Page 22 of Mason

Bouncing with excitement I beamed at Sarah. “Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to decorating.”

Sarah nodded. “Great. There’s an apron and hair net and everything you need next to the sinks. Please wash your hands thoroughly and once you’re ready we’ll get started.” She winked at me. “Mason, there’s an apron for you, too.”

I went the sink and next to it was a wrapped present in bright pink cupcake paper. I tore into the present, eager to get to my gifts and start on decorating. An apron that almost matched my wrapping paper along with oven gloves and small towels, and a clear hair net were my gifts. I didn’t waste time in putting the apron on and the hairnet, then I washed my hands and dried them on paper towels. Spinning around, I burst out laughing at the sight of Mason. He had on an apron that matched mine, and a hairnet and he looked hilarious. Getting my phone out, I took a quick pic before Mason caught me. He was scowling at the bodyguards, daring them to say anything, and my laughter had him turning his gaze to me. I quickly shoved my phone into my bag and washed my hands again.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that, bear. Get rid of it.”

I grinned over at Mason and shook my head. “No way. It’s my birthday so I get to take whatever photos I want.”

“Would you like me to take a picture of the two of you before we start?” Sarah asked.

“Yes,” I quickly replied.

“No.”

I glared at Mason, went and got my phone, turned on the camera, and gave it to Sarah. She took a couple of photos and Mason even posed for me. Sarah handed the phone back and I put it away again. We both washed our hands.

“So, Mason said you love to cook but baking is a favorite?” Sarah smiled at me as she brought some of the cakes and icing closer.

“Yeah, my mother and I used to bake on weekends. It was something special we did together.”

“Well, this should be easy and fun, then. Now I have a cake that I’m shaping into a piano. Would you like to help?” I nodded because I knew if I talked I would have yelled my yes, I was so excited. “Good. This is going to be a rainbow cake. We won’t be able to have it finished in the time you have here with me, but we’ll get a good start before we focus on the cupcakes.”

I just nodded again, speechless as I was in heaven. Needing to show my gratitude I twirled and rose up and kissed a startled Mason. By the time he started getting really into it I pulled away. “Thank you. This is awesome.” I didn’t wait for his reply before I turned back and saw a smiling Sarah.

“I’ve started on the keys. Do you want to do some? Use the measure.” I watched as she showed me how to do them and then I tried myself. Sarah guided me and before long a timer went off. “That’s time with the cake done.” I looked at it and could see the shape of the piano. It was a huge cake.

Sarah went and put the cake in the fridge. While she did that I looked at Mason. He was being so good. I was sure he would be bored by now, especially since he did barely anything on the cake. He seemed happy enough, though, just watching me.

“Thanks for this. I really am enjoying this.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. “Don’t mention it. I love watching you in your element. I could watch you all day.”

He was so sweet, and not just because we were in a bakery. I loved this man. It was the easiest thing I’d ever done. “You’re the best.”

He chuckled and nibbled on my earlobe. “Remember you said that the next time you get cranky.”

Elbowing him, I smiled at Sarah as she came back with paper towels. “You can do whatever you want with this lot of cupcakes. I’ll show some icing techniques if you want but you can go wild with the cupcakes.”

“Yes, please, I’d love to know how to do the different flowers styles.”

“Sure. We need different ends for each style.” Sarah gathered a couple of different ends for the icing. “Mason, are you going to have a go at flower style icing?”

“I’ll give it a go. How hard can it be?”

Half an hour later I was laughing my arse off. Mason’s cupcakes looked like those funny nailed it videos where they do terrible jobs. Mason did genuinely try, but with his big beefy fingers and the fine detail it didn’t work. He was covered in pink, purple, green and peach colored icing and edible glitter. Most of mine looked good. Not in the same league as Sarah’s, but they were decent.

“Okay, the other cupcakes can be done with the candy and other things,” Sarah said between giggles.

“I don’t know why you two are laughing. I think I did an awesome job.” Mason pouted his full lips and pointed to his cupcakes. You couldn’t tell they’d tried to be flower cupcakes. One or two weren’t too bad, but most of them looked like blobs. He’d squeezed too hard, or not hard at all, and when he’d tried to fix his mistakes, he had smudged the other parts.

Knocking my hip against him, I smirked. “Sure, sugar. You did great.”

His grunt and rolled eyes had me laughing harder. “Come on, bear, stop making fun of me and help me finish these cupcakes. We only have a little under half an hour before we’re going to your next surprise.” He grinned down at me as he picked up the icing and squeezed it over a cupcake, grabbed a piece of Kit-Kat and stuck it in, then sprinkled M&Ms on it.

I was having a ball, but knew whatever he had planned next would be A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I didn’t think the day could get any better, but boy, was I surprised.

“THIS IS THE LAST THING, bear, before we go home and get ready for our family get together,” Mason said as I took the blindfold off. We were out the front of a warehouse pet store that had everything.

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