“Well, we headed over there and looked in the window to see what the crowd was like,” she continued, taking a couple of menacing steps toward him. “When, lo and behold, we spotted a familiar face.”
Ben said nothing.
“I had no idea you were still in the food industry, hon.” Elena’s voice was ominous.
“Well, up until yesterday, I thought I would be paying for your shopping sprees and spa days,” he retorted. “I had to find a job somewhere, didn’t I?”
Elena gave him a confident grin. “Be that as it may, we ended up not going in because, believe it or not, my parents decided they couldn’t possibly stomach a cupcake while having to look at you.”
“I’m sure the scathing disappointment in their only child was more than enough for them to bear.”
“Cute. I suggested we stick around for a few minutes to see if you would leave. I really did want them to have some of the delicious treats on display, despite the fact that an insufferable jerk runs the location. And let me tell you, I found something much more delicious than any cupcake.
“I’m standing in front of the window, watching a girl ice a red velvet cake. She’s doing an amazing job, when her supervisor approaches with a clipboard to talk to her. And here’s where it gets interesting—I recognized the supervisor!”
Ben froze—he’d been caught. He hadn’t been as worried about Wynne making the connection as he’d been about Elena. He’d thought he might have been in the clear, but as he saw the vindictive look in his ex-wife’s eyes, he knew he’d been living in a fool’s paradise.
Fourteen
Of all the things in the world she could have said, this truly wasn’t what he expected. He kept his mouth set in a firm line, refusing to reveal to Elena that she’d just pulled a playable card.
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Your girl is working in the same store. I recognized her almost immediately! You know, most reputable companies have strict anti-fraternization policies, don’t they?”
Anger bubbled just beneath the surface, and he felt himself getting ready to say something stupid. But, oddly enough, he couldn’t shake snippets of his conversation with Ethan, and it made him want to appeal to her instead. There had to be some decency in there.
“Elena, listen—”
“I think Wynne herself would probably be grateful for a call that might alert her to any unsavory activity occurring in her company,” she said, tilting her head to one side. “Tsk, tsk, Benji. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He held up a hand to stop her from talking. “Elena, please. Just hear me out. I couldn’t figure out what I did wrong or what would make you decide to be so … awful. I mean, I gave you everything you asked for—money, clothes, and even space, against my better judgment. And then I thought about what you said to me when you showed up at the condo. You said I tried to make you into something you weren’t.”
He had her attention. Her expression was fixed into one of confusion. “Ben, what are you—”
“You said that I beat you into submission—but that wasn’t it. I bought you into submission. I threw money at all of our problems. I never let you know that I was there for you. So in a way, you’re right—I tried to make you something you weren’t.”
Confusion gave way to pain as tears filled her eyes. She turned away from him. “Stop it, Ben.”
He hadn’t heard her sound anything other than disdainful in months, so he continued. “No, Elena. I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for making you feel like you had to be anything other than yourself.”
He heard Elena sniff. She reached up and wiped her eyes. “I hate you.”
“I know,” he answered. “I don’t think I can do anything about that. But I hope you can move on and find whatever it is you’re looking for.”
She drew in a deep breath and turned around, dabbing tears from under her eyes with one slender finger. “Well, Ben, I’ll tell you what I’m not looking for—your apologies or your sympathy. Do you think that blowing smoke up my ass is going to distract me from keeping that promise I made to you? I guess we’ll just have to see what Wynne’s opinion is on all of this.”
Ben shook his head as he watched her pull her cell phone out and start swiping through it. She was shaken, he could tell. But he wasn’t apologizing for any other reason than that he got it. He knew where he’d gone wrong. And while it didn’t excuse her adultery and less-than-savory behavior up until this point, he had hoped the validation would help. But if she was still bent on carrying out her agenda, then he would have to beat her to the punch.
“I’m really not looking to charm you into backing off. I just wanted you to know—”
“Save it, honey. The world is going to know how disgusting you are, starting with Wynne’s Kitchen.”
He straightened, going from panic mode to anger to calm resignation in a matter of seconds. Ben briefly held his hands up in defeat before letting his arms drop to his sides.
“You know what? You win. Do what you’ve gotta do.” He took long strides away from her, stopping at the curb to hail a cab.
“I mean it, Ben! It’s ringing!”
He didn’t give her a second glance. “Congratulations.”
Thankfully, a cab screeched to a stop in front of him. He climbed in, trying to ignore Elena’s demands for attention as she spoke loudly on the phone to whom he assumed was the receptionist in Wynne’s corporate office. He took a deep breath and told the cab driver, “Sixty-Eighth and Freedom Place, please.”
• • •
Violet woke up at around nine, the sun leaking in through the small openings in Ben’s blinds. He was gone, of course; she knew he had a couple of errands to run today. She turned over and buried her face in his pillow, inhaling deeply. His intoxicating scent filled her nostrils, and she grabbed the pillow with a smile, as if it were a teddy bear. She rolled over with a happy groan, blissful despite the fact that the chickens were coming home to roost.
