Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1) (12 page)

Mary asked more questions about Rhea’s skills. After Mary was done interviewing her, one of the assistants gave Rhea a keyboarding test on a computer in a separate room to see how fast she could type. After she was done with the test, Rhea stood and gathered her purse before asking the assistant a question. “Is that it? I’m assuming Mary will call me if she has anything?”

“Normally that’d be it, but Mary insisted that she speak with you before you leave.”

Rhea inwardly groaned, following the assistant back to Mary’s office. Did her sister-in-law intend on spouting more negative thoughts about Rhea’s lack of experience? Was she going to remind Rhea about how much she’d despised her marrying her brother?
Lord, I need You to help me through this conversation.
She entered the office, and Mary stood at her desk, glaring at Rhea. She turned to her assistant. “Close the door.”

The assistant exited, softly closing the door behind her. Mary stared at Rhea for a few seconds. What was her problem? Why was she standing there staring at her for no reason? “You wanted to see me before I left?” Rhea needed to get this conversation rolling.

“Yes, sit down.” Why was she ordering her to sit as if she were a trained animal?

“You talk to me like you can order me around. What if I don’t want to sit?”

Mary’s pale skin flushed. “What?”

“You heard me. If you want me to sit down, why don’t you ask nicely? Most people would say ‘would you like to take a seat?’” When she’d first married Stan, about a year out of college, she’d been naïve, and didn’t stand up for herself as she should have. Mary couldn’t just order people around and expect them to do what she pleased. Did she talk to her staff this way?

“Okay. We’ll do this your way. Would you like to sit down?”

Rhea ignored Mary’s condescending tone while settling into the chair, crossing her legs, toying with the strap of her purse. Mary sat at her desk, looking at Rhea’s file. “I don’t want you to think that I’m going to give you any special treatment just because you were married to my brother.”

“Excuse me?”

Mary gestured toward Rhea’s file. “I’m talking about finding you a temporary assignment. Don’t expect special treatment from me.”

Mary assumed that she wanted special treatment? Such gall! She’d never indicated she expected to be treated differently than other applicants. Since Mary mistakenly assumed this, calling her into the office to tell her, then maybe this was a bad idea. She couldn’t work with someone who automatically assumed the worst about her.

Rhea stood, gritting her teeth. There was no way she’d grovel for a job. If she had to go elsewhere, look in the want-ads, then she would. She approached Mary’s desk, getting as close as she dared. “I didn’t ask for special treatment. If I wanted special treatment, I know not to expect it from you.” She grabbed her purse, turned on her heel, walked toward the door. Before she could open it, she turned back to Mary. “My coming here was obviously a mistake, so, just forget about it.”

“Oh, sit back down! Don’t act so childish! You were always so immature—too immature for my brother.”

“I’m not sitting down, you can’t order me around like a dog!” Rhea stomped over to Mary’s desk, balling her hands into fists. “Your brother loved me. He didn’t care about my age, and he didn’t care about my brown skin. He loved
me
!” Rhea pointed to herself. “I can’t help it if you couldn’t get over the fact that your brother didn’t fall in love with a mature, white, upper-middle-class woman.”

Rhea’s hands shook, and the back of her head ached. She needed to get out of this room. But, she wasn’t finished. There was so much more she needed to say to Mary, things that had never been said when she’d been married to Stan. Lots of her pain and anguish in her marriage stemmed from Stan’s non-supportive family and seeing Mary brought all those bad memories to the surface.

She needed some aspirin and some peace and quiet. She closed her eyes.
Lord, help me.
Opening her eyes, she glared at Mary.

Mary raised her pale eyebrows and she stood, coming toward Rhea. Her voice softened. “Calm down. You’ll make yourself sick.” Rhea sat, slumping into the chair, her heart pounding. She closed her eyes again and heard Mary exit the room. She returned seconds later with a small cup of water. “Drink this.”

Her mouth tightened. “Stop telling me what to do. You can’t talk to me like I’m a child.”

Mary set the cup on her desk, throwing her skinny arms into the air. “Well, I was only trying to help. You may drink the water if you wish.” Rhea eyed the cup before drinking the water, the cool liquid going down her throat, making her feel a bit better. Mary took the cup from her fingers, tossing it into the trashcan. “Now,” Mary began. “You need to calm down and stop acting like a baby.”

Rhea winced, jerked back. “I—”

“Don’t talk. Just listen to me. Keep your cool and don’t lose your temper. You’d always get so easily angered that it got on my nerves.”

“Stop talking to me that way! If you do it again, I’m leaving. I hated it when you used to talk to Stan and me as if we were dim-witted fools. Stan hardly ever took your advice.”

