Sugar and Spice

by Roxy Wynn

  “I’m sure you’ll get something,” I said. “All the craziness just needs to die down.”

  She nodded and lit a cigarette. “Are you going to sell your house in Mont Clare?” Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t let anyone smoke in my trailer, but since this was the last time I would ever be here, I let it go. She had been through enough, anyway.

  “Not sure… probably, though. There’s no reason for me to be here anymore. I don’t have any ties to this town.” It wasn’t entirely true since I grew up here, but the thought of being near Chrissy when she didn’t want to see me was too much to handle.

  Once upon a time, I wanted to start a new life here. I wanted to buy a building downtown, turn it into a destination with condos and a brewpub while I raked in cash.

  Who knew it would end with me broken hearted and running away with my tail between my legs.

  Chrissy hadn’t answered my calls or responded to any of my texts in the first few weeks, so I took Sarah’s advice, and stepped back to give her space.

  The old adage is, if you love something, let it go. If it comes back, then it was meant to be.

  I didn’t know if Chrissy and I were meant to be, but for now I was doing all I could. I fucked up when I didn’t tell her about Alex and the building, and I intended to give her all the time she needed to find it in her heart to forgive me.

  “You thinking about that girl? The blonde one? I liked her.”

  “Chrissy?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I think that was her name. She’s the one who brought all the desserts in. She seemed nice.” Clear eyed, Melody smiled at me. The same sweet smile I remembered from when we first met.

  “I didn’t think you noticed her.”

  “Of course I did. I wasn’t a hardcore junkie, I just liked to party. She was cool.”

  I laughed. “Nah, I fucked up, and she’s not talking to me right now.”

  Melody looked me up and down while stubbing her cigarette out in the sink. “Did you try apologizing?”

  Is she kidding?

  “I wish it were that simple.”

  “Jax.” She stood and put her arm around my neck. “Let me tell you a little secret about women. We like to be chased.”

  Was Melody Mane giving me relationship advice? I could have sworn I heard rumors of her having an island full of men ready for sex at the drop of a hat. Melody Mane wasn’t chased, she was the one who did all the chasing.

  “Not all women like to be chased. Most women like a man who is straight forward and listens to them. Gives them time when they need it.”

  She scoffed. “No way dude, if you love her you need to put the work in and show her. Letting her have time and space is great and all, but if you’re serious, get in her face and make sure she knows it.”

  “Doesn’t that feel a little stalker-ish?” I asked.

  “Only if you’re wearing her underpants when you do it. Look at Lloyd Dobler…”

  “You know he’s not a real guy right?”

  “Fuck you, he is a real guy, just listen. If you love her, show up at her house with a boom box and let her know. Buy a billboard professing your love. Hell, go to the airport when she’s about to leave and chase her down until you tell her you love her. Women love grand gestures. Find her and give her one.”

  Melody, reformed party girl known for flashing her crotch, was right. If I wanted Chrissy, sitting around feeling sorry for myself would not get her back. I would have to work for it, show her I wanted her.

  And I had just the right idea.

  “Melody! You’re a genius.”

  Her brows wrinkled. “I’m what?”

  “A genius. I gotta go get her back.”

  “That’s all it took was me telling you to do it? Men are strange creatures.”

  I took one last look at the items left in the trailer. I had some notebooks, a poster, and the paperwork for the dissolution of Bayview Investments. I grabbed the paperwork, patted Melody on the back and ran outside down the steps.

  I had one last chance to make things right, and I intended to get her back.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chrissy

  Sarah’s pep talk yesterday was the catalyst I needed to kick my ass into gear. Well, that and the loss of my baking magic. As usual, everything that came out of her adorable little mouth was the truth. The love was gone from my recipes, and I was miserable without Jeff.

  But a big part of me worried I was too late.

  After staying up all night and stalking his fan site, I learned he was planning on going to Italy for a big budget super hero movie in the near future. News reports added that until filming began, he would be at home taking some much-needed time off.

  I pictured him in that big house, by himself, and my heart ached. We had so many fun and sexy memories there. Did he look around his kitchen and see me there like I saw him in my own apartment?

  Pulling the video up on my laptop, I watched his interview again and again. After my fourth viewing, I finally snapped. Like a veil being lifted, I finally saw the situation clearly.

  Jeff was in pain because of me. I let a handsome, loving, and wonderful man get away because I didn’t think I was good enough for him. This shitty lack of self confidence was going to change. Today.

  For weeks I had blamed the end of our relationship on him wanting to buy the building, when the real reason was because I was scared. I didn’t think I was worthy of his love.

  Inspecting myself in the mirror, I saw for the first time what he must have seen when he looked at me. My body was strong and curvy. My brain, smart and confident in its abilities.

  I’m fun, I have a job I love; and damn it, my eyeliner is always on point! Turns out, I had a lot going for me after all.

  One hour later, I found myself in Ruby’s kitchen deep frying Jeff’s mother’s beignets. I followed the recipe to the letter, including the most important last ingredient, love.