Violet let her legs hang over the side of the bed as she allowed herself one glorious stretch before venturing out into the rest of the apartment. She began her morning routine, wondering what time Ben would be home. It occurred to her as she was midway through making a pot of coffee that she wouldn’t mind waking up next to him on a regular basis or having a pot of coffee ready for him upon his return. The thought made her smile.
About an hour later, she was happily enjoying a second cup of coffee along with a small stack of cinnamon toast at the dinette in the kitchen, where she was reading The New York Times which had been left at the door moments before. Her phone buzzed loudly from the bedroom. She jogged over to check it, assuming it would be Ben. She saw Wynne’s name on the screen.
So much for blissful ignorance.
She cleared her throat and put on her best happy voice. “Good morning, Wynne!”
“Good morning, sweetie. How’s the wrist?”
“Feeling good,” she replied. “But I don’t see the doctor until tomorrow morning.”
“That sounds hopeful,” Wynne commented pleasantly. “And you’ll be at work after?”
“Yes, ma’am. Is everything okay?”
Wynne took an audible breath before finally saying, “I really wanted to wait until tomorrow to discuss this with you, but I can’t pretend I’m not seriously concerned about what I’m hearing.”
Here we go. Violet sighed. “Is this about what Jay and I discussed yesterday?”
“You hit the nail on the head. Jay’s telling me that you’re denying any involvement with Ben Preston?”
Tears sprang to Violet’s eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, angry at herself for the lie she was about to tell a second time in as many days. “I’m denying it.”
There was a long stretch of silence on the other end. Every second that passed felt like a stab in the chest. Finally, Wynne asked, “Are you telling me the truth, Vi?”
“Yes,” she answered quickly, calmly. She stared at the damp towel—Ben’s towel—hanging on the door hook as
she paced into the bathroom and sat on the tub. “There’s nothing going on with me and Ben.”
“Violet, I don’t know what else to say. I take my policies seriously. I’ve heard from many of the staff and others that the two of you have been together for weeks now. It’s simply unacceptable, and I can’t worry about things like this while I’m trying to run a company. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Violet tugged at her curls, trying to keep from bursting into tears. It was like Wynne was seeing her through the phone, on Ben’s tub in Ben’s condo—wearing Ben’s boxers. “I do.”
“You know I love having you here. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make your growth with us comfortable. But I can’t budge on this. And if I were to find out that you were lying to me … Well, Vi, that’s just a betrayal of the worst kind.”
“I get it.”
“Then tell me the truth. Are they wrong? Is there really nothing between you and Ben?”
Violet wrapped an arm around her middle to try to halt the pangs of nausea. “There’s nothing going on.”
Wynne sighed. “Okay, Violet. I believe you. I just needed to talk to you now, to put my mind at ease. And I’m sorry to put so much stress on you; I know you work exceptionally hard every minute you’re in the store.”
“Thanks.”
“We’ll talk more when you’re in, okay? Try and enjoy the rest of your day off. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Violet ended the call with a weary goodbye; she placed the phone on the edge of the sink and sat with her head in her hands for what felt like hours. She’d officially lied to her mentor. Wynne had become such an important part of her development as a baker and future entrepreneur, she may as well have lied to her own grandmother. Gran might have been rolling over in her grave right now, appalled at Violet’s behavior. Lying to the woman who took a chance on you to save your ass and continuing to sleep with your manager.
Violet dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and threw up.
• • •
Ben arrived home at around one o’ clock, two hours later than he had planned. He carried with him a bag of bagels and containers of various spreads for them to try. He smelled coffee in the air and smiled at the thought that he and Violet were so on the same wavelength.
“Vi?”
No answer. He walked into the kitchen and placed the bag of goodies on the dinette table. He then poured himself a cup of coffee before looking for Violet in the bedroom. There she was, huddled under a pile of blankets.
Smiling, he stared at the lump while taking a sip of his coffee. One of her legs stuck out from beneath the blanket as she lay completely still. “Good morning, sunshine.”
At the sound of his voice, she moved and pulled her leg under the blanket so that she disappeared completely. He heard her gasp and sniffle and put his cup down in concern, taking a seat beside her immediately.
“Vi, are you crying?”
She sniffled again, her voice muffled. “No.”
Ben grabbed a handful of blanket and pulled it aside. Sure enough, Violet lay there with her hair in a messy bun and her eyes red and swollen.
“What happened, sweetheart?”
Violet sighed. “I have something to tell you.”
“Okay.” He rubbed her back consolingly. “It must be something important, since you’re lying here sobbing like someone died.”
Violet sucked her teeth. “Ben, could you not?”
“I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Tell me what’s happened between the time I left this morning and right now that’s got you so upset.”
“Yesterday, after you left the office, Jay and I had a talk.”
He already knew what it was about. “Really, about what?”
“The staff’s been talking about us. They started telling Jay that it looks like you and I have something going on.”
“Hmm,” he remarked. “Pretty astute, aren’t they?”
She turned onto her back and stared at him in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“I’m sorry, go on.”
“He asked if you and I were seeing each other,” she continued, putting one arm over her eyes, “and I said no.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “Good answer. Did he leave it at that?”
