Page 39 of Barging In
“I should have known,” Victoria said with a roll of her eyes.
“Sorry. My parents can be a bit full-on sometimes.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was having a bad start to the day when I met them. I may have been a bit abrupt.”
“We all have bad days,” Clem said gently.
A soft smile followed. It was light, kind, and entirely disarming, and it hit Victoria square in the chest. Her heart squeezed, causing a warmth to rush through her. Why did Clem make her feel such things?
“I’ll grab a trolley,” Clem said, suddenly reaching for the door. “Meet you in there.”
“Thanks,” Victoria replied, grateful to have a moment alone to collect herself as she exited and headed into the store.
Clem joined her a few minutes later as she was rummaging through the cucumbers, trying to find the freshest ones for the salmon and cucumber sandwiches. Noticing her companion squirming and biting her lips together, Victoria pointed one of the long, green vegetables at her.
“If you’re thinking of making a cucumber joke, so help me, I’ll—” She waved the cucumber menacingly.
Clem raised her hands in mock innocence. “Hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
Victoria smiled. “Now, have you got a list?”
“All in here,” Clem said, tapping the side of her head. “Baking is second nature. You know, this place sells cakes.It would’ve saved you the trouble of begging me to bake. They’re not as shit as yours either.”
Victoria’s jaw dropped. “I didnotbeg. And how did you know about our shit cakes? Been checking out the competition, have we?”
“No. Max told me how awful they were. Anyway, I’m not the one sending my curator to fetch me lemon drizzle and then sitting on the towpath practically inhaling it.”
“I did not inhale it!” Victoria protested, but spying Clem’s overly pleased with herself grin, she added, “Okay, maybe I did.”
Clem winked. “Andthat’show I know you like lemon drizzle.”
“Hmm,” Victoria said, lips pressed together. “There is no harm in keeping an eye on competitors. Anyway, I don’t want shop-bought. This is the wharf’s first birthday. I need the bes?—“
“Oh, I see. I’m the best, am I?” Clem said, her face creasing with amusement.
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” Clem teased, rubbing her chin.
“Oh, shush. You know you are. Your lemon drizzle is divine.”
“Yeah. I do know.” Clem smirked, bumping her shoulder gently into Victoria’s and sending tingles shooting straight through her in the process.
Was Clem being flirtatious, or was Victoria overthinking? She didn’t know Clem well enough to know all her sides, but she was pretty sure the pissed-off version she’d seen so much of couldn’t be therealClem.
“The best cake maker —andmodest too. You really are the complete woman,” Victoria drawled.
“I like to think so,” Clem said, leaning on the trolley. “So, what’s on your list?”
“Scones.”
“Scones? You’rebuyingscones.”
“Yes. What else do you suggest I do? Find a magic lamp and rub it?”
“You could rub me.” Clem bit her lip, eyes widening. “Oh — I don’t mean. Oh, erm. I just meant I can bake you some scones.”
Victoria raised an eyebrow, hoping the heat prickling her cheeks wasn’t visible. “You can?”
