Take the Cake

by Sandra Wright

  Susan got up and waved Michael to stay seated as she went into the kitchen.

  “You know,” Kate whispered once she had gone, “I feel kinda stupid just laying here and being waited on by your mom.”

  “She wants to do it,” Michael reassured her. “It’s a mom thing to do; just go with it.”

  Kate looked uncertain.

  “Kate, you’re just outta practice. You’ll be fine.”

  Susan called Michael and Kate into the kitchen in good time, and they arrived to discover she had produced two bowls of steaming chicken soup accompanied by slices of buttered crusty bread and a jug of water. The kitchen counter had two place settings, and as they took their seats, Susan busied herself with packing things away.

  “Now,” she said over her shoulder as she opened the refrigerator, “there’s enough soup in here for another two meals. This container—” she showed them another sealed plastic tub, “—has got pie in it.”

  Michael swallowed a mouthful of soup and looked at his mother in amazement. “The one with the potato crust?”

  “That’s the one.” Susan nodded.

  “Wow.” Michael looked impressed. “Even I don’t merit that very often.”

  “Oh, stop.” She swatted his shoulder with a laugh as Kate grinned.

  “Susan, that’s amazing, but you didn’t have to go to so much tr—” Kate was waved into silence.

  “Honey, just let me do this. I’d be doing the same for Michael, so it’s just nice to have someone prettier to look after.”

  Kate snorted at this and tried to convert it into a cough without much success. She kept spooning her soup and studied Michael who was unshaven, wearing an old T-shirt, sporting wet hair and teasing his mother. He looked glorious. Kate dunked a chunk of bread into her soup and scooped it into her mouth. Tired as she was, she felt content.

  ~~~

  Emily looked at the wall clock, and then checked the cake supply in the display cabinet. To her delight, the cupcakes had been selling well, and she was feeling quietly confident. Wren returned to the counter with a tub of plates and cups, and Emily opened the dishwasher to help her stack them inside. It was early afternoon and they had gotten through the main rush of the day. There had been periods of stress, but between them they had coped.

  “All good?” Wren asked as she straightened with a slight grimace. She glanced around the store and swooped into a downward dog pose. She held the pose for three exhalations before flowing through to upward dog and then carefully stepped back up into a standing position.

  “Feel better?” Emily smiled as Wren washed her hands. Over the last few months, she had gotten used to Wren and Kate’s spontaneous yoga and had started to attend a few evening classes near her apartment.

  “Yeah.” Wren rolled her head from side to side. “Guess it’s been a hard day.”

  “I know.” Emily looked guilty. “But it’ll get better.”

  “Not you, Emily, you’re fine.” Wren shook her head. “I think we just got used to it being three of us, instead of two.”

  “I don’t know how you and Kate did it,” Emily admitted.

  “Now that you’re here, neither do I,” Wren said with a tired smile. “Now, how about we call our boys and tell them they’re taking care of us tonight?”

  “Good plan.” Emily nodded.

  “I thought so.” Wren smiled with satisfaction.

  Emily reached for the cordless phone and handed it to Wren. “Hey, do you think Kate will be in tomorrow?”

  Wren took the handset and looked thoughtful, tapping one foot as she considered Emily’s question.

  “How did she sound?”

  “Awful,” Emily replied.

  “I think we’d better plan for her not to be in, just to be on the safe side,” Wren advised. “Why do you ask?”

  “I had an idea earlier, something else I could bake for the morning crowd.”

  “Go for it.” Wren shrugged.

  “Just like that?” Emily wiped her suddenly clammy hands against her jeans.

  “Why not? Kate put her faith in you; how about you try doing the same thing?” Wren began to dial.

  “If you say so.” Emily nodded. She was thinking fast now, wondering how many to make, but her attention was caught by Wren’s dialing. “Who are you calling?”

  “David’s voice mail at work. He’ll be in class now,” Wren replied.

  Emily leaned against the counter and folded her arms, watching as Wren cooed a brief message into the phone about getting dinner that evening.

  Wren disconnected the call when she had finished and handed the phone over to Emily who was still watching her with a quiet smile.

  “What?” Wren said, and when Emily said nothing, she looked down at herself. “Do I have something on me?” She touched her hair. “Something in my teeth?”

  “Uh-uh.” Emily shook her head. “So,” she went on in a casual tone, “you called David at work.”

  “Yeah.” Wren gave her a blank look. “What about it?”

  “And you knew his schedule.” Emily ticked the facts off on her fingers. “You knew his extension to get his voice mail.”

  “Right.” Wren nodded slowly.

  “He has a key to your apartment, and you have a key to his,” Emily went on.

  Wren bit her lip and waited, but all Emily did was raise an eyebrow at her and then began to dial.

  “What?” Wren said. “Emily, what?”

  “Just sayin’.” Emily shrugged as she listened to the phone.

  “You haven’t said anything,” Wren protested.

  “Haven’t I?” Emily said, and then, “Hey, Brad.”

  Wren picked up a damp cloth and began to wipe down the counter, her mind racing as Emily spoke to Brad, making plans, joking and exchanging easy warm endearments. By the time she got off the phone, her expression was tranquil.

  “You two sound really good,” Wren commented as she flicked out the cloth before rinsing it out under cold water and hanging it on a rack to dry.

  “We don’t sound any different than you and David,” Emily commented as she set the handset back in its holder and began to head into the kitchen. After a moment’s thought, she opened the refrigerator and checked the contents before flicking on the industrial oven. What the hell, she’d try out her idea.

  “You really think so?”

  Looking up, she saw that Wren had followed her and stood leaning against the kitchen doorway, her expression uncertain.

  “Sure.” She smiled. “Now, what do you think about a breakfast muffin?”

  Wren grinned and any introspection for the afternoon dissipated in the wake of her natural curiosity. “I think you’d better tell me more.”

