I was filling a drink when I heard Ruthie yell again. “Stella! What are you doing here?”
I immediately looked up, searching for her, and found her setting her stuff down on the chair next to Cat—making a point to sit in my section, but next to the other women to talk with them.
“Axel texted and had an update on what’s been going on, so I stopped by,” Stella said to Cat and Ruthie. “Plus, I figure I can help him some more with his English while I’m here.”
“What do you mean?” Cat asked her.
“The guys won’t let me pay them money for their help, so I’ve been paying them in baked goods from my shop and tutoring Axel in weird English phrases and words,” Stella told her.
“It’s a fair trade,” I told her, walking over to set a menu down in front of her and smiling. “Thanks for coming by.”
She was so close I could smell her perfume. She smelled like sugar, cinnamon, and peppermint, so maybe it wasn’t perfume, but rather, just her working environment creating that wonderful scent. Whatever it was, my body wanted to be closer.
“I need to get me a tutor,” Tammy said, coming up beside me. “I’vealways wanted to learn another language. Maybe I’ll find me a sexy tutor so that he can quiz me, and when I get an answer right, he has to take off a layer of clothing. Like strip poker, but for tutoring.”
The women all chuckled, but my eyes were focused on Stella’s. I certainly wouldn’t mind playing that game with her, and based on the heat in her eyes, Tammy’s idea was not something she was dismissing entirely. I found myself thinking I wouldn’t mind kissing her and touching that amazing body of hers while having her quiz me on my English.
“Okay, so I’m just going to put this out there,” Ruthie said to Stella. “But if you need someone to try out new recipes or be ataste-tester, I would like to volunteer for the job—you don’t even have to pay me! I will totally do it for free.”
“Oooh, yes,” Cat agreed.
“I would also like to taste-test your goodies,” I said, noting how Stella’s face blushed at my comment while Ruthie and Cat snickered.
“Axel…technically there’s nothing wrong with what you said, but it has a double meaning,” Ruthie chimed in.
“What do you mean?” I asked her, hoping for an explanation.
She turned to look at Cat who shook her head. “No, I’m not telling him. That’s all you.”
Ruthie snorted in response, so I turned to look at Stella, whose face was now an even darker shade of red, and she was looking down at the menu as if she were memorizing it.
Clearly missing something here, I turned back to Ruthie. “What? Tell me.”
She curled her finger at me, giving the universal sign for “come closer.” I moved to stand right in front of her and leaned over into her space.
“If you say you are interested in a woman’s goodies, it means you are interested in having sex with her,” Ruthie revealed. “And if you offer to taste-test these goodies…”
She left that last part open-ended, but I could put two and two together.
I immediately looked back over to Stella, who was still staring desperately at the menu and now biting her lip. I couldn’t tell if she was biting her lip so as not to laugh, or because she was thoroughly embarrassed.
“Shit,” I murmured. “I didn’t know.”
“I know. That’s why I told you,” Ruthie said.
“On that hilarious note, I’m gonna head out here in about ten minutes,” Tammy said, nodding to where Corey was walkingthrough the swinging door to the kitchen. “Have a good night, y’all.”
We all said our goodbyes, and I quickly checked in with my other customers before returning to Stella and the other women.
“I’ve got a few minutes here if you want the update, or would you rather I tell you somewhere more private?” I asked, not wanting to embarrass her further if this was something she didn’t want Cat and Ruthie to hear.
“It’s okay,” Stella said, looking at the other women. “Ruthie works in your office, and Cat is married to Vince, so they likely either already know or will soon enough, anyway.”
She wasn’t wrong, but I still didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, just tell me, please. I’m hoping it’s good news so you guys can be done with my troubles.”
I didn’t like the thought of beingdone with her, but I understood what she was saying.
