Kat woke in Will's arms. She could definitely get used to it, but then she remembered he was leaving. Every time he told her he loved her, her heart broke a little. She could pretend and not say the words back, but she loved him too. By keeping it to herself, she hoped to save face when the distance ruined what they shared.
Every morning when she woke early, she expected Will to sleep in, but he never did. Bryce had stopped trying to spend time with her by drinking at the bar and then sleeping until afternoon. On her days off, he would have excuses not to visit Pops or her parents. If Pops were alive, Will would volunteer to drive her.
As easy as it would be, she didn't want his money. Bryce had to pay his fair share. For the first time, Kat wasn't saving for anything. She may be stuck where she was, but she liked it that way. Baking was her passion. As much as she loved the busy kitchen and being called chef, burnout was a problem. She enjoyed cooking one night a week. Oliver worked like she had, and he had kids. Someday she wanted a family. Will came to mind, but she pushed him away. He lived in Buffalo and she didn't.
Will nuzzled into her neck. "Am I dreaming? You're still in bed."
She laughed and turned to him. His hands answered her needs as he found the dampness between her legs. She could make love to him ten times a day. If only they had the time. Maybe she was storing it up. Him leaving was an anvil hanging over her head. They talked about her flying to Buffalo, but eventually it would get too hard. He had years of playing ahead of him, so long-term commitment wasn't on their side.
Putting her worries aside she reached her hand for him. She liked to watch his face as she stroked her. The WR the world knew was not the Will who melted at her touch, not completely. As she continued, he grew harder in her hand.
"How do you want me, babe?"
She moaned. "Fast and hard."
He laughed as he pinned her to the bed. Holding her hands above her head with their fingers entwined, his hips spread her legs. With the precision of a guided missile, he entered her. She felt him fill her and just as quickly slide out. When he shifted his hips to fill her again, his balls banged against her butt. Again and again, the tension rose, and she squeezed his fingers. He didn't slow down until they both exploded. His came with a guttural groin.
"Fuck! I love you!"
She stopped herself from replying. She may feel the same, but to say the words would open her up to be crushed.
Will stood first. "I'm getting coffee."
She smiled. "Too bad we can't get delivery."
He laughed. "I'm sure Martha would bring it up, but we'd never hear the end of it."
Kat got out of bed and pulled on a tee shirt and flannel pants. She sat on the sofa to wait. If he started talking, it would be awhile. Smiling, she picked up her phone. Yelp had exploded overnight. There were comments about The Landing from everyone she knew.
She followed the trail to a one-star review attacking her. Shit! Her boss responded. It touched her how supportive they were. How did they know about Bryce? Oliver! He had to be involved. That's why he helped her bake. But he was so nice in person. The list of angst the man had given her was long, even if things had calmed down. It was hard to reconcile it with Oliver. Maybe he was in business with a jerk. His friend, Cameron, was kind of arrogant. Wasn't he Ryan's business partner? Could Will's brother-in-law be involved?
Before she could figure anything else Will's phone rang. The caller ID was for his trainer Joel. The 716 area code caught her attention, and she scrolled through her own phone.
Why hadn't she ever thought about the area code before? Kerry who had been so helpful had the same area code. One google search confirmed it. She felt like she was falling into a dark hole of betrayal.
She couldn't look up when he stepped in. "You!" she screamed.
"Kat?"
"It was you all along. No one but you and Oliver knew about Bryce, yet my boss put it on Yelp for the world to see. I've been so stupid. Were you ever planning to tell me?"
"I wanted to. I never should have."
She stood up to him with her hands on her hips. "Out. You just confirmed my suspicions. I trusted you. You lying sack of shit."
He stepped closer, but she stepped back. "Sweetheart, please listen to me. I love you. The reason for the secret was to protect my privacy. I bought it so it wouldn't change. Then you came along and made it better."
"You made my life miserable."
"I'm sorry, but then I gave you everything you wanted."
"You need to go. I can never trust you again.'
"Please!"
She ignored the pain on his face. "Go!" He was bigger than her. She could never throw him out.
He hung his head and turned around leaving both coffees. She stopped herself before she threw the cups across the room. Instead, she dumped them down the drain. On an impulse, she pulled on pants and a sweatshirt. Grabbing her coat, she went down the fire escape.
Once in her car, she breathed a sigh. No one saw her. She drove across the causeway off The Point. Once she passed Will's condo complex, she took a deeper breath. As she reached town, the traffic slowed. The roads were clogged with school buses and people going to work. When she turned in the parking lot, she sighed at the long drive-thru. It proved people liked lattes. When it was finally her turn, she ordered a venti mocha latte. She forgot they cost almost five-dollars.
