Nora’s phone buzzed on the table, and she stood up to excuse herself. It was the first time Emily had been alone with Abdul and she was immediately aware of how much she must look like a disaster. She began to brush back her hair, trying hard to secretly dust out any flour that might have graced its presence there. Silently she berated herself for not taking the time to clean herself up before they had arrived. She had been so down to the wire finishing up the tasting cakes that she hadn’t had a spare minute to even check to see how she looked. But she had to imagine, after a full day of work and extra hours baking the cakes, that the site wasn’t pretty. But Abdul kept his eyes on her, his smile broadening at her obvious nervousness.
“I didn’t get a chance to thank you yet for staying late tonight for Nora,” he said.
Emily felt her cheeks blush and immediately wanted to kick herself. “It was fine, I appreciate the extra payment.” She answered.
Abdul waved his hand in the air as if to dismiss her thank you. “It was pure business. I understand how Nora can be and I know it can be difficult. You deserve the extra money for staying late for her and I assure you that if you decided to work with her that you will again be compensated well.”
Was it just her, she wondered, or was he forgetting to mention that he was a part of the upcoming wedding as well? Out of curiosity, she decided to test the waters a little. “Well, I am willing to take you and your fiancé on as clients, thought with what you are asking for, it is not going to be an easy project.” Emily leafed through the pictures again to make it seems as if she was truly thinking about it, when in reality she was wondering if she could the fact that she was referring to them as a couple.
“Yes, Nora does have her expectations high, but you have excellent reviews and based off of the look of that tray of cakes that I can’t wait to taste, you will be able to live up to them and even exceed them.”
It seemed so miniscule, but she really couldn’t help but notice that he had yet to refer to them as a couple. It was all about Nora. Now, that could be because he was completely all consumed by her and couldn’t talk about anything but her. And who could blame him? She was a woman who had it all together and clearly was a perfect match for the man that she could naturally see Abdul was. A man of prestige and power, with an air about him of complete manly essence. On the other hand, Emily had worked with many couples and she had never worked with one, that didn’t refer to themselves as a couple.
“Well, thank you for the compliment.” Emily went and grabbed the tray of cakes that she had left on the counter along with the forks and plates. “Hopefully you both find that you enjoy the cakes and will be choosing me to help in your special day!” Emily was trying to stay bright and professional, no matter how much his stare was scorching her skin.
The bell rang above the door and Nora stepped back inside. Whatever phone call she had just gotten was clearly not good. She breezed in and took her seat again, looking expectant at the tray. “Well, let’s get moving here, we obviously don’t have all night.”
The way she snapped at Emily made her jump and she immediately started to serve up the cakes. Abdul turned to her, his smile finally faded into what looked like an irritated frown. “Did something happen?” he asked. It was obvious he was embarrassed with her behavior, but it was none of Emily’s business so she just continued to serve up the cake.
“Yes, something happened.” It was hard not to notice the harsh edge she had in her voice. Her stomach sank knowing that this tasting was not going to go well. “I just lost a major house, the buyers turned down the offer AND the client and sold it to someone else. It would have been one of the biggest sales of my life!”
“I’m sorry,” Abdul said to her. “Real estate it a tough and fast market, you’ll close the next sale.” Emily could tell he was trying to be reassuring to her, but she could also tell that it didn’t quite sound right.
“Yes,” she answered sharply. “I know how real estate works thank you very much.” Emily couldn’t help but take a glance at Nora, it was as if she had been sucking on a lemon. “Well,” she directed her words towards Emily. “Let’s get this moving.”
Chapter 4
The entire rest of the weekend Abdul had to stop himself from telling Nora he wanted to go back to the bakery. It wasn’t to see Emily, although that would have been a very great plus, but it was actually to taste some more of her delicious baking. He couldn’t get the memory of her cakes out of his mind. They were all moist, light, flavorful, and creamy. The frostings were a perfect richness that swirled around his tongue live velvet. He hadn’t been able to decide exactly which was his favorite, so he’d let Nora pick the flavor. Not as if there had even been a choice in that, but he did enjoy that the cake even seemed to put her in a better mood.
But truthfully, when eating food like that, how could anyone stay in a sour mood? Even if she had just lost a very big deal with a great amount of money, Emily’s cakes had a power over them to make anyone feel good inside. By the time the weekend was over and Nora was back on a plane, Abdul knew exactly where he was going when he went on lunch.
The little bell chimed when he walked in and he realized he was starting to get used to that sound. It was charming with its little music. From the kitchen he heard Emily’s voice as she called out to her customer. “Welcome! I will be out in just a second!”
Her voice was bright and cheerful for a Monday afternoon and he smiled just hearing it. She stepped out from the kitchen and was still tying on her apron.
“Oh! Hi!” she greeted him. It was obvious that she was surprised to see him again. Her face immediately dropped to concern when she asked him if there was a problem with the wedding cake plans.
