“Isn’t that cavorting with the enemy?”
I laughed. “I’d say she’s been more of a mentor. I’ve known her for years. Worked for her for years. Maybe she’ll invest.”
“You still looking for investors?”
“Well, not actively, but I’m not going to turn down an investment.”
“Good. Let me invest. Tell me how much you need.”
I waved a fork coated with yellow goo, directing him to shush. “No way.”
“Why not?”
“Because now you and I are…” I didn’t know how to describe our little temporary situation, and my cheeks heated as I searched for the right description.
“Dating?”
“Yes.” I hid my smile at his choice in words, but my insides erupted like a cheerleading squad at a pep rally. He said dating!
“I get it. You want to do it on your own. Without the help of a man.” He nipped at my neck as I sprinkled cheese into the omelet mixture.
I spun around to face him. “I don’t need my boy—” I clapped my mouth shut.
“You were gonna say boyfriend, weren’t you?” Heat surrounded my back as he stepped up behind me and massaged the very large curve of my ass. I stared straight ahead, bracing myself for what he might say next. Maybe something along the lines of no one could know about us or that we’re special friends.
“I’d say you’re like a girlfriend. I don’t have any interest in dating anyone else.” The soft words brought hot tears to my eyes, probably a delayed reaction to the onions I sliced.
“Really?” I gazed up into soft green eyes, close enough the flecks of brown shone.
“Yeah. I mean, I want to be straight up with you. I’m moving back to New York.”
“And I’m building a business here.”
His thumb trailed my bottom lip. “But we have right now. And I swear, by the time I leave, you’re going to know your worth.” He backed away and opened a few cabinet doors, searching for plates.
“What does that mean?”
“I am going to make it my mission to build up your self-confidence.” He found the plates and placed them on the counter. I slid a steaming helping of cheesy vegetable scrambled eggs onto each of them.
“Oh, crap. I forgot the hash browns.”
“This is plenty,” he reassured me. The breakfast didn’t hold a candle to the kind of breakfast I’d put together if I had a guest staying with me, but it was more than I’d ever make myself.
I dug a fork in, then popped off the breakfast stool to locate the pepper.
“Are you still doing your OnlyFans stuff?”
“Yeah.” I spun a rotating spice wheel inside one of the cabinets. The pepper grinder came into view, and I grabbed it.
“You planning on doing that, even while we’re dating?”
“You think it’s something I can just put on hold while we date for a few months, and then come back to it?”
“I guess not…” He frowned. “I just don’t like the idea of a girl I’m seeing doing that.”
“Well, you knew what I did before we ever did this.” I had less than an hour before my meeting with Suzette, so I slid off the stool, dumped my uneaten eggs into the trash, and busied myself putting away the breakfast mess.
“Yes. And I support you. After all, I hooked you up with Capital Business Enterprises.” His tone changed. He sounded businessy.
“You mean Thad?”
“Who’s Thad?”
“Your friend? The one that was doing you a favor? That I’ve talked about—” I placed a hand on my hip and halted cleaning as it all fell into place.
“Yeah, of course.” He sipped his coffee, but he held the coffee mug like it was protecting him. He looked like a little boy who had done something wrong.
“You don’t know Thad at all, do you? He didn’t owe you a favor. You paid him.”
His coffee mug hit the counter with a loud clink. “Sue me. I wanted to help you.”
“It’s the principle.” I grabbed a dishrag and a spray bottle and set to work.
“Don’t get pissy. If you want to pay me back, fine. No, you know what? It’s not fine. It’s my gift to you. I’m fucking loaded, and I gave you a gift. I believe in you, and I want you to believe in yourself. Get over it. And I don’t want you doing OnlyFans. It was one thing when you needed the money, but you don’t need it now. You. Have. Me.”
The room heated about fifty degrees, and I gritted my teeth. He’d never understand. I released my anger on those counters, wiping hard, as if those spotless counters had stains. I spotted my clothes in the den, scattered in front of the sofa on the floor. Wordlessly, I dropped the damp towel on the counter.
In the den, I scooped up my clothing and hightailed it to his bedroom. At a frantic speed, I dressed, expecting the bedroom door to open at any time. It didn’t. I rushed out the front door, sparing one glance back.
He sat on the stool at his breakfast bar, held his hand in the air, and wiggled his fingers. A lame-ass wave goodbye if I ever saw one.
The closed sign hung at an uneven slant on the entrance to Jules. I pushed the heavy door open. The chairs hung upside down on the tables. The pre-opening buzz from behind the swinging doors rumbled with familiarity. Clinging and clanging wafted through the dining room, the sound of knives on stainless steel. An old Jimmy Buffett song played, and I wondered if the kitchen staff still used the ancient radio with the silver antennae.
I forced the morning shit show deep inside and swung the door to the kitchen open with a plastered smile on my face.
“Hey, girl.” Suzette’s tight curls were bound up on her head,
