Bidding on the Bachelor Read online

  More than that, he was clearly still holding on to their breakup. And she couldn’t blame him for that. It might be time to finally reveal the whole story to him. That is, if he would ever even talk to her again.

  She pushed her hand through her hair. She’d been up since four this morning. She needed a shower. A good stiff drink wouldn’t hurt anything, either. And she’d definitely like to be off her feet.

  Her phone alerted her to a text message from Riley.

  Where are you? Cocktails with me and Elle, remember? Boat House. Now.

  Damn. Well, at least she would get that stiff drink.

  Carissa had been wandering around the streets of Bayside aimlessly, trying to decipher this mystery. Luckily, she wasn’t far from the Boat House, the upscale restaurant right on the water. They had excellent seafood, a nice ambience, and according to Riley, a great bar and lounge area. Apparently, Riley and Elle met for cocktails there quite frequently. If she wasn’t so emotionally exhausted, it would have touched her to be included.

  She pushed open the door and her stomach growled at the enticing smell of salty seafood, fresh bread and melted butter. She stole a quick glance around. Looked as if they’d renovated the place from what she remembered. It looked good. The bar area was cute with high tables and tall wooden chairs. The entire restaurant seemed abuzz with activity.

  She easily spotted her friends and made her way toward their table. They both waved as she approached.

  “I’m sorry,” Carissa said. “I lost track of time.”

  “No wonder. I heard you had quite the day,” Elle said, pushing a glass of water toward her.

  Carissa slumped in her chair. “It was awful. I went over to Jasper’s and blamed him for the whole situation with the Bayside Blogger because he’s the only person I told about it. But then he turned it on me somehow. I’m not even sure how. He made me feel awful and you know what? I deserved it. And then he kicked me out and now I feel doubly horrible.”

  Both Riley’s and Elle’s mouths were hanging open as they stared at her. Finally, Elle spoke. “I was actually referring to the ladies’ tea you catered, which Lilah said was a huge success.”

  “But you were clearly busy after that,” Riley added with a twinkle in her eye. “We definitely need to discuss.”

  A perky young waitress bounced over to their table, wearing a black skirt and a crisp white blouse. “Drinks?”

  “Hells yeah,” Riley said. “We’ve been waiting for you to order, Carissa. A round of cosmos and keep ’em coming,” she said to the waitress.

  Both women leaned in as Carissa spilled the whole situation.

  “But you see, right? It had to be Jasper. Because he’s the only person I told about Preston.”

  “Not necessarily,” Elle said.

  “What do you mean?” Carissa asked as she finished off her cosmo.

  “It’s crazy,” Riley said. “The Bayside Blogger just knows stuff. No matter how hard you try to keep something a secret, she finds out. Last year, I was dating someone who lived about thirty minutes away. We had a horrible breakup. In his town. Not a soul from Bayside in sight. And yet the next morning, there it was splashed across her blog.”

  Elle nodded. “When I first returned last spring, I was in her stupid column every day. Not to mention all the Twitter discussions.”

  Carissa’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

  Riley finished her drink, as well. “Yep. It’s awful. No matter what you do or where you go, there she is. She’s probably in this restaurant right now.”

  The waitress stopped by their table. “Another round?”

  “Yes,” all three of them answered in unison.

  The waitress widened her eyes, but replied, “Okeydokey.”

  “So see,” Elle continued, “Jasper may very well be innocent in all of this.”

  “Oh God.” Carissa moaned as she ran a hand over her face. “If that’s true then I’m a huge witch.”

  The waitress, who had returned with their second round of drinks, froze, giving Carissa a wary once-over.

  “Don’t worry, sweetie. She won’t be a witch,” Riley said amiably.

  “We’re also very good tippers,” Elle added, and the waitress seemed appeased. Still, she did ask if they wanted to order any appetizers but didn’t actually wait around for their response.

  “See what I mean?” Carissa pointed toward her. “I’m scaring off innocent young waitresses now.”

  Riley snorted. “Oh, she’ll be fine.”

  “And Jasper will be fine, too.” Elle put her drink down on the table. “I really don’t think he would betray your confidence and reveal something so personal to the town gossip columnist. Besides, what would he have gained by doing something like that? Seems to me like he’s trying hard to get back in your good graces.”

  Carissa bit her lip. “Jeez, when you put it like that it makes me feel like an idiot for even going over there.”

  “You shouldn’t,” Riley said. “He was the only one you told. Makes sense to jump to that conclusion.”

  Seems to me like he’s trying hard to get back in your good graces. Elle’s words repeated in her head. Carissa wondered if that was true. It didn’t seem like it the other night when he was on a date with some other woman. Of course, he did help with her car and drive her home. And then there was the very sultry, very passionate kiss they’d shared...

  “Can I ask a question?” Carissa said suddenly. “Jasper isn’t married.”

  “That’s not a question,” Riley pointed out.

  Carissa played with a strand of her hair, twisting it around her finger. “He’s not dating anyone, either.”

  Riley chuckled. “Still not a question. But I think I know what you’re trying to ask. You want to know about Jasper’s dating history.”

