Page 23 of Building Romance
“I boxed some of the things up in case you want any other taste testers,” she explains.
I take the bag. “I think I should taste-test them all again. Just to be sure, of course.”
She laughs. “Well, let me know any further thoughts, then.”
“I will,” I say as I leave, fighting the urge to smile. Why does this infuriating woman have to be so charming and witty? Part of that makes me hate her more, but I also feel a pull toward her in a way that I will not be letting myself explore.
I contemplate what just happened the entire drive home. Is Camryn Tanner not as bad as I thought? No. There’s no way. Right?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cam
I pick up my wineglass and lean back into the oversized chair in Margie and Cornelia’s apartment. “I can’t do this,” I state as I drown my sorrows in wine. It’s only been twenty-four hours since I made the cookies for Fletcher McDowell and I’m already in deep regret about my decision to work with him.
“Sure you can,” Margie encourages. “You’re in the thick of it now. You just need to see it through, win the damn contest, and take all that money to invest in your business.”
“No, you need to weasel your way onto his good side. Find out all the branding and menu stuff for that new store and then we rebrand you in a way that usurps anything they can do,” Jocelyn says.
We all turn to look at her.
“What? I love a good rivals-to-lovers story,” she says with a shrug.
“This isn’t a rivals-to-lovers story, Joc. It’s my actual life,” I groan.
Cornelia pats my leg. “Sweets, you just need to focus on winning. Let us brainstorm ways to build your business. Margie and I have hoards of time on our hands, don’t we?” She turns to her best friend.
“Speak for yourself. I have a date on Friday,” Margie huffs as she reaches for her wineglass.
Roxy and Carly giggle and I roll my eyes. “Let’s just talk about something else, anything else. I need to take my mind off the café for one night. I’m already nervous about leaving Adriana over there by herself tonight to close.”
“She’ll be fine. I mean I let Joc close all the time,” Roxy teases and Jocelyn flicks her off.
“Hutch figure out who leaves those flowers every day on the park bench yet?” I ask.
Roxy shakes her head. “Nope. He thought it was Troy the other day. He followed him on his walk. And then Al and then Bray on one of his runs. Oh, and that guy who lives two doors down.”
We all look at her with scrunched faces as we try to figure out which guy. “Who?” I ask.
“You know, that weird guy who always wears sweater vests even when it’s summer,” she says.
“Oh, that’s Wayne. And yes, he is weird,” Margie states.
“What about Herb or that woman…” Carly trails off as she thinks. “The one with the bright purple hair.”
“Denise?” Margie asks.
“No. The other one,” Carly says as there’s a knock at the door. She gets up and opens it to let Jessa in.
“What’d I miss?” Jessa asks as Margie pours her some wine.
“We’re guessing the flower person again,” I state.
“Oh. I love that game. What about Mr. Jenkins next door?” Jessa asks.
“No, he’s too grumpy,” Jocelyn says. “I saw him push Licorice out of the way with his cane last week.”
“What? If he so much as touches a hair on my baby’s head again, I will throw down,” Roxy says, her jaw clenching.