She gasped, placed her pale hand on her neck. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean? He didn’t take your advice – he took mine. Mary, I was his wife, and you seemed to forget that.” Rhea cradled her aching head. She needed to calm down, get her headache to go away before driving home. Mary didn’t understand. She’d get angry too if she were disliked by most of her husband’s family. “You know why I was angry?” she said in a low voice. “I loved your brother, and I still grieve for him. I’d give almost anything for him to be alive today.”

She stared at Mary before Mary looked away, toying with her pearl necklace. “I know you loved my brother. The only reason I mentioned special treatment is because I’ve had people—friends and relatives—come here, thinking that I would give them special treatment and not check their references. This is my business, and I run it professionally. I treat all of my temps the same, no matter who they are.”

“But, I wasn’t expecting special treatment. Plus, I’m not a relative, and you never considered me a friend.”

Mary waved her comment away. “Well, I just wanted to make myself clear about that. No need to lose your temper. I’m only doing my job.”

“I’m sorry for losing my temper.”

Mary nodded, apparently accepting Rhea’s apology.

Mary was quiet for a few minutes, and Rhea took the moment to calm down. “I’ll have to call you to let you know if we have an assignment open. I need to check your references.”

Rhea nodded. “That’s fine.” Hopefully, she’d be hearing from Mary soon.

This emotional visit had taken a toll on her. What would happen now between her and Mary? Would her negative thoughts and feelings toward her sister-in-law vanish? Could this be a chance for a new beginning between them?

“Rhea?”

“Yes?”

Mary dipped her head, her skin flushing. “I’m sorry for talking to you that way. It’s nothing personal. I have a bad habit of talking to most people like that. If you recall, I’ve been doing that a long time – my family hates it when I do that.”

“I accept your apology.”

“When I speak to you again, I’ll try to remember my tone, but if I forget, you’ll need to give me a gentle reminder. Don’t get mad. Stan told me that you’d get headaches when you were upset.”

“He told you that?”

“Yes. He used to worry about you so much.”

Stan used to worry about her? She didn’t realize that. She glanced over at Mary as she fiddled with some papers on her desk. Had Stan shared other things with his sister about their marriage? Since Mary had apologized for her rude tone, did this mean that they could start over, and perhaps be friends?

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. The receptionist peeked into the office. “Mary, your 9:30 appointment is here.”

“Thanks. Give me a few minutes.” Mary stood, bringing an end to their meeting. “I’m sorry. I have to take my next appointment.” She offered her hand, and as Rhea shook it, the iciness of Mary’s skin sunk into Rhea’s palm. Mary also leaned against the desk, as if she were too tired to stand.

Rhea released her hand, about to exit, before turning around to look at Mary again. “Mary, are you alright?”

Mary frowned, her red-painted lips thinning into a straight line. “Why do you ask?”

She wasn’t about to mention that Stan had confided about Mary’s anorexia. “If you ever need somebody to talk to, feel free to call me.”

Mary dipped her head, barely nodding, before Rhea hurried out of the office.

Chapter Twelve

Rhea pulled out of the parking lot of the temp agency, still thinking about her sister-in-law.
Lord, help her.
She stopped at the bank, deposited Raven’s check, and left with enough money to pay her rent. Now off to the rental office. One of her neighbors had mentioned that Leonard often frequented the rental building.

Rhea cringed while pulling into the parking lot. She got out of her car and glanced into the window, spotting a haggard woman slumping at the front desk. Thank goodness, she didn’t see Leonard. Maybe if she hurried inside and paid her rent, she wouldn’t run into him. She had not seen him since he’d tried to kiss her.

Taking a deep breath, she marched into the building. The strong, putrid scent of cigarette smoke filled the air and Rhea spotted the receptionist smoking a cigarette. She grinned, talking on the phone, her leathery skin looking pallid under the weak sunlight. Rhea clutched her rent money in her hand. When the receptionist spotted Rhea, she frowned. “What ‘cha need?”

“I need to pay my rent.”

The woman scoffed, mumbled something into the receiver before slamming the phone down. The receptionist’s cheap, loud perfume infiltrated the air so Rhea covered her nose, swallowed and coughed a few times. The woman leaned over, lifted something off the floor and her low-cut blouse drooped, giving Rhea a peak at her bosom. Rhea turned her head, looking out the window. Couldn’t Leonard find a more professional staff to run his business?

Rhea approached the desk. “I’m paying cash, so, I’ll need a receipt.” She then recited her name and apartment number.

The woman lifted her cigarette, took a puff, and left it dangling from her putrid-looking lips. “I ain’t got no receipts. Just leave your money on the counter.”

No receipts? Her neighbor always paid in cash, but, she’d not mentioned that they failed to give receipts when paying with money. There was no way this woman was telling the truth – legally, they’d have to issue a receipt with cash payment, wouldn’t they? Rhea sniffed—the scent of alcohol lingered in the air. Was this woman drunk?

