by Layla Frost
Me: Wish I could be there to help but I gotta get to class. Love you.
“Seriously. Does he have a twin brother? A cousin? Anything?” Melanie asked. All the girls nodded.
“No brother. Don’t know about the rest but I’ll find out. I’ve gotta get going.” I grabbed my bag and headed to class, no longer frazzled.
*******
“What’s up?” I asked as I got out of Bo.
Since Jake brought me lunch the week before, we’d only seen each other at night. Because of the publicity, I’d had a rush of new business. My schedule was completely full for months and I was turning away more orders than before.
Hyde was even busier.
Jake had texted when I was in class and asked me to come see him when I was done. I’d been trying to get him to tell me why all afternoon, but he wouldn’t spill.
“It’s a surprise.”
“What is?”
“Come here.” Jake grabbed my hand and pulled me through the shop.
“Hi, boys! Bye, boys!” I said with a wave as I hurried to keep up with Jake’s long strides.
Coming to a sudden stop in the hallway, he turned to me. “Close your eyes.”
“No problemo, Mr. Bossy Pants.” I played along and shut them. Surprises weren’t normally my favorite thing, but I knew if anyone could change that, it was Jake.
Grabbing my hands, he guided my steps. I heard a door open and then close. “Okay, you’re good.”
Opening my eyes, I closed them again, sure I was seeing things. We were in the break room, only it wasn’t the one I remembered.
The walls had been repainted. There was a new stand mixer on the counter that was similar to mine at home, but much bigger and a higher quality. Next to it were mixing bowls, spatulas, measuring cups, and just about everything needed in order to bake.
I was speechless.
“We cleaned the walk-in and it’s up and functional. The health inspector was in and, as long as you use the side door and not the garage, it’s legit. I also had someone come in and double check the walk-in and the oven. Both are good to go.”
“Jake…” My voice trailed off, unsure of what to say.
I’d never told him about my loan getting denied. Dwelling on it wasn’t going to change anything. I’d handled the rejection by putting on my big girl panties and moving on. I had a business to run, with or without the help.
“I wanted to save it for your birthday, but I’m sick of barely seein’ you. I thought it might be easier for you with more space and stuff. The men were on board when I brought it up. Though I’m sure they wouldn’t say no if you baked them somethin’ every once in a while.”
I looked around the room, my mind going off in a million different directions.
Jake had done this for me.
I didn’t ask for it.
He thought of it to make my life easier.
To see me more.
It’s only me.
“Sweets, if you don’t like it, it’s cool. I should’ve talked—”
I grabbed his hand and began pulling him from the room.
“What’s wrong?” Jake asked.
“Nothing. I just wanna thank you in a way that wouldn’t be appropriate in a health inspected kitchen.”
*******
“God, I freakin’ love it when you do that.” I stood up from being bent over the front of Jake’s desk. I stretched before bending down to pull up my pants.
“And I love when you do that. Got a killer ass, sweets.”
“Are you sure you want it hanging around every day?” The gesture was touching, but I was a little worried that the reality of seeing me every day would get old. Fast.
“Will you let me do what I just did?”
I nodded. “Definitely.”
“Then, yeah. I’m sure.”
“Jake, for once I’m being serious.”
“So am I. I’ve seen you bake before. You zone out and you’re in your own world. It isn’t like we’d be steppin’ on each other’s toes.”
“Good point.” I buttoned my pants and turned towards the door.
Then I froze.
Hung on the wall opposite his desk were five framed pictures of us.
“Like them?” I jumped as Jake’s voice rumbled close to my ear. His arms slid around my waist and he brought his chin down to rest on my shoulder.
“Where’d you get them?” I whispered
“One of the photographers.”
“I saw that one in the paper.” I pointed to the picture of us smiling at each other.
“Didn’t know you’d seen that.”
“Yeah. A friend from school showed it to me after you dropped off lunch last week.”
“You freak?”
“Nope. I mean, it was a little weird to know someone was interested enough in what I was doing to take pictures.”
I looked closely at the other four pictures. One was Jake behind me with his arms around my waist and his lips on the spot behind my ear. There was a close-up of me smiling. The third was him kissing my shoulder when he’d interrupted the interviewer to check on me.
My favorite, by far, was of us from behind. Jake’s hand was on my ass and I was leaning into him. His lips were pressed to the top of my head and his face was in profile.
“How’d you get them?” I asked, unable to look away. The lighting and composition of the pictures gave them a magical look.
“I called the photographer after I saw the ones in the paper. He sent me over these five prints.”
“Why?”
“Gives me somethin’ to look at while I’m workin’.”
So badasses can be vulnerable and romantic.
Good to know.
I tilted my head back and kissed Jake’s jaw. “If I’m right across the hall, you can come look at me while I work.”
“And thank fuck for that. Though, if I’m in there, I’m doubtin’ you’ll be gettin’ much work done.”
“And thank fuck for that.” Stepping away, I put my shoes on and turned back to him. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll work from my place today, but I’d love to try out the kitchen tomorrow. That okay?”
“Why would I set this up if it wasn’t?”
“Good point.”
