Page 60 of High Stakes

I grip onto the worktop and squeeze my eyes closed as a dizzy spell passes through. I’ve been feeling off all week, which is more than likely due to the late nights and early mornings I’ve been putting in.

Aria watches me carefully, “You still not well?”

“No. Once the opening is out of the way, I’m sure I’ll feel better. But if I don’t, I’ll go and see the doctor.”

The following day, me, Aria and Cal spend the morning making sure everything is in place.

Beautifully decorated cakes fill the display cabinets and taste samples are carefully placed on tabletops. Balloons with my logo across them, bob up and down in the window and there are iPads on the counter so that people can access the website to see more designs.

I check my watch, there’re five more minutes until the doors open and Cal is stationed outside the shop to hand out cake samples. Aria glances out the window, “There’s a line of people,” she says excitedly.

I take a deep breath. I feel so sick with nerves, that I have to take a seat. Aria pulls a paper bag from behind the counter. “I got you this,” she says.

I smile, taking it, “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“It’s not a present,” she mutters, and I peer into the bag and gasp, slamming it closed. “It’s just to make sure,” she rushes to tell me.

“I’m not bloody pregnant.”

“So do the test and prove me wrong,” she says simply. “You have a few minutes.”

“You want me to do it now?” I hiss.

“You just have to pee on it, once I see it’s negative, I’ll feel better.”

I groan, heading out back for the bathroom. “I’m on the pill,” I call out to her.

“It’s not fool proof,” she calls back.

I pee on the stick, then put it back in the box and place it on the counter. Then I go outside to open my shop for the very first time. Cal starts clapping as I hold up the scissors, and the line of potential new customers join him. “I now pronounce Bella’s, open,” I say with a huge smile as I cut the red ribbon.

I spend the next twenty-minutes chatting with the customers and pointing them in the direction of my website. Cal is huge on me having people sign up to my newsletter updates. Apparently, it’s a good way to keep customers returning.

I step behind the counter, smiling at the amount of people I have in the shop. “This is great, isn’t it,” I whisper.

“I just had a bride sign up for a cake,” Cal tells me. “She’s going to browse the site for ideas,” he adds excitedly.

“Did you check the test?” Aria asks and Cal arches a brow, waiting for me to explain.

I roll my eyes, “Aria got me a pregnancy test. Not the present I was expecting on my opening day.”

“You’re pregnant?” he gasps.

“God no. She’s over-reacting. I did the test to shut her up.”

“So it’s negative?” asks Aria.

I groan, grabbing the box off the counter out back. “I’m run down,” I explain, pulling the test out a little. I starewide eyed, before shoving it back in the box. My heart slams wildly in my chest.

“So?” Aria pushes.

The shop door opens, and I glance up to see Aiden staring back at me. My world feels like it’s imploding and him turning up is like a bad omen. This can’t be happening.

“What does it say?” Aria asks, this time sounding less patient.

I swallow the lump in my throat, my eyes still fixed on Aiden. “Positive,” I mutter.

Aria gasps and Cal utters a string of curse words. And then, as if they both sense at the same time that I’m not reacting, they follow my line of sight to where Aiden is.

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