Sweet for You: A BBW Billionaire Romance (8 page)

He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and opened it, looking at the colorless, five carat, pear-shaped solitaire. He had thought about buying her a larger diamond, but he wanted something she could wear every day. His jeweler had told him that anything bigger than this would get in the way. If Abby said yes, he vowed to shower her with diamonds, rubies, emeralds...anything her heart desired.

If she said yes...

~~~

A
bby cringed as she walked toward the penthouse office elevator. Stephen hated the tie. In retrospect, it was a stupid gift. Only a BBW with a sweet tooth would give a billionaire a pink tie with a cupcake on it. So what if the cupcake happened to be the logo for a product line he created? It was still a cupcake on a pink tie.

For a minute, she thought he actually liked her gift and was maybe even touched by her thoughtfulness. But when he didn’t pick it up to look at it more closely and quickly put the lid back on the box, she realized she had misread his initial reaction. Thankfully, nobody knew about the tie but her, so she wouldn’t have to field questions from Martha, Jenna, or even Molly about why he wasn’t wearing it.

Maybe the tie idea was a miss, but she was determined to make sure the launch party was a home run. So much would be riding on that night: the future of Blake Foods, her career at the gourmet foods company, and her relationship with Stephen.

After several months of exquisite torture working so close to him, she was tired of waiting for him to make a move. Tomorrow night, when the party was over, she would let him know how she felt once and for all and cross her fingers that he felt the same way. If he didn’t, at least she would know that for once in her life, she wasn’t afraid to take a chance on love.

After the drunken kiss fiasco in her apartment and the whole “sexual harassment” conversation in his office, she had been convinced that Stephen wasn’t interested in her. Over time though, small clues started to tell a different story. He wasn’t the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. Rather, he was subtle in the way he showed his interest. Or at least, that was what she hoped.

Giving her carte blanche access to the penthouse floor. Going out of his way to ask for her advice when he clearly didn’t need it. Agreeing to drop formality in lieu of first names. To Abby, these things spoke of Stephen’s affection for her, even if his words didn’t.

Then there was the final tasting in the test kitchen.

Oh my! She had never been so hot and bothered in her life. And a few discreet glances at Stephen’s lap told her that the feeling was definitely mutual. To Abby, all of these things pointed to something more than a simple working relationship.

Her employment contract at Blake Foods would be up in a few months and she had money in the bank to tide her over if things didn’t turn out like she hoped. So other than her pride and dignity, what did she have to lose by telling Stephen that she was in love with him?

A
bby slipped out of her yoga pants and t-shirt and into her party dress, which was hand-picked by Lois Carlyle to highlight Abby’s physical attributes and downplay her curvy imperfections. In other words, the knee-length, dark burgundy dress with cap sleeves and a high waist showcased her cleavage and shapely calves and camouflaged her belly, butt, and thighs.

Nervous energy hummed through her body. She had spent the entire day overseeing the event planners, and even though she was confident that they knew what to do and when, she was still worried that something would go wrong. Eventually, Martha and Chef Laurent had shooed her out of the Blake Foods building lobby so she could freshen up and change while the event photographers got set up They were hired to capture the essence of the decorated lobby before the guests and media arrived.

It was her idea to hold the party in the Blake Foods building rather than some random hotel that nobody would remember once the night was over. While the main function would take place in the spacious lobby, which had been transformed into a magical dessert oasis, the chef would be hosting tours of his test kitchen to offer an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the heart and soul of the Sweet for You desserts line. 

After dressing with care and admiring how she looked in her dress, Abby put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup, took a deep breath, and strode toward the elevator.

It was show time!

~~~

L
ess than half an hour after the party started, the lobby was packed wall-to-wall with people. Although the catering staff was mingling with trays of champagne and bite-sized Sweet for You treats, everyone was talking about the colossal, cupcake-shaped dessert display. The impressive centerpiece screamed,
“This tiny dessert line is going to be HUGE!”

