My Best Friend's Fiancé (A Best Friend's Series Book 2)

by Eliza Ellis

  “Well?” LeBleu pressed. “Are you coming or not? I’ll need you there in two days.”

  “I…I have a wedding cake—”

  “No, you don’t!” Susie practically shouted. Then she awkwardly chuckled. “Kat is so devoted to our clients. It’s one of her many qualities.” She gave Kat a pointed look. “I’ll finish that cake while you do the apprenticeship in New York. I don’t think this offer will come back around any time soon, do you?”

  Kat shook her head.

  “Good. She’ll do it. Thank you. Say thank you, Katrina.”

  Kat dipped her head in embarrassment. “Thank you, Mr. LeBleu. It really is an honor.”

  He arched a brow at her. “I hope you’re more talkative when you get in front of the camera. Your beauty is captivating, but the viewers can’t taste your creations. You’ll have to convince them by telling them they’re magnificent.”

  “She’ll be no problem.” Susie gripped Kat’s shoulders. “You should see how she interacts with customers. Sometimes we can’t get her to shut up.”

  Kat let out a heavy breath. “I apologize. I really have allowed myself to become stressed out about this. This is…this is really a dream come true for me, honest. I will be the most diligent student you’ve ever had.”

  “I don’t take on many,” LeBleu said. “I prefer to work with people I know have true talent. Your desserts are incredible, really, Katrina. And I think if you expand your horizons, you’ll find the application easy in other areas.”

  “I do have a few more ideas for breakfasts,” Kat added.

  “There you go.” LeBleu smiled. “Then you’ll be on to dinner and steaks and forget all about desserts.”

  Kat laughed. “Never! Desserts are my weakness.”

  LeBleu nodded. “Mine too. Well”—he slapped his hands on his knees—“I think this has been one of my most successful discoveries yet. I really must thank you, Susie, for reaching out. You caught me in the right mood to take a chance, which I rarely ever do outside of food.”

  Kat smiled and gazed at her friend through tears. “Susie is really one of a kind. I’m going to hate being away.”

  Susie laughed and rubbed Kat’s arm. “No, she won’t,” she said to LeBleu. “She can’t wait to go to New York. She’s never been anywhere, and it’ll be great to experience a new place, new people, new everything. She will not miss that plane, Mr. LeBleu. You have my word on that. Kat will be in New York.”

  LeBleu laughed. “I believe you. Good, because I only fly by private jet. Can’t afford to waste time in airport security. I’ll send a driver to pick you up, and we’ll start lessons on the plane. I have a kitchen that I like to use to test new recipes before I land somewhere and do a show.”

  “That sounds wonderful! I will be standing at my door ready, I promise.” Kat shared a knowing look with Susie, who appeared more relieved and relaxed.

  After LeBleu left, Kat couldn’t stop grinning and giggling. “I’ve never been anywhere,” she said absentmindedly while cleaning up the dishes. “This will be…”

  “The most amazing experience you’ve ever had. Trust me,” Susie finished for her. “And I better get a cut of the royalties when you produce your first cookbook.”

  “Done,” Kat said with a laugh. “But aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves?”

  “Um, no. Do you know of any television chef who doesn’t have a cookbook or two or three out?”

  Kat racked her brain but couldn’t think of one.

  “Exactly,” Susie answered. “These television shows come with additional contract deals. It’ll probably be a three-book cookbook deal. You’ll need an agent or an attorney. Make sure you get the most money you possibly can. If anything happens to the television show, like getting canceled—because these networks are so fickle—then at least you have money coming in from the books.”

  “What about my bakery?” Kat asked. “I would have enough money to buy one now.”

  “Girl, you could own three bakeries. Sure. You’ll have one and put me out of business.”

  Kat gave her friend a side hug. “I could never do that.”

  “Nah. There’s plenty of room in this city for the two of us. We’ll put the rest of them out of business.” Susie let out a devious laugh. “All I ask is that you leave me with a few of your original recipes so I can cash in on some of this.”

  Kat smiled. “And a cut of my book royalties.”

  “Yeah, that, too. Don’t forget about that.”

  Kat bellowed. “I owe it all to you anyway. You should be my agent.”

  “Done. Your career is on a stratospheric trajectory. I wouldn’t mind hanging up my own apron for a little while.”

  That gave Kat pause. She never would’ve guessed Susie wouldn’t own a bakery for the rest of her life. This had been her one true love. “You’d seriously leave all of this behind?” Kat spread out her arms.

  “Girl, do you know how many weddings you’ve left me to do in the next six weeks? I’ll be taking a three-month vacation after that. I’ll have to hire someone while you’re gone, just to run the front.”

  “Sorry, Susie.” Kat bit her lip to keep from grinning.

  “Uh-huh. You won’t remember that when you’re on his million-dollar, I’ve-got-a-full-kitchen-on-my-plane plane.”

  Kat laughed, her heart light. Her life was changing, like she had felt, but it was in a good way. Her moment. Just like Drew had said. In a way, LeBleu’s offer might just make up for the fact that Drew wouldn’t be in her life anymore.

