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“For shame! You shouldn’t let men you aren’t dating kiss you. You know what they say about milking the cow and all that.”
Ambi stifled a groan. “I don’t know if you noticed, but he ended up wearing your cake for that little stunt he pulled. I didn’t let him do anything.”
“It sure looked like you did. You let him for a good minute before you pulled away. He must be a really good kisser. Did he taste like mint? I thought I could smell mint on him when I took him to show him where the bathroom was.”
“No- argh. Marcella! He didn’t taste like mint. He tasted like disappointment and entitlement. We dated once, for like, five minutes five years ago. It wasn’t anything. I moved on. Apparently, Trey is still a troll. He trapped me into planning this work Christmas office party thing. I didn’t want to do it, but he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He’s paying me good money-”
“So, you let him take liberties?”
“No. No liberties! That kiss was a mistake. I was too shocked to react at first, that’s all it was. It was nothing and I made him pay for it. I’m pretty sure he got the memo.”
Marcella laughed like that was the funniest joke she’d heard in her entire life. “Oh, good lord, child, he didn’t get any such thing. He was practically glowing when he came out with all that cake wiped off. If you want to get a man to want you, just play hard to get.”
“That’s not what’s happening here.”
“I don’t think he knows that. He seems like a determined young man. A handsome one too!” Marcella tittered and her cheeks, incredibly enough, actually flushed pink.
“You don’t like him, do you?” Ambi asked, disbelief coloring her words.
“Oh, of course not. He seems like a scoundrel.”
“He is. And much worse.”
Marcella laughed so hard that tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Something funny formed in Ambi’s stomach too. A hot wave followed by an intense cramp. God, she must have eaten too much bread that morning or something. Maybe it was the banana she’d eaten too quickly on her way over to the bakery.
“He might be a scoundrel, but he’s in love with you. I can tell.”
“Marcella!” Ambi had to turn her face away to hide the redness she was pretty sure was creeping its way up her neck. “Don’t say that! The only thing Trey is in love with is money. Well, his big house and his fancy cars and money. That’s it. That’s all.”
“Sweetheart, whatever happened in the past, things can always be fixed. I wouldn’t put it out of the question. I saw the way he looked at you like you hung the moon. Like you were the moon in his universe. Brighter than the sun, lighting the way in his darkness.”
“Yeah right,” Ambi snorted, so flustered that she could barely see straight. “That’s very poetic of you, but that’s not me and Trey.” She winked at Marcella. “Save that for your starstruck brides and grooms who come in here.” Her hands had started to shake so she jammed them into the pockets of her coat. She’d picked the bright red three-quarter-length coat. It was wool, vintage, and super warm. The weather was just crap. So cold it hurt to breathe.
“I know what I saw,” Marcella insisted. She picked up the cheque and glanced at it for a moment before she shuffled over to the ancient antique register she used even though the thing was so old it never functioned properly. It was ornate and gold and did look really cool though.
“Well, I don’t know what you think you saw, but I know it wasn’t love. Trey could have had me five years ago. He chose to dump me and go work for his dad after he threatened to disinherit him. I think the choice was pretty clear. So was the message he sent. He’s just playing around now. I don’t honestly know why. Maybe because he’s a jerk. Maybe because he’s a man and he’s obsessed with his dick, like all men are. I- I don’t know. Maybe he’s just doing it because he feels guilty about what happened. Who knows. I don’t. I don’t want to. I just want to get his job done and over with and move on to the next. That’s all this is about for me. My business.”
Marcella tittered to herself. “This bakery is a passion of mine. There were two things I loved in life. Making cakes and my Frank. He loved my cakes. Always encouraged me. After he passed, I needed something to do. A way to pay the bills, but also a way to fill up all the long hours. I loved him. All forty-six years we had together. The moral of the story is that when you find a good one, don’t let him go, no matter how stupid he was in the past. People make mistakes. Maybe he’s trying to tell you he’s sorry. I know what I saw, and that boy is head over heels in love with you.”
