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“I don’t have a cat, although I do have a sugar glider.”
“I didn’t know you had a pet. Can we meet them sometime?”
“Not a pet,” Peyton wheezed.
“Not a pet?” Gany frowned. “But—”
“Never mind that.” Peyton patted their backpack. “I’ve got spare clothes in here, but I didn’t have time to change before I jetted out of my apartment.”
“Okay.” Gany grabbed the pitcher of filtered water from the staff fridge and poured Peyton a glass. “Drink a little of this and tell me what’s got your pants on fire this morning.”
Peyton gulped down half the water and then took a huge breath, their narrow shoulders lifting. “You want to get into wedding cakes, right?”
Gany’s eyebrows drew together. “Yeeesss,” he said, drawing out the word. “That’s the plan. To tie the bakery to the catering business.”Once I’vegota catering business.
“Well, I’ve got a lead on an opportunity for a cake.”
Gany wrestled with a bump of excitement, because... “Aleadon anopportunity? That sounds… nebulous. A couple of steps removed from an actual booking.”
“No, the booking is real. I mean, if you want the gig, you’ve got it.” Peyton fumbled a folded paper out of their jeans pocket. “The details are here. Size, flavors, yada yada.”
Gany took the paper and unfolded it. As he read, his eyebrows rose farther up his forehead. So much for nebulous. “This is actually… really specific.” And specific was good. But in addition, it gave him leeway for his own special touches. “And this is definite? They want the cake for certain?”
Peyton nodded. “Absolutely.” They grimaced. “There’s a catch, though.”
Gany sighed. Of course there was a catch. “What? I have to pass a tasting test with the entire bridal party and their extended families?”
“No. It’s just…” Peyton crooked both elbows at their sides, palms flat in awhat can I sayshrug. “It’s a backup cake.”
“A backup cake?”
“Yeah. In case the first one, I don’t know,failssomehow.”
“So what you’re saying is… it’s possiblenobodywill taste it? Like at all?”
Peyton nodded again. “Yeah.”
Gany chewed on his lower lip. While he loved the process of cooking and baking, he didn’t consider it a solo performance. The diners’ enjoyment was half the reason for him to prepare anything. Maybe eons of serving the same damn thing to a pantheon of gods who understood gratitude even less than they did consent had left its mark.
He brandished the paper. “How did you find out about this anyway?”
“Friend of a friend. Of a friend. Of a— Does it really matter?”
“I suppose not.” It was a fantastic break, but it would be such awaste.
“They’ll pay for it, even if they don’t use it. So, I mean, there’s that.”
Peyton had a point. Besides, even if nobody ate the cake—and somehow, Gany would make sure that people had that opportunity, even if it was just the serving staff—Gany would have established a foothold in the wedding cake space as somebody who could deliver.
“Okay. I’ll do it. Is there somebody I need to—”
“I’ll let them know you’re in. Del—they’re one of the nearlyweds—will probably give you a call. You can discuss it with them, ask them any questions. Although…” There was that shrug again. “They did ask that you keep this confidential. Like from everybody else in the wedding party.”
Gany frowned. “Even from their partner?” Peyton nodded. “That seems a little sketchy.”
“It looks that way, but I know Del. They’re a good person. If they want it kept secret, they’ve got a really good reason.” Peyton blinked wide, brown eyes at Gany. “Please?”
Gany chuckled. “Oh stop. I’ll have enough puppy dog eyes to endure with Sir, Bear, and Ozzie. You know, fromactual puppies.”Even though they used to be a single three-headed dog.“I don’t need them from my employees too.”
