I took out my wallet to pay for it, but the cashier shook her head. “It’s on the house.”
“That’s not very good business sense,” I teased her.
“What? Letting your investors have twelve dollars’ worth of free food?” she shot back.
“Twelve dollars?” I asked, pulling out that exact amount and sticking it in the tip jar. “Make sure you share that with the bakers.”
“Yes, sir,” she agreed.
“I thought I heard your voice,” Petra came out of the back just as I was about to leave.
“Hi,” I said stupidly. It didn’t matter that she was Cory’s girl, she still had a hold over me. I was entranced by the subtle movements of her jaw, the way her lips opened and closed as she talked, and the colorful streaks in her hair.
I wanted to pull her close, replace Cory’s kiss with my own and let her know how I felt. I could deny it all I wanted to, but there was something very different about Petra. She wasn’t like the woman who left me in Africa. She wasn’t like any woman I had ever met before. I didn’t want to let her go, and it was almost painful to stand so close and not be able to touch her.
“I wanted to invite you to a meeting later on today,” Petra said.
“Okay.” I assumed it would be a business meeting to discuss the investment and the strategy Petra was developing to renovate the bakery.
“Can you come to Lucky Mick’s at seven?” she asked.
“Lucky Mick’s?” I asked. The name wasn’t familiar.
“It’s a pub in my neighborhood,” Petra explained.
“Is it any good?”
“I like it.”
“Sounds good enough for me.”
“Thanks,” she replied, tugging on a strand of her hair. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she was flirting with me. But that couldn’t be the case since she had accepted Cory’s advances just a few days ago. I convinced myself I was imagining it, taking my box of pastries and leaving through the front door. I might not be able to seduce Petra, but I could support her in other ways. And my mom would love the tasty treats. I threw the box onto the front seat and drove out of the city.
Mom gathered me up into her arms when I saw her, and for a moment, I forgot all about Petra and my other girlfriend. It seemed like heartache on top of heartache, and I was tired of it all. I wanted to absorb all the love and attention my mother had to offer me.
She looked so happy to see me. Every word I spoke was like gold in her opinion; I could do no wrong. She gazed contentedly at me as I filled her in on everything I had been up to recently. It was hard for her when I was traveling the world, and I knew she was happy to have me home. That meant I had to come see her as often as possible. I wasn’t going to be one of those kids who lives in the same city as their parents but never bothers to visit.
“Here.” I handed over the box of treats.
“What are these?” Mom asked, opening the box wide.
“It’s this bakery that a bunch of the guys are investing in,” I explained.
“Must be something special,” Mom surmised.
“Just try one.” I winked.
“Oh my God!” she cried, taking a big bite out of one of my favorites.
“Right?” I laughed.
Mom talked my ear off about her bingo games at church. I had to laugh, imagining her getting wild with a bunch of other old ladies over a handbag. They played for one of the most expensive items ever known to man: a three-thousand-dollar purse. I hoped she wouldn’t win because I didn’t want her walking around town with that thing.
“Mom, you’ll get mugged,” I complained, “and they won’t want your cash; they’ll just want the bag.”
“Oh pish,” she waved my concerns away.
I checked my watch after visiting for a few hours. If I wanted to meet with Petra at the bar, I was going to have to go. Kissing my mother on the cheek, I left her with the box of goodies.