Page 4 of Billionaire Romance

On the other hand, just another nine months of brisk business with WildCaptain will put me in a position to seriously put my business plan in action and give my mom the help she deserves. Instead of browsing the real estate listings for research and daydreams, I’ll have enough money to apply for a small business loan and actually lease a space. It’s possible that in just a year, I could be a business owner, a real business owner, and leave my other business behind. After all, that’s the plan. Am I losing sight of it?

I’m getting a feeling like the floor is falling out from underneath me and the room starts spinning. I hold onto the counter for support and take a few deep breaths, willing myself to calm down and not have a full-blown panic attack in front of Velma. As my head clears, I make a decision: I need to figure out what I’m doing with my life and try to untangle my feeling for WildCaptain from my complete financial dependence on him. I’ve gotten myself into a tricky situation.

“Weaver. Weaver? $68.59, liebling.” Velma’s voice breaks through and I manage to snap myself out of my spiral.

“Sorry Velma,” I say sheepishly, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a crisp hundred-dollar bill. “I guess I’m pretty tired. Maybe I’ll go home and go back to sleep.”

“You should do that,” Velma says as she hands me my change. “It sounds like your meeting was tough. Those pricks from Dubai didn’t know their dechadoodies from their hairframes. Heh. And I bet they think they’re so smart.”

I can’t help but smile at that. Velma is getting quite a tech education from me. Hopefully she’ll never try to impress anyone with her newly acquired knowledge.

“You’re so right, Velma,” I say, walking out the door. “Bye for now.”

The Manhattan street is quiet with just a few cabs zooming by me on my walk home. The wash of panic I’d felt in the deli has dissipated, and with a clearer head I know I will figure it all out. I decide to stop by my mom’s later in the day and bring her some groceries. I’ll bring her the fancy cambozola cheese; it’ll taste better if we share it. But first things first, my visit with Kate. We are going to make the most of this weekend and nothing is going to get in the way of that. I put my problems on the backburner. Temporarily.

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