“Good evening, Mr. Larsen,” Delphine said, embarrassed he might suspect what she and Brad had been up to.
“I was in the area and have never seen your place. Thought I’d stop in for a peek.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said, avoiding Brad’s amused gaze. “Let me give you the grand tour.”
While she showed Mr. Larsen around the space, she struggled to gain control of her muddled heart and mind.
She pulled in a deep breath and forced her attention to the elder Larsen. “Brad suggested that I stress the fact I’ll use only natural ingredients, even going so far as to have an organic line of chocolates as well.”
“We’re having brochures printed up right now,” Brad said, “to tell about Delphine’s experience and schooling, the products she’ll offer, all of which will also be featured on the website I’m setting up for her.”
“Impressive. By the way, Miss D’Arleux, I also stopped by to ask if you would like to come to church with us Sunday? That is unless you already have a home church.”
Delphine focused on Brad’s father. “Thank you, Mr. Larsen, I really wish I could, but I work on Sundays. I haven’t been able to attend for the last year or so.”
Brad looked at her in surprise. “What exactly is your work schedule?”
“I work six days at the bakery from six to two in the afternoon. I’m off on Mondays, but there aren’t many church services on that day.”
“And you’re up late every night working here. When do you sleep?” he asked.
She gave a small shrug when she saw Brad’s expression of consternation. “I’m one of those rare people who need very little sleep.” She looked over at Mr. Larsen. “I plan to quit my bakery job in a few weeks or so. I would very much like to attend with you then, if the offer still stands.”
“Of course. We’ll look forward to it.” He shook Delphine’s hand. “You have a great place here. I’m sure you’ll succeed beyond your wildest dreams.”
“Thank you, Mr. Larsen.”
When he had left, Brad turned to her. “I feel horrible, Delphine. I had no idea the kind of hours you’ve been putting in. You should’ve said something!” He took her hands in his and gave them a little tug.
Seeing his compassionate gaze, Delphine was tempted to share her burdens—of working so many hours to make ends meet, of keeping her parents out of mischief, of her added worries about the loan, not to mention running a business. But where would it get her? He’d only feel sorrier for her, and the last thing she wanted from Brad was his pity.
“Ce n’est pas la mer à boire.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not all that bad, okay?”
He studied her expression for a time before shrugging. “Let’s get you home.”
After cleaning and locking up the shop, they made the drive back to her apartment. Delphine wondered what Brad was thinking. She sent him a sidelong glance, trying to decipher his abstracted air. What if he regretted kissing her? What if he’d already forgotten it? She bit her lip and turned to stare out her window.
He walked her to the door of her apartment. “Can I come in?”
“Of course, but my parents are probably asleep.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not expecting to get fed. And I won’t stay long.”
Inside the apartment, soft shafts of moonlight streamed through the lace curtains on the kitchen window. Brad sat down on the rocker while Delphine checked on her parents.
Once sure they slept peacefully, she glanced around the room. On the nightstand next to her mother’s side of the bed, her eyes fell on an empty bag of fruit candies. Thinning her lips, she crumpled the bag in her hand and returned to the living room.
“Sleeping like babies?” Brad asked.
Delphine held up the bag. “My mother is diabetic. It seems whenever I’m out of the house, she indulges in sweets. Though how she finds the money for them, I have no clue.”
“And do you come down like a ton of bricks the morning after?”
She sighed. “Nothing so dramatic, though she’s flaunting her health care responsibilities.”
“I’ve never met anyone as responsible as you, Delphine. Don’t you ever want to be rash and spontaneous once in a while? Do something just for the sheer fun of it?”
Though she couldn’t see him clearly in the darkened room, she could hear the slightly mocking tone of his voice. Indignation rose in her throat like bile. “Some of us don’t have that luxury,” she snapped. “But I’m sure you wouldn’t understand that.”
Brad leaned forward in the chair, bringing his face into the light. “Whoa! I didn’t mean to upset you! I meant if you had the choice, would you want to be rash and irresponsible for a while?”
“Dwelling on what will never happen only brings discontent.”
He rose from the chair and crossed to her side. “I wouldn’t offend you for the world,” he said softly, sitting down beside her. “I just worry about you, that’s all.”
Delphine leaned a little away from him. “I don’t want you to worry about me.”
“Are you the only one who gets to worry about others? You have to let someone else have a chance, too.”
“Did you want to come in tonight just to tell me that?”
He shook his head, his hair pale in the moonlight. “I just wanted a goodnight kiss. Is that allowable?”
Despite her annoyance at his words, Delphine turned to him and rested her hand tentatively on his chest. Her heart beat out an odd rhythm and her stomach felt as if she’d toppled off a cliff.
This time, she decided not to allow herself to become so completely abandoned the way she had earlier in the evening. Keep a cool, girl. This guy knows what he’s doing.
But Brad’s drugging kisses and strong arms soon knocked that notion right out of her head.
Eight
Delphine arose the following morning at four with a headache and a vague sense of depression.
