The Little Brooklyn Bakery

by Julie Caplin

  Bless all of them, working hard to act normally, giving her the space and time to do what she needed to do. A burst of love for Bella and her generosity bloomed in Sophie’s heart. Without any reservation, she’d shared her friends, her kitchen, her life and in turn these good people had opened their arms, offering easy acceptance through the common bond of food and a love of food. With a teary smile, she blinked at them and put her hand on top of Bella’s.

  ‘Thanks Bel.’

  ‘You, OK?’

  Sophie gave her a tremulous smile. ‘Not really but … I will be.’

  ‘Yes, you will,’ said Maisie, suddenly chipping in.

  ‘Just don’t be nice to me,’ threatened Sophie, trying to keep the mood light. If she gave into the anger coursing through her veins, she might explode and she didn’t want to upset them. ‘Otherwise I might start blubbing all over you. I’m guessing Bella told you, my ex turned up.’

  ‘I did. I’m so sorry. If I’d known I would never have let him wait for you. He seemed so sincere,’ Bella wailed. ‘Turning up with the ring and all. Shit, I can’t believe it. Married and you never knew. In all that time. Two years. You had no idea. Seriously?’

  Sophie raised her hands. ‘What can I say? I’m an idiot.’

  ‘No, you’re not, honey,’ Maisie shook her head vehemently, her dark curls bouncing in agreement. ‘You’re too darned nice.’

  ‘Sheesh!’ said Edie with a scowl. ‘You let him stay in your place. I’d would have shown him the door … after I’d rearranged his boys for him.’

  ‘Ouch,’ said Ed. ‘That’s my girl. Bloodthirsty warrior. I keep the knives away from her most of the time.’

  ‘I’m kind of regretting that now.’

  ‘What, regretting not doing him bodily harm or letting him stay?’ asked Maisie, looking amused.

  ‘Both, actually,’ said Sophie with a quick rueful grin. ‘I was so shocked to see him. There are a million and one things I wished I’d said to him now.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I told him he had to be out by eight in the morning,’ said Bella. ‘You can sleep on my couch, it’s a pull-out. I’m guessing Todd wasn’t home.’

  ‘Thanks Bel, that would be great,’ she said, deliberately avoiding talking about Todd. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold it together. At the moment she was furious with him, but that was only going to last for so long. The heat of the battle would fade. Tomorrow would be another matter, when she was left to bear the weight of the loss.

  ‘Well, I’ve got the very thing for you. Ed and Edie are here to give me and Maisie a masterclass in bread-making. We’re making sourdough. You can join in.’

  ‘Oh yes,’ said Edie. ‘Violence is always the answer. Pummelling dough is the perfect punchbag.’

  ‘You can see why I avoid getting on the wrong side of her,’ said Ed, the fond look on his face at complete odds with his words.

  ‘Imagine it’s your ex.’ Edie jumped up. ‘And we brought supplies.’ With a clink and a rattle, she lifted a brown bag up from beside her armchair. ‘My friend Jack.’

  It turned out bread-making, drinking and laughter were not a bad way to spend an evening.

  Drunken bread-making was to be highly recommended, decided Sophie the following morning, although she was all for divorcing any further association with Jack. When she opened her eyes, the tiny crack of the light streaming through Bella’s lounge window hurt.

  ‘Oh lordy, lordy,’ croaked Bella, tiptoeing into the room with two steaming mugs. ‘Please tell me you feel as bad as I do. And please tell me I didn’t imagine texting the girls and asking them to open up the bakery today.’

  ‘You texted the girls. You texted Wes.’ Sophie reached for the coffee. ‘You’re off the hook.’

  ‘It was worth it, we made damn fine bread, though.’

  ‘My arms ache.’ With a flex of her bicep, she winced. ‘Who knew it would be such great therapy?’

  ‘Knead that man right out of your life.’

  ‘I wish,’ said Sophie. ‘I am such an idiot.’

  ‘No, you’re not. You keep saying that. He’s not worth it,’ said Bella stoutly. ‘His wife can have him back.’

  Sophie gave her a woebegone smile and from absolutely nowhere tears welled up in her eyes.

  Bella frowned. ‘We’re not talking about James, are we?’

