10
Alexis got to the bakery first thing in the morning. She had hardly slept as she ran over every second of the date in her mind. It had been amazing. She had never had as much fun with a guy as she had with Lonnie.
And most of all, she felt safe with him. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
A permanent smile was glued to her face as she worked on filling the case for walk-ins. A knock on the front door startled her from her thoughts, and she moved around to the front to find Melissa waving frantically at her through the glass.
Alexis unlocked the door and let her in before locking it again. “Forget your key?”
Melissa sighed. “Yes. Damn, it’s cold out there.”
Alexis peered outside. There was very little traffic, and the street parking was wide-open aside from a van across from the shop that she’d seen several times over the mornings. There never seemed to be anyone in it, but it also never had frost or snow on it, so someone was using it.
She shifted her eyes to Melissa and walked back to the kitchen.
“So how did your date go?” Melissa asked.
Alexis smiled and blushed. “It went well.”
“See? I knew it! You just needed to put yourself out there. Are you happy I pushed you?”
Alexis smirked and went back to frosting the cupcakes. “Nah.”
“Liar.”
They worked alongside each other like a well-oiled machine, getting the orders and ready for the morning.
“Thank you for getting all those orders done last night. I’m impressed,” Alexis said.
Melissa pretended to flip her hair over her shoulder with her hand. “I’m impressive. What can I say?”
Alexis snorted. A timer went off, and she glanced at the clock. “Time to open.”
“I got it,” Melissa said. She walked to the front door and unlocked it and then turned over the open sign.
Only a few minutes later, Lonnie walked through the door. Alexis smiled brightly and went to the counter.
“Well, hello,” she said. “What can I get you today?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “How about another date?”
“So soon?”
“I figured we had fun, and there’s no reason to prolong it.”
“He’s got a point,” Melissa sang.
Lonnie’s smile widened. “I do. So we should definitely go on another date tonight.”
Alexis pulled her lip between her teeth and worried it. Then she glanced back at Melissa. She lowered her voice. “I don’t feel right leaving Melissa to do all the work. She already had to stay late once.”
“I can still hear you even when you whisper. You’re really terrible at it,” Melissa said. “And I don’t mind staying late again.”
Lonnie chuckled. “How about we have our date here? I can help you with the cupcakes.”
Alexis raised an eyebrow. “Do you know how to bake?”
“No. But I’m a quick study.”
