The Heavenly Bites Novella Collection

by Christine S. Feldman

  “Of course it wasn’t Benji. You remember that personal trainer I met last week? Dane? He was at the club last night, and I swear I don’t see how his head is big enough to contain his ego. He got a little rude.” Jerk, she thought, wishing now that she’d thought to kick him instead, and maybe someplace significantly lower. It would have hurt her a lot less and him a lot more.

  “You couldn’t have just thrown your drink in his face?”

  “He was being a complete tool.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “And he hit Benji.”

  Now she had both Trish and Aimee staring at her. She averted her eyes and took a bite of her brownie.

  “So you were defending Benji’s honor?” Trish said finally.

  “More like he was trying to defend mine. Dane just sucker punched him. But that’s not why last night got screwed up.”

  “No?”

  Nadia closed her eyes. Her head was beginning to hurt, probably from overthinking things. Either that or from lying awake all night. “I think maybe I might like him.”

  “Benji?” A grin of delight spread across Trish’s face. “Really?” Then she peered closer, and her smile turned into a frown of confusion. “So why do you look so depressed about it?”

  Nadia opened her eyes again to look at Trish, thinking of how she’d pushed Benji toward Karina the night before. “Because the moment I realized it, I tried to do everything I could to encourage him to go out with somebody else.”

  Both of the other women stared at her like she had sprouted another head. “Kind of an unorthodox method of seduction,” Aimee said finally around a mouthful of brownie, her brow furrowing.

  “No kidding,” Nadia returned tersely. “Who does that?”

  “Well—”

  “I bolted like he was the big bad wolf and I was the next thing on his menu—at least I tried to. What was I so scared of?” She rubbed her aching head and groaned. “I need caffeine.”

  “Coming right up,” Aimee said, stuffing the rest of her brownie in her mouth and disappearing once more into the front of the bakery.

  Nadia looked at her best friend. “Guys don’t scare me, Trish. Guys have never scared me. You know that.”

  “So what’s different this time?”

  “Benji,” Nadia said after a moment, her voice softening as she pictured him. “Benji’s what’s different.”

  “Maybe different isn’t such a bad thing, though.” Trish put her arm around Nadia and gave her a quick and encouraging squeeze. “It’s not like other guys you’ve gotten involved with have ever really rung your bell, have they? From everything you’ve told me about him, it sounds like Benji might be the kind of guy a girl could really get attached to.”

  “Yeah, well I don’t get attached,” Nadia said, and then blinked as the words sank in to her. It was true, she didn’t. Not to guys anyway. The guys she went out with were fun, but that was as far as it went. And that had never bothered her, until now. “I don’t get attached,” she repeated slowly.

  Trish studied her thoughtfully. “First time for everything.”

  “Hey, if you ask me, you are making this way too complicated,” Aimee said flatly, reappearing in the open doorway with a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. “If I were you,” she continued just as the bell on the door jingled, “I’d just jump the guy and see what happens.”

  Someone made a coughing sort of sound, and all three women turned to see a wide-eyed and blushing gentleman in a tweed coat peering at them through the open doorway.

  “Is…is this a bad time?” he stammered.

  You have no idea, Nadia thought.

  * * *

  Later that evening Nadia curled up on her couch in comfortable PJs with a half-gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream that she ate right out of the container while she stared at her cell phone. It sat on her coffee table, practically staring right back at her but refusing to ring.

  It had been strange to go the entire day without speaking to Benji or seeing him, despite the fact that she’d done so every day of her life up until a few days ago. Somehow, in the short time she’d known him, he’d managed to get under her skin like nobody else, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d had even remotely the same kind of effect on him.

  If she had, though, surely he would have called.

  Wouldn’t he?

  Unless he was as confused as she had been. She’d given him reason to be.

  Finally, she reached for the phone. Nadia Normandy was no coward. There was no reason why she shouldn’t be the one to make the first move.

  Her fingered hovered over the first digit in his phone number.

  She might, however, lose just enough nerve to switch to texting instead. Hey, how’s the face?

  There was no immediate reply. Maybe his phone was off. Maybe it was off because he was in the middle of a date. With Karina. Frowning, Nadia began scooping out an enormous bite of ice cream with which to console herself when she saw a response appear on her phone’s screen:

  Not pretty. How’s the hand?

  She felt a sliver of relief and texted back. Sore. Treating it with ice cream now. Sorry about what happened last night.

  Not your fault.

  That was debatable. Taking a deep breath, she texted the question that was foremost on her mind. You call Karina yet?

  A long moment passed before he responded. No.

  It was amazing how just one little word could make a girl feel so much better. Now what, though? The topic she most needed to discuss with him was hardly one for the phone.

  After another long pause, Benji texted her again. Better go. Working late.

  An excuse, or the truth? In any case, she reluctantly texted back a polite good night and set the phone back down.

  Then she picked up the ice cream again along with her spoon and thoughtfully dug out another bite.

  Chapter Ten

  New Year’s Eve. For many people it marked the last day of indulgence in sweets before starting a new year and a new diet, and there was a flurry of almost desperate activity in the bakery that day.

