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Ginny flashed him a condescending smile. “Aw, you’re on an imaginary date. Sofuckingcute.”
He pushed off the wall and straightened up to his full height.Holy Rhodes Shoulders.Ginny had forgotten how tall and broad the Rhodes boys were, because they often hunched so as not to stand out in crowds. Even that day in his office, Gavin had been bending slightly to get close enough to her. But she appreciated his height, because as a tall woman, she liked it when her partners were tall as well. Dragging a hand over his well-defined and scruffy jaw, his eyes darted everywhere and Ginny waited for him to focus on her face for a change. This whole time he hadn’t made eye contact and she missed having those green eyes on her.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, finally lifting his eyes to her face. “I’m sorry about the other day, about the things I said and how I reacted. It was…Iwas out of line.”
Her eyes widened at his apology and she was glad that he didn’t say ‘I didn’t mean it’, because both of them knew that hedidmean it. And moreover, he looked upset about what had happened. But then he opened his mouth again.
“I just wanted to apologize. You can go back to yourdate.”
Ginny stuck her hip out as she glared at him. “How do you switch between being apologetic and a judgmental asshole so quickly?”
“I don’t…what are you even talking about?”
“It’s none of your business who I date!”
“Ni—Ginny, I don’tcarewho you date. Do whatever the fuck you want.”
“Jesus.” She rubbed her forehead and blew out a breath. Before she could say anything else, a tall and imposing figure stepped out of the men’s restroom. It took Ginny a few minutes to recognize him, but when his eyes landed on her, her breath caught. “Holy shit, Graham Rhodes.”
“Ginny Thomas.”
Good lord, what do they put into the water at the Rhodes house?
Taller than Gavin, Graham’s hair was short, but his beard was full and thick. His green eyes sparkled as he smiled at her—not a full one, she’d never really seen Graham smile more than that—and she forced herself to look away from his face. Except his broad shoulders, wide chest and thick body were even more distracting. This was the kind of man that could manhandle a woman easily and Ginny was almost tempted to flirt with him some, just to get Gavin all riled up.
“It’s good to see you,” Graham said, eyes darting to his brother before focusing on Ginny again. “We should get out of here.”
Nodding at his gruff words, Ginny smiled at the older Rhodes brother. “It’s good to see you too, Graham.”
She nodded at the Rhodes brothers, then brushed past them to return to Blair,determinedto make something of the evening now. Gavin (and Graham, if she was being honest) with his stupid height, handsome face and those fucking shoulders could not ruin her evening anymore than her date already had. But when she returned to the table, she found Blair running her fingers along the chest of some guy who was looking down her dress and drooling over her boobs.
Good grief.
“Oh, Jenny! You’re back!”
Faking a smile, Ginny pulled her phone out of her bag. “I have to head back to work, there’s an emergency.”
“Aw.” Blair pouted, hands still firmly attached to the drooling stranger. “But you’re still paying the bill, right?”
Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she flashed her best fake smile and walked to the bar to pay. She could feel eyes on her, but refused to acknowledge whoever it was. She’d had enough of attractive assholes for the day. With her card and phone safely tucked into her purse, Ginny stormed out of there without looking at anyone. Once she was in her car, she gripped the steering wheel and screamed into the enclosed space, letting all her irritation out in one fell swoop.
Is it be asshole to Ginny day or something? Because I don’t like it.
* * *
The only reason she’d agreed to this midday date with Blair was because she had a cake tasting to attend that afternoon. Plus, she had a light day with no meetings or anything urgent on her plate. Knowing that she was going to be able to inhale all the sugary goodness later was the only reason Ginny didn’t attempt to play bumper cars with everyone else on the road. Parking outside Pretty Baked, Ginny gave herself a few minutes to catch her breath.
When she walked into the bakery, she found the large table at the back of the shop already set for the tasting. Clementine Kinney, owner and head baker, was scowling as she scrolled through her iPad while her staff fluttered around her. The first time she’d come to the bakery, Ginny had been so fascinated by Clementine. She was elegant and well-spoken, but also scowled like her life depended on it. The termgrumpywas probably apt to describe Clementine. Her talent with baked goods was also unmatched. It took Clementine time to warm up to Ginny, but she considered them friends now.
“Clem,” Ginny said as she walked up to the table, dropping her bag onto one of the chairs. “How’s it going?”
A hum came out of the chef, but she didn’t lift her head to acknowledge Ginny. Which was also very normal. Smiling at the rest of the staff, Ginny poured herself a glass of water and looked around the bakery. A minute later, the bell over the door chimed and her clients walked inside. She glanced at Clementine and saw the chef transform from scowly human to someone else entirely. It made Ginny laugh every time, but she reined it in as she walked over to greet the couple and introduce them to Clementine.
The cake tasting went off without a hitch as always. Ginny had already sent Clementine a list of things the couple liked, along with their allergies and dislikes. Clem in turn had created the most incredible array of cakes. Everything from a classic red velvet with buttercream frosting to a strawberry shortcake tiramisu was presented to them. Clem had even packed up tasters for them to take home and try again before they finalized their choice.
This was why people kept coming back to Pretty Baked, because even though Clem didn’t smile often and certainly didn’t look like someone you wanted to cross, when it came to dessert, she was a master.
Ginny walked the couple out, set up a date and time for their next meeting just as Daisy pulled up in her flower truck. The florist was another friend Ginny had made thanks to working with Frankie at Knots & Crosses. Delicate where Ginny and Clementine were gruff and rough around the edges, Daisy Heroux was incredible with flowers.
