to show with her grandparents and father. From what he could tell, Hot Cakes had been very much the same for most of the fifty years it had been in existence. The logo had been freshened up about ten years ago—likely Whitney’s doing—but the product line hadn’t changed at all.
Now, watching Whitney brainstorm with Ollie and Dax, Grant could tell that she’d been stifled and was thrilled to have a chance to think outside the box.
And to have two partners in crime.
Oh boy.
“Okay, maybe before we put up a circus tent and start selling off bachelors, we should hammer out some details?” Grant said, interjecting the voice of reason as he so often did.
“Well, I want in,” Ollie said. “I want to be one of the bachelors.”
Grant looked at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Sure. I’ll taste test new products. And I can bake.”
“You can?” Aiden asked as surprised as Grant.
“Well… probably,” Ollie said with a shrug. “I know the basic principles.”
“I don’t know—” Grant started.
But Whitney was nodding. “That’s perfect. It would be hilarious to have a guy up there who doesn’t really know what he’s doing but who can be funny and charming about it.”
“Uh.” That came from Dax. He looked at Ollie. “I love you like a brother, but funny and charming aren’t really your forte.”
Ollie frowned. “I can be funny and charming.”
“He’ll be great,” Whitney rushed to assure them. “Girls love hot nerds.”
“What?” Ollie asked. “I’m a nerd?” He didn’t question the hot part.
Whitney laughed. “You didn’t know that?”
“Well, I…” Then he nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
“But it will be great. If you’re a little awkward up there, the women will eat it up.”
“I want to do this too,” Dax said.
Whitney grinned at him. “I don’t know how Jane would feel about you going on a date with someone else.”
Dax sighed. “True.” He looked over at Aiden. “Guess that means Aiden’s out too.”
Aiden laughed. “Thank God.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have wanted to be up on stage, acting all cocky while you frost some cookies, having girls ooh-ing and ahh-ing over you?” Dax asked.
“I would kick all of your asses,” Aiden said with a nod. “I’ve been… frosting cookies… at Buttered Up for most of my life.”
Whitney lifted a brow at the way he paused before “frosting cookies.” “Yeah, that innuendo stuff will definitely work.” She glanced at the others. You have to do that.”
Aiden laughed. “Yeah?”
“Women are going to love this,” she said confidently.
“You only want women interested in this?” Grant asked.
“I want everyone interested,” Whitney said. “But if the women get interested, the men will be too. They’ll want to see what the girls are into. Maybe they’ll want to try a recipe to impress their girls.” Whitney grinned.
“Oh, we should encourage that,” Dax said. “Have them send in stories and videos of it.”
“Yes,” Whitney agreed enthusiastically.
“Okay, so Ollie’s in. Aiden and I are out,” Dax said. He gave Grant a look.
“What?”
“You should do this,” Dax said.
“No way.”
Whitney turned in her seat to face Grant fully. “You should.”
“Not my kind of thing.” And he was kind of seeing someone. Except that he wasn’t. He was… obsessing about someone. That was not the same thing.
“But we’ve got the hot nerd,” Whitney said, gesturing at Ollie. “We could definitely use a bossy CEO type.”
Grant crossed his arms. “Aiden’s the CEO.”
“Aiden’s off the market,” Whitney lobbed back. “Ollie can do the smart, hot, adorably awkward thing.”
“Hey,” Ollie protested.
“And you can do the broody, sexy suit-and-tie thing,” Whitney went on.
Grant lifted a brow. “Broody?”
“You’re totally broody!” Piper called from her desk.
Grant rolled his eyes. “These guys all wear suits and ties.”
Whitney nodded. “For this, we’ll have you each play up your type. Ollie will wear his glasses and a button-down with jeans. You’ll wear the tie.”
“What will I wear?”
Whitney pivoted at Cam’s question. Her eyes were side, and the tension that had melted out of her was instantly back. “What?”
“What will I wear for my type?” Cam asked.
“Leather jacket and jeans!” Piper called.
“Just get in here so you don’t have to keep yelling!” Ollie yelled.
Piper appeared in the doorway a moment later. “Cam’s the hot bad boy.”
Grant looked at Whitney. Her eyes were on Cam. She swallowed hard. “You’re going to do this too?”
“Damn right,” he said.
“The adorable nerd, the broody suit, and the hot bad boy,” Piper said with a nod. “The perfect trio.”
“You think I’m adorable?” Ollie asked her.
“I think other women will think you’re adorable,” Piper told him. “Since none of them have to work for you.”
“And Cam’s a fantastic baker,”