Page 23 of It Never Was

"You should really listen to her instruction there, Suzie." Parker is checking the proofer, his back to us, "She knows what she is talking about, maybe that would give you an actual chance at this position." Her jaw drops partially but snaps shut as he turns around, there is annoyance in her eyes as she looks at him.

"You think you're getting the job over me?" she states, circling the metal bowl of blueberries and flour in her hands, "Maybe we will both get hired, give Ryen a run for her money. You could take me under your wing…" her eyes lowered to his groin, not hiding any ounce of what she is looking at, "and you could show me all your baking secrets." Her eyes hood, then follow his frame back up to his face, a playful grin planted on hers.

He steps close to the work bench she is at, Suzie puts the bowl down as he towers over her, a look in his eyes I can't describe.

"I have nothing I want to teach you honey," he snatches the bowl from her hands pouring the blueberries in the muffin batter next to her, grabbing a spatula from the overhead basket and folding them in with ease, "If you would have let Ryen finish what she was trying to teach you, you would have known not to let the flour sit on the berries too long, they become too cakey," sliding the bowl back to her, "That scoop there," he gestures to the one I placed out for my demonstration, "Use it. Scoop the batter into the pan Ryen already has lined for you. I think you can handle that, right?" He walked back to his station to finish his own task he had, not once looking my way as he defended me.

The kitchen door swings open, "How's everything going back here?" Paul's eyes scan the room, "Suzie?" he says eager for an answer.

"Just great Paul," she grabs the scoop and follows Parker's orders, "Ryen and Parker were just giving me a few pointers." She leans over dramatically to pour the batter into each liner. It's only when Paul tenses that I see what is happening. Suzie's position is causing her tits to pop out of her low-cut shirt. "I sure am learning a lot from your store, Paul." Since her failed attempt to flirt with Parker was a disaster, she is now moving on to the boss himself.

Fucking gross.

"Can you help me here Paul?" She leans in more dramatically this time picking up both baking trays in hand, "I can't open the oven doors could you…" she makes a pouty face at him, biting her bottom lip for the full damsel in distress look.

My own cheeks spread with warmth. I can only imagine what shade of pink they are at the second-hand embarrassment I feel for Paul sweeping over me.

"No." Was his only response before spinning on his heels and high tailing it out of the kitchen.

I matched his steps following him to his office, "I don't think—"

"I know. We are not hiring her."

Thank the fucking good lord we agreed on that. Now the question was, would we hire Parker?

13

Ryen

It has been a whole week since the incident with Devon in the parking lot. I haven't heard a word from him. The sad part is that I have been blowing up his phone.

Pathetic. I know.

I am acting like I am the one needing to apologize. He has read every single one of my messages. He is doing it on purpose, I know it. What I don't understand is, why? Is he ashamed? Embarrassed? Or is he upset still, thinking I truly was fucking someone else behind his back? Like I have time for that shit. The longer he ignores me the more the emotions start to mix together and feed off of each other.

My anxiety and anger were at a low simmer the night I got home from him putting his hands on me. Now, seven days later, it is at a full boil. I am anxious about him ignoring me for this long, but I am also angrier than ever that he put his hands on me for assuming I was the kind of person who would cheat. I made the decision not to reach out to him when I woke up this morning for my shift at the shop with yet another blank notification screen.

I don't deserve this shit!

I grab my keys and bag from my desk and head down the stairs as my mind keeps going over the same things it has been all week long.

The minute my feet are on the first floor I hear the snickers of a woman and a low moan of a man coming from the kitchen. Great.

"Are you decent?" I call out louder than needed as I make my way to the kitchen to make my coffee and grab the lunch and dinner I prepped last night.

As I walk into the kitchen, I take an eyeful of my mother sitting on the counter by the fridge pulling her shirt down as a man re-adjusts his pants to cover himself. He looks over his shoulder at me and drags his eyes down my body and back up, lingering on my chest way longer than I am comfortable with. Noticing my discomfort, he flashes me a devilish grin that makes my skin crawl. I try to seem oblivious to his eyes on me, feeling like the three layers of clothes are suddenly not enough to hide me from my mother's new "friend".

My mother watches as he eye fucks me, unphased by my discomfort and more enraged that he is noticing me at all.

"Fucking girl!" my mother dearest mutters under her breath, making direct eye contact with me.

"Well good morning to you too, Mother!" Her eyes send daggers through me as the word "mother" fills the room.

"Don't you have work? Doing something besides whatever this is?" she says, waving her hands over me as she pulls the man's hips deeper between her legs. His eyes still roam over me.

"Yes, I do, I just need to grab my food before I leave, so, if I could get by really quick. That would be greeeat," I state, making my way to the fridge door. Having to go around the nameless man, his gaze follows me with every step. I make it without an accidental graze or body contact. Thank Heavens. I pull open the door to make a barrier between them and myself.

"So, this is your daughter, huh?" he whispers, curiosity sinking into his tone.

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