Chapter 10 - The Real Deal
By midnight, the grand opening had concluded. The last of the guests had departed, the staff had finished cleaning the kitchen, and the warm, golden lights of Maison Bennett glowed softly against the quiet street.
Nora and I sat together on the velvet banquette near the front display window, sharing a glass of vintage wine and a single, flawless chocolate tart she had saved for us.
Nora kicked off her high heels, resting her feet comfortably in my lap as I massaged her arches.
"Tired?" I asked, smiling down at her.
"Exhausted," she admitted, leaning her head back against the leather cushions. "But I've never been happier in my entire life."
She looked around her bakery—the marble, the brass, the warm lights, the sign on the door bearing her name. Then her eyes turned to me, filled with a deep, unwavering love that made my chest tighten with emotion.
"Four months ago," Nora murmured softly, "I walked into a hotel café with a thousand dollars and a stupid checklist, looking for a stranger to save me from a dinner party."
"And you found a dock boss who steals hearts," I teased gently.
Nora laughed—that same quick, beautiful sound that had cracked my heart wide open on day one. She sat up, reaching into her small velvet evening purse.
She pulled out the ten original crisp hundred-dollar bills she had tried to give me at the café. She laid them neatly on the marble table between us.
"What's this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A refund," Nora said, her eyes shining with warmth. "Because I don't need a fake boyfriend anymore."
I looked at the money, then at her, leaning in until our lips were brushing.
"Does that mean I'm fired?" I whispered.
May you like
"No," Nora murmured, wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me into a deep, breathtaking kiss. "It means you're promoted to forever."
Outside, the quiet Charleston night settled over Broad Street, illuminated by gas lanterns and the soft, enduring light of a dream made real. And inside, surrounded by the sweet scent of sugar and fresh beginnings, the man everyone feared held the only woman who truly knew his heart, knowing he had found a treasure no amount of money could ever buy.
