Page 46 of The Alpha and the Baker
I shook my head. “No. Not offended at all. Just a bit taken aback at the verbiage.”
“That’s fair. I like the way you said it better anyway.” There was that smile again, borderline angelic. Goodness, I didn’t think it was possible for her to be even more beautiful, yet somehow every moment she grew more and more resplendent. “You know, when I first started to dream of having my own bakery, it was a much more chill vibe.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like hard work, and it makes me feel incredibly accomplished when I knock off an insane to-do list, but I did imagine something a bit more… cottage-core, I guess. Maybe once I can get a reliable customer base, I can relax a bit, but right now, the grind is real.”
I nodded. Although my livelihood was taken care of by the pack fund, I wasn’t completely ignorant of how difficult it was to run a small business in today’s climate. I hoped that the surprise six hundred I’d paid helped her out, as well as whatever Penny and Polly had ordered. I’d have to ask them about that.
For now, I wanted to concentrate on Felicia and our date. It wasn’t going at all like I’d planned, yet that was proving to be a good thing.
“I think what you’re doing is incredible. I can’t imagine running my own business without—” I stopped abruptly, worried of sticking my foot in it once again.
“Without any family?” Felicia suggested, her grin turning wry.
“Yes. Sorry. That was a bit insensitive of me.”
“No, no. I understand. You’re very family-oriented. I get that. Honestly, there are a few things that mystify me about your situation.”
“But not in a bad way?”
“No, not in a bad way at all.”
“I’m glad.”
Our conversation meandered from there, pausing every now and then for us to chew and swallow. I was surprised at how easy it was. I wasn’t an introvert by any means, but I also didn’t consider myself particularly glib. With Felicia, though, talking was as natural as breathing, whether we were talking about the price of flour, delivery schemes of small businesses, or how my family dealt with the very complicated dynamics of having about two dozen teenagers around at all times.
I could have explained to her that we weren’t all related, that my pack actually consisted of three main genetic lines with people marrying in and out all of the time, but that would just complicate things. So, for simplicity’s sake, I let her think we were one giant family.
It was wonderful. It wasfun. And before I knew it, all our food was gone, but we continued talking as we sat on that cramped, metal bench. Yet it was entirely enough.
It was too soon, far too soon, to be so emotionally invested, and yet I knew without a doubt that I’d never clicked with someone as easily as I clicked with Felicia.
Felicia
Two of a Kind
I was freezingmy ass off, but I couldn’t care less. When I’d gotten ready, I certainly hadn’t dressed for an early spring night outside, but we’d had to adapt, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
I had tried to hold my tongue at first in the restaurant. I knew how stressful it could be to work with the public. But when the server had rudely cut off Cas, who was possibly one of the most polite people I’d ever met, I was done.
I’d been all geared up to read her the riot act, but a look in Cas’s direction made me realize we were even more on the same page than I had thought, and that was how the two of us ended up leaving.
I hadn’t walked out of a restaurant like that inyears, but I was so incredibly relieved that Cas had picked up on all the same rudeness, too, and that he was willing to partake in street food. Was it a fancy steak dinner? Not by a long shot, but it was so damn good.
“So, do you have any customer horror stories?” Cas asked once he’d drained his drink. I was stunned that he had room for anything else after he’d wolfed down three full meals. He had towork out like afiendto have an appetite like that and keep up his good physique.
Some people had all the luck.
“You bet,” I said, clapping my hands. “Only one situation ever turned kind of dangerous, thankfully, but mostly it’s been little old ladies trying to pull an advanced Karen.”
“Dangerous?” Cas repeated, and I appreciated the slight warning tone in his voice. We knew next to nothing about each other, but I liked that his hackles raised at the thought of someone hassling me.
Protective? Check.
“Yeah, someone tried to rob me. Unfortunately for him, he did it at the end of my first week of business. I’d been so overwhelmed with everything that I forgot to get change for my cash register, so there was only twenty dollars in it.” I shook my head, thinking back to that time. The guy hadn’t had a gun, hadn’t even had a knife, but I’d been so panicked that I’d shown him my empty register anyway.
“You were robbed?” The smile had vanished entirely from Cas’s face, and he looked legitimately upset. That wouldn’t do.
“Wait, no, this is a funny story. I promise.”
