Alpha Billionaire Series

GABRIELLA

I hated waking up alone, especially when I had fallen asleep in the arms of my love, Nathan. It didn't matter that I would see him again soon. The loneliness of waking without him was still very keen. He slipped out in the dead of night every time, jus when I thought he would stay, and I would end up waking up alone.

I knew it had to do with his family. But he had said he wanted to marry me at some point. I rolled over and daydreamed about the two of us together here. We didn't need his family, or his money to be happy. We would have each other.

I should consider moving downstairs into the larger apartment. My tenant would have to leave first. It seemed ridiculous to live in the larger unit when it was just me. I was too awake to daydream about Nathan, and I had a long day ahead of me before I would see him again. Might as well get it started.

I padded across my apartment and looked at the large calendar on the fridge. It had my work schedule, any specials I needed to prepare for, and it had race nights highlighted. Race nights were on an unofficial schedule, but I tried to track them so that I was properly stocked. My bottom line liked race nights, they kept my little cafe in the black.

My calendar also had other information, and something was missing. Had been missing for... flipped back a month, and a second month. Shit, how had I not noticed? I was missing my period. Was almost a full month late. Damn, Nathan was more distracting than I realized. If I was pregnant, would he marry me sooner?

Mrs. Nathan Anderson. I loved the way that sounded. Gabby Anderson. Gabriella Anderson. I let variations of my name play through my mind as I got dressed. If I was pregnant, that would explain why my jeans had been feeling tight lately. After struggling with a pair, I tossed them into a pile and pulled out a pair of yoga pants. I had a long day of baking ahead of me, I wanted to be comfortable.

I skipped down the back steps and ducked in the back kitchen door.

“Everything under control?” I asked as I headed behind the counter.

The cafe smelled of warm coffee, and sweets. I gave the pastry case a once over. We had a good collection of muffins, but we were low on cookies and cupcakes.

“Yeah, it's been quiet,” Josh, my opener, said.

“Cool, cool. I have to make a quick run to the drug store before I'm in. Do you need anything?”

“Could you grab me a Coke for later?” he asked.

“Sure thing” I headed down the block to the corner drug store.

I loved this neighborhood. It wasn't upscale, and sure some of the stores had gates across the windows, but the people were genuine and kind. It was my home, it was where I had grown up, where my cafe was, and where I wanted to stay.

I made good time in the drugstore, only getting what I needed. My insides a riot of nerves the entire time. With purchases in hand, I headed back and went straight to my apartment on the third floor of the old building that I had inherited, along with the cafe.

I did what I needed to do, and then spent the next several minutes in a panic as I stared at the pregnancy test. At first there didn't seem to be any change. But then I watched the lines grow darker. Two lines in an indigo color told me that I was going to have Nathan's baby. My jaw fell open and I covered my mouth with my hands as I began crying. I was so happy; I couldn't wait to tell him.

I was a mess, a happy mess by the time I returned to the cafe and was ready for a day of baking.

At random, I would find myself smiling like a fool, or even crying.

I couldn't believe this was happening. It was my Cinderella moment. The lowly cook and the handsome prince would get their happily ever after. Every time I picked up my phone to text Nathan, I ended up sending him something silly, or a simple “see you tonight,” message. I couldn't tell him over text, that wouldn't be right.

“Gabriellaaaah,” only Mitch said my name that way, long and drawn out, and loud enough that I could hear it over the commercial mixer.

Iturned to see the man as he stepped into my kitchen. The door swung behind him as he stood there with his arms open and up, somewhere between announcing his presence or looking for a hug.

“Hey, Mitch. What are you doing in my kitchen without a hairnet?” It was a running joke. Mitch shaved his head.

“I need an excuse to see my Gabby? How goes it kid?” He found a stool and perched his skinny a*s on it. He knew my rules, he could be in my kitchen, as long as he was out of the way. If he stepped further in than where he was, I'd make him do dishes. And Mitch did dishes really well, but he never let me pay him, and he certainly would not let me hire him.

“It goes. I'm making those pineapple upside down cupcakes for the crew tonight. You think they'll ike “em?” The crew were the racers who would swarm over the cafe like bees on wildflowers after a race.

