Identity Risk (The Billionaire Experience #3)

Chapter Twelve

The coffee shop was chaos. The line was out the door, people were pushing in every direction, and the baristas behind the counter looked like they were keeping it together.

Jessie, however, stood her ground as she waited for her order to be called. She sighed as she glanced at her Rolex watch. She mentally calculated how much longer she could tolerate the cramped space before needing to bolt for the exit.

While the popular café had some of the best coffees and pastries in the city, she wouldn’t dare to go near it during the morning hours—let alone on a Monday.

However, she had pulled up her big girl panties and put a lid on her grumblings just this once. And that was only because she felt she owed it as a thank you to Lacie for signing her up on that damn dating app.

Jessie felt like rolling her eyes, thinking about how ridiculous that sounded, even though it was the truth. If it weren’t for that app, she wouldn’t be with Mac right now. Would it have happened eventually? Maybe, but it wasn’t guaranteed.

Jessie grinned. She couldn’t wait to tell Lacie how she had unknowingly reconnected her and Mac.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the barista called her name. Jessie grabbed the extra-large chai latte and the small box containing Lacie’s beloved Oreo cheesecake and happily left the small café.

The fresh autumn air hit her as soon as she stepped outside. It was a welcome contrast to the overheated, chaotic atmosphere she’d just escaped.

As she walked the two blocks to her firm's building, the sound of the city enveloped her. Horns honking, footsteps hurrying along the sidewalk—it was typical Manhattan, but today, it didn't bother her. Like most people who worked, she despised Monday mornings. However, this particular Monday, she welcomed with open arms because it meant she was one day closer to seeing Mac.

During their phone conversation the previous night, they talked about planning a vacation together—time off from work, just the two of them, with no interruptions. Jessie knew what that meant—uninterrupted time for sex and lots of it. Not that she would complain. Just thinking about his hands on her body made her body temperature rise.

When she reached the entrance to her building, she pushed the glass doors, being careful with Lacie’s goodies.

Another person getting on the elevator held the doors open for her, and she thanked them. She pressed the button for her floor. When she reached the top floor and the elevator’s doors slid open, Jessie stepped out and immediately spotted Lacie sitting at her desk, sporting a smirk that was impossible to miss. Her unique violet eyes were gleaming with mischief.

As Jessie approached the desk, she raised an eyebrow.

“Do I dare ask what that smirk on your face means?” Jessie asked.

Lacie leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a knowing grin. “Well, since you haven’t answered your phone, I’ve been left to come up with my own scandalizing assumptions about what happened on your date.”

Jessie laughed at the word Lacie’s used. “Scandalizing?”

“Well, let’s see, you chose Matt’s profile because he seemed like a safe bet and wasn’t looking for sex. However, seeing the gift in your office tells a different story.”

“Gift?” Jessie questioned, looking toward her closed office door. Had Mac sent something else?

“Go look for yourself,” Lacie told her with a nod.

Jessie strode past her friend without telling her that Matt was actually Mac. She’d reveal that detail in just a minute. First, she was curious about this gift that awaited her.

As she pushed open the door to her office, she gasped. Her hand covered her mouth.

In the middle of her office stood the most exquisite cherry blossom tree. Jessie gave her head a little shake, making sure she wasn’t imagining things. Nope, there was a genuine tree in her office.

Its branches looked heavy with delicate pink blooms that filled the room with a sweet, floral fragrance. The tree was a masterpiece, each petal seemingly perfect, and it looked almost surreal against the modern, minimalist décor of her office. But what took her breath away were the small white butterflies clipped to the branches, each one holding a pink envelope that dangled like a tiny treasure.

“Was this here when you arrived this morning,” Jessie asked, turning toward Lacie.

Lacie nodded. “Yep. When I called Larry down in security, he was very vague and just said, ‘it’s all good.’”

Jessie set Lacie’s latte and cheesecake on the small table by Jessie’s desk. She’d give it to Lacie in a minute when she told her all about her Friday night date.

Jessie walked around the tree, her fingers grazing the soft petals as she marveled at the thoughtfulness behind the gesture.

She started to unclip the envelopes and open them. Each envelope revealed a gift of some sort. He had given her a Chilis gift card because he remembered they made her favorite margaritas. There were gift cards to her favorite spa, her favorite candy store, and her favorite wine that was imported from a vineyard in France. Each gift was a small, thoughtful reminder of how well Mac knew her.

