Danielle "Dani" Joyce has been working long hours and living paycheck to paycheck to keep her bakery, The Dough Divas, open. Spending all her time at the store, her only romantic outlet is to crush on regulars like Justin Waverly. She keeps her flir...
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"So now that you know we don't think your college was a waste of money, will you let us buy you a couple of plane tickets throughout the year to have you come visit us?"
"And to let us come visit you once in a while?" my dad added. "If you're embarrassed about your apartment, we're not going to judge. Your mom lived in a shoebox while we were dating. It's just a part of the perils of living in the city."
Both of my parents stood with me out in the parking lot of the restaurant. The city bustled around us, but outside of a few smiling couples arriving or departing from the lot, we were mostly on our own.
"I... I mean, only if you want to."
"Seeing you is money well spent," said my dad, pulling me into a one-armed hug.
"And don't feel ashamed, dear," said my mom with a soft smile. "You've kept that bakery on its feet for six years. That alone is impressive."
"I know," I sighed. "But it gets frustrating when we can't seem to go anywhere. I mean, I'm happy we're still going and we get by month to month without too much issue, but it'd feel a lot better if we could get into the black instead of being stuck at zero."
"I know," said my mom, reaching out her hand. "You'll..."
"Excuse me."
We all spun around at the sound of his voice, though, admittedly, I turned quicker than my parents and I nearly knocked my father over in my eagerness to find Wes navigating his way through a row of cars to join us.
"Yes?" asked my dad. "You're one of the Sanders, right?"
"Yes, my name's Wes," he said, offering my dad his hand. "I was going to be Danielle's future brother-in-law."
After a firm shake with my father and a polite nod from my mother, he tossed me a quick glance from the corner of his eye. My face immediately broke into a smile, but his gaze didn't linger long enough to see it. Instead, he returned his attention to my parents.
He cleared his throat and continued, "I am hoping, though, that perhaps I can be more than that now."
My disappointment at losing Wes's attention suddenly shifted to deep relief. His words forced the air out of my lungs, my eyes going wide and my mouth forming a loose O.
"I was coming out to check on you and I couldn't help but overhear you discussing the bakery's financial outlook, and well, since everyone is trying to be honest right now—I've been thinking lately, that maybe I'd really like to be the business manager at the Dough Divas."
"Business manager?" I asked, my voice a dry, cracking whimper.
His lips flickered with a smile for a second, but he didn't turn to assess how crestfallen I was. At that point, I didn't even care if he saw. The offer gave me the opportunity to see Wes regularly, which made my heart giddy and light, but it also meant that he saw me as a business opportunity—a financial investment, and not anything more. The rush of conflicting emotions made me lightheaded, and I debated taking a seat on the curb and planting my head on my knees.
