The Billionaire’s Betrothed(5)

Finally, we stared down at a tray of perfectly shaped, blue iced cookies, colorful sprinkles delicately dotting the delicacies.

"They look just like I remember." Sebastian offered, though I knew that quite clearly to be false.

These were rather clumsy cookies, the shade of blue just a bit too dark. I would accept his kindness however. If these were to be the last of my mother's cookies made, they should be respected.

We lifted the cookies, playfully bumping them together as you would do for a toast.

"To new beginnings." Sebastian said, something churning behind his beautiful blue eyes.

"To new beginnings." I replied, glumness coloring my words.

As we silently bit into the sweet cookies that would tint our lips blue, my thoughts lingered on the end of the business while Sebastian’s raced towards our future.





Chapter Three





The next morning, as the first lazy rays of sunlight poured through the large windows of my parents' bakery, the phone rang in the main storefront.

I crawled off the tiny, uncomfortable cot I'd set up in the back office, rubbing my hands over my face. I'd slept back there every night for the past year, as I couldn't exactly afford an apartment to live in or the transit back to the shop.

Nope, instead, I spent all of my nights with the spiders that clung tight to the corners.

I couldn't even afford a throwaway cellphone, all of my savings had been poured into this bakery, and it was all going to go up in smoke. C’est la vie.

My evening spent with a sexy billionaire wasn't even clinging to the back of my mind when I answered the phone. Had anyone asked, I would have assumed it was a dream if not for the dirty pans still in the sink.

"Good morning, Macy." The landlady's prim voice spoke, making me wince. Her shrill drawl was much too piercing for this early in the morning.

Was the rent due already? A quick glance at the calendar on the wall confirmed that fact.

It was, in fact, D-Day.

I swallowed, fingers trembling as I gripped the phone just a bit tighter. I’d known this was coming, and yet it somehow managed to blindside me.

"Well hello, Mrs. Harrison. How are you this beautiful morning?" I replied in a jumble, trying my best to sound oh so friendly. Maybe she would pity me and give me an extension on the rent, not that it would help matters all that much.

There was very little that would help my lack of rent money and bills, short of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately for me, I had more like ones of dollars – if I was lucky.

"Actually, it's quite well." Mrs. Harrison sighed, "Buttons got stuck in the garage all night." The old woman giggled, imagining her black and white cat waiting expectantly to be let in, "But that just meant I slept better than as is typical."

"Oh." I cleared my throat, "How…funny."

Real convincing, Macy.

"Yes." Mrs. Harrison replied shortly, "Now, sweetheart, let's get down to business."

Suddenly, her prim sweet voice was all too serious.

Clutching the phone, I went over my speech in my head. I had to sound pathetic enough for her to feel sorry for me, but strong enough to where she actually believed I could pull rent out of my ass eventually.

I could, right? Somehow?

That was almost laughable. It'd been a year and business had only shriveled more and more, even the Christmas season had been exorbitantly slow.

"Listen, Mrs. Harrison, my parents loved you so much. They always talked so much about what a gracious landlady you were." I began, slowly settling into a chair. My head felt light, as though I were going to pass out.

I wasn't ready yet, I realized, to give up on my parents dream. I couldn't give up on them yet.

"Yes, dear." The old woman replied, "But you see-"

"You see," I interrupted, cringing at my rudeness. I only had one shot at this, I had to make it good, "things have been a slump now, that's for sure, but the patrons...they're just, you know, they've got to get over the loss of my parents. They come in here, hoping to see them, and it's only me."

I snorted, sounding a bit hysterical, was any of this making any sense at all? I could practically feel the walls of the hole I was digging for myself creeping overhead.

My damp palms clutched hard at the thick telephone, barely able to hear my voice over the thundering of my own heart, "So, I just need a bit more time to convince the clients-"

"Macy." Mrs. Harrison interrupted firmly, tired of my rambling, "Are you quite finished, then?"

"I just…yes." I whispered back glumly. I hadn't even managed to get to the part where I begged and groveled to keep the shop open.

"I called to inform you that your new lease has been approved." She said, "I do hope your slump picks up."