Page 51 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

Jenna did a spit-take while my eyeballs nearly spilled out of their sockets, then we both started talking over each other.

“Shut the front door! You wereengaged?”

“You keptthattiny bit of information a secret from your housemate?How dare you?”

“Who’s Leo? How did you two meet? How long were you two together?”

“Why did the engagement end? Are you still in love with him?”

Kim raised a finger, silencing us. “We were engaged for a few years. Classic case of him being a dickhead and screwing around. But I don’t want to waste my breath talking about him, because he’s ancient history. Prehistoric. I prefer to live in the moment, okay? Let’s talk about something else.”

“Fine. But you’re not off the hook,” Jenna warned. “I have the means to pry secrets out of someone, and I’m not afraid to use them.”

“Bring it.” Kim stuck out her tongue at Jenna, then turned to me. “Have you thought of a name for your bakery?”

“Of course I have.” I beamed at her. “I’m calling it Sugarless Goodness.”

Kim grimaced. “Do you want me to be polite, or should I be brutally honest?”

It was my turn to wince. “I thought it perfectly conveys the concept of the bakery—desserts that are sugar-free and good for you.”

“It does, but I think you can do better. Any other alternatives?”

“There’s Sugarless Pleasures, Sugarless Bakeshop, or Sugarless Cravings.”

“Those are the best you could come up with? Anything without ‘sugarless’ in them?”

“I also thought of Twisted Sweets, Guilt-free Pleasures, and Heavenly Cravings.”

Kim snorted, apparently having given up all pretenses of being diplomatic and sparing my feelings. “Why don’t you just call it Ellie’s Den of Heavenly Pleasures?”

“It’s a bakery,” I protested. “Not a harem.”

She grinned. “Well, with those names, it might as well be.”

“I vote for Twisted Sweets,” Jenna helpfully said. “I like that one the best.”

“I disagree.” Kim shook her head. “You need to find something catchier. Bolder. Something that will make people look up and pay attention.”

“Like what?” I raised my eyebrows. “The Whisk Warrior? The Naked Baker?”

“There you go.Nowyou’re talking.”

Jenna frowned. “I’m not going into a bakery called The Naked Baker.”

Kim scrunched up her nose. “Eh, true. People might go in expecting some kind of Magic Mike situation. You’re not licensed for that.” She sighed. “Well, keep brainstorming. Anyway, how did it go at the function with Cutie Building Expert? Did he swallow his own tongue when he saw you in that black dress?”

“I told you, he’s just a friend.”

Kim scoffed. “Keep telling yourself that, and maybe one day you’ll believe it. Remember what I told you about that morningwhen we first met him? There wasnothingfriendly about the way he looked at you. Jenna, back me up here.”

“I concur.” Jenna wriggled her eyebrows suggestively at me.

“In case you didn’t catch the meaning, allow us to translate. It announced that he wanted to kiss you and undress you and do filthy things to make you scream. I personally think, woman to woman, the least you could do is let him try, so I can live vicariously through you.”

“We,” Jenna added. “Sowecan live vicariously through you.”

I choked out a laugh. “I’ll pass.”

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