Page 5 of Always the Baker

How could he be?

We’d been separated for only six months.

“Oh my God! Are you okay?” Jaleesa asked, handing me my tea to sip.

“I-I’m f-fine,” I stuttered before coughing again. I took a few small sips of the tea and shut my eyes, unable to look at Ian as he stood next to her.

“Baby, get Billie some water.”

“I’m fine,” I repeated, sterner than I meant to. I had no reason to be upset with her. She clearly didn’t know who I was beyond the woman who made her cousin’s wedding cake. She didn’t know her fiancé was my ex… right?

“Are you sure?” she asked sweetly, rubbing my back. For some reason, her concern pissed me off.

“Yes.” Clearing my throat, I pushed my braids off my shoulders and pulled in a deep breath. My legs began to shake under the table as I felt Ian’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my face.

“I’ll um, get the water just in case,” he offered. I couldn’t respond.

Jaleesa took her seat across from me, which meant Ian was going to be sitting between us.

Freaking great.

It was going to be a sandwich of the ex and the next with his ass in the middle.

Ugh.

As he set the water in front of me, I looked up at him with a frown. I felt my lip twitch, and that was the only reason I looked away.

“Thanks,” I grumbled, no longer excited about baking this wedding cake.

My head shook in disbelief. There was so much I wanted to say, to ask, but I remained professional. I halfway listened as Jaleesa told me about the little that she had in mind. We went through pictures in my idea book, and she loved three designs. After that, we discussed flavors, icing, layers, and centerpieces. I told her I’d sketch a few options for her to choose from, and after that, we could set a date for the samples.

When the time came to discuss my pricing, Jaleesa wanted Ian to pay upfront. He agreed but I declined. Honestly, I needed to be sure I could even handle the job. How was I going to make his wedding cake? How could he trust me to not use salt instead of sugar? After promising her that I’d reach out via email to discuss next steps, I tried to leave quickly, but Ian was on my heels as I left the bar.

“Can we talk?” he asked quietly, stepping next to me.

“Did you know she was meeting me?”

“No. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

Chuckling, I looked toward the dreary sky. “I don’t know that at all.”

“Well, I didn’t. She told me to meet her to talk about cake. It didn’t cross my mind that she was talking about a wedding cake made by you.”

I waited until we were by my car to ask, “Were you cheating on me with her?”

His jaw clenched and head hung before it shook. “No. I was talking to her but as friends only. We worked an account together at work when she came in as a new hire like a year and a half ago.”

“Priceless.” My laugh was humorless as I leaned against my car. “Around the same time you suddenly stopped being attracted to me.”

With a sigh, he ran his hands down his face. “Look, we just… had things in common and—”

“I really don’t care, Ian. Do you want me to make the cake or not?”

He shrugged and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “Not if it’ll be uncomfortable.”

I needed the money, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle it. He was the reason I hadn’t taken any jobs lately. He was the reason my love for love had faded. Now I was supposed to make his wedding cake? Nah.

“I don’t know, Ian. I don’t think I can handle that.”

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