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“The doughnuts have nothing to do with Olivier,” I say.
“Uh huh!” Ty says dramatically after taking his first bite. “This shit’s got fruity filling, it ain’t no two-day old gas station doughnut. You’ve never brought these in before. I’m thinking somebody had a real nice weekend.”
“I enjoyed my time at Annie’s Kitchen,” I say diplomatically.
“I heard Mr. Moneybags donated more than a hundred grand worth of food to them. And showed up with his hockey team to pack boxes.”
“He did.”
Ty shakes his head. “What’s with the rain cloud over your head, Daph? That’s the kind of stuff we live for in our line of work.”
I take my time chewing my bite of doughnut, trying to find a way to put my feelings into words.
“He’s just about perfect. I know that,” I say. “After I ended things with Aiden, I planned to be single and focus on myself for a while. And then Olivier…” I smile and shake my head. “The billionaire owner of the Chicago Blaze saved my life in dramatic fashion, and he happens to be incredibly attractive, an amazing dad and a generous person. And he’s also into me. Me, an overly skeptical liberal who questions his motives and dislikes rich people.”
Ty shrugs. “Sounds like the plot of one of the movies my wife likes to drag me to.”
“It does, but it’s my life. And I wish I could just let go of my doubts and convictions and enjoy every minute, but…”
“Break these doubts and convictions down for me,” Ty says. “List them out.”
“Well, the biggest doubt goes something like what if this is all because of the Twitter stuff and once he figures out how boring and average I actually am, he’ll jump in bed with the first supermodel who throws herself at him.”
“You must not think very highly of his judgment.”
I cross my arms over my chest and look away, Ty’s words stinging.
“It’s not that, Ty. I just keep asking myself if two complete opposites have a chance at something lasting. I’m not a woman who wants to attend fancy balls on his arm and vacation on a yacht in St. Tropez.”
Ty scoffs playfully. “Shit, if someone offered to take me to St. Tropez on their yacht right now, I’d have my bag packed in about a minute and a half.”
“Living a lavish lifestyle is counter to what this place is about.”
After setting his coffee cup and plate down on the counter, Ty gives me a serious look.
“Is this guy vacationing on his yacht much, or is he working in his office, raising his kid and donating to charities and making a big difference?”
I rub my temple, aggravated. “What if the donations are just about impressing me?”
“Then he’s a hell of a good guy, that’s what. You think all rich people are dicks because your parents are, but it’s not true.”
“I guess I do base my opinion on them,” I admit. “But I was also hurt by what happened with Aiden, and Aiden’s not half the man Olivier is. After my broken engagement, I swore to myself I wouldn’t fall in crazy, stupid love. Ever.”
“It must be exhausting to think so hard about why you don’t deserve this, Daph.”
I stare at him, not knowing how to respond.
“It’s not just that,” I confess, my throat tight with emotion. “It is partly that, I admit. But it’s also about being true to what matters to me. Can I do that while also dating a man who spends staggering amounts of money on his lifestyle? He’s not flashy about it, but he wears expensive suits and he has a plane, a helicopter and a yacht.”
“Look,” he continues. “Aliyah and I have worked hard for what we have. I don’t make a ton of money here, but I love my work. And she busted her ass to get her MBA to get a promotion at her company. When we have birthdays or anniversaries, we go out to a nice restaurant to celebrate. We take a week off every summer for a road trip. I could tell myself it’s not right to spend a hundred bucks on dinner when people come in here hungry every day. I could cut my own salary to put more money into helping the homeless. But I leave my work here when I walk out the door at the end of the day. And if you can’t do that, you won’t make it, Daph.”
“I guess…I haven’t thought of it that way.”
“Frenchie earned his money. And he’s generous. Hell, I bet you could get him to be even more generous. But it boils down to this—you and him are people first. People with feelings. Cut out all the money and planes and shit. How does being with him make you feel?”
“Amazing.” My heart pounds at the answer that slips out from my heart before my head has time to overanalyze and crush it.
