Ruby
“Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” I put my hand over my mouth, still unable to believe what I was seeing on my laptop.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Jett asked from across the table.
We’d just finished a five-star dinner in the dining room of the condo that had been served to us one delicious course at a time.
The only thing left was the beautiful cake in the middle of the table after Jett had dismissed the dinner staff.
But before I cut the cake, I’d wanted to quickly see if I’d passed my GED exam.
“Jett, I think I passed,” I said as I laughed like an idiot because I was so relieved to see that I’d passed in all areas of the test.
“I never doubted it, baby,” he answered as he reached across the table and snagged my laptop.
After a moment, I settled down and looked at his pensive expression as he studied the results.
“What?” I said, alarmed. “Did I miss something? I passed, right?”
“Oh, you passed,” he answered. “Ruby, you got a perfect score. You aced every single test. It’s says you’re college ready with credit, which means you might be able to get college credit because of your high scores if you want to go that route. How did you do this? Did you study?”
I shrugged. “I took some sample tests, but I didn’t really study hard. I was always a good student. And I guess all my library time paid off.”
“I think you’re gifted,” he answered. “I knew you were intelligent, but I didn’t realize just how smart you really are.”
I made a face at him. “I’m not, really. I just pick things up quickly.”
He gave me a skeptical look. “Like math, science, art, and language?”
“I guess.” I really hated to think about all the opportunities I’d missed. “I was in a lot of honors classes in school, so I was studying a lot of college material before I had to run away.”
“Then you obviously had dreams, Ruby. Things you wanted to do with your life.”
“I had a lot of dreams,” I answered. “But I knew my opportunities weren’t going to be there once my mom and dad died. I was applying for scholarships before they were killed, but my uncle insisted that I wasn’t going to college because there was too much evil out there in the world. I guess he never really understood that the person I was the most afraid of was him.”
“What did you want to do?” he asked.
“I was young, so I wanted to conquer the world, have cafes with the best pastries in every major city.”
“Is that still what you want?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Being homeless…changed me. It helped me see a world that I’d never been in before. Homeless people talk to each other sometimes because we don’t have anybody else. Granted, there are some people who are mentally ill and can’t take care of themselves, but there are plenty of people on the streets just like me. Everybody has a story, and all of them are important. So many are just victims of circumstances in one way or another.”
“I know. My sister, Harper, says it makes her crazy. That’s why she devoted her time to building places for them to go.”
I shot him a small smile. “That’s rare. A lot of people learn to ignore them.”
“So what would you do now if you could do anything you wanted?”
“I’d like to be a pastry chef. I loved it, and it’s something that was passed down from my mom. I know I need business classes, and maybe some higher culinary education, but I want to chase that dream now. And I’d like to do what I can as a volunteer for the homeless.”
“Do you have a plan for how you’d help?” Jett asked.
I thought for a minute before I answered, “I’d love to run some shelters, but do more than just give them a place to sleep and eat. They need a hand up to get back into the working world and regain a sense of pride. I think that’s one of the things we lose first, and it’s hard to get that back again.”
“I can find you the funding to develop a program,” he suggested. “I’d be a solid donor, and I know a lot of business people who would support the cause. You’d earn a good salary for being the administrator if you want to do it full-time.”
“I might end up turning down the salary,” I teased. “I have a boyfriend who’s filthy rich.”
“Now you’re getting the idea,” he joked. “Use me.”
I laughed because I knew he was teasing. It didn’t surprise me a bit that Jett would donate. But I wasn’t sure I was ready to start a commitment like that. “I’d need some time,” I explained. “I don’t have the business experience, and I’d need some help.”
“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. Homelessness is an area where I’d like to help out as much as possible.”
“I noticed,” I told him. “You’ve already done a lot of your own work on the side.”
He shrugged. “I helped a few people. That’s not nearly enough.”
“If everybody who could afford it did what you did, we wouldn’t have to worry about the homeless. Don’t discount the things you do to help people who are in a bad place. It’s pretty extraordinary.”
“You’re pretty extraordinary, Ruby Kent,” he said in a husky tone.
My heart ached as I stared back at him, wondering what I’d ever done in my life to deserve a guy like Jett. “This has been the best birthday ever,” I told him honestly.
I was kind of sad that I couldn’t plan a birthday party for Jett in the near future, but his birthday had passed right before we’d met.
“It will be as soon as you cut that cake,” he replied with a cheeky grin.
I hopped up to get some plates and a cake knife. “What kind is it?” I asked.
It was obviously chocolate because it was frosted with chocolate icing, but there was a light glaze over the top that I couldn’t identify.
“Salted caramel chocolate cake,” he announced. “I told the baker that you were a pastry snob, so it better be good.”
“You didn’t really say that,” I told him confidently, knowing Jett was too nice to threaten a baker.
“Okay, I didn’t,” he acknowledged. “But I did tell her you were a pastry snob and asked which cake she recommended.”