  Sophie shook her head, fighting back a sob. Last night she’d succeeded in putting on a brave face but this morning it hit her, just as she knew it would. When Bella hugged her, all her defences crumbled and she broke down and cried. Slow, quiet, heartbroken tears of regret and frustration, while Bella held her and rubbed her back.

  When her tears finally subsided, she felt wrung out and exhausted. Burying her head in her hands, feeling her puffy cheeks beneath her fingers, she whispered again, ‘I am such an idiot.’

  ‘Aw, hon.’ Bella put her arm across her shoulder and pulled her close again.

  ‘This is where you say, I told you so.’

  ‘No, this is where I say my cousin’s the idiot.’

  ‘At least he’s an honest idiot.’

  ‘Still an idiot.’

  ‘I’m not disagreeing with you there.’

  ‘What happened?’ Bella took her hand.

  ‘He’s running scared. When I saw him last night he tried the you’ll be better off with James tack. And he should have known better.’

  Bella squirmed. ‘I promise I’d never have let James over the threshold if I’d had any idea. What a jerk. I wouldn’t have said anything to Todd, if I’d known, either. I feel so bad. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. It’s not your fault and it wouldn’t have made any difference,’ replied Sophie, bleakness threatening to overcome her. ‘It was the perfect excuse for Todd to bail.’ She sighed and gave Bella a rueful half-smile. ‘I did tell him he was a coward.’

  ‘Ouch, how did he take that? Not that he doesn’t deserve it.’

  ‘How you’d expect? He’s stubborn but, like you said, he’s consistent. He said he wasn’t interested in anything permanent. And he meant it. To be fair to him, I agreed. There was always a shelf-life. It’s not like this is a surprise.’ Listen to her, she sounded positively stoic when inside her heart felt like a mangled wreck.

  ‘Except,’ Bella heaved a big sigh, ‘I sort of thought, that maybe … that maybe you were the one that was going to change him. The two of you looked good together. And you were good for him.’ Her voice rose in frustration. ‘Really good for him.’ She hugged Sophie again. ‘At least you’ve only got another month here.’

  Sophie nodded, noncommittal before suddenly deciding to tell Bella about Trudy’s offer. It had been playing on her mind ever since her boss had spoken to her. ‘If I wanted to stay, would you let me lease the apartment, even if it pisses your cousin off?’

  Bella sat up, her head bobbing up, alert like a small bird and a little smile hovering around her mouth. ‘All the more reason to lease the apartment to you. In fact I’d negotiate a discount if it really makes him pissed.’ Bella looked at her. ‘Are you thinking of staying? That would be awesome.’

  ‘You’re only saying that because of the free labour,’ teased Sophie, her mood lifting at Bella’s unconditional enthusiasm.

  ‘Well naturally. But how come?’

  ‘I’ve been offered a permanent job at the magazine and I can extend my work visa for up to three years.’

  ‘And you want to stay? What about Todd?’ Her expression held a touch of mischief. ‘That’s going to be interesting. He bailed on you because he thought you wouldn’t be around much longer. Made it easier for him. This changes things.’

  Sophie screwed up her face, mutinous and defiant, although inside she felt anything but. ‘It’s not going to change anything with him. His mind is made up. He says he can’t be in a committed relationship. And he genuinely believes that.’ It was going to hurt seeing him every day, she had no idea how she was going to cope, but she wasn’t running away for a second time.<
br />
  ‘I’m staying.’ Sophie looked out of the window, surprised by the tug of love she suddenly felt for the city. ‘I love Brooklyn. I love living here. The bakery’s become like home. When Trudy suggested it, I was surprised but the more I think about it, the more I want to stay, even though Todd has called time.’ It wasn’t that she had anything particular to go back to London for. She liked the person she’d become. Wanted to explore being that person. If she went back to London now, she might fall back into the old patterns. The same old routines.

  ‘In that case I’ve got a proposition to put to you.’

  Sophie managed to laugh, although it sounded forced. ‘Businesswoman Bella, straight on it.’

  ‘Hell yes.’ Bella held out her fist and Sophie bumped it.

  ‘Go on then, what’s your latest fiendish plan?’