  Chapter 18

  When he stepped into the bakery, Drew caught Susie’s eye and smiled. He loved coming into this place, mainly because of the chef in the kitchen. But Susie’s bakery felt so homey, and he knew when Kat had her own bakery, it would be just the same.

  He’d spent nearly all day yesterday ironing out a deal with Kat’s ex, Marcus. The man was not only the most selfish person Drew had ever met, he was also difficult to deal with in a business-like fashion. It was a wonder Kat went into business with him in the first place.

  He wanted a lot of money.

  A lot.

  More than Drew had wanted to give, but not outside what he had expected from a guy like Marcus. Fortunately, Drew never went over his limit, and he was able to snag the real estate Marcus had bought to spite Kat.

  At triple the market value. Simultaneously the best and worst deal he’d ever made.

  It meant putting his personal home project on hold, but that didn’t matter since the likelihood of him living there grew ever more slim the more Parker talked about her position.

  She had Skyped with him yesterday and gushed about all she was going to do as the new president of the international division. A lot of travel, a lot of meetings, a lot of bossing other people around—which admittedly was one of her most favorite things to do in the world. If all went well, she would be able to extend for another year or two, if the CEO decided he wasn’t going to step down. His decision was still up in the air and likely would be until the merger was officially complete about a year from now.

  That meant in a year he could be looking at another year or two in London.

  He mentioned being based in the US for some of that time, and Parker seemed only too eager to allow him that flexibility. In fact, she had said he didn’t have to come out to London right away. If he wanted, he could go on their honeymoon, and she’d take her own vacation after things settled down, in about three or four months. The merger was happening so quickly that she didn’t have time to take a vacation now.

  Who goes on their honeymoon while their spouse is away at work?

  Drew had stared at his wedding band for the rest of the night. Was he being selfish in keeping Parker in the relationship? They had different dreams, different life goals. She was on the move, and he was slowing down. She was at the precipice of her career shooting through the stratosphere, and he was creating strategic partnerships in a city he wanted to be home forever. He believed she loved him or at lea
st loved being with him. But she loved her work so much that she had to be married to it for her to be satisfied—at least for the time being. Ad the present time might not include him. He would mention that to her this evening.

  His grandmother was right. Break up when the person was overseas. It would make things easier. Except it made his stomach sick to think about it ending this way. Getting up the nerve was the hard part.

  “Is Kat in the back?”

  Susie looked at him in a strange way. “She is. Go on back.”

  “Thanks. And don’t worry, I’ll have another order for you soon,” he said over his shoulder. Susie only responded with a small smile and a nod. Strange.

  He looked inside the kitchen and saw Kat bent over a cake with a tube of icing in her hand, carefully applying the icing to the cake. He smiled as he watched her work. She was so different from Parker. Really the opposite. Parker preferred being around people and in command of a hundred details at a time, where Kat always intently focused on getting that one thing right. She was incredibly artistic. Two equally important qualities, but vastly different. It was no wonder he was in love with both of them.

  His heart hitched.

  He was in love with both women. There were qualities he admired in both of them, but they had each captured his heart in a different way. The whole reason why he had sought out Marcus is because he didn’t want Kat’s ex to win. He wanted to provide for Kat.

  He had wanted to provide for Parker too, but she seemed less and less willing to accept his provision. Both women were doing well on their own. Neither of them needed him.

  That made him feel worse than ending things with Parker. How could he possibly make either of them happy if neither of them needed him in any way? And he couldn’t be certain if either of them actually wanted him anymore.

  “If you think I don’t know you’re standing there”—Kat looked up with a smile—“then you’d be wrong.”

  Drew fully entered the room. “How did you know?”

  “Susie has been watching me for years now. I always feel like eyes are watching me.”

  “Creepy.”

  Kat chuckled. “Not really. I know she’s always eager to try what I have. It’s the hands I have to watch out for.” She launched and slapped his before he was able to grab a mini dessert.

  “Ow!” He rubbed the top of his hand, feigning pain.

  “I need those.”

  “Well, I need them too.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Okay, you can have one.”

  “I’m wearing you down. I’ll get more out of you.” He grinned and popped one in his mouth. “Uhh, Kat…” His head tilted back, and he moaned. “You have to marry me. I can’t let you…” His head jerked back forward. What had just come out of his mouth?

  Kat looked away quickly. “That good?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Crap. Why couldn’t he have kept his mouth shut? Or better yet, why did he keep eating her sweets? He wasn’t going to fit into his tux…if he was still going to wear it.

  He cleared his throat. “I, uh, actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Good.” She picked the tube up and continued icing. “I wanted to talk to you, too. I’ve just been really busy trying to finish up a few orders here.”

  “Yeah, I know this wedding has put you guys in a bind.”

  Her smile was small. “Nothing we can’t handle. What’s up?”

  He didn’t like the atmosphere of the room. It felt…off somehow. Warm from the ovens, and it smelled amazing, but Kat… He scratched his beard and pushed through. “You know the bakery your ex bought?”

  “Uh-huh.” She didn’t look up.

  “Well, he no longer owns it.”

  Her eyes met his. “What? How do you know?”