“Well, I thought that was it. He seemed to believe me. And after last night … well, I kind of forgot about it.”
Ben smiled, flattening his hand on her bare belly. “Yeah, last night was fun.”
Violet finally grinned. “Like I said, I forgot about it.”
Ben bent forward and placed a soft kiss where his hand had been. He wasn’t worried anymore; he just wished he could explain it to her. “Tell me more, Vi. I mean, if you can.”
Violet struggled to sit up. “Ben, come on!”
He climbed onto the bed and crawled on top of her body. His hands teased the soft flesh of her waist as he sampled her neck with the tip of his tongue. “What? I’m listening.”
“Wynne called this morning! She asked me what was going on, and I lied. I don’t know what to do at this point. The last thing I wanted was to lie to her!”
Ben stretched his body over hers, gently coaxing her legs apart to settle his weight on top of her.
“I don’t think you get what’s going on right now,” Violet gasped, trying to lock eyes with him.
“Sweetheart, I know exactly what’s going on,” he murmured, planting a kiss on her chin before moving down to nibble on her collarbone.
“You’re sure being nonchalant about all of this.”
He pressed his pelvis against hers; her eyes widened slightly. His mouth closed over hers. He’d already made a huge decision and taken steps to see it through. But he knew—and adored—the built-in heroine switch that existed in Violet’s body, and if he divulged what he’d done, she’d never let him go through with it. So he set about on a new mission—to distract his girlfriend from the situation at hand.
“I would just rather spend my time enjoying my girlfriend and our incredible”—he paused to nip at the hollow of her throat—“incredible sexual chemistry than worry about what people are saying about us.”
Despite the fact that she wanted him inside her more than she wanted to be concerned, she persisted. “But what about—”
“Sweetheart,” Ben interrupted, his voice husky and demanding, “we’ll work it out. Don’t worry about it, not right now.”
She looked up at him imploringly, as if she were asking him to make it all go away.
“Let me handle it,” he murmured. “Okay?”
He leaned down to kiss her again, determined to make her forget about the mounting pressure their secret relationship had begun to apply on their lives, at least for one night.
• • •
Violet couldn’t even rejoice over the doctor’s news that her wrist had healed well. She should have been happy, but she really felt like she was being sent to her death. She knew she’d crumble the moment she saw Wynne and there would be no way she could leave The Rock at the end of her shift still gainfully employed.
She dragged her feet as she wove her way through the huge crowd of tourists and other dessert-seekers. She ignored the hellos from staff members that followed her down to the basement. She was angry with them for kicking up dirt that had been just fine where it was. Then she guiltily apologized to them in her head, knowing she’d brought this entire situation on herself. She took a deep breath before stepping into the office.
She was surprised to find Jay and Wynne sitting there, with Wynne occupying Ben’s desk. They were huddled around Ben’s computer, looking through pages of reports and deposit slips. They didn’t seem to notice her arrival; Violet raised a quizzical eyebrow as she watched them interact.
“Everything’s in order,” Jay said.
“Shame,” Wynne answered with a shake of her head. “It could’ve worked out.”
Deciding she didn’t want to hear more, Violet let the door close loud
ly behind her. Both Wynne and Jay spun around, startled, as she walked over to her desk.
Wynne was the first to speak. “Oh, Violet! How was the doctor visit?”
“It went well,” she replied, holding up her wrist. “Soft brace and I can resume my normal activities. Gradually, of course.”
Wynne smiled. “That is great news.”
“Congrats, Vi,” Jay added with a supportive grin.
“Thanks,” she replied, placing her backpack under her desk and taking a seat. “So, what have I missed?”
Jay and Wynne looked at each other, as if silently deciding who should speak first. It was Wynne, of course.
“Actually, you missed something huge this morning. Ben Preston no longer works here.”
Violet could’ve been knocked over with a feather. She struggled to hide the fact that her stomach had just dropped into her feet. “Wow, really? What happened?”
“Well, I got here and he let me know immediately that he’d experienced a family tragedy last night,” Jay explained, clearly still stunned. “He said it would be taking him out of the state for quite a few weeks, and he didn’t think it was fair to leave us hanging for so long. So he resigned.”
Violet’s jaw dropped. “Wow. Talk about a bombshell!”
Wynne watched her carefully. Violet knew she was doing a great job of concealing the gamut of emotions she was currently going through if Wynne couldn’t get a read on her. But on the inside, she was having a conniption. She was fighting every urge to jump to her feet, run upstairs, and call him to find out why he’d up and left the company without so much as a word to her.
“It was definitely a bombshell,” Wynne agreed. “Jay’s going to be acting manager until we hire someone new. I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but we’re gonna need you to step up and help pick up some of the slack while we select a new manager.”
Violet nodded. “Sure. Not a problem.”
“And can we count on you to help with training again?”
“Absolutely,” Violet replied, feeling like her insides were on fire.
“I hope it’s okay if I start back with icing tomorrow,” she added as casually as possible. “Let today’s icer finish her week out; it’ll give my wrist one more day of rest. Maybe I’ll do some cupcakes later to test the waters.”
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