Abby was surprised by the early arrival of so many of the guests as well as local and national media representatives. She did her best to work the crowd, greeting each guest personally, thanking them for coming and reminding them about the test kitchen tours.

When Stephen arrived fashionably late, the party was in full swing and the sprawling lobby was packed with the guests, reporters, and photographers.  By the time Abby was able to spot him in the crowd and catch his eye, he had already given a very brief welcome speech and the party was more than half over.

She waved at him from across the room and he strode toward her, looking especially dashing in a navy blue suit and the signature pink Sweet for You tie she had given him the night before. Since he wasn’t exactly overjoyed when he opened her gift, Abby thought he was probably wearing it out of obligation. Even so, she thought it looked great on him. 

“Nice tie,” she said when he was close enough to hear her through the ambient noise of the crowd.

“It was a gift from someone special,” Stephen responded.

Abby grinned, her stomach fluttering at his words. “Great turnout, don’t you think?”

“Excellent turnout,” he agreed. “You’ve done a fabulous job on this launch party, Abby.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Speaking of fabulous, I must say you look as delicious as the desserts display.”

“Thank you.” Abby blushed, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to his compliment or the way his heated gaze caressed her curves. “Stephen. I, uh...”

He took a step closer so he could hear her better, but before Abby could ask him to meet her in his office after the party so they could talk in private, a leggy brunette in four-inch heels interrupted their exchange by draping herself around his shoulders.

Abby recognized the brunette as one of the Victoria’s Secret models...Lola something-or-other. If she was remembering correctly, Lola had been featured in a Blake Foods advertising campaign a few years ago, right before she struck it big in the modeling world.

“I’m sorry I’m late, darling. Did you think I was going to keep you waiting all night?” Lola cooed in Stephen’s ear before nibbling on his lobe with an air of familiarity.

Darling?

The color drained from Abby’s face when she realized that the brunette must be his date for the launch party. Lola was everything Abby wasn’t: young, tall, thin, and glamorous. How could short, fat, and frumpy Abby hope to compete with six feet of lingerie model sexiness?

Forcing a smile, she said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to powder my nose and get back to the guests. Enjoy the party.” Turning away from the beautiful couple, she rushed toward the ladies room. Locking herself in the last stall, she blinked her thick, mascara-coated lashes rapidly while dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a square of toilet paper.

Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry.

The blinking and internal begging didn’t work. Tears trickled silently down Abby’s face as her heart – and hopes – shattered into a thousand pieces.

She was foolish to think that the chemistry she felt with Stephen was something more than a silly flirtation borne from spending so much time together at the office. Or that one drunken kiss and a sexy dessert tasting meant as much to him as it did to her. Or that a handsome billionaire who could have any woman in the world would choose the curvy girl. Grateful that she discovered Stephen’s girlfriend before blurting out her feelings for him, Abby knew she couldn’t bear to watch them together. She had to get out of the Blake Foods building. Fast.

When her tears were temporarily spent, she blotted her red, puffy eyes and sent a text message to Jenna.

I need to leave. Family emergency. The event planners will clean up after the party, but if you could stay to make sure they take care of everything, I promise I’ll make it up to you.

Next, she sent a text message to Martha.

Something’s come up and I need to go to my parents’ house for a few days. Jenna will stay and supervise the cleanup after the party. Please make sure that Mr. Blake thanks everyone for coming and smiles for the media.

She waited until the ladies room was empty before sneaking out, slinking through the crowd, and slipping into the stairwell that led to the parking garage. Once she was safely out of the lobby, tears fell anew as she descended the flight of stairs and pushed open the heavy door to the garage. She was so lost in despair that she didn’t see the cloaked figure standing in the shadows until the menacing figure darted in front of her, blocking the way to her car.

“Tom!” she cried out in recognition. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Abby. You didn’t think I would miss the launch party, did you? Even though I’m not welcome inside, I wasn’t about to let the night pass by without making an appearance.”