  ‘I really want to expand the wedding-cake business, but … well, you nailed it with the wallpaper cake. You’re better with people than I am. Translating what they really want. You listen whereas I tend to think I know what they want. I can do the technical stuff, but … and I really hate admitting it,’ she scowled at Sophie with a twinkle in her eye, ‘but your ideas are a hell of a lot better than mine.’

  ‘Rubbish, look at the My Fair Lady cake.’

  ‘Nothing particularly clever there. I used the picture as inspiration and then lots of technique and pretty window dressing, but the creativity was down to the dress designer. I just pinched various elements.’

  ‘I don’t agree but I would love to be your right-hand woman.’

  ‘Excellent. We make a great team. And,’ Bella paused, looking at her watch, an impish grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, ‘what are you doing on Wednesday after work?’

  ‘Well.’ Sophie’s tired sigh made her feel irritated with herself. ‘As of Friday, it looks like most nights are free.’

  ‘Good, well not good because of the reason. I mean, I’m really sorry and …’

  Sophie held up her hand. ‘Bella, stop. I know what you mean. What’s happening on Wednesday?’

  ‘Eleanor has been recommending me, us, left right and centre. I’ve had three enquiries by email this morning alone and on Wednesday we’re meeting Alessandra di Fagolini.’

  Sophie nodded, suddenly diverted by the text alert on her phone. ‘I can do that.’ She snatched up the phone, hope turning to sharp disappointment when it wasn’t Todd’s name on the screen.

  Chapter 30

  Butterflies hammered at her stomach, desperate for escape, as she stepped out of the lift on Monday morning. She was going to be cool and calm with him. Skirting the first desk, crossing the office, she looked over to the window. They were both reasonable people. They’d been friends first. It would be fine … eventually. Oh shit. He was there. Sitting at his desk. Looking … tired. Looking like the Todd he’d always been. Pain pinched at her heart, almost stopping her in her tracks. Damn, it wasn’t supposed to feel this bad.

  She’d been kept super-occupied over the weekend. Maisie had had an alleged babysitting emergency on Saturday night. Double trouble didn’t begin to describe the twins and looking after them was the gold standard in distraction. Wes had asked for help potting up a delivery of herb seedlings and Edie had insisted Sophie should visit them at their workshop to see how bagels were made. Despite all that, it had been impossible to keep thoughts of Todd at bay but seeing him in the flesh, it was so much worse. Her stomach turned a dozen flips with each step she took.

  Forcing herself to keep walking, she approached their desks, and he looked up.

  ‘Sophie,’ his smile was strained and it struck her that for once he looked uncertain.

  ‘Todd.’ See, she ignored the frantic pulse threading her veins, she could do this. Act normal. Even smile, although it felt plastic and didn’t go anywhere near reaching her eyes. ‘How’s Marty? Did you see him?’

  Relief flooded Todd’s face. ‘He was good. Really good,’ he nodded his head with sudden enthusiasm, his eyes meeting hers in a genuine smile. ‘He’s happy. He likes it there. Wants to stay.’ He laughed. ‘He likes the discipline. Knowing where he is, what he’s got to do. Who’d have thought?’

  ‘Well that’s … good.’ Lame, Sophie, lame but it was hard to think straight with that sudden direct smile. This was why she loved the idiot so much. Because he loved his brother. And suddenly from nowhere, she was absolutely furious with him. Rage buzzed like angry bees in her head. ‘You could have let me know, I was worried about him too, you know.’

  ‘I brought you coffee.’

  The complete change in tack took the wind out of her sails momentarily, as Sophie looked down at the insulated cup on her desk, managing to mutter a tight, ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I … I missed you this weekend.’

  She froze. Anger fizzing even more furiously. The breath caught in her throat at his hesitant smile and a heavy weight settled on her chest.

  ‘I … do you want to go out to dinner tonight?’

  ‘Dinner?’ Her voice sounded rusty and distant, even though she felt as if at any second the top of her head was going to explode with a flood of lava-like fury.

  ‘Yes,’ his voice had confidence now, as if he’d got over the first hurdle and the rest was plain sailing. There it was, that easy Todd charm. The man for whom everything came effortlessly. No one ever said no to him. ‘There’s a new Brazilian steak house opened on Fulton Street.’

  ‘And then what?’ Her oh-so-quiet deadly voice made his eyes cloud with the sudden attention of a man with a hand grenade in his palm, unsure whether the pin had been pulled or not.