She found more envelopes with tickets to a Broadway show, an Islanders hockey game, and another gift card to her favorite jewelry store.

Her smile grew wider with each discovery, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest as she realized just how much effort Mac had put into this.

She shook her head in disbelief, overwhelmed by the sheer extravagance of it all, yet touched by how much Mac had remembered about her, like how she loved the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., and her love for butterflies. It was more than she could have imagined, and it was the perfect touch.

Just when she thought she had found everything, Lacie cleared her throat behind her. Jessie turned to see her friend standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised and a mischievous grin on her face.

“I think you missed something,” Lacie told her before pointing to Jessie’s desk.

Jessie walked over to look, and there lying in the middle of the desk was a bright pink envelope with a single blue rose attached to it. Jessie’s heart skipped a beat as she rounded her desk. Her fingers trembled slightly as she slipped them under the seal of the envelope, breaking it open with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Inside, she found an elegant-looking gift certificate, and her cheeks blushed bright red as she read the name of the store, realizing it was her favorite lingerie boutique. They carried the most beautiful and unique pieces of lingerie she had ever seen or worn. It was very exclusive. Shopping there was done by appointment only.

Attached to the certificate was a note in Mac’s handwriting, along with a business card.

Jessie,

I know your obsession with fine lingerie, and I figured you'd need something new for all the times I'm not planning to let you out of my sight. So, here’s a little something for you to spoil yourself with. There is no limit, of course—get whatever makes you feel as incredible as you already are... and maybe a few things just for me, too.

Cherise Verbank is expecting your call. She’s a good friend and client of mine.

I can’t wait to see what my naughty little vixen picks out.

Mac

Jessie’s eyes bulged in surprise. Cherise Verbank was the designer and owner of the lingerie boutique, and Mac knew her! She couldn’t hold back her excitement and squealed out loud.

When she finally settled and looked up, Lacie was still standing there. Her eyebrow arched even higher than before.

“Okay, I can’t take it anymore,” Lacie said, closing Jessie’s office door and locking it. She stalked over to the sitting area Jessie had set up in her office and sat down on the sofa. She then patted the seat next to her, looking right at Jessie. “I think you and I have a lot to talk about.”

Jessie guessed that she’d left Lacie hanging long enough.

Jessie took a deep breath, and she stacked all of her envelopes of goodies neatly on her desk.

She walked over to the table where she had set Lacie’s treats and picked them up before joining Lacie on the sofa.

“Before I start, these are for you,” Jessie said, handing Lacie her chai latte and Oreo cheesecake.

Surprised, Lacie took the delicious goodies.

“What is all of this for?” Lacie asked, appearing a little suspicious.

Jessie smiled. “It’s a thank you.”

“Okay. And exactly what are you thanking me for?”

“Thank you for signing me up for that app and for encouraging me to step outside my comfort zone.”

The stunned look on Lacie’s face made Jessie laugh out loud.

Once Lacie recovered from Jessie’s admission, she gave her head a little shake.

“Umm…are you feeling okay, Jess?” Lacie asked, and Jessie grinned.

“Oh, believe me, I feel great,” Jessie replied with a big smile.

Lacie took a sip of her latte, eyeing Jessie above the rim of the cup. When she set the cup down on the table in front of them, she cleared her throat.”

“While I appreciate the latte and cheesecake, I have to admit that you are scaring me, Jess.”

Jessie chuckled and patted Lacie’s leg. “I promise that you have nothing to be afraid of.”

“Alright. So, tell me about Friday night then. And I swear you better not leave anything out because obviously, something major happened,” Lacie said, gesturing to the tree in the middle of the office and the envelopes stacked on the desk.

Jessie leaned back, settling in because she knew this was going to be a long conversation.

“So, did Matt turn out to be some Prince Charming?” Lacie asked.

Jessie chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, it wasn’t Matt.”

Lacie frowned. “Wait… what do you mean? The guy’s name that you were supposed to meet was Matt.”

“I know. But it wasn’t Matt,” Jessie repeated, her smile widening. “It was Mac.”

Lacie blinked, visibly confused. “You mean Matt, right?”