“Do you wanna go shopping tonight and get anything else? When I went to get the stuff, there was all sorts of fancy shit at the store.”
“That’s okay. I have plenty I’ll bring.”
“Gotcha.”
I could tell from the look in his eyes that he did get me.
What he’d done touched me in a way that I knew would stay with me forever, but it was still my business. My pride in working hard and doing things myself meant a lot to me.
He so knows me.
*******
The next morning, I got up early and left Jake sleeping so I could get to Hyde’s before it opened.
Before bed, he’d given me the key and alarm info, which made me feel warm all over again. To show him how much it meant to me, I’d given him something else that made us both hot.
After packing up my supplies and laptop, I stopped at the grocery store for ingredients. Once I got everything settled at Hyde, I made a batch of scones and whipped up some sweet cream.
Huh. Who’d have thought a bigger mixer and oven would make things so much easier? It’s almost like those are imperative to baking. Nah. Just like I’m sure the extra million feet, give or take, of counter space won’t come in handy.
My first hiccup of the day came when I’d opened the bag of flour.
I knew my day was going to be hectic so I’d come up with a genius idea to save time by wearing my delivery outfit of a black wrap skirt with a purple camisole and black cardigan. Proving I was a daredevil that lived on the edge, I was also in strappy heels.
Since I had the tendency to wear half of my ingredients, this was not a smart idea. I was also forced to move at a snail’s pace to prevent spills, which meant it wasn’t even a time saving idea.
N
ote to self: Wear junk clothes and bring nice ones to change into. No one wants a cake delivered by someone covered in so much flour they look like they’re reenacting Scarface.
After making a pot of coffee, I sat down with a cup and started planning my cakes for the day. I was roughly sketching some ideas when I sensed someone watching me.
“What’re you doing here?” the voice accused, as if I’d broken in.
“Hi, Chloe. How’re you?”
Mother’s lessons have really been coming in handy. Who knew?
“Does Jake know you’re here?”
No. I like to break into random businesses and leave baked goods as my calling card. I call myself the Reverse Santa.
That sounds like a weird sex position. With the sack…
Never mind.
Chloe stepped into the room and looked around. “It looks different in here.”
“Yeah, I changed it,” Jake rumbled as he entered the room. Walking to me, he bent and kissed my head. “Couldn’t sleep once you left, sweets. You get up too fuckin’ early.”
Key, Kase, and Z all walked in, looking between the three of us.
“Hey, dudes,” I greeted, keeping my voice light. “Scones are on the counter. There’s sweet cream in the bowl next to them. Have at it.”
“Hello? Am I invisible?” Chloe asked, looking one step away from stomping her feet and throwing a tantrum.
Which was why it probably wasn’t a good idea for Kase to say, “Ah, a man could wish. As long as invisible also means silent.”
“Like I care what you think. At least I’m not a—”
“Chloe, why’re you here?” Jake interrupted.
“Well, I figured after our conversation last night, we should talk in person.”
Last night?
I didn’t miss the smug look Chloe shot in my direction. More importantly, I didn’t miss that Jake wasn’t denying anything.
Instead, he avoided my gaze.
When Jake and I went to dinner the night before, he’d left in the middle of the meal to take a call. By the time he got back, I’d already finished eating. He was distracted as he picked at his cold food. When I’d asked him if everything was okay, he told me that something had come up at the shop.
I wonder what else has been coming up…
“Let’s go to my office, Chloe.”
Chloe smiled triumphantly at me again before turning on her expensive heels to follow Jake.
“Don’t let her get to you. She’s far in Jake’s past,” Kase said.
I nodded, standing to refill my coffee. I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions until I talked to Jake.
He better have one hell of a freakin’ answer, though.
The men sat down at the table and began looking through my cake drawings. Within minutes there was a loud crash as glass shattered.
“Don’t get too fuckin’ comfortable!” Chloe shouted at me from across the room.
“I said get the fuck out,” Jake bellowed from behind her.
As Chloe approached me, the men stood. I held out my hand for them to stay back.
“You think you’re so fuckin’ special, but you won’t last. You may be here longer than most, but that isn’t hard since no one is around more than a day.”
“Chloe. Out.”
Ignoring him, Chloe’s hate spewed on. “Enjoy his big fuckin’ dick. Enjoy his tongue. Take the fuckin’ ride of your life. ‘Cause you’ll put everything into this, but good, hard fucks is all you’re gonna get out of it. You’ll bend over backwards, literally, just waiting for him to tell you his feelings. But he never will.”
“Too late for that,” Z said under his breath.
Just not quietly enough.
Chloe whipped her head around to look at Z, who decided a little too late to keep his mouth shut. “What did you just say?” Turning her head, she looked between Jake and me. I saw the flash of pain in her eyes before it was replaced by anger.
When she stepped closer to me, I held out my hand again as the men shifted. Even with my heels, she was still four inches taller. I wasn’t afraid or intimidated, though. I’d been around enough mean girls to know what she was.
Sad.
