She blew out a slow breath. “Okay, I need to ask you to put on a shirt. I’m sure you’re well-aware that you have a chick-magnet bod, and I can appreciate it as well as the next woman, but I’ve got two hours to frost two hundred cupcakes, get back to my car, drive to my apartment, shower, and get on the road. So, I’d appreciate it if you’d do me this one, small, final favor.”
“Decorate,” he said.
Gwen blinked. “What?”
“We’re going to decorate the cupcakes,” he clarified. “Frosting sounds like you’re going to slap some Pillsbury pre-made frosting on the tops.”
That line between her brows appeared.
“I’m only running on a couple of hours of sleep here,” she said at last. “Can we just cut to the chase?”
“With me putting on a shirt?”
“Yes.”
Seth smiled. “All right. I’ll be right back. Sorry to throw you off-kilter.”
She didn’t meet his gaze, just gave a little shrug.
Apparently, she did not warm up with teasing in the morning. He crossed through the kitchen and walked to the stairs that led to the lower level and his bedroom suite. Last night between batches, Seth had showed her the entirety of the house, well, except for his bedroom. Gwen had announced that she didn’t need to see every room in the house, and Seth had conceded.
Now, in his room, he changed into jeans and a T-shirt. He wished he could take time for a shower, but he’d wait until after he took her back to her car. Although, now he was wondering how she’d fit all the cupcakes into her small car.
When he returned to the kitchen he was surprised to see Gwen standing by the counter. He at least expected her to be furiously whipping up some frosting to meet her deadline.
He decided not to comment on her slow start. She was probably exhausted. For some reason, he wasn’t feeling all that tired. Well, first things first. “Hungry?” he asked.
“Maybe just some coffee.”
“I don’t think so.” Seth moved past her, trying to rid his mind of the thought of how she looked sweet and vulnerable when she’d just woken up. He opened the fridge and pulled out the eggs and cheese. He slid the block over to Gwen, then grabbed a cheese grater. “Can you grate some cheese?”
She picked up the cheese but looked confused, as if she wasn’t sure what to do with it.
“Have you ever grated cheese before?”
Her blue eyes connected with his. Her makeup had mostly worn off, and all that was left were some gray smudges on her eyelids. This subdued Gwen was new to him, and he was intrigued.
“Yes, I’ve grated cheese before.” Still, she didn’t make a move to pick up the grater. “I’m sorry, but I’m not really a morning person, even when I’ve slept more than a couple of hours. Could we just skip straight to the coffee?”
Seth would go with Plan B. He cracked four eggs, then separated the yolks. He beat the egg whites and poured them into a small frying pan. With that heating up, he took over the cheese grating, then opened a can of black beans.
Gwen just watched him as he worked. He normally would have asked her to dice a tomato, but he decided not to. He’d forgo onions and peppers for the sake of time. Once he had all the ingredients mixed in with the eggs, it was time to put on the coffee.
“Thank goodness,” Gwen mumbled.
Seth dished up two bowls of the food, drizzled a mild chipotle sauce over the whole thing, and handed one bowl and a fork to Gwen. “Try it. Before your coffee.”
“What is it?”
“Some version of huevos rancheros.” He dug into his own bowl. Yes, food was good.
Gwen took a tentative bite. She wasn’t a picky eater, was she? He wouldn’t have guessed that about her.
“It’s good,” she said, then covered up a yawn. “Really good.” She took another couple of bites, but everything about her seemed in slow motion.
“Hey,” he said. “Here’s a thought. Why don’t you crash for another hour, and I’ll get the cupcakes decorated. I’ll save the sprinkles and flags for you do to when you wake up.”
Seth was fully prepared for her to shoot down his idea and say no, but he was surprised when she said, “Are you serious?”
He held back a laugh. “I am. Believe me, I can handle a few cupcakes. I’m worried about you driving when you can’t even grate cheese.”
She was apparently too tired to even give him stink eye.
“Okay, but wake me up in an hour.”
