Page 17 of The Biker and the Baker
“Good afternoon, ladies.” He jerks his chin to the lone male kitchen assistant. “Fellas.”
Everyone returns mumbled pleasantries with confused faces because, well,he’s being weird.
“Cookie’s Treat is nothing without its staff. More specifically, the kitchen staff,” he starts. “We want you to know that we value your aptitude and proficiency and appreciate all your hard work. As a token of appreciation, we’re gifting the entire kitchen staff vouchers for a full spa day at Rippling Waves Day Spa. Carte Blanche.” He begins handing out the envelopes, which the staff greedily takes. “On varying days, you’re each allowed a paid day off to make use of this gift certificate. Please be sure to let Miss Saxena know in advance what day you would like off so she can arrange the roster accordingly.”
I glare at the back of his head when he turns to hand Eloise an envelope.Thanks for the extra work, asshole.
The team’s gratitude is evident in all their “Oh my God!” and “thank you, thank you!”
“Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone.” As he turns to leave, I swear that sonuvabitch glances over his shoulder at me and smirks.
I stare at his back as he retreats through the swinging doors. What the hell was that all about? Did he do this on purpose to— to what? Prove that he’s a good person? That he cares about the kitchen team? Because he doesn’t. He hardly ever comes behind here and he’s never nice when he does.
“Well, that was weird,” Eloise says as she slides her gift card from the envelope to peek at it.
“Right?” Cheryle, my confectionery queen chimes in. “He’s only this nice to the busty Barbie doll servers out there.”
“Well, I’ve never seen any of them get an all-inclusive spa dayplusa paid day off. So I guess he can be as weird and sporadic as he likes,” Debbie, an assistant baker, comments, “as long as it means we keep getting appreciation gifts like this.”
I say nothing as I finish prepping for tomorrow. Something about Onyx’s smirk and “good deed” rankles me. It feels like all that was for my benefit, to get back at me for something. Maybe Mice told him what I said?
Or, maybe that’sexactlywhat he intended—to rankle me. Maybe he thinks he has something on me now that he knows I’m involved with a notorious womanizer—his third cousin!—who thinks I’m a “dumbfuck” and has seen me drunk and wild in a strip club.
He thinks he knows me now? Is that it? Because I’d bet a thousand bucks that Cookie had nothing to do with this. Cookie is all about her moolah and full days at the spa aren’t cheap. No way she’d do this for the entire kitchen staff. This is all Onyx.
And now I’m left wondering… What the hell is his end game?
~
It’s Saturday, and I’ve left work a little earlier than usual, leaving Eloise in charge, so I could be home to help with my niece’s birthday party.
As the guests start to arrive, I realize that we have candy bowls laid out but no candies to put in them, so I grab my keys and make a quick dash to the candy shop.
With a loaded basket dangling from my hand, I’m in the lollipop aisle contemplating some smiley face ones when the shelf jerks, followed by the sound of shrieking kids on the other side.
“Hey, hey! Stop it.”
Wait a minute, I know that voice.
“He started it!” a kid’s voice protests.
“Don’t care. Come here. Both of you.”
Quietly, I edge to the end of the aisle and peek around the shelves.
Yep. It’shimalright.
He’s crouched down in front of a pair of twin boys, his expression serious as he speaks to them. “You don’t fight each other. Youneverfight each other, got that? You’re family. Blood. You should protect each other, look out for each other, defend each other. But never, ever fight each other.”
“Sorry, Uncle Nyx,” both boys apologize.
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to each other.”
They turn to each other and apologize.
“Good,” Onyx says, straightening. “Now go on, pick up whatever you want.”
As the two scampers off in opposite directions, Onyx shifts, cocks his head, and looks right at me, almost as if he knew I was there all along. “Quit being creepy, Sweet P. You want my autograph, all you gotta do is ask.”