“Enjoy the wild ride while you have it. You can’t give him what he likes. And since he’s been talking to me all week, he obviously knows that. Once he gets bored of you, he’ll be back with me where he belongs, doing what he should be doing. No more being stupid. No more wasting his life with these losers and this fuckin’ bullshit.”
I punched her. Right in the face.
She crumbled to the ground with a pained cry.
Bending down, I got in her space as I vibrated with anger. “Don’t you ever, and I mean ever, talk shit about my man or my boys,” I bit out, my voice low and raspy. “You wanna lash out at me? Fine. But if you ever talk like that about them again, you’ll regret it. And that’s a promise.”
I rose up as Chloe stood and then took a tiny step towards me. “Who—”
“You wanna keep going, feel free. I used my last shred of control not pulling you up so I could hit you again. Since Jake went through all the work of setting up this spot so he could see me more, I’m thinking it wouldn’t be a good idea to get blood all over the place. But if you’d like to push this, I’ll be happy to.”
Stepping back, she turned to face Jake. “I hope you’re happy with your choices, Jake. Not only is she too young for you, she’s crazy. You can’t seriously want to be with someone like this.”
“Fuck yeah, I do,” Jake rumbled. “I told you to leave. Multiple times. I should call Frederick and have him come remove you, includin’ tellin’ him why you’re here in the first place. But if you’re like this when you’ve got a man, I hate to think how you’d be when he dumped your ass. Now I’m more inclined to let my woman remove you herself.”
“You’re making a huge mistake, Jake.” Chloe looked my way, her eyes going wide as I stepped towards her. Turning, she rushed from the room.
“I’m gonna make sure she leaves without making another fucking scene,” Z said, following her.
Jake came over to me but I turned away.
Placing the scones and sweet cream on the table, I asked, “Anyone want coffee?”
“Sweets, come here.”
“Now is not a good time, Jake.”
“Piper, what she said about you—”
Putting my hands on my hips, I let out a humorless laugh. “I don’t care about that, Jake. Biker bitches might do it well, but rich bitches do it better. Her running her mouth? That was nothing. That was white noise. I didn’t care ‘til she started talking shit about my boys. No one does that.” There was a fierceness in my voice that I hoped they heard. “I’ve gotta get to work. I’m running behind schedule.”
“Okay.” Jake lowered his lips to mine.
For the first time since we became us, I let him without returning the kiss.
Like most everything else, Jake didn’t miss it. Pulling back, he looked down at me. “I’m… I’ll… See ya, babe,” he muttered. His body was stiff as he turned and walked out the door.
Key grabbed a scone. “Thanks, Piper. These are my favorite.”
“I know.” I attempted a smile. “That’s why they’re here.”
He gave me a wide smile before heading to the garage.
Best compliment ever.
“You okay, Pipe?” Kase asked when we were alone. His eyes searched my face.
“Yeah, I’m good. The adrenaline wearing off means my hand hurts now, though. How do people do that all the time?” I wiggled my fingers to try to ease the tightness at my knuckles.
As I pulled ingredients out, I began second guessing my decision to bring so many of my supplies.
First day working in the kitchen here and I already wish I had an exit strategy?
Awesome sign.
Coming up next to me, Kase fixed himself a cup of coffee. “Didn’t know he was talking to her this week, did ya?”
“Nope.”
“I wouldn’t be here if I thought differently.”
If I honestly thought Jake was cheating on me, I’d leave behind everything I had. Even if that meant going to my mother for a loan to replace it all, I wouldn’t bother sticking around to pack a single box.
Still, he’d lied to me. So while I wasn’t making a run for my car, I also wasn’t happily skipping across the hall to fool around.
“Nah, didn’t figure you would be.” Kase headed for the door before pausing. “Hey Pipe?”
“Yeah?” I looked over at him when he didn’t continue.
His dreads were pulled back and up for work. His work stained jeans were loose and hung way low from his hips. A white undershirt tank top accentuated his golden skin, colorful ink, and the strength in his body.
Rougher around the edges than most, he was blatantly male. There was a raw power about him that was impossible to miss.
But in that moment, I could almost forget he was the man he was. With his crystal blue eyes gleaming with feeling and vulnerability, I saw a kid, long ago lost.
A feeling of grief hit me as I looked at him, but I didn’t know why.
Kase cleared his throat. “What you said about us? The way you said it? Mahalo nui loa, me ke aloha.”
“That’s beautiful, but I don’t know what it means, sweetie.”
“Thank you very much, with love.” His voice was low, the feeling in it so immense that it was physical, like the tightest hug.
Before I could respond, Kase’s face lit with his usual playful smirk and his eyes glittered with humor. “And, Piper? You ever punch someone again, especially if you’re wearing killer heels and a short skirt, make sure I’m there to watch. That was hot!”
“No problem. That being said, don’t plan on it being anytime soon. My hand still hurts and it’s going to make cake decorating more painful than the usual cramps.”
He shook his head as he left the room. “A man can dream.”
*******
A few hours later, I loaded my van with cakes and one birthday pie, then left to make my deliveries. When I arrived at the first drop-off, I noticed my phone was blinking. I looked to see a missed call and an unread text, both from Jake.