“You need to give me a receipt. I’m not leaving my cash until you do.”

She shook her head, taking another puff from her cigarette. “Nope. I told you—”

Rhea slammed her hand on the desk, took a deep breath.
Lord, help me to calm down before I lose it. Leaning forward, she
got into her face. “I’ve had an awful day and I’m in a hurry. Give me my receipt now.” She enunciated each word, slowly,

The door opened and her landlord Leonard stomped into the room, cursing. “What are you doing here?”

Rhea gritted her teeth, looking directly into Leonard’s chunky, homely face. She wrinkled her nose, getting a whiff of his strong body odor. Covering her nose, she took a few steps back, forcing herself not to breathe, she spoke directly to Leonard. “Tell your drunk employee to give me my receipt, now. I’m here to pay my rent, and she refuses to give me proof of payment.”

His mouth dropped open, and his voice softened as he approached the desk. “Honey, give Rhea her payment slip.”

Chuckling, she crossed her skinny legs, her eyes twinkling. “Nope. Don’t got any.” She took another drag from her cigarette.

Leonard then took her hand, and she stood. He wrapped his thick arms around her waist, and they kissed, both of them groaning.

Rhea turned away, her head hurting again. She glanced at her watch. She needed to get her rent paid, do a few errands, before meeting Martin that afternoon and she couldn’t believe she was standing here watching Leonard kiss his girlfriend.

She rushed to the desk, cleared her throat. “I need my receipt.” She looked directly at Leonard as he ended the kiss, and the woman dropped into the chair, smiling.

He opened several drawers before finding a large book with the word ‘payment’ emblazoned across the front. Rhea glared at him while he wrote out the proof of payment for her. As she handed him the money, he grabbed her hand, caressed her fingers. Rhea scrunched her nose, held her breath. “You can still reconsider my offer,” he whispered, licking his thick lips.

Rhea pulled her hand away, glancing at his girlfriend, who was still slumped on the chair, her eyes closed. She had to get out of there!

Not responding, she rushed from the office and got into her car. Could this day get any worse?

*

Martin placed his face to the glass, staring into Rhea’s bakery. He’d arrived for their appointment a half hour early, deciding to poke around her shop, get a feel for the area. The shop looked nice, quaint. He could imagine a couple sharing a piece of cake or pie, while drinking coffee, sitting at one of the round tables. He spotted the refrigerator full of drinks as well as the coffee urn in the corner.

He turned around, glancing down the street. Maple Grove seemed to be a small, friendly town. Since he’d arrived at Rhea’s bakery, several people had stopped to speak to him.

Leaning back against the building, he continued observing the town. A pack of boys whizzed by on their bicycles, laughing in the hot, humid summer air.

What a morning he’d had. He’d fed breakfast to the homeless and Hosea, one of the patrons he regularly fed, had visited, surprisingly refusing the offer of a sandwich. Excitement had filled his voice when he’d told how he was living with a kind relative and had found a job at a Spanish-speaking fast-food joint. He’d also mentioned how his drug habit had distanced him from his family, and he’d been leaning on God, hoping to make amends with his relatives.

Joy had filled Martin’s soul when hearing about Hosea’s experience. As he’d returned to the church with the rest of the crew, he’d reflected on his own life, and about how he really needed to make an effort to set things straight.

He’d called Raven.

Surprisingly, the phone had rung four times before going straight to voicemail. He’d wanted to leave her a message, telling her to stop calling him and to call his dad, or one of the deacons with her spiritual questions. But, the words would not escape from his lips. Hesitating, he’d finally left her a message, stating he needed to speak with her as soon as possible. He needed to clear the air between them, make Raven understand that he was not interested in her.

His life was so full, and he had so much he needed to accomplish…thinking about Hosea, he recalled the mistakes he’d made in his own past. There was no way he wanted to date anybody right now. He just wasn’t ready to place the time and commitment into a relationship.

If he were ready for a relationship, he’d date Rhea, if she were willing.

He loved the few times he’d heard her laugh, the joyous sound making his stomach flip. Sometimes, she wrinkled her brow and bit her lower lip when she was upset. It took all of his willpower to resist kissing her frown away, attempting to make her smile. When she grinned her pretty eyes sparkled and a cute dimple appeared in her left cheek.

An approaching vehicle interrupted his thoughts. Rhea’s small car pulled into a parking space on the street. She got out of her car, her long hair pulled into a severe bun. She carried a white box, and she sported a pair of denim shorts and an orange T-shirt. He peeked at her brown shapely legs and slender waist. Gracious, she sure was pretty! He lifted his arms a little, aching to hold her. Her pretty mouth drooped as she rushed across the street. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

Inwardly groaning, he briefly touched her arm, relishing the buttery softness of her skin. “Don’t apologize. I got here early on purpose.” He took the box from her arms and grabbed his tool kit from the sidewalk. He inhaled the delicious, fruity scent of raspberries drifting from the box.

