main course?” I asked, as those were usually side dishes.
“Yes, the egg rolls are the main course. I’ve named it the Tex-Mex egg rolls, and it comes with a serrano pepper-lime dipping sauce. And the little packet is full of protein-packed nuts and antioxidant berries. The dark chocolate chips are heart healthy. But the real kicker is the coconut flakes.” He stopped to take a breath, as he was clearly excited.
“How are the coconut flakes the real kicker?” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. He was just so excited about the food he’d prepared, and I found that adorable.
“They’re also an antioxidant, but that’s not all they are.” He rubbed his hands together, almost resembling a scientist explaining something he finds extremely interesting.
I was getting a kick out of him. “Go on, Stone. Let me in on the secret.”
“It’s no secret. It’s well documented and has been extensively researched. Coconut contains manganese. What this does is helps your body metabolize carbs, proteins, and cholesterol easier. So, eating a bit of coconut after any meal helps your digestive system work better. Plus, the manganese is good for your bones, and who doesn’t need great bones?”