  ~~~

  “Not even a hint?” Kate wheedled from her position on the sofa.

  “Nope,” Michael called over his shoulder as he walked back into the kitchen to get her some more juice.

  “How about just a little taste?” she tried again.

  “Give it up, Shannon,” Michael replied as he reappeared and set the glass down on the table in front of her. “You’re just going to have to wait until we’re ready for dinner.”

  Susan had stayed and talked over a cup of coffee as Michael and Kate finished their lunch and then had gone on her way. They had stood in the doorway to wave her off, Michael’s arm around Kate’s waist as Susan waved to them as the elevator doors closed. Michael had led Kate back inside and gotten her comfortable on the sofa.

  “I feel much better than this morning,” Kate said. “Maybe I could just go into the store for an hour to—” She stopped when she saw the look on Michael’s face and back-pedalled. “Maybe not,” she amended.

  “You’re right. You’re not a good patient at all, are you?” Michael observed.

  “No,” she said, giving him one of her little guilty smiles that he loved. “But Paul is even worse.”

  “Oh, really?” Michael sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

  “Real
ly,” she said snuggling against him.

  “Well, if he’s gets sick, I’m not cuddling him,” Michael stated. He settled her in his arms and reached for the remote to see what was on the movie channel.

  Kate leaned against him and gazed at the screen. “You know,” she said at last, “this is really nice.”

  “What is?” Michael said in an absentminded tone as he scrolled through the list of movies available.

  “Being self-employed,” Kate replied. “I mean, it’s stressful, but being able to take a day like this without thinking about a boss, it’s—” She shot him a look. “Maybe you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

  “We go about it differently, but I know what you mean,” Michael said. “Here’s one. Have you seen The Hangover?”

  “No.” Kate’s attention returned to the screen. “But I’ve heard good things about it.”

  “Done.” Michael selected the movie, and they both settled back to watch.

  They were both chuckling at the movie an hour later when the words woke up and stirred in Michael’s mind. He had pushed them aside for a few hours, but now they were back and wanting attention.