She suspected it might have something to do with the dream she’d had—a dream in which Brad had introduced her to his new fiancée, a woman as fair-haired and as blue-eyed as himself, who looked like a poster girl for tanning products.
Now that she realized the dream hadn’t been real, she tried to shake off the dismal mood it had left behind. She felt obscurely angry with Brad, mixed with embarrassment at her reaction to his kisses. Her face flamed at the memory of her quickly forgotten intentions.
The guy must’ve done more than just surf at the beach.
What did it all mean? Did he go around kissing girls who he deemed available? There had been no mention of affection or commitment, just a few stolen moments—which she craved more of if she was truthful. She groaned, fearful that she might be falling hard for a kind, if frivolous, beach bum with too much time on his hands.
Delphine splashed cold water on her face from the rusty spigot in the tiny bathroom. That water was like the cold splash of reality, dashing any hopes that she might mean more to Brad than a handy girl to take advantage of.
Attempting to stem the rising tide of gloom, she raked the brush through her hair to put it up in a ponytail. The brush caught on a snarl, sending shooting pain along her scalp.
Pain. That’s what happens when you open up, Delphine.
****
After putting in a full day at the bakery, Delphine’s boss called her into his office. She hung up her apron and smoothed her hair before entering the little room at the back of the bakery.
The office was crammed with a desk and several chairs, all precariously heaped with stacks of notebooks and paper, its chaos a marked contrast to the bleak organization of the rest of the bakery.
Delphine had a foreboding feeling when the owner of the bakery swiveled around on his office chair and pinned her with a steady look.
Contrary to stereotype, her boss was a rail thin man with a dour, humorless expression on his face. “Miss D’Arleux,” he said in his dry voice. “I regret to inform you that I must let you go
. Finances have been strained recently due to a drop off in business and my wife will be taking over your shift until we see a change for the better. I’m very sorry…” His voice trailed away.
Delphine felt as if she’d been struck. She struggled to keep her voice steady as the full import of his words filled her. With each beat of her heart, she thought of individual bills yet unpaid. But if she was allowed one more week to work, she just might be able to squeak by. “I…I understand, Mr. Reed.” She clasped her hands together. “Um, when is my last day?”
“Today. I’ll mail your final paycheck out.”
Delphine bit her lip to stop from crying out. It can’t be! That meant she would have to dip into the loan money to pay her private bills, which would reduce the amount available to start the business.
She considered begging for more time, but her boss maintained an implacable expression that drained her of all hope.
She gave him a stiff nod, and like a sleepwalker, left the bakery.
****
Delphine felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes to find her mother staring down at her. How long had she been asleep? It felt like only moments ago she’d decided to take a quick nap after work.
“Wake up, ma chérie, your young man is here.”
Delphine struggled to a sitting position and put a hand to her head. “What time is it?”
“Four-thirty.”
She gave her mother a weak smile. “Tell Brad I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Once her mother left the room, Delphine’s smile faded. She rubbed her eyes and swung her legs out of the bed. So it wasn’t a nightmare. How could she finish out this day? Delphine still couldn’t believe she’d been downsized. Let go.
Fired.
Although she’d planned to quit in a few weeks anyway, she was now out needed wages. Delphine hated the idea of dipping into the rapidly dwindling loan money to get by until her shop opened, but had no choice unless she could get another job…that lasted two or three weeks. Who’d want to hire someone for such a short time?
Once again, Delphine experienced an impotent surge of anger at the grip money held over her life.
The nap hadn’t helped restore her energy and her limbs felt leaden. After coming home from the bakery, she’d attempted escape in sleep. To make matters worse, she’d had another dream. In this one, Brad and his blonde wife had brought over their equally blonde child for her to babysit while they went on a romantic weekend getaway.
Frowning, she looked in her mirror to check her appearance. Shadows under her eyes and a wan cast to her complexion told of too little sleep and too much worry.
She let out a sigh and quickly brushed her hair, noticing it still felt damp from her shower after work. She decided to change into a pretty lavender sundress embroidered with a darker shade of purple thread in hopes of improving her mood. Slipping on a pair of leather sandals and smoothing down the front of her dress, she entered the living room.
Her heart gave a traitorous lurch when she saw Brad. He looked so handsome, especially the way he smiled when he saw her. He wore a blue shirt that exactly matched his eyes, along with khaki shorts and rafting sandals. She narrowed her eyes slightly, checking his left hand for any sign of a ring. Stupid dream!
Her mother stepped toward her. “My dear, tonight let us eat together before you two run off and work on that shop.”
For the first time, Delphine noticed the redolent aroma of her mother’s cooking.
Brad spoke up. “Your mom tells me she’s been working on dinner all afternoon.”
Delphine saw the mute appeal in his eyes. She relaxed a little. Brad was still unmarried since the last time she’d seen him, despite her dream, and if it took chocolate and French cooking to keep him by her side, she wanted to enjoy his company.
She glanced around the small room. “And where is Papa?”
“He’s not feeling well and is resting.” She raised her hand as Delphine turned toward his bedroom. “Stay here, Delphine. I assure you I have just checked on him. He’s only feeling a trifle under the weather.”
