Page 56 of My Heart Belongs to You

After trying several of Peaches’s selections, we settled on a half dozen scoop tray of Robyn’s favorites. We sat on a bench nearby and observed people as they passed. Robyn lay her head on my shoulder and sighed.

“I might have bitten off more than I can chew,” she said.

“Six scoops of ice cream is greedy.”

She laughed. “I’m talking about the opening. There’s so much going wrong.”

While she listed her issues, I thought of possible solutions. From delayed shipments to misprints of the menu, she was experiencing just about every issue first time restaurant owners encountered. I understood how frustrating it could be to have so many things happening at once, especially with the soft opening just around the corner.

“Hit up Khalil and see if you can use his printer for the menus. He sometimes uses a high gloss paper for special editions of the Roseville Gazette. For the soft opening, focus on sitting guests at tables. The bar can be a place for people to mingle. How many barstools do you have now?”

“I only have eight. I’m waiting for six more. Like, why would they allow me to order fourteen if they’re backordered?”

I shook my head, wondering about the same thing. “Place as many stools as you can in the front of the bar and leave an opening on the side closest to the tasting room. The wait staff can use it as a space for bar orders. What else?”

Robyn hummed while eating another spoonful of ice cream. “My farm contact hasn’t responded to any of my emails since sending a counteroffer.”

“We’ll visit The Fruit Stand tomorrow and see if you can work with them.”

“You have all the solutions, huh?”

I laughed. “I try.”

“You know what else I need?”

My groin tightened. “What’s that?”

“A movie night. You busy tonight?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I was thinking about heading home early today. The meeting I had with my uncle was enough work for the day.”

Robyn grinned. “Okay. Meet me at my house at seven.”

We stood at the same time, facing each other.

“It’s a date,” I said.

“It’s a movie night,” Robyn stressed.

She bit her bottom lip, fighting the urge to smile. I took a step closer then scooped her into a hug.

“I’ll see you later, G.” I kissed her cheek.

Our eyes met; the softness in her eyes hit me in the groin. My Goldie was so oblivious to her power over me. The moment she realized it; I’d be no good.

Reluctantly, I let her go.

“See you later.” Robyn waved while backing away.

My chest tightened from the sultry look in her eyes. When she turned around, I began walking in the opposite direction. I shook my head, hating how easily she affected me. The hold she had on me was torturous, especially since I couldn’t go all out like I wanted. No matter how much I enjoyed being her person, I had to remember what was on the line. With that in mind, I shut down my burgeoning feelings for her.

CHAPTER

TWELVE

The movie was queued, the snacks were plated, and the candles were lit. My heart thudded as I stood at the foot of my bed staring at three lounge sets. Holding up the first option, pink shorts with a matching lace bralette, I twisted my lips and hummed. This was too overt. I needed something that was sexy but subtle and effortless. Putting extra effort into my lounge clothes to hang out with Nadir was different. There was something so thrilling about tempting my best friend. I smiled thinking about how he remembered the romper I wore the last time we had a movie night. Little reminders like that made picking out an outfit with sole intention of seducing him something I needed to address later.

After another minute of contemplation, I called my sister to help me decide.