His Underestimated Princess

"Stacy Kendrick, as I live and breathe. I guess that answers the did you go home last night question. I'm going to start making you pay rent," said Kenny with an easy smile. "Or I could take you out on a date and we can call it even."

"He's not down enough about the missed promotion to stop hitting on me," I whispered to Scott.

"Exactly why you're the right person to bring along," Scott whispered back. "Men forget all their woes around you."

He said this without even looking my way. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks. Kenny had a conspiracy theory going about Scott and me having a secret relationship. Sometimes, every once in a blue moon, I couldn't help but think that Kenny made some valid points.

"I already have a friends with benefits thing going with Scott. As long as you don't mind that, we can talk," I joked, batting my eyelashes at Kenny.

Kenny took a moment to absorb this information.

"You're not getting me this time. That's not true," said Kenny, looking doubtful. "Is it?" he leaned in and asked. "No, it's not. Scott would have told me. Right? Right Scott?"

"Shut up and drink your coffee," said Scott, pushing Kenny away from me before handing him his coffee.

After some small talk, Kenny reluctantly left us to go and speak to the owner of the bakery about his latest puff piece. It was just Scott and me, looking around the place. Somewhere in the background, Kenny and the cameraman were getting ready to go live.

"Anything look good?"

"I'm going back to Chicago," I blurted out.

Saying the words was like taking a thousand tiny daggers to my heart, and this wasn't coming out the way I wanted it to, but at least the words were out there now.

"Again? You just got back a few weeks ago. It's the start of the semester, Stace. Just last night you were saying you wanted to finish school. How is that ever going to happen—"

"It's not. I'm going back home to get married," I said meekly to a frustrated Scott.

"What are you talking about?" Scott said, his voice rising in pitch. Realizing he was being loud, he lowered his voice and tried again. "You're not getting married."