  “Last minute party treats,” one frazzled customer explained to Nadia as she packed up a boxful of assorted delicacies for the woman. “To replace the ones my teenagers got their hands on. Hope they’ll go well with champagne.”

  “Everything goes with champagne,” Nadia assured her.

  The advantage of such a busy day was that it made the hours fly by very quickly so that closing time came around in what seemed like little more than the blink of an eye. It also made it impossible to spend much time wondering about what a certain accountant was doing.

  “No messages?” Trish asked her, seeing Nadia check her phone as they locked the bakery door behind them on their way out.

  Nadia shook her head and dropped her phone back in her coat pocket before buttoning her coat closed.

  “Maybe he’s been too busy working to call.”

  “Maybe.”

  Trish wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck and pulled her hat down lower to cover her ears. “You could always call him, you know. It’s the twenty-first century. Women woo guys all the time.”

  “Woo?” Nadia repeated, smiling faintly and raising one eyebrow.

  “Yes, woo. It’s not a word I get to use often, so cut me some slack. Come on, Nadia. You’re no shrinking violet. Go see the guy. Tell him you like him.”

  “He might have a hard time believing that after I tried so hard to push him toward Karina.”

  “So show him that you mean it. Do something special—oh!” Trish’s eyes lit up. “Dress up like a million bucks and crash his party tonight! Stuff like that always works great in the movies.” She frowned. “Too bad you don’t have any reason to chase after him through an airport. According to modern cinema, that always ends well.”

  “You’re a kook, you know.”

  “Hey, at least consider it. The party crashing, I mean, not the airport. We’re about to start a new year here. Why not
kick it off with a bang? You don’t really want to go to that thing at Marianne’s place tonight anyway.” She pointed an accusing finger. “You’re always giving other people advice on how to handle their personal lives. I think it’s high time you let someone else return the favor. Starting with me.”

  “Mm. I’ll see you later,” Nadia said, avoiding Trish’s question and giving her friend a quick hug. “Enjoy your cookies and milk tonight with Ian and Kelsey, okay?”

  Trish grinned. “Do we know how to ring in the New Year, or what?”

  “You’re a party animal,” Nadia said over her shoulder as she turned to go. “Happy New Year, Trish.”

  “Happy New Year—don’t forget to make a resolution,” Trish called after her as she left. “Might be a good time to make some changes.”

  It might. Nadia pulled the collar of her coat up as high as it would go and let her breath out slowly, fogging up the chilly December air as she walked to her car. She stopped beside it and stared thoughtfully ahead of her, not really seeing anything.

  Why not go? She was already on her own and missing Benji, so what did she really have to lose besides a little of her dignity? Maybe a grand gesture would be appropriate, if crashing a New Year’s Eve party of an accounting firm could be called grand. If nothing else, it might show Benji that her feelings for him were most definitely not mixed anymore.

  Of course, she realized with dismay as she got into her car and put the key in the ignition, she didn’t actually know where Benji’s party was being held. That could be a problem.

  Unless one knew of a person who kept pretty close tabs on the personal lives of those around her.

  Leaving the key unturned, Nadia pulled her phone back out and dialed her newest coworker’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Aimee. I need to ask your Gram something…”

  * * *

  MacGready Financial Services, Inc. must have been doing pretty well for itself, because the business partners had arranged for the company’s party to be held in an event room in one of the city’s finer hotels. Glitz and glamour were the norm at the Wentworth Grande, and for just a moment, Nadia’s confidence wavered as she approached it.

  Strains of music greeted her as soon as she stepped into the lobby. A live band, by the sound of it. It was jazzy music, and whoever the lead singer was, her voice was smooth and sultry, like liquid velvet. The tune she sang was vaguely familiar, something from a bygone era that Nadia had probably heard playing in the background of a movie once upon a time. Something by Ella Fitzgerald maybe… It brought to mind images of elegance and class. And romance.

  Cheek to Cheek, she thought suddenly, and an image of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire danced through her mind, although she had no idea from what movie it might have been.

  The lobby’s high ceilings were adorned with dangling globes of gold and white in assorted sizes, and for a moment she had the absurd thought that some poor patsy must have had a nightmare of a time hanging those things. They were lovely, though, and when combined with the sparkling streamers that must have been equally difficult to put up, they served to create an atmosphere of extravagant celebration.

  All right then, Nadia thought, slipping off her coat to reveal the slim and strappy blue dress underneath it. Good thing she’d dressed for the occasion.

  It had been years since she’d crashed a party, mostly because nowadays she usually received invites to all of the good ones anyway, but she still remembered the key to pulling off a party crash successfully.

  Confidence.

  Few people questioned a woman who breezed into a room as if she belonged there. If she could manage that part well enough, it should be simple enough to mingle inconspicuously until she found Benji. And then—well, and then she was going to have to wing the rest.

  Nadia followed the music and proceeded toward the room that housed the party, sidestepping streamers and pausing just long enough to add her coat to the collection of wraps already in the gilded hall. Her nerves fluttered for a moment. It’s only Benji, she told herself, but that only made it worse. Telling herself not to be a baby about it, she squared her shoulders and pushed open the grand double doors to enter the room.

