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But I don't want other guilt money helping, like guilt money from Nathan Armstrong because he’s stolen my friend and roommate.
I definitely don't want my best friend’s rich boyfriend giving me handouts.
Especially handouts that kept me in the bakery til midnight making cookies and macarons.
"I guess he would," Dani says. "Nathan would do anything to help me. Us. But I haven't said anything to him about the bakery. Not specifically."
“Who else would place an order like this?" I muse out loud.
This is the first time it's really occurring to me to wonder about this. I was so focused on just getting the order done, getting it over here to the arena and set up, and then worrying about tearing it all down and taking it back to the bakery to clean up, that I honestly didn't give a lot of thought to who was behind the order. It was for the Racketeers, for the team, that was all I really needed to know before now.
"I don't know. It probably could be anyone, right?" Dani asks. "All the guys on the team know what an amazing baker you are. They all love your stuff. Almost all of them tasted it at Crew’s birthday party."
And that's when it hits me. Crew’s birthday party. Someone who was really a fan of my baked goods. And someone who has enough money to pay for something like this.
It's not like the hockey players couldn't afford it, but they wouldn't think of throwing a big party for the whole team. They'd place an order for just themselves.
But there is someone who might want to celebrate the team, and throw a little business my way.
"Owen did this," I say.
I'm not really sure how to feel about that.
"Who's Owen?" Dani asks.
"Owen Phillips. Coach Phillips. The assistant coach."
Dani straightens and turns to face me. Her eyes were wide with interest.
Oh no. That means she's going to want to know everything about how I know Owen Phillips. Which also means she's going to think I should give him some more attention. She's going to mention how good-looking he is. And what a nice guy he seems to be. And how Nathan really likes him and respects him. And how Michael really likes and respects him. And the thing is… I'm sure she's right.
And I probably should give him more attention.
And that doesn't help me at all. Because I already want to give him more attention, and I don't have any fucking time to do that when I’m baking until midnight.
"Why would Owen Phillips order a whole bunch of desserts from you for the team? How would he even know to order desserts from you for the team?"
"He was at Crew’s birthday. He really liked my…cake." I know she notices how I pause and almost trip over the word ‘cake’.
But I'm reminded of how fucking cute it was when he said he could eat my cake all day. And also, how hot I got when he said that. I mean it was dorky and I know he didn't mean it that way, but it's made me blush and want to tease him more and definitely led to me thinking about other things of mine he could eat.
And no, I'm not talking about cakes that I bake.
"You like him," Dani says, pointing at me.
Dani and I have known each other for a very long time. Through a lot of things. Through a lot of guys. Well, I've been through a lot of guys. Her much less so. But if anybody in the world would be able to read on my face about how I feel about some guy, it would be her. And why would I keep these feelings from Dani?
Except that she is madly in love, and would very much like me to be as well.
But I don’t want to be in love.
Not that she believes me, no matter how many times I say that.
I don’t object to love. I just don’t have time for it.
And I’m not even sure I believe it myself anymore that I don’t want to be in love. Right now, the idea of going home to a partner who would pour me a glass of wine and rub my feet sounds pretty damn pleasant.
"I do like him," I decide to admit because lying would be stupid and she would know anyway. "He seems like a really good guy. Brady is his son." At Dani's blank expression, I sigh. "Brady, the cute, nice kid who's now working for me at the bakery? Lydia's boyfriend."