  ‘Er … what do you mean?’

  Her dark smile held the self-satisfaction of a praying mantis about to pick off her victim. She might love him but …

  ‘After dinner? Back to mine? A fantastic shag? Pick up where we left off?’

  Todd flinched at the acidic bite of her staccato questions and his mouth moved as if he wanted to say something but knew better.

  ‘You don’t get to say you missed me,’ Sophie said, deadly calm. ‘You made a choice.’

  ‘What if I made a mistake?’ Todd sounded sincere.

  ‘It’s not enough. I’ve realised, I’m an all-or-nothing girl.’

  Todd took a step back. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I want a proper relationship. One that has the potential to go somewhere. I want permanency. Promises. Exclusivity forever.’

  Panic flared in his eyes. ‘You know I can’t do that.’

  ‘I think you can.’

  Todd shook his head. ‘I can’t.’

  Sophie picked up the coffee cup. ‘Thanks for the coffee. You know where I am,’ she said over her shoulder as she sauntered off towards the test kitchens, where she spent the rest of the day.

  ‘Sophie?’ Bella’s worried face greeted her as she rushed into the hotel foyer.

  ‘Sorry I’m late. I got tied up and then there was a problem on the subway. Is she here yet?’

  ‘No, thank goodness. I definitely couldn’t handle this one on my own.’

  ‘Of course you could.’ Poor Bella’s hands were shaking. ‘It’s another wedding cake.’

  ‘Not this one. I thought Eleanor was big but this is massive. It’s Alessandra Di Fagolini.’ The cartoon saucer-wide eyes told Sophie she was missing something here.

  ‘OK, I don’t know who she is.’

  ‘You’ve never seen America’s Next Supermodel, have you? She’s the top judge even though she’s only twenty-six. She and her boyfriend are like royalty over here. She’s interviewing us, with a view to deciding whether to even give us a shot at the design.’

  It sounded a gig fraught with problems but this was Bella’s business. ‘And you really want the job?’

  ‘You’re kidding me, this would be a serious publicity boost. They’ve already sold the pictures to some magazine for a six-figure sum. I’m probably not a big enough name for them. I’m surprised I made it on the list. They—’ she stopped with a sudden squ
eak.

  A tall glamorous coffee-skinned woman prowled towards them, endless legs revealed by the split in a skirt that stopped inches from her crotch. Cat-like eyes made up with gold and green eye-shadow glittered at them in lazy assessment but she didn’t say a word.

  ‘Hi Alessandra. I’m Bella and this is my associate, S—’

  ‘Lady Sophie Bennings-Beauchamp,’ interrupted Sophie, holding out a hand, conscious of Bella’s startled gasp.

  ‘You’re English,’ Alessandra’s drawl added an extra syllable to her words although her indifferent gaze sharpened a little. ‘You know Harry and Meghan? William and Kate?’

  Sophie gave a discreet shrug as if, of course she did, but she couldn’t possibly say.

  ‘Cool.’ With a nod, Alessandra sank into one of the velvet tub chairs and crossed her legs with the sort of slow deliberation which left you in no doubt that she was aware that every masculine gaze had swivelled in her direction.

  Like a pair of obedient lapdogs, Bella and Sophie sat down opposite her. There was a hush in the room as if everyone was straining to listen in.

  ‘Lovely to meet you, Alessandra.’ Bella’s voice sounded horribly loud and she looked around. ‘Perhaps you can tell us what you’re looking for.’

  ‘A cake.’ She lifted one shoulder. ‘A fabuloso, zinger of a cake.’ With that she leaned back, the sleepy smile was back in place. It was a wonder she didn’t just curl up and go to sleep, she was so relaxed.

  ‘Right.’ Bella tapped her notepad with her pencil. ‘Any ideas on what sort of cake? Traditional fruit? Chocolate?’

  ‘Uh.’ Alessandra wilted as if even considering that information was too much, her eyes had wandered over to the reception desk where there were a number of people trying to manage the complicated feat of straining to get a look at her while pretending not to. ‘Really? Aren’t you the go-to guys? You tell me. Toddy said you were the best.’ She sighed and stretched her mouth, turning it down in a disconsolate pout as if this was all too much effort.