“No not at all,” he answered her smoothly. “I have been craving some more of your delicious baking and since you’re only open in the afternoons and evenings I decided to stop by on my lunch break.”
Emily looked around her bakery and I noticed at the same time that she did that her dessert case was fairly bare.
“Sorry, we had a rush last night and my assistant didn’t get a chance to get much baked. I was actually just about to start whipping some stuff up if you’d like to come back later I can have whatever it is you want packaged up and ready to go.”
Abdul looked around the bakery, he had to admit that he was disappointed to be leaving so soon, but he didn’t want to make her feel badly at all so he agreed to come back after he got out of work. She smiled at him as he placed his order and told him it would be ready when he got there. She looked different than she had the other day. There was no flour in her hair and she looked fresh and excited, the face of a person who can’t wait to start her day. He liked the way her cheeks were bright and rosy and her eyes sparkled with excitement. She was a very beautiful girl, but he had to admit that he did enjoy her when she had frosting and flour all over her as well. He figured she could probably be beautiful no matter what she did.
It was interesting to him that he seemed to have more of a bounce in his step leaving the bakery than when he entered and he could only attribute it to the fact that he knew he was going to get to see Emily again that day.
Even work seemed better once he got back from his lunch hour. Abdul really didn’t need the work, and his parents didn’t understand why exactly he chose to do so in a job that they didn’t consider even close to glamorous enough for a sheikh. It was true that he did have a master’s degree in business, at the insistence of his father, so he probably could have found something his parents considered more suitable. But Abdul was lucky to land the job he did, the restaurant paid him well and he had a fantastic schedule. He enjoyed being around people and needing to solve problems quickly for customers. And he really loved working with food, especially food that was the quality of food that his restaurant served.
Maybe that was part of his attraction to Emily, he thought. The fact that they had their careers in common with a passion for working with food to make people happy. While he didn’t ac
tually make the food like she did, he did understand having that passion for food; that need to be around delicious food. It was an interesting theory, especially since Nora didn’t understand his job any more than his parents did. She complained quite often that he should be attempting to do more, to take a position of power somewhere and really make a name for himself.
It wasn’t as if he needed the money, and she was well aware of that. It also wasn’t as if I needed any higher status than what I already had back in his country, another point she was well aware of. But she never seemed to be satisfied with his life, like it wouldn’t be enough for her. That always frustrated him about her, that she seemed to belittle him and what he loved doing. But Emily had the same feelings that he did, that it was most important in life to do what you love instead of what makes you look good.
No matter what he thought of throughout the rest of the day, his mind kept wandering back to Emily. He was wondering how his lemon scone and chocolate croissant were going to taste and he wondered how her business was doing. He also had to wonder why she owned one small shop when she clearly had the talent to do more. It was probably a rude topic to bring up considering he was a virtual stranger, but still he wondered about it.
He watched the clock that day, the seconds of that last hour of his shift ticking far too slowly for his liking. He couldn’t wait to get out of there and taste what she had made up for him. The drive to her bakery wasn’t far from his restaurant and he wondered why he’d never checked it out before. Walking through her front door again, he saw another girl behind the counter. He figured it had to be her assistant and he introduced himself to her explaining that he had an order that should be ready for him. For a moment he worried that Emily had already gone for the day and disappointment sunk into him.
Abdul didn’t know if she had heard his voice or if it was just perfect timing but out she stepped from her kitchen again, this time with only a few smudges of her baking left on her clothes. Her hair was swept up into a pony tail and it swung as she walked. He had to notice that it was flourless and he wondered, fleetingly, if she had checked it before she had come out. He was probably just being hopeful, that she might care about seeing him the way he had been excited to see her.
“Hi again,” she said to him. “I have your food all packaged up for you.”
Abdul stepped up to the counter and pulled out his wallet.
“It’s on the house today.” She smiled at him and he nearly lost all words.
“No…no I can’t possibly do that. You’ve been gracious enough to me as it is.”
“And you’re already paying quite a bit of money to this little bakery. Please, it’s the least I can do.”
He wasn’t used to anyone turning down his money. Most everyone in his life knew he had plenty of it so he ended up paying for anything and everything when he was out. It was an odd, unsettling feeling that she was turning down his money. But in a way, he kind of liked it.
“Well, that is very kind of you. Thank you. Do you have a minute to sit down with me?” he asked her. He knew it was a risk, she probably had more important things to be doing, but he didn’t want to part with her just yet.
He watched as Emily exchanged a glance with Kara and then she unhooked her apron. “I was actually just about to leave for the night,” she answered him. He couldn’t help that he felt disappointed. “But, I’d love to sit and talk for a few minutes.”
After grabbing herself a cupcake, she made her way around the counter and led them to a table on the far side of her tiny bakery. He watched as the other girl slipped to the back in the kitchen and then they were alone again, just like the other day.
