Page 85 of Billion Dollar Lie

Kat

~ A few months later ~

“She must be so nervous.”

My words are almost drowned by the noise surrounding us. There are a lot more people here than I expected. All of them dressed in fancy evening gowns and upscale suits, as they parade their wealth like proud peacocks.

Logan turns his head in the same direction I’m looking, shrugging as he spots the hosts of tonight’s opening gala—his college friend Gabe together with his girlfriend Ella. It’s her occasion more than his, because she’s the founder of the green foundation that is being celebrated tonight. I have only met Ella a couple of times and she’s always had a certain tension about her, a seriousness that can come off as cold, but she has never lookedthisalarmed.

It’s understandable, though. I don’t envy her for having to give a speech in front of all these people in just a few more minutes.

“She’ll be okay,” Logan says next to me. “I’m sure Gabe prepped her. He’s good with this stuff.”

“Still, I wouldn’t want to be her right now.”

A smile appears on Ella’s face when she spots us, but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared.

I never had to give a speech at an event like this, but I can still relate to her tension. After all, I know what it’s like to build something of your own. The work that goes into turning your own vision into reality and the stress of releasing the fruit of your work into the world, ready to be judged by others. It’s not easy, to say the least.

“You don’t look so chill either,” Logan remarks, when he turns back to me. “Still not used to it, huh?”

We share a chuckle, and he wraps his arm around me, possessively pulling me close to himself, before he plants a loving kiss on my forehead.

“I promise this will be a bit more fun than what you’re used to,” he says, his gaze scanning the festive hall. “You’ll see.”

“These galas sure are tiring,” I murmur. “I’m glad we never had to do this for Books & Brews.”

I’m still proud of that name, to be honest. It took me a while to come up with it, almost as long as it took me to accept Logan’s offer. He didn’t want to call it a gift, because the store needed a lot of work and it would be entirely up to me to turn it into a successful business—with Logan’s help. It was a bargain, because it had been neglected for years by its previous owners, and the revenue has been spiraling downward, despite its favorable location. Physical book stores struggle due to their strong competition on the Internet, so they have to offer their customers something that an online store can’t provide.

That’s why Books & Brews isn’t simply a place to buy books, it’s also a place to enjoy books and find a community to share that passion. We have regular events, mostly book clubs and readings with local authors, plus a little coffee and tea club for the elderly. Mrs. Warden was the first member of that club and she has been a great help to get the word around in her large social network. My store also has a heavy focus on women’s fiction and we mostly feature female authors in the store window—something that has been well received by our growing number of regulars.

I had a lot to learn about running my own business and I’ve never worked this hard in my life before, but I’ve also never been happier. We’re still in the red, because renovating the store and marketing cost a lot of money, but if things keep going the way they are right now, we will turn a profit soon.

“Another?” Logan asks, holding up his emptychampagne flute. “Gabe said we shouldn’t hold back. Today is a big day.”

“Oh, yes, please,” I say, and he lets go of me and waves over one of the waiters who are meandering through the room with silver trays.

We clink glasses and I notice how Logan sends a wink across the room after he’s taken his first sip. I follow his gaze and realize that he’s looking at Gabe, who sends us a smile that’s just as short-lived as Ella’s before.

“He looks nervous, too,” I notice.

“Oh, he has every reason to be nervous,” Logan says.

I throw him a quizzical look. “How so? Is he giving a speech, too? I thought this was Ella’s thing?”

Logan just grins, while shaking his head.

“You’ll see,” he says vaguely.

I roll my eyes at him, and I make sure he sees it. He’s teasing me, so it’s only fair that I tease him back—and I’ll gladly accept any punishment he has in mind for me. There’s nothing sweeter than beingpunishedby him.

“Looking to get in trouble again, are you?”he asks, raising a promising eyebrow at me.

“Oh, so it’s okay for you to tease me, but I can’t tease back?” I retort.

“I’m not teasing.”

“Then why are you being so secretive?” I probe. “You know I hate secrets!”

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