Object 7: A signed contract for a cake, baked and designed by THE Charlotte Liu
Debrief (J): How do you expand your business?What’s the most important thing someone starting out in business needs?
Wednesday, May 7th
Ilove you.
She heard the words, no louder than a whisper in the deepest dark of night.
Was she supposed to know?To hear?To react?
She had no idea what to do or how; somehow Jason’s late-night expression was strangling her.
He wasn’t leaving.That was a relief.
He’d seen her stressed, helped her through being stressed…and he wasn’t leaving.
Could she shove her fears about losing him, about him being like every other man she’d ever been close to aside for however long it took to consider…her own feelings?
But as the thought started to make its way through her, the alarm she’d set went off.
She was running behind.
Of course.
She shoved all of those messy, emotional thoughts aside as she pulled herself together for the day, dressing, putting on makeup and grabbing both the binder and a few contracts to place in her tote bag.
“Do we stop for coffee or breakfast?”
He shrugged, the smile on his face still bright.“Your choice,” she said.“I think we should bring a drink or two and maybe stop?”
She nodded.“Okay?That sounds good.”
He looked at her, and she wondered what he was looking for: a sign?Something else?
Who knew what was going through his head.
“Before we get in a car for a few hours,” he said, almost out of nowhere.“I need to ask you a question.”
She raised an eyebrow.“What?”
“I said something last night.If you heard and it took you by surprise, I’m sorry.I just…was testing it out on my tongue.If you’re not ready to hear it, then we won’t talk about it.”
“It just took me by surprise,” she said, honestly, because she’d never been anything but honest with Jason before.“I haven’t given myself any time to think about anything but this wedding.I’ve been stressed…well you know that.”
Jason nodded; she knew what disappointment on his face looked like and that wasn’t it.“I understand,” he said.
“I will tell you that it didn’t scare me, or anything like that,” she said.“I will also tell you that the thing that made me the most nervous was whether you wanted me to hear it.”
“Noted,” he said.
But all the same as he pulled her close, she sought comfort in his arms.And found herself wondering…what she felt about him…whether it was love or something else entirely.
Whether the nerves that gathered in the pit of her stomach had more to do with what would happen when she figured out how she felt, or what his reaction would be…or even how an answer she couldn’t find or determine would affect them.
She knew she wasn’t afraid of the fact he loved her; it wasn’t even a bad thing.It was a good one.
She just couldn’t figure out how to categorize how she felt well enough yet.But she knew she didn’t want to lose him.And hoped he knew her well enough to know she meant it when she told him: “I have feelings,” she said.“You matter more to me than anything.I’ve never felt…better than when I’ve been with you.You make me a better person.If that’s love, then I’m there.”
