Page 29 of Ardently Yours

Lizzie: Saying what?

I think about what to reply. Because one text could change my life. If I text her the right thing.

I need a new life here that shows my family that I am happy and can do this on my own. But before they cut me off, I need to do something with the money I still have access to from my trust fund.

I need to do something that could change my life for the better. I could find a place to live, or I could move into my aunt’s place and use the money for something else. Something like opening my own bakery. Or I could invest in something.

I tried to buy a building when I first came here to open a bakery, but that fell through thanks to the crooked former mayor, Tom, and his equally crooked accountant, Jordan. Maybe opening a bakery isn’t the best choice right now. But I could invest in the cafe. I already work there.

We could hire more help, update a few appliances, maybe get raises for all of us.

Lizzie works so hard. This could help her. This could help me.

I text Lizzie. This plan has to work, and it has to work fast.

Me: Maybe I can’t be your fake boyfriend, but do you want to be my business partner, Boss Lady?

Chapter Nine

Lizzie

Ireread Will’s text and sit up in bed. I’m cozy and drifting into that ‘I’ll just scroll on social media, respond to emails and texts for a bit until I get sleepy’ mode, but now I’m wide awake.

I’m not as cozy anymore and I’m a little taken aback. I stare down at my screen and reread his message one more time.

Will: Maybe I can’t be your fake boyfriend, but do you want to be my business partner, Boss Lady?

Me: What?

Will: I have a situation going on…long story short, I know I can’t get a building for my bakery here in Selah like I wanted, but I don’t need to. I want to be a baker and love my job, but I need to level up…if we become business partners, I can help with some of the load…the bills, the staff, and still be the baker… it’d be a win-win situation.

My mind drifts to the stack of bills and paperwork waiting for me back in my office at the cafe. I think about the staff. It’s only myself, Will and Wolfsheim working at the cafe.

If anybody is sick or can’t be there, then I step in. I can’t ever be sick or have much time off.

I’m not just the owner of the cafe.

I am the owner, manager, barista, cashier, and part of the cleanup crew. I’m not complaining; I love my job. But I have to admit that the workload is taking its toll.

Hiring Will really helped, and he does a lot at the cafe. But even if he’s a great asset, I can’t help but think that he’s only offering to be my business partner because he wants something for himself.

Not that I blame him, but still.

It’s something that I pushed to the back of my mind because, when all of that stuff went down in the fall, I really wanted to believe that it wasn’t Will’s fault. Honestly, it all goes back to our corrupt mayor, who was having an affair, and all the crazy things and people that got tangled up in that mess. Our town’s government and finances got tangled up in it too.

Thank God that the cafe has been covered by a grant for the longest time, along with some of my own funds. But with everything going on as our town government tries to readjust, there’s been a pause on certain things.

I didn’t really want to talk to anybody about this, and truth be told, I haven’t. I haven’t even told my best friends. But there is a grant denial letter sitting on my desk in my office that haunts me.

But what am I supposed to do? I can’t just accept Will’s help if it means taking on much more than he can probably bear. He’s great at what he does, but he’s one of three workers at the cafe, and I can’t let him become part owner.

I mean, he’d just be taking on more responsibility and might end up feeling the way I do. Most of the time, I enjoy the challenge, but sometimes I’m just tired and overwhelmed. I don’t want to do that to anybody else.

Still, it would be great to share the load with someone. And if anybody could handle it, wouldn’t it be Will? He came here because he wanted to open his own business, so that tells me he was ready, or at least thought he was ready, to take on that kind of responsibility.

I didn’t have to give him a job or help him out after his plan to open a bakery fell through and he lost the property. I know that wasn’t his fault, but I still feel like a fool for being so nice. I needed the help, so I took a chance on him and added him to my team.

And now he is trying to become more than just a team player. How prideful of him to assume that he can just take over part of my business.