  “A tiger in the bathroom?” Kate was giggling now. She had eased herself down so that she was lying on the sofa with her head in his lap.

  Michael leaned his head on the backrest and closed his eyes as he willed the words to go away, but it was no good. Another wellspring had been tapped, and the words would go on and on until he could silence them on the screen. He couldn’t afford to lose them now, not when he was so close. He leaned forward, brushing Kate’s hair aside from her ear.

  “Sweetheart,” he began in an apologetic tone, “I need to get some work done.”

  Kate rolled onto her back and gazed up at him. “You gotta write?” When he nodded, she got up into a sitting position and gestured at the TV screen. “We can watch this later,” she said as she reached for the remote.

  “No, it’s okay,” Michael answered. “Leave it on, I won’t be long.”

  “Don’t you usually work with peace and quiet?” Kate asked, and when Michael hesitated she had her answer. Reaching for the remote, she switched off the TV and tossed the controller onto the coffee table. “You go do what you gotta do, and I’ll have a nap or something.”

  “I won’t be long,” Michael repeated as he gave her a soft kiss.

  “No problem.” Kate grinned. She got up and made her way into the bedroom.

  “You don’t have to leave the room,” Michael protested as he stood beside his desk.

  Kate paused in the doorway and smiled again. “Come get me when you’re done,” she invited.

  Michael took a few paces away from his desk so that he could watch as Kate shucked off her yoga pants and crawled into the bed. She seemed comfortable enough with the situation, and yet he paused before taking a seat at his desk and opening the manuscript file on the laptop. He sat there for a moment with his fingers poised on the keyboard, and then began to type, slowly at first, and then with increasing speed.

  Kate cocked her head in the bedroom, listening to him typing and then turned her attention back to the magazine. She felt rested enough, and she had flicked through most of it already. Michael had plenty of books in the living room, but she was reluctant to intrude, especially when she had only just gotten into bed. Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling and huffed out a quiet breath. She was in the middle of reading a really good book, but it was back at her apartment. Rolling back over, she leaned over the side of the bed and picked up the discarded magazine, flicking through the pages with a desultory hand after a quick glance at the clock. Michael had said he wouldn’t be long.

  An hour later, Kate closed the magazine with a soft yawn. She had read articles about politics, the economic situation in Iceland, a Proust questionnaire, she had even re-read the puff piece about the latest Hollywood sensation, and she could hear that Michael was still typing. She leaned over the side of the bed again and peered around for her bag that she had left at the foot of the bedside table. Retrieving her iPod, she put in her ear-buds and scrolled through until she’d found the meditation podcast. Getting comfortable once more, she closed her eyes and let the gentle voice guide her away.

  At his desk, Michael kept typing, and the words kept coming.

  Chapter 22

  Black Holes and Invisible Girls

  Something had awoken her. Kate opened her eyes and saw that the room was dark. The mattress dipped again, and she turned her head to see Michael easing himself into bed.

  “Sorry,” Michael whispered as he moved closer to curl his body around hers. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “What time is it?” she asked in a drowsy voice as she shifted back a little and lifted an arm so that Michael could slide a hand around her waist and pull her closer still. At some stage during sleep, her ear-buds had come loose, and she fished about in the bed to pull them out and stuffed them under her pillow.

  “Sometime after two,” Michael admitted after a careful pause.

  Kate rolled over so that they were face to face. “You wrote for that long?”

  “I didn’t mean to, but the words kept coming,” Michael apologized, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss and then rested his forehead against hers.

  He hadn’t meant to work for so long. When at last he had leaned back in his chair and discovered he had a stiff back, he had looked at the time and realized he’d left Kate alone all evening. Shutting everything down for the night, he had made his way into the bedroom to see Kate fast asleep with a discarded magazine on the floor beside the bed.