“No, Lacie,” Jessie responded, enjoying the buildup. “I mean Mac. ”

Lacie laughed like Jessie was joking. “Oh, come on, Jess, you’re just messing with me. His name was Matt.”

Jessie raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Nope. Mac, as in my Mac. The one I haven’t seen in a year and a half.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. But then Lacie’s jaw dropped, and she nearly knocked over her latte. “Wait, hold on— your Mac? Mac Mac ? As in hot former Navy SEAL Mac? The same Mac that we saw pictures of with other women?! The same Mac who practically dropped off the face of the earth?! That Mac?!”

“Well, technically, I’m the one who dropped off the face of the earth, but yes, that Mac.” Jessie’s voice was teasing, but the blush creeping onto her cheeks gave away how big a deal it all was.

Lacie flailed her arms like she was trying to process the information physically. Well, either that or she was doing a great impression of a floundering fish. “But... how... why... wait! So he’s the one you were with Friday night?!”

“Yes, Lacie!” Jessie laughed. “I spent Friday night with Mac. ”

Lacie’s eyes widened. “Shut up! No way! You spent the whole night with him, and you’re just now telling me this?”

Lacie clapped her hands to her cheeks, staring at Jessie in awe. “Girl, you have got to tell me everything right now before I implode from the suspense. How did this even happen?”

Jessie leaned forward, lowering her voice as if she were about to spill the juiciest gossip. “You won’t believe half of it, but I swear it’s all true.”

She then proceeded to recount the whirlwind events of Friday night. By the time she finished, Lacie was still sitting there, her jaw slack and eyes wide, absorbing every word like it was too good to be real.

Lacie stared at her friend, still stuck somewhere between disbelief and excitement. She finally let out a giddy laugh. “This is so unreal. But it’s also kinda hot how he was jealous and then planned all of that just to get you back.”

Jessie smiled softly, nodding. “I know. And if I’m being honest. He never lost me to begin with.”

“So, then the tree over there was all him?”

“Yep.”

“Awe, he is so sweet. So, what is your guys’ next step?”

Jessie furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you both own companies—one is in Florida, and one is here in New York.”

Jessie sighed. “I know, and it’s the biggest obstacle sitting between us.”

“Well, can’t you both technically do your jobs wherever you are? I mean, I don’t really know what Mac’s job entails, but as for you, you were still making major decisions while you were gone, and the firm operated just fine.”

Jessie grinned. “You sound like Mac. He told me that wherever I was, that was where he belonged. But that’s not fair to him. Why should he be the one to have to pick up and leave his home and friends.”

Lacie gave Jessie an understanding smile. “Can I give you my opinion without you getting upset?”

“Of course.”

“You said he has friends in Florida, right?”

Jessie nodded. “Yeah, Mac is very close with all his employees. He even served with a few of them. They’re like a little quirky family.”

“Okay. Well, besides me. Who do you really have here in New York that you would consider a close friend?”

Jessie bit her lip as she thought about it, knowing the direction that Lacie was going with this. The answer Jessie was coming up with actually made her feel sad. And she knew Lacie was right. Besides her best friend, Jessie didn’t have close friends. She had acquaintances, but they mostly came through business and social channels. She looked back at Lacie.

“You’re my only close friend, Lace.”

“Now, don’t take this as I’m trying to get rid of you because that is far from the truth. But maybe moving to Florida wouldn’t be such a bad idea. You can keep your place here for when you visit or if you need to come for business.”

Jessie thought about it. It was a pretty big decision to make—life-changing, actually. But in the end, she wanted her happily ever after with Mac.

“Thank you, Lacie. When Mac gets back, I’ll talk to him about it.” It was something she had already planned on talking to him about, but Lacie didn’t need to know that.

Lacie looked at her watch and frowned. “I need to get going. I have a conference call I need to be on. Do you have any plans tonight?”

“No. Mac won’t be back until Wednesday.”

“Oh. Well, do you want to have dinner tonight? We can try that new Thai restaurant that just opened a few blocks over?”

Jessie smiled. “I’d love to. Is seven good?”

“Works for me.”

“Then seven it is,” Jessie said as she stood up.

Once Lacie left the office, Jessie walked over to the tree. As she stood there, she thought about everything that Lacie said. Maybe a change of scenery would be good for her. And if Mac considered his employees’ family, she didn’t want to break that up. She then got an idea. One that would shock Mac and hopefully make him happy.