“Will do.” Seth watched her rise from the counter, her bowl only half finished. He could refrigerate it and warm it up later for her. She seemed to have forgotten about the coffee too. He couldn’t help staring at her while she made her way back to the great room. She lay down on the couch, adjusted the blankets and throw pillows, and that was it . . . She’d gone to sleep.
Seth had never seen someone fall asleep so fast. It reminded him of his sister’s four-year-old son, who was jabbering one minute in the car, and the next instant was sound asleep. Seth finished his breakfast, then poured a cup of coffee and set to work with blending the icing. He didn’t know which decorator tip Gwen would have chosen, so he went with the leaf design that also worked well for making a layered spiral. He used white vanilla extract when making the frosting so that the white would stay whiter, and then he did another bowl of red, and a third bowl of blue. Then he put all three colors into the decorator bag so that it would come out as a rainbow of red, white, and blue. Hopefully Gwen would like it.
He wasn’t entirely sure how they’d transport all the cupcakes and keep them from getting squished, so when he heard Jon’s truck pull up to begin a morning of yard work, Seth went out to meet him.
Jon was in his sixties, and he used to work at a local nursery until he had an injury. The nursery wouldn’t let him go part-time and still keep his benefits, so Seth’s dad had hired him.
“How are you doing this morning?” Seth asked Jon.
The man grinned. “Great. Just thought I’d get started before the heat of the day kicks in.”
“Nice idea,” Seth told him. “I wondered if you could do me a big favor. I’m kind of in a bind, and I need those kind of boxes that you put donuts in. Do you think you could go to the Main Street Café and pick up enough boxes to hold two-hundred cupcakes?”
Jon’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “That’s a lot of cupcakes.”
“Yeah, it is,” Seth continued. “You can add it onto your hours, and I’ll reimburse you for the cost of the boxes, if they charge you at all.”
“Sure thing,” Jon said, spinning his keys in his hand. He climbed back into his truck and started down the hill.
Seth returned to the house and turned on some low music, hoping not to disturb Gwen. He suspected she could sleep through quite a lot, though. He wondered what had awakened her in the first place. Good thing she had gotten up, though, or he might have kept sleeping as well.
The next hour sped past as he worked on the cupcakes, and when Jon pulled up, Seth went out and grabbed the pink pastry boxes while Jon got to work on weeding flower beds. Seth loaded the counter with the boxes, and Gwen slept through all the commotion.
Seth got so caught up in the decorating that he didn’t hear Gwen coming into the kitchen until she spoke.
“Wow, these look amazing.”
He looked up from where he was working on the final dozen or so cupcakes.
She looked much more awake than she had earlier. A line from the pillow creased her cheek, and her hair was down around her shoulders.
“Do they meet your approval?” he asked.
She studied them, like she was truly analyzing each and every cupcake. “How did you get the three colors?”
He held up the frosting bag. “I add the three into the bag, so they only mix a little when the frosting comes out.”
Gwen swiped her finger into the bowl with red frosting and licked it off. “Mmm. I definitely approve.”
“Good,” he said. “Because I’d hate to start over.”<
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She swiped another bit of frosting, this time blue. “I don’t think they’re going to need sprinkles after all. But the flags are a must.”
Seth smiled. “Of course they are.”
“Hey, you got boxes too?” She stared at him. “Don’t tell me you had them in your pantry?”
“No.” He laughed. “I sent the gardener to fetch them from the Main Street Café.”
Gwen tucked her hair behind her ears, and Seth watched her movements. He probably should be finishing up the last of the cupcakes and not staring at her.
“So, I’ll wash my hands, then load these up.” She moved to the sink and turned on the water. “Sorry about falling asleep on you, twice.”
“Not a problem. I can grab a nap this afternoon, or a five-hour energy.”
Gwen looked over at him. “Those are terrible for you. I hope you’re kidding.”
“I’ve pulled all-nighters before, but technically I have today off.” Seth straightened from the counter and began to put the cupcakes in boxes.