  “I mean, not in extreme detail, but I am curious. He’s gorgeous and charming. Not to mention, he’s incredibly wealthy. He runs his family’s freaking business. He’s a catch.”

  “Careful,” Riley said. “One might think you’re still interested.”

  She ignored Riley’s comment. “It’s just, with all those qualifications, I would think a line of women would be following him everywhere.”

  Elle smiled. “Oh, they do. Trust me. He dated someone named Mindy for a couple months when I first got back. I thought it might be serious, but they broke up.”

  “Of course they did.” Riley took a sip of her drink and looked pensive. “He always breaks up with them. Have you noticed?” she asked Elle.

  Elle nodded. “According to Cam, Jasper never stays with the same woman for more than a few months.”

  Carissa was shocked. “Never?”

  “Nope,” Riley said.

  “Not in college?”

  “Not that I know of,” Riley answered.

  “But...” Carissa sat back in her chair, considering. “That would mean I was the last long-term girlfriend he had.” She looked to her friends, who exchanged a glance and nodded. “But there must have been someone he was serious about.”

  Elle took a moment before answering. “I don’t want to make you feel worse than you already do, but I think Jasper is afraid of getting hurt.”

  “So he never lets anyone get close enough to hurt him.” Except me, Carissa thought with sadness. What did she do? Hurt him at the first chance. “I feel so stupid,” she admitted.

  “You shouldn’t,” Elle said, loyalty in her voice.

  “Thanks, but I do. For so many things, so many choices I’ve made over the years.” Carissa reached for her glass but didn’t actually take a sip. “When I walked in and found Preston with that woman, I wasn’t that surprised. I had a feeling he’d been cheating on me for a while. That’s when I got my proof.”

  “Well, you divorced his sorry ass. So you win.
” Riley toasted her.

  But Carissa shook her head. “I wish I had. But in the end, Preston was the one to request a divorce.” Admitting this secret felt liberating. She’d been holding it in for far too long. “I’d become so apathetic.”

  “About your marriage?” Elle asked.

  “About everything. About my marriage, my life, my lack of a career.” Her stomach clenched. She’d become her father. Living off of someone else’s money and success. She’d become the one thing she’d swore she’d never be. That was the embarrassing part. That’s what she really didn’t want anyone to know.

  Ashamed, she glanced at her friends through her eyelashes. “Pretty pathetic, huh?”

  This was the moment they could agree. What shocked her was that they didn’t.

  “Kind of the opposite of pathetic,” Elle said. Riley agreed. “I mean, if I were in your position I would probably be hiding under a rock somewhere crying my eyes out, shoving Double Stuf Oreos in my mouth and being scared out of my mind. But you came here and you’re starting your own business.”

  “That takes cojones.” Riley lifted her drink again. “Let’s toast to that. To your new life, Carissa Blackwell, and to your big ole cojones.”

  Overwhelmed, Carissa pushed down the ball that had formed in her throat. She raised her glass and touched it to her friends’.

  Maybe it was finally time for new beginnings. Only, she had to say goodbye to her past first.

  Chapter Eight

  For someone with almost no experience in the catering field, Carissa Blackwell has managed to pull off two yummy events so far here in town. Too bad she can’t enjoy her success with Jasper, because I’ve heard that our resident Ross and Rachel are taking a break...again. What could be the cause this time? Dear readers, I certainly hope it wasn’t something I said!

  Carissa hadn’t apologized to Jasper yet. She’d thought about it. A lot. She still didn’t know how the Bayside Blogger had found out her ex-husband had cheated on her. She supposed the Blogger could have just Googled her. In any case, she knew that she owed Jasper an apology for flying off the handle.

  She told herself she hadn’t called him because she’d been devoting every waking hour to her new business, which was true. With Elle’s artistic help, she’d designed a logo for Save the Day Catering and was able to order business cards. She’d even started a website, including some sample menus and a list of the types of events she was available for. It was pretty basic as far as websites went, but it would do the trick for now. She had plans to start photographing her food and adding pictures and descriptions.

  Once she had more jobs under her belt she could consider a marketing campaign. Right now, word of mouth would have to suffice, but eventually she’d like to make up flyers or postcards, offer discounts and specials, and maybe one day, hire some help.

  Because of the successful ladies’ tea, she’d received three more jobs. Since she now had Mrs. Dumont as a reference, she no longer had to worry on that score. Besides, no one else in Bayside realized that she hadn’t been a professional caterer back in Chicago. As far as Carissa was concerned, her informal experience was helping her just fine.

  She’d set up a makeshift office in the living room. Or tried to. Currently, she was sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, trying to organize the files she’d recently created. Just a couple more folders and color-coded labels and she would be on her way.

  She let out a long sigh of relief. She could do this. She would do this. She wouldn’t end up like her father and she would never rely on a man—or any person—ever again. She would keep full control of her life and no one else would be able to take it away from her again.

  Bayside Blogger—check now.

  At the sight of Elle’s text message, Carissa’s heart sank. This couldn’t be good news. It wasn’t as if the Bayside Blogger would report something happy about her. Like, “Oh that Carissa Blackwell has amazing hair and is really killing it as a caterer.”