  Kate gave a sleepy hum of pleasure and tucked her head under his chin as she fisted his shirt in one hand, listening to the steady thump of his heart. She could smell the slight dampness of his skin and realized that he had showered before joining her.

  “I’m sorry.” Michael kissed the top of her head. “I really didn’t think—”

  “S’okay,” Kate mumbled as she began to slip back into sleep. “But we’re going to have to do something … about …”

  The room was quiet and still while Michael waited.

  “Something about what?” he prompted in a whisper, but his only answer was Kate’s steady breathing. Moving carefully so as not to disturb her again, he settled his arm around her waist and stared sightlessly into the darkened room, wondering what she had been about to say before sleep claimed him too.

  When Michael woke up the next morning, it was to the steady swish of turning pages. Cracking open an eye, he saw Kate sitting propped up against her pillows with a comic book on her knees. The bedside lamp was on, giving her face a golden hue. Her face was intent as she read, so it took a few minutes before she realized that Michael was lying awake beside her.

  “Hey.” He smiled and moved closer to rub his leg against hers.

  “Hey,” she answered, carefully leaning down to give him a kiss.

  “What time is it?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. His voice sounded raspy with sleep.

  “Sorry.” Now it was Kate’s turn to sound guilty. “My body clock is still on work time, so it’s a little before six.”

  Michael groaned and rolled over so that he could snuggle his head on her lap. Kate held the comic book out of the way until he was comfortable, and then rested it on his shoulder.

  “What are you reading?” he mumbled into the covers as he snaked an arm around her hips. He could feel the warmth of her thighs and his body reacted accordingly.

  “New Mutants,” Kate replied as she went back to her reading. “I haven’t read these in years, and I found some on one of your bookshelves when I was up earlier.”

  “They’re good,” Michael mumbled again. His eyes felt heavy, and he chuffed out a content sigh as Kate began to stroke his hair while she read. He woke some time later when Kate shifted, and he lifted his head to see her regarding him apologetically.

  “I have to get up,” she whispered. “Gotta g
et to work.”

  Michael frowned at this. He’d liked having her with him yesterday and wanted to make it up to her for leaving her to her own devices all evening. “How are you feeling?”

  “Okay, maybe a little tired,” she answered after a quick self-inventory. “But much better than I was.”

  “Stay another day,” Michael said as he dropped his head back onto her lap and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hide his grin as Kate gave a gurgle of laughter.

  “Easy for you to say,” she protested, “but you know the drill. I own the store, I run the store.”

  “You’ve got backup,” he rejoined, hooking her legs with one of his and holding her tight. “And you don’t want to force yourself back to work too soon or you’ll just burn out again.”

  “Mmph.” Kate snorted although she had to admit Michael’s argument had a certain amount of merit. “How about I go in and see how I’m feeling?”

  “You’ll get caught up and then you’ll be exhausted by the end of the day.”

  “Maybe, but I’ve got to go in all the same.” She squirmed and wriggled until Michael released her with a mournful sigh. Struggling out of bed, she swayed for a moment and almost fell back onto the mattress before she righted herself and walked into the bathroom with a determined air. Michael watched her go, and thinking of the tight ache in his groin, sighed again. He burrowed into her pillow and breathed in her scent. The shower started, and Michael lay listening to the sound of the water running until he drifted back into a light doze. The next time he opened his eyes, Kate was standing in front of his closet, looking at his shirts in thoughtful consideration.

  “Something you need?” he asked, admiring the lace covered swell of Kate’s breasts as she turned toward his voice.

  “A shirt,” she commented. “I just need a fresh one, and I’ve realized I need to do laundry.”

  “Something you could do if you weren’t going into work today,” Michael commented from the bed as he rolled onto one side and propped his head on his hand.

  Kate shook her head and kept searching until she found what looked to be an old college shirt. She tweaked the sleeve enough to pull the shirt out slightly and, without looking back, asked, “May I?” She heard the sheets rustle a little as Michael sat up to see her selection and agreed with a slight chuckle.