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I don't understandthe meaning behind Luke's words until two days later.
After I drop off a still-subdued Chase at school, I walk to my bakery. I'm opening the shop alone today, but I'm expecting help from my intern in the afternoon.
I start seeing signs of a commotion a few miles away.
There are cars lined up on both sides of the street leading to the bakery, and there are a few in the lot of the grocery store next door. The cars are surrounded by hoses that are in various stages of being attached by large, bare-chested muscular men.
“Oh, what fresh hell is this??” I mutter to myself as I get closer and realize that there is a car wash going on right next to my bakery. And then I see the thing that makes me freeze mid-step.
It’s not just any carwash.
It's a car wash led by Luke himself, looking slicked and shirtless as usual. I tell myself not to admire the way the sun caresses his skin and the ridges of his abs as he stands talking to another bare-chested man. Instead, I let anger lead as I storm to him.
He spots me as I approach.
“Oh, hey Mia,” Luke says in an unnaturally high, innocent-sounding voice. “I was wondering when you would show up.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
"I think that I’m pulling off a charity carwash with my hockey buddies over here.” He gestures behind him to a few of the boys, one of whom waves at me. I recognize him from high school and I call out, "Hi Chet."
“Hey, Mia. How’s it going?”
“Not great seeing as how you guys are blocking off the street.”
“No, we’re not,” Luke says moving to block my view of Chet. He then gestures to the street. “Look. Plenty of space for cars to get around.”
I sigh. So, this is what he meant when he said 'payback's a bitch’. “You can’t do this.”
“I can,” Luke says. “We got permission from Rodney that says we can use his grocery lot for our carwash. The city supports it too since it's a charity. Isn’t that amazing?”
Anger rises and rolls over inside me.
And here I was thinking that we were having a good moment yesterday, that we could call a truce on all this nonsense. Meanwhile, he was over here planning this.
Luke appears very pleased at my reaction. I know that he's waiting for me to blow up and he’s going to have a snappy retort for anything I say.So why even bother?
I protest with my silence, spinning around and storming away.
“Hey, do you think we could get a few donuts, Mia? You know, for charity?” Chet calls out.
“No one is eating at Mia’s today,” Luke answers before I can. “Not us or our customers. Oh, we should even make a sign that says 'no free carwash for anyone who eats at Kreamy Cupcakes'."
Oh, he’s infuriating!
I ignore both of them and the teasing, ribbing, from the rest of the guys, as I open my shop, resisting the urge to slam the door. And the minute I'm inside, I call up my brother.
"Yes?” he answers, sounding like he just woke up.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“Kill who?"
“Who else would I be talking about? Do you even know what your so-called best friend has been up to?"
"Oh him.” I hear rustling as if Liam is sitting up in bed. “What did he do now?”