  Mrs. B had been absolutely correct about the location of the party. What she had either not known about it or failed to pass along to Nadia was the fact that, from the balloons and streamers that were everywhere to the pillars and tabletop centerpieces arranged around the room, there was a black and white theme to the party that became immediately apparent as Nadia stood in the open doorway in her bright and extremely not black or white dress.

  The properly attired people nearest to her did double takes and stared at the brilliant flash of blue that was Nadia, and she felt her face grow warm.

  Ah, and the walls of the room were made up almost entirely of mirrors, too, which meant her bright blue dress was reflected back at her and everyone else at every turn.

  Perfect.

  Not quite the inconspicuous entrance she was going for. Which meant she probably had about ten seconds to find Benji before someone set security on her. And of course there would be security here tonight. Places like this always had plenty of it on hand. So much for making a grand gesture.

  The one advantage to standing out like a sore thumb was that it meant everyone soon noticed her presence as she hovered there in the doorway, and everyone included Benji. She saw him talking with a pair of older gentlemen, a drink in his hand that he was just about to take a sip from when he spotted her. He froze and then slowly lowered the drink, the expression on his face—his poor, bruised face after what had happened the other night—turning to one of shock.

  Perhaps waiting on his doorstep for him to show up after the party would have been a better idea, Nadia thought belatedly. Chilly, yes, but still grand enough and a lot less likely to get Benji in trouble with his boss. Maybe she ought to turn around and make a run for it before anyone knew she was here to see him.

  Before she could do so, he excused himself from his companions and made his way over to her. Rapidly. “Nadia?”

  She tried to think of something appropriate to say and came up with very little, acutely aware of the large number of eyes watching them. “I—Hello.”

  “Why—” His eyes traveled up the full length of her as if they couldn’t help themselves. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hopefully not getting you fired. I’m so sorry, I thought I’d be able to slip in unnoticed.”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “Nadia, I doubt you’ve ever gone anywhere without people noticing you.”

  His words sent a thrill of pleasure through her. How had she ever thought this man needed help with women?

  “Come on,” he said, glancing around at their growing audience and lowering his voice. “Let’s step out in the hall. Either that or sell tickets.” He put his hand on the small of her back—which was bare thanks to her backless dress—and guided her toward the door.

  That brief touch was enough to cause a delicious sort of shiver to go up her spine. “I’m sorry,” she said again as they emerged into the hallway. They passed a laughing couple just arriving at the party, and Nadia hesitated. This wasn’t exactly a conversation for which she wanted an audience. Quite frankly, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to be present for it herself. “Can we just—” She motioned for Benji to follow her and led the way to a quiet corner.

  His eyes were full of questions and no small amount of confusion. Such dazzling blue eyes. They made it difficult to think clearly when he was standing this close to her.

  “I’m sorry,” she blurted out a third time, thinking now that maybe winging it hadn’t been such a brilliant idea after all.

  “You said that already. I really don’t think you need to worry about it. Other than a sparkling debate about tax codes, you didn’t interrupt much.”

  “I didn’t get you in trouble?”

  Benji’s expression turned incredulous. “You’re kidding, right? F
irst this,” he said, pointing to the bruises on his face, “which I was very mysterious about, by the way, and then you show up. I’m going to be the coolest guy in the office. Which, granted, may not be saying much.”

  She winced as she studied the marks on him, her fingers twitching as she resisted the urge to examine them for herself up close and personal. “Does it hurt?”

  “Only when I shave. Or chew. Or, you know, breathe.”

  “I’m—”

  “Don’t say you’re sorry again,” he interrupted her, holding up one hand. Despite the guarded look in his eyes, he looked like he might be tempted to smile. But only briefly.

  “Okay, I won’t.”

  They stood there in silence for a long moment, and Nadia found herself twisting the tiny strap of her beaded clutch between her fingers. She forced herself to stop, very unfamiliar with this flustered-by-men thing and not caring for it much.

  “Nadia?”

  “Yes?”

  “You didn’t actually come all the way down here to check on how my face was doing, did you?”

  “I needed to talk to you.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Well, it didn’t seem like the kind of thing that should wait until next year,” she said with more lightness than she felt. “Nice tux, by the way. You look good.” Very good. Any woman in her right mind would love to walk into a party on his arm. A sudden thought occurred to her then, and her mustered lightness dissipated. “Oh. Am I… keeping you from someone? I mean—as in a date?”

  A shadow flickered over his expression. “If you’re asking if Karina’s in there, no, she’s not. Look, Nadia, I know she’s your friend, and you think I ought to call her up, but the problem is—”

  “I don’t want you to call her.”

  He blinked. “You don’t?”

  She shook her head.

  Frowning slightly as if he was having a hard time following her, Benji ran a hand through his hair in a gesture Nadia had long ago come to recognize as restrained frustration. “Then I guess I really do need a dating coach, because I could have sworn that’s the message you were sending me.”

  “About that—” Nadia lowered her eyes to the level of his collar. It was so much easier to think straight when she wasn’t looking directly at his face. Although the bit of throat exposed by his collar was surprisingly distracting. “I may not be the expert on men and women that I thought I was, at least not when it comes to myself.”