Gwen joined him. “I hope I’m not ruining your plans,” she said. “I’ll be out of your way soon.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” he asked.
She paused and looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. “No. You’ve done so much already. I can’t expect you to work the lunch line with me.”
Seth wanted to push the issue, but he also knew that he was more tired than he was admitting, and he might not be making the best judgment calls right now. Because what he really wanted to do was spend the rest of the day with Gwen. And the night. And tomorrow. Some distance between them might be good.
“Then take my car,” he said. He hadn’t intended to make the offer; it had just come out. But now that he’d said it, he knew it was a good idea. Frankly, he’d be surprised if her car could make it as far as the homeless shelter.
“You’re kidding.” She shook her head. “Drive your Mercedes with all these cupcakes?”
“I’m not kidding,” he said. “The boxes will fit in the trunk, and I can work from here today. Besides, my parents’ cars are in the garage if I do need to go somewhere.”
Gwen fell silent for a few moments. Then she said in a quiet voice, “Are you sure? What if I wreck it?”
“I have insurance, but I’m happy to drive you as well.” He held her gaze.
She looked away first. “Okay, but only because Marge was having trouble yesterday and died in the parking lot. I’m not entirely sure she’ll start up.”
“I can have Richards come look at it—he owns that auto shop,” he said. “If it’s not an easy fix, they’ll tow it to their place.”
Gwen closed her eyes.
What was going on here? Had he pushed too much? He hadn’t meant to, but he found that he really wanted to help her, and not because he viewed her as some damsel in distress. But because it felt important to him. She felt important.
She opened her eyes. “Tell me how I can thank you.” She waved a hand toward the cupcakes. “This is above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”
Seth folded his arms and leaned against the counter, studying her. “Tell you what: if you can help waitress my parents’ Fourth of July barbeque on Thursday, we’ll be even.”
Oh, right. Waitressing. That’s what Gwen did, and that’s all the interest Seth would ever have in her. He was her boss, the owner of a restaurant, and she was his employee. “What about the restaurant?” she asked. “It’s going to be a full night.”
“I know.” His hazel eyes focused on her. How did he manage to look so good in the morning after a night of little sleep, no shower . . . and a change of clothes into jeans and a T-shirt that made no secret that this man was regularly engaged in some sort of sport activity . . . His choice of casual attire wasn’t any less appealing than when she’d seen him shirtless, but at least she could breathe now.
She really shouldn’t be checking out her boss. “And your parents and all their fancy friends will be here?” she asked. “Oh, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sure they’re all amazing people.”
Seth smirked and leaned close. Scruff had grown on his face overnight, and Gwen wasn’t opposed to it at all. She was opposed to the way her heart now raced.
“They are fancy,” he said, “but that’s sort of the point, right? I mean, it’s the Fourth of July. If you can’t dress up for a holiday, when can you dress up?”
“Touché.” She sidestepped away from him, because his nearness was becoming a habit of his, and she wondered what was going through his mind. About her. She slipped the tops of the boxes over the ones already filled with cupcakes. She’d leave them closed until she got to the homeless shelter, where she’d put on the toothpick flags she’d bought.
When the last box was sealed, she said, “Are you sure about your car? Marge is tougher than she looks.”
Seth stacked a couple of the boxes. “I’m sure. But I’ll give you my cell number in case there are any issues with the car. The tank’s full, and it gets good gas mileage.”
“Of course it does.” Gwen hoped she didn’t sound snarky. It was a hard habit to break. Seth didn’t reply but led the way out the front door. They made another trip to get the rest of the boxes, and Seth carefully loaded them into the trunk.
Still, Gwen hesitated when he handed her the keys.
“It’s okay, really,” Seth told her. “It’s just a car. Maybe a little faster than Marge, but there are a lot of similarities too.”
“Like four tires and a steering wheel?” Gwen said.
Seth grinned. He really did have a nice smile. He opened the driver’s side door and held it for her. So . . . she had to slide past him to sit in the driver’s seat. It felt luxurious, and she hadn’t even started the engine.
