Page 46 of Shattered Hearts

Yeah, and I wish you needed me just as much as I need you. “Goodnight, Laynie.”

She smiles again, the lines around her mouth deepening. “Goodnight, Gray.”

I close the door separating us.

Chapter Eighteen

Laynie

“Okay, I think we should film the orange almond ones first,” Macie says as she sets up the tripod behind the bench of Golden Hour. Morning sunlight streams through the glass windows, brightening the space with hues of yellow. It really does make this place look golden. I like to think that’s because of the name I picked.

A few tables are occupied, but more are bare as we prep for another day of taking photos and videos for the cafe. I’m not normally someone who sits on their phone and scrolls. In fact, I don’t think any of us are, but I have slowly seen the gain of followers and interest in my cafe since working on its socials.

“I just want to add a slice to the top, then it’ll really pop,” I tell her, rushing back into the kitchen to grab the container of dried orange slices I prepared.

Placing slices on top of the cream cheese frosting, I grin as Macie snaps a few photos from various angles. Taking the phone off the tripod, she films a clip before looking through and giving a small nod of approval. “These are going to look great on there. My mouth is watering just looking at them.”

I snicker, “You know you can have one when we’re done, right?”

“I know, but I have my eyes on the caramel pretzel blondies. I think they might be the top seller this season.”

“That or the pistachio cream croissants. It seems to be a flavour everyone’s loving right now. They’re popping up on my phone, so it’s good that we’re jumping on it before everyone else does.”

She hums, turning off the phone. “Pistachio is the new pumpkin of autumn and winter?”

“Hardly,” I snicker, “Pumpkin and cinnamon are classic winter flavours. Just pistachio I suppose is now in the mix too. It’s not bad.”

Macie smirks. “I guess I’ll have to try one to see what all the fuss is about. What a shame…” Sarcasm drips off the tip of her tongue.

I chuckle. “A big shame that you’ll have to eat some of my baking. How devastating.”

The act of Macie throwing her hand over her forehead and pretending to faint has me cackling. “I suppose I’ll have to.”

I push her shoulder, and a giggle bubbles out of her as I move the plate of orange almost slices out the way. “You should have been an actor.”

“Pfft,” Macie blows out, helping me with the decorations we set up as the backdrop for the desserts. “I’m not that good. You remember when we had to do drama in Year Nine for a semester? That was horrible.”

I laugh louder, holding onto my chest as I shake my head. “You couldn’t get the lines out properly.”

“Not my fault I’m dyslexic…” she drawls under her breath.

“I never said it was. It was more Jarrod who stuffed you up with his weird inflections.”

“Yeah, who says please sir, can I have some more and inflect the sir? It’s just so wrong. It stuffed up my brain.”

Snickering, I place the caramel dipped pretzel blondies on the plate and sprinkle some blondie crumbs and drizzle caramel sauce to spice it up some more.

“Maybe we should have been those people who take photos of food?” Macie adds.

I peer up at her and smile. “Isn’t that what we’re already doing?”

She waves her hand. “Yeah, but you know what I mean. Like, professionally. I’m definitely still an amateur at best.”

“Well, it seems to be working. We just got two more followers in the past hour.”

“Score.” She takes the phone off the table as I move out of the sunlight. It gives the desserts a warmer, inviting feel. Exactly what we want for a place called Golden Hour, which is why we usually take photos in the morning before the sun is too strong and the place gets busier.

Getting in the rest of the shots, I then quickly tidy up and clean the table we used as Macie starts serving the early risers.