I really couldn’t scold him for that. I was, in fact, a pastry snob. Not because I wanted to be, but because I couldn’t help myself. My mom had made the best desserts in the state of Ohio, and I’d had the best when I was a kid.
I set the plates down, and cut the cake.
I almost salivated as I saw the caramel filling in the middle, and I could already tell it was moist.
“Looks good,” I said as I handed Jett a large piece, and then cut myself a smaller one. “I’m actually still full from dinner.”
“There’s always room for dessert, sweetheart,” he answered as he took the cake eagerly.
I sat down and savored my first bite. I still hadn’t gotten to the point where I didn’t appreciate having amazing food, or any food for that matter. I might have grown up on good food, but I’d been pretty damn hungry for the last six years or so.
“It’s good,” I said as I swallowed my first bite.
“High praise coming from you,” he said playfully.
I made a face at him and continued to eat my cake.
He finished his and sat back in his chair. “So what’s your plan for Lia’s shop?”
“She needs something a lot different than she has, and that goes well with coffee. Like chocolate croissants, sweet buns, and maybe some incredible brownies. I’ll sit down later and plan out what I’m making every day next week.”
“Nobody has sweeter buns than you,” he said in a cheerful voice.
I rolled my eyes. “Tell me you didn’t just go there.”
He shrugged. “I did. I couldn’t help myself.”
“It’s going to feel good to finally be earning money.”
“That could be a lucrative gig,” he agreed.
“It’s nothing compared to your net worth, but I’ll take it.”
“No offense, sweetheart, but there are very few people in the world who have my net worth. I’m not saying that to be arrogant. It’s just a fact.”
I knew he wasn’t being conceited. No matter how many skills or how much education I got, my income would never be even a tiny fraction of his. “I’m not making comparisons anymore, and I’m not intimidated by your money. I let you give me a car, for God’s sake. I think I’m doing pretty well with accepting that I’m with a very rich guy.”
“I’m not downplaying your accomplishment, Ruby. I never would. Going out and snagging a gig with Lia’s shop is huge. I know every eatery in the city will be fighting over you pretty soon.”
“Do you think so?” I asked hesitantly.
He nodded. “I know so.”
I basked in his praise for a moment, refusing to blow it off like I used to do.
I was smart.
I was ambitious.
I made tasty pastry.
And I was determined to make a difference in the world in my own way.
That was really all that I wanted.
“Thanks,” I finally acknowledged quietly. “Thank you for always being there to encourage me. It means a lot.”
Jett never acted like his career was more important than what I was doing, or that my interests or ambitions were ever inferior to his. He treated me like an equal, even though he was one of the most important and influential men in the world.
“If I didn’t support you, it would make me a jerk,” he considered. “And I’d hate being an asshole.”
I laughed. “You’re not. I wouldn’t be with a jerk, no matter how much money he had.”
He shot me a heart-stopping grin. “Besides, I might be slightly intimidated by your intelligence now. You might have a higher IQ than I do.”
“No, you’re not intimidated. You already know you’re brilliant. The best hacker in the world, remember?”
Jett amazed me when he was in his “zone” on the computer. His fingers flew over the keys so fast that they were practically a blur. And he’d stop for a minute, and then move on, only to stop one more time and evaluate the screen before he seemed to get another idea and forged ahead. I’d watch him do that for hours sometimes, and he never seemed to get impatient or weary with what he was doing. It was obvious that he loved a challenge. And it didn’t appear that he couldn’t conquer every one of them.
“Are you still okay with going to Marcus’s wedding with me?”
“Of course. When is it?”
“Two weeks,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to it. I still want to thank Dani for what she did for me.” I was silent for a moment before I said, “I really should get some clothes. But I’m not sure how to dress for the wedding of two billionaires.”
The Colters and the Lawsons were both powerful families, and the wealth that would be amassed between them was almost unfathomable.
“Honestly, Dani isn’t really that into clothes. She never has been. I’ll admit that Marcus can be a little uptight, but only on the surface. They’re good people. They aren’t going to care what you wear. They’ll both just be glad you came. It’s going to be a fairly small service in Rocky Springs, with the reception at the resort that Marcus’s mom owns there.”
“Are you in the wedding party?” I asked.
He grinned. “Best man. Marcus didn’t want to have to choose between all his brothers.”
“So I’ll get to see that gorgeous ass in a tuxedo?” I teased.
“It’s all yours, sweetheart,” he said suggestively as he loaded our plates into the dishwasher and put the cake in the fridge.
“I wish,” I mumbled.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing,” I answered.
“I’m going to go hit the shower,” he said as he moved toward the elevator.
Can I come with you?
I knew that Jett wanted to move slow, but my body was pleading with him to pick up the pace.
Was he waiting for me to make that move? Or did he just want to make sure I was ready before he took things any further?
I sighed as I gathered up my laptop and followed him upstairs.
Maybe it was beyond time for me to figure it out.