  He wasn’t pulling my leg; they were delicious! Soft, pillowy, slightly sweet, and lighter than air. Covered in a thick layer of powdered sugar and then dipped in some hickory coffee, they were perfect.

  Café du Monde, eat your heart out!

  The first batch went to the bakers I had been yelling at every day. When I sensed a lull in production, I told them all to take a break and join me outback for some nourishment.

  I saw their eyes dart around at each other, skeptical of my intentions, but they followed me to the break room instead of darting for the emergency exit.

  Win number one!

  Once everyone sat down, I poured my heart out. I know most business owners prefer to keep their lives separate from their work, but I’m not one of them. I want my staff to feel like family.

  “I wanted to formally apologize to y’all today. I’ve been shitty and mean these past few weeks, and there is no excuse for that kind of behavior.” I said.

  Sarah peeked her head in, a bright smile on her face.

  “Without all your handwork, we never would have made it through. Thank you so much and enjoy the beignets!”

  With a little plate of her own, I led Sarah into the office.

  “I take it you’re feeling better?” She asked. Everyone had given me a wide berth this morning, assuming I was still on the war path. But when Sarah saw me prepping the small deep fryer with oil, it dawned on her that things might be looking up.

  “Yes. Much better. I even made food without destroying it.” I held up a beignet and inspected its sugary perfection before taking a big bite. Powdered sugar crumbled off down my chin and on to my uniform.

  I watched her take a bite, and her face lit up. “Jimmy Christmas, this is amazing,” she said.

  “I know, it’s Jeff’s mother’s recipe. The one we were going to make on our first date.”

  “So I take it you have forgiven him?”

  “Yes. And no.”

  She frowned and took another bite, wiping the sugar from her lap.

  “Yes, on the building stuff because I can s
ee now it was all a big misunderstanding. In a way, I’m grateful for it. If not for Bayview Investments, our paths never would have crossed.”

  She nodded, taking another warm beignet from the plate. “And what are you not forgiving him for?”

  “The breakup. I’m not forgiving him for that because there’s nothing to forgive. I used the building as an excuse to stop seeing him. I was scared he would hurt me.”

  “So you decided to hurt him first?”

  “Yes. I was a giant, steaming pile of garbage, but I’ve seen the error of my ways.”

  Sarah reached out and took my hand. “I only ever thought you were a small pile of garbage. Not steamy or anything.”

  I slapped her hand away, and we both started laughing. Big belly laughs between best friends that made everyone feel better.

  “I’m sorry to you, too,” I said.

  “Oh no, what did you do to me?” She was still laughing, but I had grown serious.

  “For lying to you about my dating life. I got worried for a while there, that you couldn’t juggle Bailey and the bakery. I gave up dating to spend more time here…”

  “Basically guaranteeing you would burn yourself out.”

  “Bingo!”

  “I’m disappointed, but I know your heart was in the right place so I forgive your sexy ass,” she said. “Let’s just agree that we will be open with one another from now on. No more hiding shit.”

  “Agreed.”

  “And I promise that if I do feel like I’m in over my head, you will be the first person I tell. Just because I have bags under my eyes and never sleep because of my rambunctious little man, doesn’t mean I’m not doing everything I can for this business.”

  “I know, I just wanted to help in the weirdest, back asswords way possible.” Leaning in, I hugged her tiny frame.

  “When it comes to you Chrissy, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Sarah helped me prep the final batch of beignets; the ones I planned as a peace offering to the man I was bat-shit crazy in love with.

  After mixing the dough, and letting it rise for an hour, I rolled it out while Sarah prepped the cottonseed oil.

  “Did you call him?” She asked.

  “No. I kinds thought I would just show up on his door step with the plate.”

  She looked at me with an expression of disbelief. “Are you kidding? What if he’s not home?”

  “He’ll be home.”

  “Yeah, but how do you know?”

  “I just do, ok? The man isn’t exactly a social butterfly on his off hours. If he’s not on in L.A. then he’s probably locked up in his house in Mont Clare.”

  “Oh I don’t know, I like to think I have a vibrant social life.”

  The words came from a very deep and very creole sounding voice behind me. I locked eyes with Sarah, who was smiling at me and biting her bottom lip.

  I spun to see Jeff standing behind me. He was wearing black boots, tight blue jeans, and a white t-shirt. Breathless, I had almost forgotten how good he looked in person. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  He stepped forward and reached for my dough covered hand. When his skin touched mine, I felt tiny jolts of electricity run up my spine.

  “I needed to see you again.”

  “And now that you’ve seen me?”

  He opened his mouth as if he was about to say some elaborate speech. I don’t know exactly what I had hoped to hear. I didn’t want him to say sorry, or mention anything about Alex or the building. I just wanted him to hold me.

  As if reading my mind, he didn’t say a word. Instead, he stepped forward and grabbed me, kissing me in front of everyone. Sarah, Kenneth, and the rest of the kitchen crew clapped.

  When I pulled away, we were both laughing.

  “I was just making your mom’s beignets. I had a whole romantic scene planned,” I said.

  His eyes darted to the lump of dough on the work bench and to the flour on my hands. “That’s in my hair now, isn’t it?”

