Our Secret To Keep.

Chapter Fifty-Eight - A Chocolate Chip Pancake Kind Of Morning

Kade

I'm in an excellent mood! I've felt this way since last night, and everything about it was perfect. Nothing can spoil my good spirits — absolutely nothing. I wish we didn't have to go to work today, but unfortunately, we do. I prefer to spend the day just the two of us, but we only need to get through a couple of days before we have Saturday and Sunday off. We can celebrate more then. I wish I could take her out for a nice dinner somewhere in the city, but it's okay. We can also enjoy a date night at home, either at her place or mine. It'll be just as enjoyable.

Blythe remains asleep, and we don't have to start work for a couple more hours. We stayed up until three, but I've been awake since six. Despite just three hours of sleep, I feel alert and refreshed. She can enjoy a bit more rest before her alarm rings.

In the past hour, I've tidied up, squeezed in a quick workout, and begun preparing breakfast. Today feels like a chocolate chip pancake morning. After cooking the breakfast, I decorate the pancakes with a small happy face using fruit and chocolate chips. It might be a bit childish, but I don't care. It suits my cheerful mood and will definitely make Blythe giggle.

Proudly smiling at my creation, I set the plates on a tray with fresh coffee, two mugs, and coconut water instead of fruit juice, since Blythe prefers it. I walk into the bedroom, where Blythe is already sitting up, appearing alert and fully awake.

"Good morning, beautiful." I greet her with a bright smile.

Blythe lifts her head and smiles brightly as soon as her eyes meet mine. "Good morning, handsome. I was wondering where you had gone."

"I wanted to make breakfast."

"How long have you been up?" she asks as I reach the bed.

"About an hour or so."

"You must be exhausted."

"I am fine. Not tired at all," I say, then bend down to kiss the top of her head.

I hand the tray to her. She looks at it, laughs upon seeing the pancakes, then meets my gaze again. "Really?"

I nod enthusiastically. "Yes, it suits the mood. Is it too much?"

"No, not at all. They're adorable. I'll feel bad about eating them," she giggles.

"Me too, but we will," I agree with a chuckle.

Blythe pats the space beside her, inviting me to sit down. I join her, kiss her, and we begin eating breakfast. Honestly, these are the best pancakes I've ever made — delightfully fluffy and tasty. Blythe's satisfied groans suggest she agrees.

"These are amazing, my love," she exclaims, shovelling a forkful into her mouth.

"Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying them."

She nods and resumes eating, and I do the same. There's no need to hurry since we have plenty of time before we need to shower and prepare to leave for work. We have a busy day ahead.

****

Blythe and I chose to walk to work this morning because the weather is nice. If anyone notices or questions us, we can say we met up for breakfast to discuss business. I look forward to the day we can walk hand in hand openly, but until then, even when we go public, we must remain professional at work. It's important to keep our personal and work lives separate.

"Do you want to come to mine tonight? I can cook us dinner," she asks as we walk.

"Sure, that would be nice, angel," I say.

I resist the urge to reach out and kiss her since we are too exposed and too near the office.

"I look forward to it. Hopefully, we can finish at a reasonable time tonight."

"Hopefully..."

The conversation concludes as we reach outside the building. I spot Blythe's father and ensure there's enough space between Blythe and me to avoid any suspicion, even for a moment.

He notices us quickly and strolls over, smiling. He greets Blythe with a hug and greets me with a handshake.

"My reason for coming here this morning was to see you both, so this worked out. Can we find somewhere to chat?" he asks.

Blythe and I exchange a quick, worried glance. Does he suspect? Has someone informed him about us? I swallow hard, feeling my stomach tighten at the idea. I want him to hear it directly from us, not from anyone else.

"Sure, is everything okay, Dad?" she asks, clearly nervous.

"Yes, everything is fine. I have a favour to ask of you both."

We relax. I'm unsure what kind of favour he needs, but it's better than the reason we initially believed he wanted to talk to us. The three of us head inside, get a coffee, and find a conference room to sit and talk.

"What do you need, Dad?"

"As you know, we've been working on establishing a new branch in Paris, and we're nearing that goal. I've been invited to go next month, but it coincides with your mother and my anniversary, so I'd rather not be away then. Would you both consider going in my place? It would be for at least a few weeks. Please don't feel obligated; I could send someone else, but I trust you two to handle it well. Would you be interested in doing this?"

He looks back and forth at us, waiting for a response.

"I would be up for it. You know how much I love Paris," Blythe gushes, then looks over at me. "Kade, what about you? Would it be something you are up for?"

"Yes, I am up for it." I smile.

I won't miss a chance to spend a few weeks in Paris with Blythe. It will be mostly work, but we will have some free time to enjoy together, and we won't need to hide.

"Great! I was hoping that was the answer. I'll work out the details and let you know. I'll rent an apartment for your stay instead of a hotel. Are you two comfortable sharing a two-bedroom place, or would you rather each have your own?"

"I am sure we will be fine in the same apartment," Blythe smiles.

"Perfect. I truly appreciate it," he says.

"It's not a problem, Dad."

We finish our coffee before Blythe, and I get to work. I couldn't wait to go to Paris with her, even if it isn't for another six weeks. It is something to look forward to. I like that he trusts me enough to handle something as important alongside Blythe. It means a lot to me, especially since I haven't worked here very long. Maybe that means that once he finds out about Blythe and me, it won't go as badly as we think. Then again, business and my relationship with his youngest daughter are two very different things.