“Everyone loves those. Especially when you do the cream cheese frosting.”

Mitch was the kind of man that at first glance shouldn't even know what cream cheese frosting was. He was all tattoos, leathers and grease up under his fingernails. He was also the best de facto guardian a nineteen-year-old who suddenly found herself orphaned and the owner of a cafe could want or need.

A regular who had wormed his way into my parents’ good graces, I was glad for his shoulder to cry on more than once. He was the big brother my parents never had. I bit the inside of my cheek and thought about telling him that I was pregnant. I mean, he was family, of course, he should know, but not until after I told Nathan.

“I was thinking of trying out something new later," I said instead.

“Yeah, like what?"

“Instead of sweets, cupcakes and cookies, what do you think if I started offering more savory options?”

“Like sausage and egg breakfast muffins?” Mitch had been after me to offer a heartier breakfast fair for the past few years. He always claimed to want something that would get him through a morning of work better than a cup of coffee and a sugar bomb.

“Like pizza croissants,” I said. Something easy that didn't require extra prep work is what I had been thinking. Pre-cut pepperoni, tomato sauce, and shredded cheese came in bulk.

“Give it a try, see how they do," he said with a shrug.

He wasn't the best when it came to offering market advice. But I appreciated him for other reasons.

“Is that boyfriend of yours going to bring me his bike for a checkup before tonight?” He looked out for Nathan's bike, and fo; that I was truly grateful. He kept my love safe.

“I can only assume he will. He said he would be here tonight” He had better be here tonight. I didn’t know if I'd be able to hold on to my news for much longer.

“Hey Gab, oh hey, Mitch," Josh crashed into the kitchen.

“S'up dude?” Mitch offered a curled fist to bump with Josh's.

“We just ran out of snickerdoodles, and we have one muffin left," Josh gave me a rundown of our stock. “Cindy isn't in yet an I've got to leave in twenty.”

I sighed and wiped my hands down the front of my apron.

“Don’t worry about the muffins, they needed to sell out. I have cookies in the oven, so" I glanced at the big wall clock— “fresh cookies in less than ten minutes. Has she even called in? She's, what, ten minutes late?” I hissed and bit my lip as I thought. I really needed to be in the kitchen all day.

“Hey, don't worry about it. I can fill in for a bit”All content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Mitch...” I started.

“This is purely selfish. I want to try out these pizza things you are gonna make." He stood and ushered josh out of the kitchen. “I'll man the counter, you get on the horn and find out where Cindy is, and if we need to find someone to cover her shift”

He really was the best big brother a girl never had.

The oven timer binged, and I was pulled away from whatever thoughts my mind had drifted off to. My attention was needed by a few dozen cookies. Cookies, pineapple slices, blending frosting, so much sugar in the air, and finally puff pastries stuffe with pepperoni and cheese.

I was head down and in baking mode for hours before I realized that I should maybe take a break and get off my feet for the baby’ sake. I had been so busy I barely registered that Josh left when his shift ended, and that Cindy had arrived late, and that Mitch had left for his shop.

Isat in the comer that was my “office” and propped my feet up. Pulling out my phone I looked up some websites that were all about expecting and being pregnant.

“I always knew you were a slacker,” Cindy teased.

“What?” I looked up to see her laughing at me.

“Hi Gabriella, how are you today?”

“I'm fine, why?"

“You only grunted at me when I came in, you were so focused on baking. I thought I'd come check on you, and this time you're all crashed out with your feet up. I couldn't resist”

I glanced up at the big clock. From her words, I thought it had only been a few minutes since she got here, but according to the clock, it had been hours.

“How is it four-thirty already?” I asked.

“Have you bothered to eat anything today? Or have you been here huffing sugar and flowers all day?”

I chuckled; huffing was not too far off from what it was like breathing in a cloud of ingredients. Something that couldn't be avoided.

She perched on the same stool Mitch had occupied hours earlier. “Look, it's dead out there. Can we close early? I'll go grab u some hamburgers and you can finish prepping for the night rush.”

Closing time was typically closer to seven, and on race nights, I would unofficially open again around eleven for a few hours of aprés race snacking.

“I'll watch the front if you are willing to still go grab some burgers." My stomach grumbled; I was hungrier than I realized.