With the warm paper cup in her hand, Kat took a sip expecting paradise. The sweet, bold drink disappointed her. Fuck him.
Not sure what to do, she drove home. Her mouth tasted like sugared dirt. She understood people's reaction after being away from Rick's coffee. She couldn't call in sick to work. Her boss sure as hell couldn't fill in. He didn't know his ass from his elbow when it came to preparing food. He played her. How many times did he calm her down over an argument with fucking him?
If anyone asked why he was her enemy, she would tell them. His secret would spread like wildfire. The question was whether she could keep working for him. The last thing she needed was more legal trouble. She signed a contract committing herself for another seven months. At least, the f'ing man would be gone for more than half of them.
Instead of waiting, she texted Nick. Found out who invisboss is.
Who? What's this shit about your ex?
Which one? The one who stole from our business to buy pills or my new ex who lied to me about his investments.
NO WAY! He played me too. I can't believe it. What are you gonna do?
It felt good to read Nick's outrage. Never speak to him again.
Nick sent laughing emojis. You two will make up.
Not happening.
OK, boss. I have to go.
To tell The Point most likely. She sat with her face in her hands but couldn't cry. Her tears had dried up a year ago when she lost everything. She and Will would never have lasted. At least she never admitted to loving him. Did she hate him? She hated his emails and lies.
Like a prisoner asking for pain, she picked up her laptop and read through the emails. At first he was resistant to any change, but their first spat was because she baked in her apartment. She threatened to quit if she couldn't bake. Then she asked for the latte machine, more than once. She had to concede Will was right about advertising the coffeehouse. She shut her eyes and remembered him saving her from the thug. Even requiring her eighteen-month commitment before he agreed to pay for the renovation made good business sense. He paid a lot of money for her kitchen. After that things settled down, probably because he was in Buffalo. Looking back, maybe he wasn't as awful as she made him out to be.
Knocking interrupted her torture. Martha appeared looking uncharacteristically timid. "Kat, I know you're in there. Gavin is holding down the fort, but I heard. I never suspected. You can talk to me."
"You didn't fuck him!"
"I might have. He's so damn hot."
"Shut up!"
"Wash your pretty face. I need your help. Lunch is bound to be busy."
"It's Monday. Maybe I'll make a surprise dessert."
"That's the spirit. You made The Landing your own. WR just pays the bills. We need you. We're family."
Everyone felt like family. Having her boyfriend lie to her about business was nothing like having him steal her dreams away.
Lunch was busy with people asking how she was. They focused on the jerk who exposed her. A few commented about The Landing standing up for her or her great boss. Will blew his cover by supporting her. If her past had been different, she might have seen it differently, but he betrayed her trust.
After the lunch rush, she wanted to bake bread so she could knead it and pound it. In no time, an idea formed for stuffed bread. With limited ingredients in house, she started with chicken pesto and mozzarella. If it went over well, she could come up with some better ideas. She had extra time since she was no longer dating.
From her worktable, she watched as Alex ran in. "How did you find out?"
She sighed. "You knew?" He nodded. "Who else knew I was a fool?"
"You aren't a fool. He should have told you when you two got close."
"Who else knew?"
"Hardly anyone. Jen. Rick, of course, and Alice."
"That's it?"
Alex shook his head. "Ryan and Lana, but no one else. He never wanted it to be about him. Rick had an offer from someone who wanted to make it a full-service restaurant. Will wanted to save the coffee and lobster rolls. It seemed simple, but then you came along."
"Me. He hired me. God damn, he was on Zoom." She pounded the dough.
"But you turned this place upside down and put it on the map. It took him a while to get on board. He went from resisting change to being your biggest cheerleader."
"Whose side are you on?"
"What? No one's. You and I both know why he spent all that money on the renovations."
"So he wouldn't have to hire a new manager."
Alex laughed. "Indirectly. To make you happy. He would do anything for you."
"No, he won't. He's put his foot down."
"As far as I know only about three things. The coffee, the lobster rolls and..."
"No lattes."
Alex laughed. "They taste awful compared to Rick's coffee. I have to go, but we, The Point family, love you."
"You love him too."
He smiled and nodded. "Just like parents we can love you both."
Alex had two kids. She was an only child and never had to share her parents' love.
You know I love the drama! ⭐️⭐️⭐️