After her overseas adventures, she’d spent the last few years in L.A. trying to make it as an actress. Everyone said she was dramatic, so why not tap into her natural state of being? Unfortunately, wanting to be an actress and making a living at it were two entirely different things. There had also been her brief stint as a stylist’s assistant, but the less said about that, the better.
The reality TV dating show, My One and Only, had been a last-ditch effort to gain a potential career. At the very least, she thought she’d emerge from the show with certified credentials as a social media influencer, like so many of the show’s previous contestants. Instead, she’d panicked and broken Dr. John’s heart on the season finale because her gut was screaming that something wasn’t right about their relationship. In the process, she’d become public enemy number one. You couldn’t influence anything if the people you were supposed to be influencing hated your guts.
“I expect you to be able to hold a job for a decent amount of time,” Grams continued. “If you can do so for six months until your birthday and get rave reviews from your supervisor, the trust fund is yours.”
Six months?
There it was. The ultimatum she’d been dreading and avoiding. Jada pressed a shaky hand to her roiling stomach. If she couldn’t keep a job for six months, Grams wouldn’t hesitate to follow through with her decision not to give Jada her trust fund. She wasn’t a bullshitter. Then Jada would truly be on her own, her only options to go crawling back to her parents or end up on Olivia’s couch, which Olivia would be okay with, but Jada would not.
Too bad she’d never found that thing that was hers. She didn’t even know if it existed. She wasn’t that great at anything. When she thought about it too long, that grating voice inside her head never failed to whisper, “You’re dumb, that’s why.”
Panic welled up inside her, seizing every muscle in her body into a tight-fisted clench, cutting off her ability to breathe, but she beat it back. Barely. She forced her lips to move. “I understand.”
“Great.” Grams’s voice softened. “I’m not doing this to punish you. I want the best for you.”
Jada squeezed her eyes shut. “I know.” The ultimatum sounded mean, but Jada understood. Grams did believe in her. She just didn’t understand the pressure she’d unwittingly placed on her granddaughter.
“We’ll talk tomorrow. I expect you to have a plan. If you don’t, one will be provided for you. See you at 10 A.M., my office.”
That wasn’t a request.
Jada’s grip on the phone tightened. She needed the anchor, any anchor, even as small as it was. “Of course. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Hmmph. You have a funny way of showing it.” That was Grams. Show love, but take no shit.
“I love you, Grams. I’ll be there in the morning.” Jada ended the call and pressed unsteady palms against her eyelids.
She had less than twenty-four hours to come up with a life plan that would satisfy the person she most wanted to make proud and keep herself from becoming penniless. No biggie. Collapsing against the sofa cushions, she let out a loud, gusty sigh. Oh, God. Where was a cupcake to stuff her face with when she needed it most?
Chapter Three
A slow movie clap greeted Donovan the moment he stepped through the Sugar Blitz front door the next morning. Oh, fuck.
“Y’all can cut that shit out any time now,” he said to his two best friends/business partners.
Thankfully they did, but their twin smirks remained.
“Well, well, if isn’t the ambassador of customer goodwill,” Nicholas Connors said.
Donovan glared at the man he’d known for the past seven years. They’d officially met when the hotshot running back showed up to training camp, positive he was going to run roughshod through the league—until Donovan had laid him flat during his first play in practice. “Good morning to you, too.”
Nicholas spread his hands wide and laughed. “Hey, I’m just repeating what I heard. And what I heard was ah-ma-zing!”
“I can only imagine.” Donovan transferred his glare to Ella, who became engrossed in filling napkin holders at the front counter. He turned to the other member of their best friend triumvirate. “Do you have anything to add?”
August Hodges shook his head. “Naw, man.”
Donovan wasn’t surprised. August was a man of few words who truly believed and lived the adage that actions spoke louder than words. There was no one else Donovan would rather have watching his back. August was the team’s fullback, the one who went in headfirst after the ball was snapped to block for running backs. He’d been through some tough shit, but still stood tall and came to work his ass off every day, first for the team and now for the cupcake shop.