Toby:Lord of the Rolls
Caleb:I’m leaving this chat.
Jamie:You always say that and never leave.
A photo appears next. Me, through the bakery window, holding a tray while Sadie points toward the cooling rack and Jillie looks like she is issuing royal commands.
Great.
I type with one thumb.Do any of you have jobs?
Toby replies instantly:Watching you become a Hallmark subplot is my job now.
Liam:Does the bakery sell humble pie?
Caleb:He needs two.
Jamie:You look happier.
The conversation keeps going, but I stop reading.
You look happier.
The three words sit there on the screen, simple and inconvenient.
I lock the phone.
Sadie notices and asks if everything is okay.
“Teammates.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
Jillie perks up and asks if they are hockey men.
“Hockey men?” I repeat.
“Yes. Men who hockey.”
“That is technically accurate.”
“Do they know me?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Her eyes widen. “Am I famous?”
Sadie sets down the dough immediately. “No.”
Jillie looks disappointed. “Can I be bakery famous?”
“You already are,” I tell her.
Sadie gives me a warning look.
“What?” I say. “She has strong brand presence.”
