Katy still worked for Ren Townsend at the same place our brother worked as a mechanic, but she’d taken on some duties at Kleins to help us out this week.
“Thanks, babe. Send her in,” Canon told her, pushing the stack of papers he’d been going over to the side.
Katy nodded, but before she did, she whispered, “She’s a really nice person, guys. I know her through the Delicious Divas ladies, and when you guys said you wanted to set up a contract for her cakes here after you tried them, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea.”
“Why not?” I snapped, feeling slightly offended. “We’re fucking amazing.”
“You are,” she nodded, “but you’re also still breaking out into the world of being business owners. You could easily change your mind tomorrow, and she’ll be left behind in the dust.”
I saw what she was saying. We needed to be sure this was what we wanted and not fuck the woman over.
“You’ve got our solemn promise, Katy,” Canon assured her. “We want her cakes and her talent here at Kleins. The week you did the cake trials for dessert was one of the most profitable we’ve had since we opened. She’s got talent, and that’s what we want.”
Her smile was strained, but she looked a little bit more relaxed.
“Okay. Well, her name’s Heidi, and she works from home. Her cakes have been showcased at Tiffanys New York’s birthday celebration, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Dallas Cowboys used them to celebrate their draft picks, and…” she trailed off, wincing when she couldn’t think of what she was going to say next.
“Sorry, there’s a whole list of places, and once you name one, they all kind of merge together. Heidi’s got the designs and finishing touches that high profile people just love.” She shrugged at the end, and for the thousandth time since I’d first met her, I could see why my brother was so in love with her.
They were opposites in so many ways but perfect for each other in all other ways. Katy was hilarious and nerdy, and I think we all fell in love with her—platonically—when Jarrod introduced us to her for the first time.
“You’ll do, shawty,” I snickered. “Want to send her in?”
If I’d been listening like a responsible man did, I’d have heard the name Heidi and put two and two together. Unfortunately, I’d been thinking about how we’d display the beautiful cakes, how we’d market them, and if she could create ones that were purely for Kleins. All of those were technically still responsible thoughts, but none considered the businesswoman and creator behind the cakes—specifically, her name being fucking Heidi.
So, when the woman from Friday night walked in, my jaw dropped open.
Getting up from behind his desk, Canon walked around it and held his hand out. “Canon Klein, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally. I’m sure I’ve seen you around, but I’ve never had the chance to speak to you.”
She looked shocked for a minute, but then it turned to confusion as they shook hands. “Heidi Du Plessis. Thank you so much for meeting with me.”
I watched as they exchanged pleasantries, and when they both turned to me, I remained in the same position, mouth still open and everything. Heidi looked between the two of us, and then it looked like something clicked in her brain. I’m glad hers was working because mine was still flatlining.
“This is my brother and business partner, Bond Klein,” Canon sighed, waving a hand at me. “He’s been working a lot of hours for the business, and it’s obviously caught up with him. If he starts drooling, just ignore him.”
My mouth snapped shut, and I was up and around my desk before I even realized I was moving.
“Heidi? I—” I stopped, unsure of what an appropriate greeting was. I mean, we’d already shaken hands at the party, was I meant to up the ante now and kiss her cheek? Did that count as sexual harassment?
“It’s great to see you again, Bond,” she whispered shyly. “And you’re not dressed as a gladiator today.”
“Trojan,” I corrected absentmindedly, just as Canon burst out laughing.
“Oh, shit, this is the woman from the party?” he wheezed. “Woman, you’ve had him twisted in knots.”
“I’m not sure why,” she hedged with a frown. “But I appreciate the help you gave me with Jenny, Bond. Thank you.”
“Was she okay when she got home?”
“As okay as a sixteen-year-old who’d snuck out of her house and was in trouble with her mom could be, I guess.”
I winced, thinking back to when I was the same age. Damn, me and my brothers had gotten up to all sorts of shit, only fifty percent of which my parents knew about. If they’d discovered the rest, we’d probably have been sent to a monastery.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I exchanged a look with Canon, and judging by the expression on his face, he was thinking the same thing.