“You’re food is so fantastic,” he said to her, taking bites of his scone. “But why don’t you open in the morning like many bakeries? I’d love to be having some of your food for breakfast.” He didn’t mean to be so blunt and he worried that she might take offense. But she smiled instead and licked her fingers of the chocolate frosting that was on them.
“I have to work in the morning at an office. Early afternoon is the earliest I can get here,” she explained.
“What about your assistant? Couldn’t she open for you?” Abdul took another bite of his scone. The hard cookie had such a burst of citrus with the perfect crunchy texture on the outside but was warm and inviting inside.
Emily was finishing chewing her bite of cupcake, and he loved watching her eat. He could see how much pleasure she took from every bite that she ate and it was nice to see someone else feel the way he did about divine food.
“My assistant is still in college. She’s sort of training under me to open her own business so she is only here when her schedule allows which is mostly at night and on the weekends. I’d love to hire someone to open, it’s just not in the budget for me.”
“Is that why you have to work another job?” He could kick himself for how rude he felt he was being. This girl didn’t even know him and he was asking all sorts of questions that were inappropriate. Most people start off with normal questions, where they are from, and what they like to do. He was basically asking why her business wasn’t doing better.
“Yea, basically.” She took another bite of cupcake and chewed it thoughtfully. “One day thought, one day I think that I can really make this what I want it to be.” She looked around her little bakery with wishes in her eyes and he could practically see her dreams.
Chapter 5
It became a daily tradition between the two of them. Abdul would either call in an order if he was busy or stop in on his lunch if he wasn’t, then the two would sit at a table together after both of their shifts and talk. Sometimes it was important things, like dreams and careers, sometimes it was trivial things like what was on TV that night or the rainstorm that had hit that afternoon. Emily looked forward to his daily visits and even got herself to the point where she didn’t feel like a total mess when he was around. In the beginning she had felt awkward and clumsy, but now she felt comfortable around him, at ease when they talked.
Kara couldn’t help but notice the way Emily lit up when Abdul was about to come into the bakery, or the way that she made sure she was clean and presentable when he was arriving.
“You’ve got it bad for this guy,” she said to her one day as they were rolling out pie dough.
“What are you talking about?” Emily responded.
“Abdul. You are really into him.” It was not a question, but a definitive statement. One that Emily tried to deny but did a very poor job of.
“He’s just a…friend,” she said and shrugged her shoulders.
Kara looked hard at her friend, studying her to read what was really going on.
“Nope. Sorry. I don’t buy it. You like him. And if that blushing is any indication, you like him a lot.”
Emily sighed and put down her rolling pin. It was true and there was no point in denying it. She did have a crush on him, a big one. He made her feel like a teenager all over again, giving her butterflies when it was time for him to show up and feeling disappointed on days when he could only call in his order instead of stop in in person. It wasn’t even as if they had done anything special together really, only spent time together in the little corner table that she couldn’t help but consider “theirs.” But even those little bits of time were exciting to her.
“Fine,” she finally admitted. “Yes. I have a crush on him. But that’s it. There’s nothing more to it than that.”
Yea, she knew that was a lie too. The feelings she had were quickly becoming more than just a crush.
“Well, don’t you think that’s a little dangerous? I mean you’re making this guy’s wedding cake.”
Somewhere inside Emily knew that she shouldn’t be having this kind of friendship, since that’s all it was at the moment, with someone who was getting married. Especially when she was making the wedding cake herself. But she did find it odd that in all of the weeks they had this little tradition, he had very rarely spoken of Nora. She found that odd th
at someone who was supposed to be in love never spoke of the woman he loved. She knew that even just as a crush she thought of Abdul a lot, so she naturally assumed that when someone was in love the thoughts would be on that person all the time. So why didn’t he talk about her?
“I can’t see how it would be dangerous. It’s not like I’m going to ruin the wedding.”
Kara sighed in frustration and put down the rolling pin. “It’s not dangerous for him. It’s dangerous for you.”
“Me? Why me?” Emily had no idea how being friends with someone could be dangerous at all.
“You’ve got a couple of months until the wedding. You’re already falling hard for this guy, don’t you think if you continue to stay friends it’s going to make things even harder for you? More painful when he actually does get married and you have to say goodbye to him?”
Emily hadn’t considered that, hadn’t even really thought about what would happen once he got married. Of course he wouldn’t be able to stay friends with her. Honestly if Nora were around, she doubted they would even be friends the way they were. It was inappropriate. She shouldn’t stay friends with him, if not for the sake of his marriage, then for her own sake. Kara was right, it was going to crush her once they actually got married if she continued to spend time with him the way that she was. She was going to have to break the cycle.
She resolved that when he was supposed to stop in to pick up his order, she would make some excuse and let him know that she had to leave. It would definitely not be fun but Kara was right, she couldn’t get any more attached. When the bell ran overhead of the door at his usual time, Emily took a deep breath and smoothed out her apron.
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 79