Page 32 of Cakewalk
Conversation then turned to Suzy, the new girl who was working at the cake shop, and how she was quite the student. Eventually I relaxed, realizing that my sister really was going to do as I asked and trust me.
I just hoped neither of us would regret it.
* * *
I textedGriffin that night as King Kong lazed around my shoulders. The scaly bastard’s nails were like mini daggers in my flesh, but I endured the suffering, not wanting to incur his wrath.
Me: Cat’s out of the bag
Griffin: Uh oh. Yet you’re still breathing?
Me: I convinced Courtney to trust me. She sure as heck isn’t trusting you, but she dropped it when I pulled the ‘Mom and Dad didn’t raise no fool’ card. But maybe she didn’t want to challenge me on that with Mom and Dad right there, lol.
Griffin: With any luck, I can finish the job at the town hall meeting.
Me: Just prepare yourself for an interrogation of a lifetime. I think since the baby’s not due yet, Courtney’s channeling all her mama bear energy into protecting the town. Bring a suit of armor.
Griffin: Yikes. Didn’t think I’d ever be scared of a cake maker after five years of hard time, yet here I am.
Me: You and me both.
I wanted to ask him what his plans were for the weekend. Hell, I wanted to demand another damn date with him. But I had been the one to beat the drum of professionalism and keeping things appropriate. I’d just have to slip back into my old single ways, subsisting off the memory of that night instead. Then he sent another text.
Griffin: Got plans this weekend?
I nearly wanted to hurl my phone into a wall. This temptation was murder.
Me: Just gonna make sure King Kong doesn’t rampage too much around the house.
Griffin: What do people do for fun around here?
Was he asking for himself, or for us? I winced as I typed.
Me: The bar has a pinball machine, though the left flipper doesn’t work anymore. There’s also a corn maze, though that’s only one month out of the year. So basically, there’s nothing to do. Unless you have a boat and like fishing.
Griffin: Good God. No wonder all the kids flee to the city as soon as they get a car.
Me: Yup. All Calhoon has going for it is a few cute stores and zero traffic.
Griffin: Want to introduce me to a few of the shop owners? Maybe I can set up some preemptive defenses against your sister’s incoming nukes.
Me: Why not. Tomorrow afternoon should be a good time. It’s Calhoon at its busiest, which essentially means like five out-of-towners.
Griffin: Five? How will I survive such crowds?
Me: I think you can manage.
Griffin: How about we meet up where you assaulted me with a cake?
Me: Done deal.
Ugh, this was sounding a whole lot like a date. Or maybe I just wanted it to be. But as long as we could treat it like a meet and greet with the small businesses, at most have a coffee together, then maybe it’d still have the feel of a professional outing. Nothing more, nothing less.
I just had to channel my inner King Kong and forget all these warm-blooded, lustful feelings I’ve been having.
Chapter 13
Jade
