smiled back, and then stood up. He wondered what she was about to do.
“May I say something?” she asked the room.
Dan took her in and nodded, without saying a word.
“I’m not a scientist. I only understood parts and pieces of what was discussed here tonight, but I understand the importance of the work Dr. Ellison is doing. That’s what we should be talking about,” she gently chastised the reporter. “However, as the owner of the bakery you’re all talking about, I have to speak up.”
She took a deep breath, and Dan didn’t think she’d ever been more beautiful.
“Dan’s formula helped me make my business a success. But more than that, all of his science is about helping people. As it turned out, his formula also helps people all the time, to have a little more confidence, a little more fun, a little more spark in their lives. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why anyone would find something wrong with that,” she said, again glaring directly at the reporter.
Dan discreetly covered his smile with his hand. He didn’t need to say anything. Jodie was on a roll.
“And one final thing. I know the cookies have an effect, whether it’s a chemical one or a psychological one, it doesn’t matter.”
“How do you know this?” the reporter interjected.
Jodie pulled herself up, looking so stunningly gorgeous that Dan couldn’t take his eyes away from her. She looked at the reporter as she spoke.
“Because I’ve experienced their effect, firsthand. They helped me find the man I love. At first I thought it was just a chemical reaction, but guess what? When the effect of the frosting wears off, the feelings don’t. The cookies just gave us the boost we needed to do something about it, like Dr. Ellison said. Sometimes we just need a little help expressing them, that’s all.”
The man I love. The words echoed in Dan’s ears, and the room fell away. People murmured among themselves as he left the podium to walk to where Jodie stood, as the reporter scribbled notes frantically.
The Dean might have said something, and people were talking amongst themselves, and asking him more questions, but Dan didn’t care about any of it.
He took Jodie’s hand and pulled her outside where he could get her alone.
JODIE HURRIED ALONG after Dan, her heels clicking on the pavement.
“Dan! You can’t just leave! This is your event,” Jodie objected as they made their way across the parking lot to sit on a bench under a swaying willow tree.
“I don’t care about that,” he said, pulling her down on the bench with him.
Jodie’s heart was beating like mad, and she was sure it wasn’t from the race across the parking lot. She bit her lip.
“I’m sorry. I really did it, didn’t I? Standing up and going off like that? I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but that reporter just got under my skin and—”
He put a finger to her lips. “Jodie, you could never embarrass me. I loved what you had to say. One part in particular. I was kind of hoping you could repeat it for me,” he said, his hands firm and warm around hers.
Jodie’s heart really did pick up speed now.
She knew what he meant, and pulled her hands from his, framing his face. She’d known this face for a long time and had never realized until now how precious this man was to her. Or maybe she had known it all along, but now she was ready to say so.
“I love you Dan. I love you so much it’s almost more than I can bear. I want you, and to have a life with you, and everything that we can have together,” she said.
The happiness that transformed his features touched her heart. He looked like she’d just handed him the moon, sun and stars all in one. It choked her up that anyone could feel this way about her, but especially her best friend.
“I love you, too, Jodie, and you have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. I want to share everything with you, too. I want to make you as happy as you’ve made me,” he said earnestly.
Tears flowed down over tender kisses that quickly turned hot, and Dan pulled back, wiping a tear from her cheek.
“Hey, what’s this?”
Jodie swallowed hard. “It just hit me, how stupid I’ve been for so long, when we could have been together. I’ve been so worried that I wouldn’t be enough for you.