PETRA
It was Tuesday, and I was in the bakery right time. No more scares from my brother faced me as I pulled into the parking lot. I had met all of his friends by that time: Cory, Donovan, and Gavin. They were each intriguing on their own, though because they were all friends of Patrick’s, I didn’t really consider dating any of them.
It was a pity, though; I really could have used the pick-me up that came with a new relationship. Long walks in the park, a sunset overlooking the city, all of those things would have been welcome. Instead, it was up before dawn every day and work until five. I went home, took a shower, got something to eat, watched some television, and went to bed. My life was anything but exciting, and I was getting a little tired of it.
All of the talk about investing in the bakery was starting to sink in. At first, it seemed too good to be true, but the more people Patrick brought around, the more it seemed that it might really happen. I wanted to believe it, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Having some level of control over the business would make all my sacrifices worth it. But there was still Chad, and he was a problem.
That morning, I put my music on and prepared the baked goods. I mixed a little bit of love into the batter, rolled out a lot of patience in the dough and heaped on the good will with the variety of jams, jellies, and chocolates. No matter what, I was determined to feed the customers the best damned pastries they had ever tasted. It was my skill as a baker that had won me all this attention, and I was going to put my best foot forward.
The store had just opened. We were in the middle of the breakfast rush, and I was hurrying around, making sure to keep the front counter stocked. As soon as we ran out of chocolate croissants, I hauled another fresh pan up there. We sold out of the day-old stuff, and people were disappointed they couldn’t get it at a discount anymore.
I stopped to chat with one of the customers before I realized I didn’t have time. I hand-picked one of the blueberry muffins to give to her, taking it on faith that she would go to the counter to pay for it.
Back in the kitchen, I busied myself making more batter. We had to stay on top of the curve, and that meant making an abundance of everything. The muffins were often saved for the last, so that they would be fresh out of the oven when the customers ordered them.
I was elbow deep in my work when one of the bread bakers came to find me. “Chad’s here,” he whispered.
“What is Chad doing here?” I wondered. He never came in that early. I was surprised to find out he could even function before noon.
“I dunno,” the baker said, “but he’s pissed.”
I looked around. I didn’t see Chad anywhere. That meant he was either up front or in his office. How had other people noticed him without my being aware? Was I so focused on what I was doing that everything else escaped me? He couldn’t be up front; I had just been there, and by all indications, it was a normal Tuesday.
I wondered what he wanted, but it didn’t take long for me to find out. The man himself came out of his back room, scouring the room until he found me.
“Petra!” he shouted.
I could tell I was in trouble. My thoughts immediately went to all the complaints I had voiced about him over the past few weeks. Had someone clued him in to the fact that I’d called him a douche? Was there a spy in the office who was feeding information back to the kingpin? I hoped not. No matter how much I griped, I still wanted the job. Or at the very least, I wanted to be the one to decide when I would leave.
I put my mixing bowl down. It looked like the front counter staff was going to be on their own for a moment. Hopefully, I could field whatever question he had with a bit of urgency and get back to my job. If not, they would just have to tell the customers they were running low on inventory for the moment. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I felt guilty all the same.
Walking back to the office like a condemned woman, I took my time. I didn’t want to face the music. Chad was obviously pissed, and that didn’t bode well. Whatever he was angry about, he was going to take it out on me. I tried to think about all the missteps I had made recently. None came to mind, except, of course, declaring the boss a douche in front of company.
Walking in, I was surprised to find the room packed. Not only was Chad there, but Patrick and all three of his friends sat gazing up at me. They must have come in when I was up front because there was no way I would have missed the four of them assembling in the kitchen.
I was struck by how handsome they all looked. Gavin was swarthy with his tattooed chest and his long hair. He leaned back in his chair, one leg thrown up over the other knee. His shirt was open in the front. Just barely, but enough for me to catch a glimpse of that body art. I wondered what it might be. The part I could see was a circle or a loop, maybe the tail of an animal or a piece of a design.
His hands clasped the sides of his chair with an ease that told me he would be at home anywhere in the world. His eyes were soft and romantic when they met mine. I could see that he had feelings for me, though how deep they ran was open for debate.
Donovan, on the other hand, was a little more sinful. He dressed to the nines, but he had a kind of bad boy character that was very attractive. I knew that he had his sights set on the mayor’s office, and that he hoped an investment in my business would help him achieve that. I didn’t exactly follow the logic, but I didn’t want to argue. It seemed to me that I was the big winner in the partnership. I would be the one getting the funding, and I would be the one elevated out of my lowly position.
Donovan smiled a lopsided grin, letting me know that he had at least envisioned a more intimate relationship. I felt my heart rate quicken at the suggestion and fought to keep my gaze steady. Inhaling deeply, I turned my attention to the third bachelor in the room, and the first to frequent my shop.
Cory stared openly at me, his eyes like a puppy dog’s. He wore a three-piece suit like Donovan, but he seemed less comfortable in it. His hair was shorter than the rest of them, almost buzz-cut, though it had some waves. I knew how he felt about me, and that made me happy. While he hadn’t gathered up the courage to ask me out, and while Patrick probably wouldn’t like it, I knew that I was going to accept the invitation when he did. He was too cute and too eager not to encourage. I wanted to cuddle up next to him on the couch and watch love stories. I wanted to kiss him just to see how it felt.
I suddenly realized I was in way over my head. Three gorgeous guys were focused on me, all in the same room and quietly attentive. I wondered if Meara felt this way when she was alone with her men. Did they steal her breath without a word? Did they make her feel like she was the only woman left on the planet? I was getting both of those vibes, and I loved it.
I barely thought about Chad or Patrick. I knew they were with us, but they didn’t seem that important. I was star struck by the three investors, and it must have showed. Chad cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to himself.
“Petra, these three gentlemen are investors,” Chad said, pretending to be introducing me for the first time. “They want to establish a partnership with our bakery, but they want you to be the front woman.”
I knew all about it, but I simply nodded my understanding. Chad was clearly upset about the offer, though how he could object to someone investing in his business didn’t make sense. I tried not to let it bother me. He could sulk all he wanted. At the end of the day, Donovan, Cory, and Gavin were on my side. I was the one who would remake the bakery however I wanted to. And I knew exactly what to do to bring the customers back in.
“I don’t know why they won’t just invest as is,” Chad grumbled.
I held my tongue, not wanting to get into an argument with him. I was relieved that he hadn’t found out I was badmouthing him behind his back. I wasn’t in danger of losing my job, but it did seem like Chad was going to be more of a problem now. The way he was acting, I couldn’t see him taking the insult lying down. Hopefully he wouldn’t make too much of a nuisance of himself.
“I’m the owner,” Chad complained.