“Drive safe,” he said, and their gazes connected.
Somehow, Gwen knew he wasn’t saying it because he was worried about the car, but because he was invested in this project too. “Thanks, Seth.”
He nodded and swung the door shut, then stepped back from the car.
Gwen exhaled. She could do this. She could drive this car and not get a scratch on it. Once she figured out how to start it. Even though Seth had given her the “keys,” apparently it was still keyless. Her face heated up from the simple fact that Seth was still standing there, watching her, and possibly about ready to laugh. As soon as she drove away, of course.
She opened the door. “A little help here?”
Seth strode to her, trying not to crack a smile. “Step on the brake, then push that button.”
Gwen did so, and the engine purred to life, barely audible.
“Got it?” Seth asked. When she nodded, he continued, “When you want to turn it off, put it in park and push the button again. You have my number, and you can call me for anything.”
She tried not to read into that too much. “Got it.” She put the car into Drive, then pulled forward along the circular driveway. Soon she was heading down the hill, trying not to freak out at the power she felt rumbling through the car at the slightest touch on the gas pedal. She kept trying to tell herself that it wasn’t that much different than driving her former Audi.
Somehow she made it to her apartment all in one piece, and after she’d showered, dressed, pulled her hair into a wet, messy bun, she grabbed the box of toothpick flags. On the road again, she put in her earbuds and commanded her phone to call Alicia.
Her friend answered on the second ring.
“You’re awake early,” Alicia said.
The clock on the Mercedes said 10:00 a.m. “I’m on my way to the shelter.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Alicia said. “My mom’s appointment is at noon. How did the cupcakes turn out?”
“Well, that’s why I called you.” Gwen merged onto the interstate, then said, “I have sort of a funny story. And I’m kind of freaking out here—so I need you to talk some sense into me.”
When she finished telling Alicia everything . . . Alicia could only say,
“Wow.”
“I need a little more than wow,” Gwen said. “I mean, I’m supposed to help waitress at his house on Thursday night . . . His parents will be there. His sister. All the fancy people of Pine Valley. You know how I hate this kind of stuff. All their pretentious conversations. The women with their boob jobs and butt lifts. The men with their hair implants and bleached teeth. The teenagers driving cars that cost more than most people’s houses.”
“I hear you,” Alicia said, laughing and giving out no sympathy. “You do you know you wait on these same people at the restaurant every night of the week?”
“I know.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Alicia continued. “You find out that our boss Seth Owens isn’t a total stuck-up frat boy, and suddenly you’re turning down time-and-a-half at a gorgeous mansion?”
“He said he’d pay me double because I’ll have a lot more responsibility.”
“Sounds good to me,” Alicia said. “Unless . . . Oh my heck!”
Her exclamation startled Gwen. “What? What happened?”
“You are crushing on him, aren’t you?” Alicia said. “You like Seth.”
It was Gwen’s turn to laugh. “Ha. Not even close. He’s not as big of a jerk as I thought he was. I mean, he’s pretty nice. Amazing, really . . .” She stopped talking.
“Gwen?”
She exhaled. “I didn’t get enough sleep, obviously, and it’s messing with my head.”
“Um-hm.” Alicia didn’t sound convinced.
“I can’t change my view of the world and the unfairness of class equality just because I’m attracted to one of the elite.” She clamped her mouth shut.
Alicia had the good sense to not comment.
Gwen released a groan. “I need to turn down the Thursday job. I need to keep my distance. I need to figure out how to distract myself from what he looks like without a shirt.”
“Too late,” Alicia said, sounding like she was on the verge of laughter again. “And by the way, this explains so much.”
“What do you mean?”
“First, it explains why Seth and Pierre clash all the time,” Alicia said. “Seth really does know what he’s doing in the kitchen, and it must be frustrating to him when Pierre screws something up. And . . . it explains why Seth is always watching you.”
Waiting for You_Pine Valley Page 5