“Beautiful work,” Rose told Miles, admiring his piping job on the first cupcake.
He blushed. “Thank you.”
Rose then snapped her fingers at her employees. “See how he’s doing it? Do it just like this.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said before copying the method on the other batches of cupcakes.
Our menu for the ball consisted of desserts that could be easily served to the guests on platters and placed on the banquet tables for them to walk up and grab. Pumpkin muffins, chocolate petit fours, lemon macarons, personal-sized carrot cake loafs, Kuya Berry Delight cupcakes aka strawberry, and a selection of cookies; including chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and pumpkin spice.
Miles was also making his specialty fifteen layer vanilla sponge cake with the chocolate ganache and raspberry jam. And I’d be making pumpkin spice lattes and the house blend coffee for the refreshments.
In other words, it was a super busy morning that led into an even busier afternoon. It was so much fun though.
Miles and I nearly collapsed once the last batch of cookies had come out of the oven and placed on racks to cool. The kitchen was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of baked goods, all decorated and ready for the ball. On top of the individual sized desserts, we had also baked several large cakes to showcase more from the café.
“Good job,” I told him. “We make a great team.”
“We do,” Miles agreed, his face flushed. It was crazy hot in there, and we’d worked our asses off.
“Evan?” Bradley, one of the castle staff I’d met earlier, said. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you where you can wash up and dress.”
Another man bowed his head and said the same to Miles. My demi-bear friend seemed shocked by the hospitality. He still wasn’t used to humans being kind to him.
I patted Miles on the back. “Next time we see each other, we’ll look all spiffy and new.”
I then followed Bradley from the kitchen and down a corridor. He made small talk along the way, complimenting the desserts and saying he was eager to try one later. He led me to a well-lit room with a huge claw-foot tub in the center.
“Here you are,” he said. “Do you need assistance bathing?”
“Um, no thanks. I’m good.”
“Very well.” He tipped his head to me. “A servant will be in afterward to help you dress. Take all the time you need.”
Once he took his leave, I locked the door and looked around the room. The golden faucets, polished marble floor, and stained glass window exuded luxury. And there were like a million different soaps to choose from. After shedding my clothes and starting the water, putting in the stopper once it was the temperature I wanted, I sniffed each of the fragrant bottles.
Did I want to smell like berries, lavender, or the forest? There was also one that smelled spicy and another that reminded me of the ocean. I chose that one and added it to the water, smiling like a little kid when bubbles formed. I sank into the tub and scooped up bubbles in my hand before blowing them.
“Having fun?”
I screeched and snapped my head toward the corner of the bathroom where a man stood against the wall. Pale blond hair, a classy white suit, and a smirk on his lips. “Jesus fucking Christ, Lupin,” I said in a harsh whisper, not wanting any passing servants to overhear. “You scared the piss out of me. What the hell are you doing here?”
“I told you I’d return, didn’t I?”
“You couldn’t have picked a better time? For fuck’s sake.” I moved more bubbles toward me to make sure he couldn’t see beneath the water. “You can’t just interrupt a guy when he’s naked and vulnerable like this.”
Lupin’s smirk faded into something softer. “What do you know of your parents?”
My confusion deepened at the massive topic shift. “Not much. I never met them. I got curious when I was eighteen and tried to look them up but couldn’t find anything. Both parents are marked as unknown on my birth certificate. Why?”
The softness in his eyes shifted to something a bit… darker. Mysterious. It was an expression I knew well from him. “Your mother’s name was Cynthia. She was adored by everyone who met her, and many spoke of her beauty far and wide. Golden hair and eyes that sparkled like jewels. You greatly resemble her.”
Cynthia? That was my mom’s name? A strange pressure moved through my breastbone. “How do you know this?”
“Because I met her.”
Thankfully I was sitting in a bathtub, otherwise the sudden quake in my muscles would’ve sent me to the floor. “You knew her?”
All my life, I’d held resentment toward my parents. Being abandoned as a baby would make anyone feel like that. But Lupin spoke so highly of my mom. It was hard to view her in the same light. I wanted—needed—to learn more.
