Page 46 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

These three were wealthy and lived exciting lives in the city, with tickets to Broadway shows and eating at the finest restaurants.

I couldn’t even buy myself a stupid coffeemaker.

“Working at fourteen?” Kaisen said. “How was that legal?”

“It wasn’t,” Eliza answered. “But who’s going to ask questions when you can pay a teenager less than minimum wage?”

“Sounds like you’ve got more drive than all three of us combined,” Kaisen said.

“She’s definitely driven,” Eliza said.

When Eliza started talking about our college years, I wanted to crawl under the table and hide. While she had gotten into Harvard to study law, I’d gone to a community college for a year before switching gears and going to pastry school upstate. It wasn’t exactly the glamorous path Eliza had taken, and I couldn’t help but feel small in comparison.

But just as Eliza’s compliments started edging into uncomfortable territory, I felt Kaisen’s hand slide onto my thigh under the table. I froze, my breath catching in my throat, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Did you guys settle on a main dish for the reception?” Kaisen asked. “You said you were still deciding between fish or chicken.”

Eliza, easily distracted, took the bait, and the conversation shifted away from me.

I let out a quiet breath, grateful for the reprieve, but my heart was still racing. Kaisen’s hand stayed on my thigh. It was both disturbing and comforting. I didn’t know how he knew I was uncomfortable, but he did. But now that he easily shifted the subject, why was he keeping his hand on my leg? Was he just trying to comfort me? Or was there something more to it?

I finished my cocktail and was thinking of an excuse to bail. I did have a good one—work. I was the only one here that had to work in the morning. Another reminder of the difference between me and them.

“Guys, we’re going to call it a night,” Kaisen said. “I promised Dorie I would install the coffee machine for her tonight. She needs her caffeine in the morning.”

Eliza’s eyes widened. “You bought her a coffeemaker? Why does it need to be installed? You’re telling me she can’t figure out how to plug it in?”

I blinked, just as surprised as she was. “Uh…”

Kaisen cut in smoothly, his hand still on my thigh as he leaned back casually. “It’s not the kind you just plug in. It’s an espresso machine.”

“Oh,” Eliza said, her voice dripping with suspicion. “Well, that was nice of you.”

Cullen smirked into his drink, clearly amused but saying nothing.

I couldn’t tell if Kaisen was lying to help me escape or if he actually had some ulterior motive. Either way, I wasn’t about to argue. I stood up quickly, grabbing my purse. “Yeah, thanks again, Kaisen. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Alright, we’ll catch up tomorrow,” Eliza said.

“Yes. Just come by the bakery or we’ll talk after work.”

We headed out to his car. The rain had started up again, typical of spring. I was grateful for the shelter as we climbed inside.

“Thanks,” I said.

“No problem. I was ready to leave. It’s hard being around the happy couple all the time.”

I laughed softly, though it came out more nervous than I intended. “Yeah, they’re a lot. Especially when she starts talking about me like I’m some kind of tragic hero.”

Kaisen glanced at me as he started the car. “She means well. But I get it—it’s exhausting being put on a pedestal you never asked for.”

I nodded, staring out the window as the wipers swished against the rain. “It’s not just that. Sometimes it feels like Eliza’s life is this perfect storybook, and mine’s just a rough draft. We came out of the same womb at the same time but that’s where the similarities stop.”

Kaisen was quiet for a moment. “You don’t have to measure up to anyone, Dorie.”

Kaisen’s rental car was so luxurious compared to mine. I felt incredibly small sitting in the passenger seat. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t belong in this world—his world.

“Do you think I’m a nobody?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “A broke nobody?”