She fished in her purse, mumbling to herself, before finding her keys. She opened the door, and he followed her inside, placing the box on one of the tables.

Should he mention his phone call to her sister? Perhaps if she knew that he’d tried to clear things up with Raven, then she might be agreeable to talking about this new and exciting attraction he felt towards her. He may as well tell her since she’d wanted to know when he’d be talking to Raven again. “I called your sister.”

She stopped, stood taller, turned around and faced him. “You did? When?”

“This morning.”

“What’d she say?”

“Nothing. I got her voicemail. Strange since she’s been calling so often.”

Rhea nodded. “That is strange.” She toyed with the strap of her purse. “She was probably asleep. Her medicine makes her drowsy.”

“I figured she’d call me back.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Of course she will.”

He pulled out a chair, gestured toward it. “Mind if we sit?”

She settled into the chair and he sat beside her. “You’d wanted to tell me about the visit with your sister?”

“I figured we’d talk about that after you’d fixed the mixer.”

“You’ve put me off twice. I want to know what happened.”

After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally told him all about her visit to her sister’s house. When she mentioned finding a wedding dress in the closet, she pressed her hands together, her mouth drooping further. What was the big deal?

“The wedding dress upsets you? Why?”

She widened her pretty eyes before looking at him as if he’d just grown two heads. “Why? I think she purchased the dress hoping to find a groom. That groom may be you.”

He laughed, the loud sound filling the bakery. Rhea pushed her chair back, glaring at him. “This is not funny.”

“Yes it is.” Raven bought a wedding dress, hoping to marry him? How ludicrous was that?

“Raven’s been wanting to find a husband for a while. She’s fixated on you.”

“Have you asked her about it?”

“No,” she mumbled.

“Maybe she bought the dress hoping to marry somebody she dated a long time ago.”

“Perhaps.” She glanced out the window, studying the street, as if weighing his words.

“Is there anything else bothering you?”

“No.” She glanced at him for a few seconds before looking behind the counter. “If you want, we can get started with the repair. The mixer is over here.” She gestured to the area behind the counter.

They vacated their chairs and he followed her, spotting the metal-colored mixer. She pulled a stool over to the mixer and sat. “Anything I can do before you get started?”

“You look flustered. Why don’t you take a minute to calm down before I begin?” She was probably still mad at him for laughing at her. “I hope I didn’t offend you when I laughed.”

“No, it’s just that…I know Raven. Getting fixated on you, then getting the wedding dress, well it sounds like something she’d do. Don’t be surprised if you try and talk to her if she refuses to accept that the two of you are not a couple.”

Since Rhea really seemed worried about this, maybe he should take this seriously. After all, she knew Raven better than he did. If Raven really purchased a wedding dress, with hopes that they’d be getting married, then she really must’ve fantasized about their dating.

Rhea’s frown deepened and she bit her lower lip, scratching the back of her neck. He needed to do something to get her to smile. What if he were able to resolve all of the issues in his life, like forgiving himself for what happened when he was in college, having faith that he could be a good candidate for a relationship. What if he and Rhea were able to date one day and actually have a relationship? What would Raven do when she found out? He recalled hearing about jilted women slashing tires on the cars of their ex-boyfriends, and stalking them. Would Raven stoop so low as to do something like that? Since they weren’t dating, it remained a mystery as to why she kept insisting that they’d had a relationship.

He mentally groaned, pushing the unwelcome thoughts from his mind. “I don’t think we need to worry about this until you talk to Raven. Think about the scripture in Matthew – we don’t need to worry about tomorrow. Let’s focus on today. Other than fixing the mixer and your sister’s behavior, is anything else bothering you?”

“It’s been a rotten day.”

Hopefully, he could make her day better. He grinned, leaning toward her. “Well, the day might get better if you’d relax and smile,” he teased.

She folded her arms in front of her chest, glancing at his tool box. Her features softened, and when she glanced at him, her eyes sparkled, and she opened her mouth for a few seconds, as if she were about to say something.

“What is it?” he asked, still smiling.

“I appreciate your offering to fix this. It really means a lot to me.” Her voice softened, and she glanced at the floor, as if she were thinking of saying something else to say. She eyed him again, shrugging. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

He opened his tool box. What was she holding back? She almost seemed like she’d wanted to tell him something. Was it possible that she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers?

He pulled out a screwdriver. No, he was probably reading more into this than he should. Perhaps Rhea was not used to receiving help from others and she didn’t know how to graciously accept his kindness.

She leaned toward him. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Sure. You can hand me the tools while I work.”