Page 6 of Cupcake of the Month
“I have to get back to work.” Not that his boss minded when he took a breather. He gave her a solemn dip of his head.
She blew him a kiss and winked. He had no doubt she’d find him when she was ready to go home, even after he deserted her. She loved a challenge.
Lana’s car was sweet – a new Porsche Turbo. If he was a good boy, maybe she’d let him drive. He could use a fast car to take him away from all this.
There were several trays waiting for circulation when he returned to the kitchen. Barb gave him a cool glance from where she stood whisking a dipping sauce. The tang of balsamic vinegar filled the space between them.
“Did you have a nice break?” Barb asked in a smooth, even tone.
The underlying censure rang through loud and clear. “No.”
She shook her head, her chef hat almost falling off the tight braids in her black hair. “Then stop playing the stupid game, Josh.”
He snagged a tray with salmon even as he told his hormones to cool it. Jordan wasn’t seeking him out, so he didn’t need to bring her anything special.
She held herself with a quiet kind of regal grace. Never flamboyant or flashy, she could command a room or stay invisible, depending on her mood. Time hadn’t changed her. She was still the same confident, beautiful woman he had known. And she had treated him with stiff formality. He didn’t blame her, not after the way he had abandoned her after that one incredible night.
His dick stirred at the memory. No shock it was reliving that night along with him. Jordan’s hot, seeking mouth and warm,willing body, her hands scoring his back and her cries of passion. Not to mention her generous nature, her incredible brain, her ability to bring out the best in people.
And he had thrown it all away.
She was nowhere to be found, so he approached the closest knot of people.
Fingers reached for the food but no one acknowledged him except a woman who smiled at him for a little too long, a faint blush staining her cheeks. A new baker entering the game.
He kept a smile plastered on his face while he answered her inane questions about how the salmon was fried, but his eyes searched the room. Still no Jordan.
Lana might know where she was. Not that he could ask the other woman directly, but maybe he’d overhear something. She stood by the drink fountain with an older gentleman who was dipping his glass into the stream. Josh presented the tray, keeping his face impassive as Lana took one of the small fish cakes.
She popped it into her mouth, her eyes never leaving Josh’s. “Good news. My friend left early. Which means I’ll be able to give you that ride tonight.”
The man she was with couldn’t manage to keep the crestfallen expression off his face, giving Josh a pang of guilt. Likely Lana didn’t realize her companion wished she’d bake with him instead. A sour taste filled Josh’s mouth. With Jordan gone, he’d rather help Barb prepare the food. “Can’t wait.”
As soon as his tray was empty, he hightailed it to the kitchen and shrugged out of the tight confines of the tuxedo and washed his hands. Who had picked such an ugly color, anyway? A cucumber and a bowl of shrimp sat next to a cutting board. Josh picked up the knife and sliced the vegetable.
“Who is it tonight?” Barb asked. Her white chef jacket had a splotch of pink toward the bottom. Cranberry juice, maybe?
Josh shot her a look but didn’t answer.
“You hate dealing with seafood.” Barb grabbed a hot mitt and opened the oven. “You say the smell follows you for days and all the cats in your neighborhood yowl under your window at night.”
She was right on all those counts but going back out there was worse. “You needed help.”
“You could see that through the walls?”
Josh didn’t answer.
“What’s her name?”
He almost answered before he caught himself. “There’s no her.”
“What’s his name?”
That earned her a smile. “No him, either.”
Barb took a handful of the cucumber slices and smeared cream cheese on them. “You’re either lying or telling the truth.”
“One of those two, yeah.” Thank goodness Barb let him play with the food when being around people became too much. He only wished he could start in the kitchen each time, but having the food in immediate circulation was important. Barb had always treated him right, even knowing about his past. He never wanted to let her down.
