GAVIN
It was my choice to take a sideline. I could have held out and fought Cory over the bakery girl, but I decided to take the high road. He was so sad; I took pity on him and fell on my sword. The whole time I was with Chad in the office, trying to think of things to say to keep him in his seat, I knew what they were up to.
Cory had his hands full of Petra’s assets, and since I didn’t hear any commotion, I knew she was receptive. Trying to focus on the conversation with the bakery owner, I did a lousy job. He finally stood up, feeling like we were getting nowhere. The man didn’t have a lot of great ideas, and while he was spit balling, I tried to pay attention.
“We could hire some more front counter workers,” he said.
“That’s a good idea.”
“I was thinking about having a new donut,” he continued. “A maple sugar glazed with cookie crumbles.”
“Sure.” I couldn’t get Petra out of my head. I was falling for her hard and it didn’t seem fair that Cory was the one who got to make the moves.
“I don’t see what’s so special about Petra,” Chad complained.
“I don’t either,” I agreed. I wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention.
“Then why are you dropping this whole investment in her lap?” the owner asked suspiciously.
“What?” I asked.
“You know, I’m through with this.” He stood up.
“Wait, I still want to hear all about your…donut,” I said.
“No you don’t,” he grumbled. “I can take a hint. You’re just trying to manage me.”
“That would be the farthest thing from the truth,” I lied.
I couldn’t stop him from walking to the door, pulling it open and stepping outside. It was the best I could offer to my friend and teammate, and it was going to have to do. Spotting Cory in the kitchen, I saw that he got what he was after, and I was happy for him. If one of us had to make a play, I was glad it was him.
I told myself it was too soon for me anyway. I needed to give myself some space and not jump right into another relationship. I would sit this one out and let Cory take the lead. If I was really lucky, maybe he would marry the girl, and I could continue to watch them grow old together.
Rolling my eyes, I teased him relentlessly as we walked to our cars. I didn’t need to hear a blow by blow, her pink cheeks and mussed-up hair gave me all the details. Cory was a lucky bastard; I would give him that. If he did manage to take Petra all the way to the altar, I was going to have one hell of a story to tell as the best man.
I dropped the bakery project for the time being. It wasn’t that I didn’t care, it was just that part of the attraction was Petra. Now that she was off the market, I decided to look into some of Donovan’s other investment opportunities. There was that bohemian art museum on the corner and the mom-and-pop restaurant down the block. They all needed attention, and while none of them featured a beautiful, quirky young woman at the helm, they were equally deserving, nonetheless.
For a few days, I avoided Cory. I caught myself doing it and it irritated me. Why should I harbor any bad feelings over the deal? It had been my decision to let Cory take control. If I really wanted to, I could have said something in the moment. Or I could have refused to help and let Cory down. He would have been frustrated, but maybe Petra would still be available. I just assumed that since they kissed, that meant she was locked down. I would step aside like a good friend and not bother either of them anymore.
Cory must have sensed it because he doubled his efforts to include me in his social plans. I knew he was in the habit of going to the bakery around three every day since that was the time Petra was working front counter. Hopefully not for much longer though. Everyone agreed that part of the money should be spent hiring more workers.
Regardless, Cory returned to work around four every afternoon with a box of pastries. He made sure to give me first dibs, and I appreciated it. Petra knew what I liked, and I suspected she was putting that single raspberry jam Danish in the bottom of the box just for me. I picked it up every day and set it on the edge of my desk on a napkin.
Cory took the rest of the box into the break room for the other bankers who didn’t know Petra. It was something everyone looked forward to, including me. A little pick-me-up at the end of the day, courtesy of our shared love interest. Only I would have to appreciate her from afar now that she and Cory were an item.
To get out of the city and to give myself an excuse to turn Cory down when he asked me out to dinner on Saturday night, I decided to go visit my mom. She lived in a suburb called Libertyville, an upscale neighborhood where nothing bad ever happened. After my dad passed away, she used his pension to buy a small home on a quiet street, staying close enough for me to visit but leaving most of city life behind.
It took about a half hour to get out there, and since I had to stop for gas, it took even longer. I didn’t know what to bring her. She didn’t drink, and she loved to cook, so I didn’t want to arrive with a premade casserole or anything quite as stupid. Without a better option, I decided to go with pastries.
Stopping by the bakery in the morning, I deliberately chose a time I didn’t think Petra would be around. The front counter worker gave me a smile as I walked in the door. Maybe this was one of the new people, although she was quite competent, so maybe she was a seasoned worker I had never met before.
She filled a pink cardboard box with a selection of goodies. “Do you want to talk to Petra? She’s in the back,” the girl said as she taped the box shut.
It looked like she knew who I was even though I didn’t recognize her. “No, I’m okay. I don’t want to bother her.”
“It’s no bother,” the girl replied.
“You’re busy,” I countered. “Maybe next time.”