  She quickly grabbed her laptop from the couch and pulled up the—she hated to admit it—bookmarked page on the Bugle’s website. As her eyes quickly scanned the contents of today’s blog, Carissa didn’t read anything that caused alarm. It was annoying, sure.

  She was about to text Elle back, but then she reread the blog. The first time, she’d concentrated on the part about her and Jasper being compared to Ross and Rachel from Friends. That was enough to make her snort.

  But on second glance, she homed in on the opening sentence. “For someone with almost no experience in the catering field...”

  Carissa felt like someone was simultaneously extracting all the air from her lungs.

  Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. This could not be happening. She paced away from her computer and then promptly returned to reread the blog a third time.

  She’d been outed. Again. Damn, damn and double damn. She eyed the stack of business cards she’d just ordered. What was everyone in Bayside going to think? More importantly, how did the Bayside Blogger even find out about this? She’d told no one about her lack of experience. Not Elle, not Riley. Not even...

  Jasper.

  She rubbed her eyes as a tension headache began. Elle and Riley had been right the other night. They’d said that the Bayside Blogger just knew things. Things that no one else was privy to. Carissa hadn’t told Jasper about her lack of experience in catering and yet, here it was in the gossip column anyway.

  Carissa pulled up Twitter and started reading through the Bayside Blogger’s recent tweets and replies.

  Bayside Blogger @BSBlogger

  My latest column’s up at the @BSBugle site.

  Judy Fashley @jdmfash

  OMG! Jasper & Carissa broke up AGAIN?!?! @BSBlogger

  Harry P. Belding @bocceball

  RT @tdmfash They broke up? Didn’t know they were dating. The real scoop is that C doesn’t have much catering experience.

  Reva Lewis @RLLight

  Just read @BSBlogger’s column. I wouldn’t give C.B. my business, that’s 4 sure.

  Gertie Ward @gertieward26

  Big reveal today on @BSBlogger. Although... I had her food at the Dumonts. It was yummy!

  Carissa’s first instinct was to scream, loud and long. Instead, she paced to the window, took a few deep breaths and then let out an oath. Why did people always make it seem like taking a couple deep inhales would change the way you feel? It never worked with her. She eyed a bottle of wine she’d picked up the other day. Now, there was a better solution for calming herself.

  But in the end, Carissa filled a glass with water and sat at the small table in her aunt’s kitchen. Perspective. That’s what she needed. It was a stupid blog on a small town newspaper’s website. How many people really read this article anyway? More importantly, how many people cared? She couldn’t imagine that someone would deny her business simply because a blogger wrote an article about her. Right? Then, why was she starting to feel nauseous?

  Her phone rang and she saw Elsie Reynolds’s name on the display. Carissa was going to be catering her daughter’s bridal shower in two weeks. If that went well, she held high hopes that she would be chosen as the caterer for the wedding reception. A wedding would be a major coup at this point.

  “Carissaaaa,” Mrs. Reynolds said, drawing out her name. “I just happened to be at the store shopping for favors for Bonnie’s shower and someone directed me to the Bayside Blogger’s website.”

  Of course they did. Carissa tried to remain calm. “Oh really?”

  “Is it true, dear?”

  Debating how she should play this, in the end, Carissa chose the truth. “It is a correct statement to say that I don’t have any official training in catering. As in,” she quickly continued, “I never worked for a caterer or had a business of my own.”

  “Now, see, dear, that is a
problem. We’ve already invited over a hundred people to Bonnie’s shower and everyone is expecting this to be an amazing event.”

  “Of course.” Carissa was close to losing it.

  “I just don’t think I can continue on with you.”

  Mrs. Reynolds’s dismissal hurt. All of Carissa’s hard work and she was going to lose this important job. She was going to fail. Just like her father.

  Then something snapped inside her. She wasn’t like her father at all. Hadn’t she already decided that? Maybe her dad would give up at this point. Cut his losses and move on. But if she truly wanted to be independent, truly make it on her own, bumps in the road were inevitable. This was her first test and she so wasn’t failing this exam.

  “I got this.” She didn’t realize she’d said the words out loud until Mrs. Reynolds questioned her.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Sorry,” Carissa said. “Mrs. Reynolds, I completely understand your concerns about me.”

  “I’m glad you do.”

  “However, while I may not have official experience as a caterer, trust me when I say that I’ve been catering events for years, oftentimes at the last minute. In fact, there was a point when I was throwing at least one dinner party a week. In addition to that, I’ve trained with some of the best culinary instructors in Chicago.”

  “Yes, dear, but your references...”

  “Lilah Dumont can serve as my reference. Besides, you were at both her end-of-summer party and the charity event she hosted last week. I think it’s safe to say that my food spoke for itself.”

  “Well, of course, it was fabulous, but...”

  Carissa was on a roll now. “Again, I understand and appreciate your concerns. I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes.”

  “You would?” Mrs. Reynolds’s voice softened.

  “Of course. This is your daughter’s bridal shower. A once-in-a-lifetime event.” Unless precious Bonnie gets divorced like me, Carissa thought wryly. “This day needs to be special, memorable.”