“Don’t try anything funny, Tom, or I swear I’ll scream loud enough to bring the entire crowd rushing into the garage.”

“Try anything? With you? Ha!” He laughed humorlessly. “Your fat rolls are repulsive. I wouldn’t try anything with you if you were the last woman on earth.”

“Go to hell, Tom,” Abby said as she started to walk away.

“You’re not his type, you know. He only used you to get what he wanted,” Tom said, stopping Abby in her tracks. “Now that the desserts line has been launched, he’ll toss you aside, just like he did with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he already has a tall, thin model lined up to suck his billionaire dick when he gets home tonight.”

Abby’s stomach churned at Tom’s crude yet accurate remark. Silently, she counted to ten while taking corresponding deep breaths, a technique she learned from the BBW support group to avoid being baited by fat haters.

When her nerves were as calm as possible, she smiled as sweetly as her upset stomach would allow and winked at Tom. “Mr. Blake and I are colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less. With the successful launch of Sweet for You, I wouldn’t be surprised if he promotes me to head of new product development. I think that used to be your title, right Tom?”

Turning her back on him, she walked away with her head held high and tears streaming down her face.

~~~

O
nce she got home, Abby changed out of her party dress and into comfortable clothes, threw a few essentials into a duffel bag, and called her sister.

“Hi Claire. It’s Abby.”

“Hey sis. Is everything okay? It sounds like you’re crying.”

“I am. Remember when Robbie Halliday broke your heart in tenth grade?”

“Like it was yesterday,” Claire responded.

“What did you do to get over it?” Abby asked.

“I’m not sure I ever did,” Claire said. “But drowning my sorrows in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s helped, at least temporarily. Nowadays, I’d add a Lifetime movie marathon as a kicker.”

“Will you let mom and dad know that I’m coming home for the weekend? I’ll bring the ice cream if you scope out a few movies to watch and make sure the On Demand is working.”

“You got it. Even though I can tell you’re upset, it will be great to see you, Abby. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, Claire,” she said through another wave of tears. “Maybe we can pull a sister’s all-nighter. It’ll be like old times.”

“Yeah, except you’ve now got a great career in the city and I’m still living in our parents’ basement.”

Abby tried to laugh, but the sound came out more like a strangled sob. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your self-deprecating sense of humor.”

“Well, the Branson sisters
are
known for both their curves and comedic timing.”

“I still have curves, but seemed to have lost my ability to laugh, at least temporarily,” Abby confessed.

“I’ll do my best to be funny enough for both of us,” Claire replied. “Drive safe, sis. I’ll see you soon.”

S
tephen’s phone rang. The caller ID was Unavailable and he answered without a greeting.

“She’s home,” the voice on the other ended stated before ending the call with a click.

His cheek twitched. He wasn’t sure why Abby had left the launch party before it was over, why she left town so abruptly, or why she had refused to answer his calls ever since, but he was about to get to the bottom of it.

Martha and Jenna had both informed him that Abby had a family emergency, but he wasn’t buying it. Something happened at the party, but he didn’t know what. At least not yet.

He wondered if her abrupt departure had something to do with Tom Parker, who was found lurking in the parking garage by security and detained until the police arrived. If Tom had done something to hurt her, he would make him pay for it.

Stephen and his driver had been on 24-hour standby ever since Abby had gone missing, waiting for word from his private investigator that she had returned from wherever she had disappeared to. Within minutes, Stephen was seated in the back of his town car and on his way to her small apartment.

~~~

B
efore Abby had a chance to unpack her bag, she heard the knock at the door.

That was fast.

Grabbing her wallet, she pulled out a $20 bill and flung the door open, expecting the pizza delivery man. Instead, it was Stephen standing at her doorway, looking mad as a hornet and handsome as hell.

“Stephen, what are you doing here?”