Her mother waved her into the kitchen. Brad was close behind. As she entered the kitchen, Delphine made a mental note to check on him after dinner.
In the kitchen she was surprised to find the humble dinette table adorned with a pretty lace tablecloth and candles.
“Maman, you have outdone yourself!”
Her mother gave a complacent smile. “Be seated mes enfants, and I will serve you directly.”
After Brad pulled out a chair for her, he sat at the table, rubbing his hands together. Delphine had to smile at his anticipation.
The dinner was wonderful. Despite tight finances, her mother had managed well. They dined on Langue de boeuf sauce ravigote with a colorful salad and fresh-baked country French bread. After dinner, once the plates were cleared away, Clarice placed a large chocolate raspberry torte in the middle of the table. Brad’s eyes widened with obvious relish.
When she sliced the torte and put a piece on a plate for Brad, Delphine took a deep breath. “None for me, thank you.”
Her mother looked surprise. “But, ma cherié, this is one of your favorites. I made it for you especially.” She placed a plate in front of Delphine.
Delphine sensed Brad’s shocked gaze upon her. How could she explain? She didn’t want to make her mother feel left out since she wasn’t supposed to have sweets. To her dismay, she watched her mother slice a piece for herself and begin eating it.
“Maman,” she said in a low voice. “Please.”
The older woman looked back at her with a smile. “Do eat yours. It’s delicious.”
“It’s incredible,” Brad said in reverent tones.
She pinned her mother with a steady look. “You force me to point out, Maman, that your diet forbids you from having so much sugar.”
“Once in a while is not a crime, I think.”
“I find candy wrappers in your room almost every night when I come home!”
Clarice paled. “It is your father’s…”
Delphine scrunched her hands into balls. “How dare you, Maman! You know as well as I Papa doesn’t enjoy sweets. Please put down your fork!”
The clatter of a fork hitting china startled Delphine. She looked over to see that Brad had dropped his fork, a guilty flush on his face and chocolate smudges around his mouth. He’d managed to demolish his entire piece of cake in mere seconds.
“I didn’t mean you,” she said, striving to reign in her mounting temper.
“You refine upon it too much, Delphine,” her mother said in a chastising tone. “A slice of cake will not kill me.”
“But what if it does?” Delphine cried. “Don’t you care?” Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks in hot rivers. She pressed her hands against her mouth to stop more harsh words from being spoken.
Brad jumped from his seat and knelt down next to her, touching her on the back and murmuring comforting words. Once the tears started, Delphine found she couldn’t control them. Brad’s presence only made things worse. She knew she’d behaved badly in front of him, but added to concern for her parents, the loss of her job, and worry over the business sent her over the edge.
Clarice pushed her plate away. “I’m afraid I am a sore trial to my dutiful daughter. She needs someone to care for her the way my Leone cares for me.”
Delphine looked up, seeing only a blurred vision of her mother. “How can you say that? I care for you, Maman! I pay the bills!”
She pushed back from the table and rushed into her room. Collapsing onto the edge of her bed, she wept, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes in an attempt to stanch the flood. It was several minutes before she could quell the shuddering sobs.
Delphine felt rather than saw Brad enter her room. He hovered just inside the door.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” he said with obvious discomfort.
“You’re not bothering me,” she said when she could catch
her breath. She gazed up at him, amazed at how her feelings for him had gone from one extreme to another.
He sat down beside her and took one of her hands in his. His grip was strong and warm. “Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head, reveling in his touch, swallowing back the overwhelming urge to confess all. She needed to present him with something more than problems for once.
“Do you want to scrub plans to go to the shop tonight? I understand if you’d like to stay home and rest.”
Despite a crashing desire to go straight to bed, her unemployment status had changed her plans. “I need to go,” she said between hiccups. “I’m sorry for my behavior—”
“Shh. Don’t worry. That was nothing compared to some of the fights my sisters and brother got in. Pretty tame, in fact.”
She managed a small smile. “I’ll be out in a minute.” After Brad left, she tried to repair her appearance. The redness around her eyes persisted despite her attempts. Delphine dusted fresh blush on her cheeks, deciding that was the best she could do.
Before meeting him in the living room, she went to her parents’ room and found her father propped up in bed watching TV. He smiled as she entered.
“Ah, here is my devoted daughter come to check on me,” he said in French.
She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him with worried eyes. “Maman said you weren’t feeling well.”
He waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “You both worry too much. My stomach is a bit upset, that is all.”
Delphine knew how much he loved his wife’s cooking. He must feel rather bad to miss one of her special meals. “Have you been taking your medication properly? Should I call the doctor?”
“No, please do not talk nonsense!”
She blinked at the sharpness of his tone. It was unusual for him to be so harsh.
“I am sorry, Delphine, but you fuss about me too much. Please go and enjoy your time with Brad. Girls your age should not be so concerned about every little thing. You should be having lots of boyfriends, lots of fun.”
How Sweet It Is Page 8