Page 15 of Between Love and Loathing

And I was willing to fight for it.

“You’re going to regret this in the morning. I already know it.”

“I’ve known Dominic longer than the rest of you.” That was only half true. “He’s even worse than Rita, and they might have given everyone this opportunity, but they are suffocating us with their rules. And I’m so tired of not being able to breathe.”

She took a deep breath. “Do you need help?”

She sounded scared and I chuckled as I reassured her. “I don’t need help, and if anyone asks me, I’ll tell them I have no idea where I got the paint. I was much too drunk to remember.”

We both laughed as we disappeared around the corner into the back of her store. Within minutes, I was sneaking against the walls of the building and sliding into one of the doors to run through the lobby and down the long hallway to my bakery.

My heart raced, and I was filled with fear and adrenaline that someone might have been following me, but as I turned around, I found no one was paying attention. I had never been happier to not be important.

I laughed to myself and plopped down to sit on the clean white tile in my bakery—the bakery I’d dreamed about, the bakery I’d pictured in my head my whole life—and glared.

Disdain and anger at Rita’s words swarmed my head. She was right, of course.

This bakery wasn’tmine. It washers. All hers. From the crisp white tile to the white countertops to the black leather in the booths and the checkered backsplash of the wall separating the back kitchen and the front of the bakery.

I stood there glaring at it before I stomped over to the white wall opposite the front doors. I stomped past the counters and went right to it.

I set the paint can down and opened it slowly before I took the paintbrush Paloma gave me and dipped it in.

The first swipe of the pink on that white wall felt like I’d wielded my weapon for the fight, and I was about to win.

CLARA

“What in the actual fuck, Clara Milton?”

There was no denying what I’d done. Honestly, the paintbrush was still in my hand, pink paint dripping from it down into the can. The white back wall of my bakery now blended with pink creating a sort of ombre look. It was a soft pink but bold enough to throw off the black-and-white of the bakery. It was an accent wall of sorts. Different. Beautiful.

I wouldn’t apologize. I wouldn’t even give him the attention he felt he deserved. He’d done the same to me over the past year during renovations. I didn’t turn around. “It’s more perfect than I thought it would be.”

He walked up behind me and swiped the paintbrush out of my hand and then stuffed it into the paint can. “Are you out of your mind? There’s … This … We have to open in two months.”

“I’m aware of the date, Dominic.” My whole body was so tired just thinking about it. Working with him, near him, or even in the same proximity as him would truly be one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do in my life.

“You should probably stick with ‘Mr. Hardy’ while at work.”

“Well, you should probably stick with ‘Ms. Milton’ then,” I sneered back.

“God, I knew you were unequipped to run a business, but I didn’t know you were this incompetent.” He shook his head at the wall.

“Incompetent? Are you seriously for real? How about Rita being incompetent for her opinions on Paloma’s sign—”

“That’s been taken care of.” He cut me off and right then a text came through on my phone. I felt the vibration before I pulled it out to look at it.

Paloma: Dominic told Rita the name of my shop stays, Clara. He freaking complimented it.

There were ten crying emojis after. I set my phone down on the counter and raised my eyes to look at him in bewilderment. “You let her keep the name?”

“It suits her store.” That was all the explanation he gave.

I narrowed my eyes at him, unable to figure out his angle. “Okay. Well,” I cleared my throat trying to come back from the fact that suddenly Dominic wasn’t a complete asshole. “I’m sorry, but I’m here to make this bakery the best it can be.”

“Is that what you’re doing out there partying with everyone?” He questioned.

“Yes. It’s called socializing with the staff and learning how this resort is going to run with their personalities. Incompetence would be disappearing even though you’re the CEO of the damn resort.”