AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mine, but you’re driving.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
* * *
This place islike the Willy Wonka of bakeries. To my right, they filled glass cases to the brim with every single type of cupcake and pastry you can imagine; on top of them sit a row of pies that appear fresh from the oven. The berry filling inside oozes through the top slits of the crust. The bakery manager sat Rory and me in a booth by the window. Spread out on the table in front of us are two dozen small plates. Each one is topped with a different piece of cake for us to try. With the smell of sugar, chocolate, and freshly baked treats in the air, my stomach is growling. I’m ready to take this taste-tester job seriously.
“Can we do one of these every Saturday?”
“If we do, I’m going to need to buy a bigger pair of leggings or take out the elastic in these.” Rory looks over the sheet of paper the owner gave her. From where I’m sitting, it looks like a road map of which flavor combo is on which plate.
“Rory, these are bite sized.” I grab a plastic fork and pick up my first piece. “Fewer calories,” I mumble with my mouth full.
“That logic doesn’t apply when you’re eating a dozen or more at a time.” Her eyes dart to my mouth as I lick the frosting off the back of the fork and her stare lingers a little longer than it should. My cock twitches in response, and I’m thankful the table tops not made of glass. When she realizes I’ve caught her, she quickly sticks her own fork in the mate of the one I just ate. “What do you think of that one?”
“Um.” Since all my blood has traveled to my dick, that is the best answer my brain can think of.
Rory grabs a napkin and spits the chewed-up piece of cake into it. “Oh my God, that’s gross.” She looks around to make sure none of the workers are watching. “Tropical Coconut Guava is a definite no.”
“It’s not that bad, drama queen.”
“Easy for you to say. You’ll literally eat anything.”
To avoid making an inappropriate comment, I pop another piece in my mouth and watch Rory as she carefully inspects which one to try next. “So, where is Brad this weekend?”
“Why do you always feel the need to say his name like that?” She takes a bite of one of the chocolate pieces and moans a tiny sound of approval.
“Like what?” I know exactly what she means, but I’ll never admit to it.
“Like he’s some pompous country club ass whose name should be Biff instead of Brad.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But there is no hiding the smile on my face.
“Uh-huh.” She puts her fork down and draws a star next to the chocolate raspberry truffle. “The tight end from the Cowboys, the one that just got caught hiring the escort? That’s his client. Brad is meeting with the owners to smooth things over. Especially since the guy’s contract is up for renewal.” She shrugs at me and I know there’s something else, something she’s not telling me.
I know Rory better than anyone, and I can tell by looking at her she has something on her mind.
“Are the two of you doing ok?”
She nods while finishing the bite of cake in her mouth. “Yeah, I mean, I guess I kind of threw a curve ball at him last week.” Placing my fork on the table, I wait in silence until she’s ready to tell me whatever it is. “This is girl stuff, so don’t get weird on me, ok?”
“All right. What’s up?” She thinks talking about this kind of stuff grosses me out, but it actually just gives me anxiety. But not for reasons one might think.
“My last pap came back showing abnormal cells.”
And there’s the anxiety. “Jesus, Rory. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t tell anyone, and I’m happy I didn’t because it ended up being nothing. Why worry you or anyone else?”
Rory’s mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother all died before the age of forty from ovarian cancer. Her biggest fear in life is being a carrier of the gene. It’s something she’s told me many, many times. So I understand better than anyone how real and scary an abnormal test result must have been for her. I hate the fact that she dealt with it alone.
“So, if everything is ok then what’s the problem?”
“Last week I went and had the gene test done. That’s the real reason I took the entire day off on Friday.” Rory smashes her fork into a crumb of cake as she shakes her head. “When my OB told me everything was normal, I immediately scheduled an appointment for the testing and opted to pay out of pocket. Insurance pre-authorization would have taken too long. When I told Brad what I did he got pissed. The two of us agreed I wouldn’t do it until after the wedding, if ever. But I couldn’t wait any longer. That scare just made me feel like it was time.”
This fucking guy, this is why I hate him. Well, it’s one of the many reasons. He’s selfish, and he has no clue how important this is to her. Or if he does, he doesn’t care, and that’s worse. When Rory first told me years ago about her plan to one day have the genetic testing done, I researched it in depth. Early detection would give her options. Options her mother, grandmothers, and God only knows who else in her family never had.
“So, when do you get the results back?”
“It takes anywhere from two to six weeks.”
“Ok. What do we do until then?”
Rory stabs a piece of cake and shoves it into my mouth.
“We live.”
