Page 15 of Cookies & Kisses

“Yes, absolutely,” I say. “Let me get you an order form.” I reach under the counter for the forms and catch the faintest glimpse of anger in Mason’s eyes before he storms back into the kitchen.

I hand Suzette the form and give her a pen, then excuse myself and head into the kitchen. Mason is rolling out a batch of sugar cookie dough, and I don’t think it requires that much force.

“Hey,” I say softly. He doesn’t look up. “Is everything okay?”

“Not really.” He keeps rolling.

“I think you can stop now,” I say, edging a little closer. Maybe he needs a little humor. “The dough is a little thin.”

He doesn’t stop. “Is it?”

“Uh, yeah. Unless you’re making sugar cookie crackers.”

“Well, it’s my bakery. If that’s what I wanted, that’s what I could do.” He stops rolling and sets the pin aside, finally looking me in the face. “You put your cookies out there.”

I nod.

“You offeredyourcookies to Suzette.”

I nod again.

“Don’t you see a problem here?”

I pause, trying to decide how to best handle this. Because, no, I don’t see a problem here. But clearly, he thinks I overstepped some boundaries. I have to balance his ridiculous tests and conditions with the fact that he’s my boss, so I choose my words carefully. “I was just trying to help.”

“Helpingis working the front. Boxing orders. Talking to customers. Not undermining my bakery by selling your own creations.”

“No!” I can’t help myself. As much as I want to be respectful, I won’t sit back and let him make me feel guilty. “Helpingis making a sale, whether that comes from your recipe or mine.”

“I won’t go through this again,” he says, raking his flour-filled hands through his hair. “I won’t lose my bakery.”

“Lose your bakery?” I exclaim. Then I remember that Suzette is still in the front and remind myself to be quieter. “Mason, I want to workwithyou andforyou. I have no ambitions of taking over.”

“That’s what she said, too,” he mutters.

“I’m not Natalie,” I say firmly but quietly. “And I’m sick of being treated this way. All these tests, and for what? Nothing! I set outoneof my cookies and secure a giant order, and you’re upset.”

He has the decency to look ashamed, but it’s too little, too late.

“I deserve more than this,” I continue. “I’m a great baker and an honest person.” I take a step toward him, less than a footof space between us now. “And I thought…there was something between us, too.”

He swallows hard, his breathing shallow.

I don’t wait for him to confirm or deny. I take a step back, gathering myself. “But I can’t be with someone, let alone work with them, if they can’t trust me.”

He opens his mouth to say something else, but I cut him off.

“I quit.”

“Madeleine—“ he starts to say, but his eyes dart from me to the swinging door.

“All done!” Suzette’s voice rings through the kitchen. “Do I need to—“

“You’re all set,” he says. “I’ll take care of it from here.”

“Wonderful!” Suzette leaves.

I take his last statement as an acknowledgement of my resignation. There’s no reason to stay here anymore. I turn around without another word to Mason. Hot, angry tears start forming behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

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