  “He sold it. Got a deal he really couldn’t say no to.” Drew reached behind him and pulled out a stack of folded papers from his back pocket. “He sold it to me.”

  Kat dropped the icing tube. “He sold it to…”

  Drew grinned sheepishly and offered her the documents. “I told him I had to have it. Wasn’t going to leave the table until he accepted my offer.”

  “You didn’t let him—”

  “Take me to the cleaners? Not exactly. But I won’t be working on my home for a little while, that’s for sure.”

  Kat covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “No! Why did you do that?” Her eyes welled with tears when she finally met his gaze. “Your home! You and…”

  He shook his head. “Yeah. Parker and I are…” He swallowed the thickness in his throat. “Moving to London. The way things look, she might be there for a while. Not sure when I’ll be able to move back.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek. If there was a chance her heart was breaking over the news, then he knew exactly how she felt. He didn’t want to leave either. Didn’t want this image to be one of the last he would see of Kat. Who knew when he’d ever be back? As beautiful and talented as she was? She’d be married in no time.

  “Andrew…” She took the papers from him and slowly unfolded them.

  “I’m putting it in your name. You just have to sign. I…I know we haven’t been friends in a long time and probably won’t be for many years to come. But I wanted you to have your own bakery since we probably won’t be working on it together.”

  She smiled as more tears traced paths down her cheeks. “I don’t know if anyone has ever done something so…” She frowned then and looked up. “I can’t be your wedding planner anymore,” she said quickly. “The cake will still be done, don’t worry. Susie is going to handle that.”

  “Wait…” He struggled to comprehend her last few statements. He was still thinking about her bakery. “What did you say?”

  “I… This has been too difficult for me.”

  He took her elbows in his hands. “Look, it’s all my fault. I’ve been pushing in because I’ve missed you and…and I don’t know how I’m feeling—everything is so confused. Please don’t back out now. Parker is counting on you.”

  “Everything will be perfect for your day, don’t worry. I have a friend at the hotel who owes me a favor. She’ll contact you. They will make sure everything gets delivered and set up just the way you want it. Parker won’t have to lift a finger, I promise.”

  No. This was all wrong. She was supposed to fling herself into his arms and let him hold her like he did the other day. She was going to say how much she loved him for buying her the bakery and that she’d hate it if he left.

  She said and did none of that.

  “I still don’t understand…”

  She looked everywhere before finally finding his eyes. “I’m leaving town.”

  “Leaving town? When?”

  “Tomorrow. I’ve been offered an apprenticeship with a famous chef, and I’ll be gone at least six weeks, and…and then I just might stay.”

  Leaving town. Her voice sounded like he was hearing it from a conch shell—echoey and not very clear. “Where?”

  “New York City. I’ve never been out of town, so this is a really good opportunity for me.”

  “Of course it is,” he said quickly. “NYC… It’ll be really different from here. Really busy…crowded.”

  Kat smiled easily. “I can’t wait. To learn from this chef is a dream come true. It’ll open doors for me.”

  Drew didn’t doubt it. He wanted to hear all about it, but if she was leaving tomorrow, she didn’t have time to spend talking to him. If she wasn’t coming back, then… “The bakery…”

  She stood on the tips of her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I’ll love you forever for doing that,” she whispered into his ear. “I’m going to open it one day. I promise. Susie will look after for me. We could probably start designing the remodel while I’m gone.”

  His arms went around her waist, and he held her to him. She rested her cheek on his chest. “Katrina.”

  She extricated herself from his arms, leaving his insides caving in from the
hole she left.

  She wiped underneath her eyes, leaving streaks of icing across her face. He smiled at how adorable she looked. He could see her in the kitchen of her own bakery, but maybe giving orders to other junior bakers and keeping the flour out of her wild and fluffy hair that he’d loved since they were kids.

  She chuckled. “Thank you, Drew. I’m going to miss you.”

  “I don’t want to lose you,” he said urgently, his gaze clinging to hers.

  “You’ll never lose me. I’ll always be your friend.”

  He nodded.

  “Thank you, again. I…I will treasure this always.” She clutched the papers to her chest.

  “I’ll have my attorney get in touch with you to finalize everything and give Susie the keys.” She nodded. “Promise you’ll name a dessert after me?” he asked with raised brows.

  She laughed. “Of course I will. I’ve already started thinking about it.”

  “Can’t wait to try it.” And when would that happen? In a few short days, he would be on a honeymoon alone. And then, London. He felt sick again. This wasn’t good for his health.

  “Goodbye, Drew,” Kat said softly.

  He couldn’t say the words. He just gave a nod and left the kitchen.

  Chapter 19

  Six Months Later

  New York City

  Kat walked out of the network studios and shivered at the onslaught of the brisk January air, but she wasn’t cold. Inside she was as warm as the bakery’s kitchen back home. Today had gone incredibly well for her first on-camera experience. So much so that the executives couldn’t wait to get her back to Springfield to start filming her cooking segment.

  She thought she would’ve been more nervous, but as soon as she picked up her custom wooden spoon, all the lights and people and cameras faded, and she just imagined the viewers who couldn’t wait to try one of her desserts.

  And breakfasts, lunches, and a few dinners too.