"I have good news and bad news," Cooper said as Kimberley and Gretchen came in to work.
Kimberley pulled her apron out of her locker, frowning as she tied it behind her back. "Oh?"
"Hit us with the good news first, of course," Gretchen said. "No sense in bumming us out until you give us a bit of a lift."
Cooper beamed at them, his gaze resting on Gretchen adoringly. "I can now afford to put you both on the payroll."
"So what's the bad news?" Gretchen asked, glancing over at Kimberley.
"There's a new boss. I have someone I'm answering to."
Gretchen frowned. "I don't understand."
A queasy feeling began to stir in Kimberley's stomach. Oh, no.
"I sold the place."
"Holy cow! I didn't even know it was for sale." Gretchen blinked wide eyes at him. "Congrats, I think?"
"It wasn't up for sale officially, but someone approached me and made me an offer I can't refuse."
Oh, no.
Kimberley stared at the door to the back room, then pushed it open, entering the main sitting area of the small coffee shop. Her stomach gave an unpleasant twist. Cheryl. She turned, and Kimberley's heart skipped a beat even as her stomach dropped.
"Kimberley." Cheryl's eyes moved over her body, as if assessing whether it was really her.
"What are you doing here, Cheryl?"
Cheryl's gaze seemed to cool a bit at her response. "I own the place."
Not again! This woman was going to drive her mad. "Are you kidding me?"
"We need to talk." Cheryl stood and moved forward, reaching for her arm.
Kimberley quickly sidestepped her grip and began to pull off her apron. If cheryl owned another place where she worked, it was another one she'd have to abandon. God, this was getting ridiculous. "I don't want to talk to you."
"Allow me to rephrase that. I need to talk to you." Cheryl's voice lowered and became husky as she moved to stand closer to her. Cheryl was so close that Kimberley's body trembled with her nearness, but she forced herself to hold still. Remain strong.
"Please, Kimberley."
It was that soft, low "please" that made her knees turn weak and her resolve melt away like butter. She looked up at Cheryl's face, noticed the circles under her eyes, and gave a sharp nod. Kimberley turned and glanced back at Cooper and Gretchen. Cooper was watching her curiously, but Gretchen's arms were crossed and she looked annoyed on Kimberley's behalf.
"Can you give us a minute to talk?" Kimberley asked.
"Use my office," Cooper volunteered, pulling the key out of his pocket and holding it out to Kimberley.
She took it and turned toward the back office.
Gretchen stepped forward, concern in her eyes. "Are you sure this is wise, Kimberley?"
"I'll be fine," she told Gretchen, and squeezed her hand in thanks. She'd only known her for a short period of time, but already Melissa's sister had been a great and supportive friend to her.
"We're right outside if you need us," Gretchen said, casting a scowl in Cheryl's direction.
Kimberley nodded and went to the door of Cooper's office, not glancing behind her to see whether Cheryl was following. If cheryl wanted to talk, well, she'd come after her. Kimberley's fingers were shaking as she tried to calmly unlock the door, and it seemed like forever before she could turn the key in the lock and get it open. Once the door was open, though, she stepped inside and flicked on the light. Cheryl entered close behind her, and Kimberley shut the door after her so no one could listen in.
Cheryl immediately reached out and touched Kimberley's cheek in a gentle caress before she could back away. Her gaze moved over Kimberley, scanning her face and figure. "Is everything okay? You're doing all right? I've been worried about you."
Kimberley stepped aside and out of Cheryl's grasp, even though every nerve ending in her body screamed for her to go back to her arms. "I'm fine, Cheryl. I can take care of myself."
"I want you back." The words were quiet but laced with emotion.
Kimberley crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the floor. She refused to meet Cheryl's gaze. If she did, she might see the emotion there, and it would make her weaken. She wanted to be strong. Needed to be strong. "I'm not going back to you, Cheryl. You don't want me. You want a girl who isn't a waitress and who knows which salad fork to use. That's not me."
"I don't care about that. I want you. When you left, it felt like the lights went out. I don't care if you eat with the wrong fork at every meal. I don't care if you waitress for the rest of your life. I just want you at my side, Kimberley." Cheryl reached for her again, and then dropped her hand before she could touch Kimberley, as if suddenly remembering to respect her boundaries. "I miss you. I miss your smile. I miss your hand in mine. I miss your laugh when you're nervous. I wish to God I was hearing it right now." Cheryl's mouth showed the dimpled smile that Kimberley loved so much. "That hurricane was the best thing that ever happened to me because it brought you into my life."
Kimberley was in danger of letting the nervous giggle escape, but she dug her fingernails into her palms until the feeling passed. "If I'm so great, why did you tell me you wanted me to 'make something of myself'?" Even now, the words hurt.
"I'm not a nice person, Kimberley. I don't have to be, most times, because of my money." Cheryl's gaze met hers. "I told you once that my fiancée was only interested in me for my money. She was the only one I let get close enough before you. Usually women make their fascination with my money known right away, and then it's easy to just end things before someone gets hurt. I was afraid I was making the same mistake again, and I was losing my head over you. I wanted to test you, to see how you'd respond. Thing is . . ." Cheryl ran a hand through her hair. "You passed the test, of course. Except I'd forgotten that you have feelings, too, and how you'd feel about my little test. I'm sorry. It was arrogant and stupid of me."
"It was," Kimberley agreed. "Why would you think I'm after your money?"
"Maybe because most of the time everyone is?" Cheryl shook her head. "It's not you, Kimberley. It's me. I realize that now. That's why I didn't tell you who I really was when we were stranded together. And it's why I offered you the diner. It's not that there's something wrong with you. It's that there's something wrong with every other woman I've ever had in my life. They couldn't see past my bank account to me. You can. And that's why I want you."
Nice words. Kimberley felt her resolve weakened by them and by Cheryl's gaze. But she shook her head. "I can't trust you, Cheryl. I thought I could, but this just proved that you're not who I thought you were. You shouldn't have to 'test' me. You should be able to trust me, and me you."
"Give me another chance, Kimberley. A chance to prove how much you mean to me."
Kimberley remained silent.
Cheryl moved forward. Her fingertips touched Kimberley's chin and tilted her head back until she met her eyes. "You told me you loved me that night in the limo."
A knot formed in Kimberley's throat, and she met Cheryl's gaze steadily. "I was mistaken."
Cheryl's eyes hardened. "You were not."
"I was," kimberley told her, even though it was a lie. "It was silly of me to think I'd fallen in love with someone so fast, and time has proved me right."
"I'm not mistaken," Cheryl told her, and the fingers under her chin began to caress her jaw. "I'm still in love with you."
Kimberley's throat went dry at her husky words. "Cheryl, please."
"I'm not fighting fair," cheryl told her. "I know. I don't care. I want you back. I don't give a sh*t about being fair or being the bigger person. I will be the most ruthless woman in the world as long as I can have you at my side and in my bed. You're the only thing that matters. Kimberley. I love you."
Thanks for reading! Hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. 😊
