Page 84 of Between Love and Loathing
“You’re not everyone. You’re my future wife, remember? You’re the girl who gets to spend over a half a mil on fucking flowers. So, use the name you always do when you’re talking to your future husband, or I’ll punish you for that too.” My voice was low, vicious, and held a warning.
“No need to punish me when I’m just doing what you told me to do. The florists were very helpful in going over what they believed to be the best showcase of luxury to be hanging from the ceiling. I explained how I originally wanted pink-and-white blown glass twisting out from the corners of the bakery, too, giving a light, decadent Parisian feel. And they actually had a contact for that along with a contact for a La Cornue range.”
“So, is over a half a mil for the flowers, kitchen appliances, or blown glass? What are they? Encrusted in gold?”
“Well, actually, I know how much you hate color, so most of it is silver and diamonds within the lace that will be woven through the real flowers once a week for the first year along with my pink blown glass, of course. The bakery will smell delightful and also sparkle from above. As for the appliances, a La Cornue oven is a piece of art.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“You don’t like the idea?” She feigned shock. “I’m sorry, Dominic. I was just trying to make sure we showcased the elegance of the hotel, married our tastes, and, well, you weren’t there so…”
“That’s what this is about? That I didn’t show up to help? I just said before I had that urgent matter—”
“Okay, in my defense, you didn’t text me that when I was there. You just said to handle it.” She shot back. “And, sorry, but that’s rude to not give me a reason while I’m waiting, okay?”
“So what you’re saying is because someone was rude to you, you’re not competent enough to know how to pick out some—”
“Of course I’m competent enough, you asshole.” There she was. I knew it was coming. Her claws came out fast and without hesitation, just the way I liked her to approach me. “I just don’t like to wait a whole fucking hour with no explanation. I’m literally there twirling my thumbs apologizing for you. Like I’m some afterthought and like my bakery doesn’t matter. It might not matter to you or most people here or to my mother or—”
“I’m not your fucking mother or anyone else, Clara. I’ve spent more time on your bakery than any other space in this resort. You know that?” I bellowed. “And I listen to your ideas more than I would anyone else’s. I respect the hell out of your opinion. That should go without saying.”
She gasped at my confession and then chewed her bottom lip like she didn’t know what to say. “Do you mean that?”
“Of course I mean it.” I threw my hands up and paced away from her before I paced back. “We have a meeting in two minutes, otherwise I’d fuck some sense into you, honestly. After it though, I expect your ass back in my office so I can teach you a lesson about spending outrageous amounts of money.”
She smiled. “You know, Dominic? I’d probably rather not. We got done what we needed to accomplish for the day. I might need a nap after spending all that money.”
I clenched my teeth to keep from laughing at her as she started to walk by me. Instead, I smacked her ass hard and then grabbed it to stop her so I could lean in and whisper, “If you don’t come to my office after this meeting, I will punish you, Clara.”
She rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t know how.”
“That so? How about stalling your side of the resort opening so I can fuck you into oblivion during the time you have off?”
She gasped. I knew our marketing team had been doing social media pushes, that there were viral posts and people excited to see her pink bakery. It was a genius marketing ploy, I had to admit, but I’d only admit it to myself. “You wouldn’t.”
There. She finally sounded scared.
“Be here when the meeting’s over. We’ll take into account your frivolous behavior then.”
CLARA
Having Dominic Hardy warn me of my punishment after a meeting meant that literally anything in that meeting wasn’t going to hold my attention.
I tried. I really did.
He was talking about what I’d mentioned to him, changing the colors of different parts of the resort. Everyone was scribbling notes, and I was doodling swirls on a notepad because I couldn’t concentrate on a word anyone was saying.
I’d totally reacted wrong to not getting a text from him earlier that day, especially after he shared with me why. It made sense, too. He was a perfectionist in everything he did and didn’t trust anyone else to do it because he’d been burned. I saw how he protected those he cared about and was realizing when he failed to do that, he held himself more accountable than anyone else would.
And now I wondered, had I pushed him too far with spending his money? I told the florist we would most likely be changing a few things but now I couldn’t stop the adrenaline, the fear, and the excitement of what he would do to me after this.
“Well, that’s a lot of changes in the last two weeks, right?” Rita’s voice sounded high-pitched and a bit stressed, actually. Dominic’s changes would have everyone working hard, but the buzz in the room seemed to point to them all agreeing with it.
“If there’re no questions, I’ve got a little pick-me-up for you all. Dominic catered in lunch with dessert.”
The announcement was followed by wait staff dressed in white and black, like always, walking in with silver trays of food. The small lunch sandwiches had flaky crescent buns and an herbed spread over either egg and ham or a vegetarian option.
My eyes locked on that food, heat rising to my cheeks. Paloma glanced over at me while most people dug in and mumbled a thank you to Dominic. No one questioned where the food had come from, but I knew right away it was a small restaurant down the street. She must have sensed my irritation because she grabbed my hand before she chewed her cheek and then mouthed a sorry before she took a tepid bite.
