Page 16 of Marked By Blaze

With how she speaks about her fiancé, I was surprised when I met him. He is a giant, intimidating man and utterly wrapped around her little finger. If Jade is having her bridal party at the clubhouse, it's because that's what she wants, if only give poor Saint, some peace of mind.

You belong to only me, Ingrid.

I shake off the memory. “Of course, I'll stay for the bridal shower, Jade.”

“Yay! There will only be like five or six of us. Some of my childhood friends will be coming. I can't wait for you to meet them.”

Her excitement transfers to me, and I find myself smiling. I'm about to speak when a knock interrupts me. “Hang on a second, Jade, I think someone's at the door.”

“Sure.”

I zip up the jacket, grateful it’s long enough on me to hit mid-thigh, and open the door a crack, surprised to see a delivery guy at the door.

“Ingrid Huss? I have an order for you.”

My brows knit in confusion. “Huh? I didn't order anything.”

“Well, someone did. It's under your name and address.”

The man lifts the bag, and I see the logo of my favorite café. I stare at the bag for a second before deciding I might as well take it. The jacket rides up my thighs, and I notice the man's interested gaze as he trails them up my body, but then his eyes widen in a mix of surprise and horror when they lock on the patches on the chest and sleeve.

“Fuck!” he curses under his breath before shoving the bag at my chest and sprinting down the hall.

“What was that?” Jade's voice breaks into my confusion. “Did someone send you breakfast?”

“It wasn't you?”

She chuckles. “Nope. What did you get?”

Curious, I kick shut the door and walk to the kitchen, putting Jade on speaker and the phone on the counter before turning to unpack the bag. “Oh!”

“Oh, what? What did they send you? Is there a note?”

“No note,” I answer, my heart racing as I unpack everything. “They got me breakfast. A caramel latte with whipped cream, avocado toast with poached eggs, cherry tomatoes, and chili flakes, a chocolate croissant, and…a smoothie bowl.”

“Wait, don't you hate bananas? The smoothie bowl—”

“Has no bananas,” I whisper after taking a closer look. “It's from my favorite café too, and it's all my favorite things.”

“Oh,” Jade whispers, her voice quiet. Whoever ordered my breakfast knows my favorite order. “D-do you think it's poisoned?”

My stomach growls as I stare at the avocado toast. It's prepared just how I like it, and the smell makes my stomach grumble. I pull out the kitchen stool and grab the croissant, moaning when I take a bite. “Oh my God,” I moan. “I don't care if it's poisoned. This is delicious.”

“Should I get Saint to look into who sent it?”

“No, it's probably my boss. I'll ask her about it later,” I rationalize. I've told my boss, Tiffany, about my favorite café and what I like to order, and this is probably her way of taking care of her employees. She often does little things to show us her appreciation. “I don't know what they put in this avocado toast, but it's delicious.”

Jade chuckles, mumbling something about asking her fiancé to take her out to breakfast before hanging up. Whoever sent this delivery must've heard the gods whisper into their ear that my fridge was empty. I should probably make time to shop for groceries. The withering bagel I have in my fridge would definitely not have put me in the mood I'm in when I finally get to work.

Tiffany is already at work when I get there. She's an extremely beautiful forty-year-old woman with long blond hair, cherry red lips, and beautiful blue eyes that get her all the right attention everywhere she goes. She's an excellent boss who took a chance on a young, inexperienced beautician who no one else was willing to hire. In an industry that puts all its value on looks, she didn't care how I looked, only that I could put in the work.

I smile when I spot her talking to the receptionist. “Thank you for breakfast, Tiffany.”

“Oh, it’s just Starbucks coffee and muffins. Nothing too exciting.”

“Coffee and muffins?”

“Yeah, I brought some for everyone; I left yours on your desk. Eat up, you have an appointment downtown in an hour,” she was with a smile.

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