Page 2 of Cut The Cake

“You’ll have to wait to find out along with everyone else.” The flavors chosen by the bride and groom were such closely guarded secrets he didn’t even share them with his family.

“Well, whatever it is, save me a piece.” JoJo wiggled her fingers and moved along, intent on erecting the photo booth in one corner of the reception hall before the first of the guests arrived.

Through the kitchen’s swinging doors, Nick spied Janet Hubbard, proprietor of Food Fit For A Queen. The tall chef gave instructions to a dozen or so young people decked out in tuxedoes. “Remember, you’re here to serve our guests. Not huddle in the corners talking to one another. Smile and circulate, that’s what I want you to do. Any questions?”

In the pause that followed, she and Nick traded amused glances. He and Janet had worked dozens of weddings together, and she always gave the same little speech. Most of her servers were students from the local college who’d worked a reception or two before. They rarely asked questions. This time was no exception.

After half a beat, Janet continued. “Tonight’s appetizers include mushrooms stuffed with sage sausage, skewers of roasted vegetables drizzled with a balsamic demi-glace, bacon-wrapped scallops, and shrimp cocktail shooters. I’ve laid out a selection on the table behind you. Try them, and don’t be afraid to recommend your favorites to our guests.”

Nick spotted Jimmy’s lanky form striding through the entry and checked his watch. The kid had hardly been gone long enough to move the van, much less go on an unauthorized tour. He gave the young man the thumbs-up sign. With more and more brides planning their weddings in Heart’s Landing, he’d been looking for a dependable helper to train as his apprentice. Someone who took the responsibility as seriously as he did. So far, Jimmy gave every sign of filling that slot.

“What now, boss?”

“Relax for a minute, but keep an eye out for Alicia Thorn. You know her?”

Solemnly, the boy nodded. “She goes to our church.”

“She’ll be along any second now to say they’re ready for us. Once we get everything set up inside, you can take that break I promised.”

While Jimmy thumbed through texts on his cell phone, they waited for the signal to move to their table in the ballroom. Barely ten minutes passed before Nick spotted a familiar figure moving toward them at a brisk pace.

“Sorry for the delay.” Alicia’s words rang throughout the wide hall. As she closed the gap between them, her voice dropped to a whisper. “The MOB insisted on changing the seating chart at the last minute. It took a moment to work out.”

Nick grinned. Mothers of the brides were well-known for last-minute requests. No doubt Alicia had handled this one with the same grace and professionalism she’d applied to every situation during her thirty-year tenure as the Captain’s Cottage event coordinator.

Alicia’s mouth formed a small O as her gaze shifted over his shoulder. “I swear, I’ve gained two pounds just looking at that cake, Nick. It’s exquisite, and each one you make is lovelier than the one before it. I can’t wait to see what you bake for your own special day.” She arched one finely drawn eyebrow. “Any idea when that might be, hmmm?”

“Not anytime soon.” He paused to let his lips shift into a slight grin. “Unless you’re back on the market. I’d whisk you away in a red-hot minute.”

Deep and throaty, Alicia’s laughter rang out. “I think Mr. Thorn would have something to say about that. All kidding aside, any prospects?”

“There’s not exactly a wealth of possibilities.” His cheeks warmed. He didn’t really want to discuss his love life within hearing of his young employee.

Not that there was much to say. Sure, he’d had his share of girlfriends. Even one relationship that had gotten pretty serious before he’d discovered she wasn’t the person he’d thought she was and broke things off. He’d tried online dating services, had even gone out on a couple of blind dates arranged by friends. None of them had panned out.

Lately, it seemed like most of the women he met had already found their Mr. Right. He glanced through a nearby window at the flowers. The odds of him finding a likely candidate hidden among the azalea blossoms were slim or next to none. So no. He’d never found the right woman, the one he wanted raise a family and spend the rest of his life with. Now, with his thirtieth birthday a scant year away, he often wondered if he ever would.

“Well, let me know if you meet someone special. I’d love to reserve the grand ballroom for you before I retire.” Alicia paused, her lips straightening into full lines as her gaze returned to the cake. “But are you sure this bride wanted pink? Doesn’t it clash with the rest of her color scheme? Everything else is blue and yellow.”

“No way!” Having lost interest in his phone while Nick and Alicia talked, Jimmy voiced a quick protest.

“Hang on there, bud.” Nick held up one hand like a stop sign when his young charge would have argued the point. Tut-tutting, he turned to the event coordinator. “You shouldn’t tease the boy. You’ll just get him riled up over nothing. He doesn’t know you like I do, and he’ll think you’re serious.” It had taken a few years, but he’d grown to appreciate how Alicia’s humor helped everyone stay relaxed during the harried preparations.

“Yeah, Jimmy, relax.” Beneath a stubby nose, the thin lines at the corners of Alicia’s mouth deepened into a grin. “It’s all good.” To Nick, she added, “You gonna stand there all day?”

“No, ma’am!”

Though he was perfectly capable of wheeling the cart with its delicate cargo across the hardwood floors and into the main ballroom, Nick handed the honor off to his young protégé. Instead, he walked ahead, setting the pace and warning his assistant of the bumps and rough patches that gave the one-hundred-and-twenty-five-year-old house its character.

At the threshold to the grand ballroom, they lingered long enough to let Jimmy drink in the atmosphere of a room where the elite of America’s society had once danced to the music of the Original Dixieland String Band, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong. Glossy hardwood floors stretched half the length of a football field from the entry to the fireplace at the opposite end. In recent years, the hand-crafted wainscoting had been carefully restored to a lustrous finish. The dark wood contrasted with the pale-green walls. Ornate, carved crown molding circled a vaulted ceiling that boasted not one, but two crystal chandeliers the size of small cars. Beneath them, garlands of roses in the bride’s chosen shade of pink draped the arched entryways.

Vendors and their assistants circulated through the large space. At one table, a thin figure straightened the corners of a dark bow on the back of one of the two hundred chairs draped in white linen. Another young woman plucked imperfect blossoms from the low centerpieces and dropped them into a miniature dust pan. Here and there, waitstaff adjusted the placement of crystal, china, and silver that glinted atop linens in the bride’s signature colors. The dark violet tablecloths topped by china and napkins of the palest pink weren’t what Nick would have chosen, but then, planning a wedding didn’t factor into his immediate plans. His long-term plans either, for that matter.

He nodded and turned to face Alicia. “This looks amazing. The bride and groom are sure to be pleased.” He waited a beat. “But they’re probably going to want this cake.” He thumbed a finger at the towering layers covered with his legendary buttercream icing and dotted with a thousand painstakingly carved marzipan flowers. “Where do you want us?”

Over the next hour, he and Jimmy worked side-by-side at the display table, nudging a fallen bit of almond paste into place here, repairing a small gap in the frosting there. By the time they finished, every inch of the cake had been examined and glistened under a fresh dusting of edible gold flecks. Finally, Nick stepped away and snapped a photograph of their handiwork. Alicia was right. This was one of his best designs. It deserved a place of honor on the bulletin board in the shop.

Squaring his shoulders, he summoned a bright smile for the guests who began streaming into the room.

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