  I laughed. “Well I was about to roll it out before you stormed in here getting all handsy. So, yes, you have beignet dough in your hair. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” Taking a folded manilla envelope from his back pocket, he placed it into my sticky hands and covered them with his. “Until I met you, I was on autopilot. I knew I was unhappy but didn’t know what was missing until I met you. “These past few weeks have been brutal, and a hell of a lot less sweet without you around.”

  “Jeff… what is this?”

  He took a step back, and I unclenched the metal clasp on the envelope. Inside was a stack of papers with the words Bill of Sale stamped on the top.

  “What? Martha said she would never sell…”

  “She said she wouldn’t sell to an investment group. But to her two favorite girls, she was more than willing.”

  I turned to Sarah, whose jaw had hit the floor.

  “So what does this mean?”

  “It means the building is yours. You can stay as long as you want.”

  I grabbed him again and pulled him into a bear hug. “I don’t know what to say…”

  “Just say you’ll never tell me to leave again,” he whispered in my ear.

  And just like that, Sarah and I owned real estate.

  Epilogue

  Jax

  One year later….

  “Cut!” I shouted. “Great job everyone, that’s a wrap!”

  I looked out at the set, filled with men and women who believed in my project, and felt my eyes well up with tears. The pilot we just completed filming was hopefully the beginning of my new career as a director.

  To say I was scared shitless was an understatement.

  On a whim, I pitched the idea for a series set in Mont Clare to Gene over beers one afternoon. I had just gotten back from a brutal shoot in Italy and was happy to be home with my friends and family.

  “So, it’s a buddy cop thing?” He asked.

  The four of us had already spent the entire day together hanging out by my pool, and the girls had left us alone to prepare snacks. Gene was composed as always, while the humidity and beer had lowered my inhibitions.

  “Yeah, it’ll have a little humor and a lot of heart; set right here in town.”

  “You thinking of starring in it yourself?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Why? Do you think I’m not good looking enough to do it, Gene?”

  The girls rounded the corner with a cheese tray, and Bea leapt into action.

  “Jeffrey, don’t let this old goat tell you you aren’t hot anymore. You are still a good-looking man.”

  “Here here,” Chrissy said, raising her glass to the group.

  “If you think I’ve lost my looks, just tell me man. I can take it. Let me down easy.”

  “Jax, you are a handsome son of a bitch. All I’m saying is directing is hard. Acting and directing at the same time is even harder.”

  “Says the man who hasn’t done either,” Bea said.

  Chrissy rubbed my back. “I already told him I think it’s a great idea. And I’m always looking for ways to keep him in town so I can be close to Ruby’s.”

  “If you’re serious,” Gene looked around as if the information he was about to give me was a secret. “I know a guy.”

  “Of course you know a guy. You always know a guy,” I said.

  “I know a guy at Netflix. If you want to do this, get a pitch together.”

  I sobered up a little at the thought. “Really?”

  “Hell yeah, man. Let’s do this.”

  Without knowing it, Gene changed my career for the better that day.

  I jumped on my motorcycle and headed back to the house. The dailies could wait until tomorrow.

  Since coming back from Italy, life had quieted down considerably. We still had fans that approached us when we went out on the town, but the amount of paparazzi stalking us decreased considerably. Business was still going strong at Ruby’s, and life was good.

  I pulled up
to my gate, entered the code, and drove down the long driveway until I reached the house. From the looks of things, the baby shower had wrapped up and only Sarah’s car remained. That was fine by me, she was practically a sister to me now.

  A small, mouthy sister.

  As soon as I got off the bike, the smell of cookies attacked my senses, and when I opened the door, Bailey flew past me on a small bike.

  “Whoa there, kiddo.” I said, jumping out of the way so he couldn’t run me down.

  Rounding the corner, I saw Chrissy reclining on a chair with her feet up. She had ribbons in her hair and a tuna salad sandwich resting on her ample belly. She smiled and reached for me before yawning.

  “How did everything go?” I asked. The room was filled with balloons, confetti and a small stack of gifts. We asked for no presents, but it looked like everyone still got a little something for the mom to be.

  “It was amazing. We got so many cute outfits! Joyce even made a diaper cake. I can’t wait to show you later. Right now I’m beat.”

  Afraid to ask what the hell a diaper cake was, instead I turned my attention to the sandwich on her belly. “I thought you hated tuna sandwiches?”

  “I do, but baby Jaxon thinks they’re the bee’s knees.”

  I knelt by her side and put a hand on her belly. “Does he, now?”

  “Yes. He or she loves tuna. I don’t know why. I think it’s disgusting.” She picked up the sandwich and took an enormous bite. Before I knew it, the sandwich was gone. “It’s like I have no control over my body anymore. I can’t stop eating it.”

  “Hey dad,” Sarah said. “I tidied everything up in the kitchen and put the leftovers in the fridge.”

  “Thank you Sarah, for everything. Did everyone have a good time?” I asked.

  “Yes, the girls had a blast. The company that rented the bouncy house will be here at noon tomorrow to pick up the inflatable castle.” Bailey opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it and rested his head against his mother’s shoulder.