Take the Cake (31 page)

“About time you hooked up with one like that,” Wren muttered, and then looked up to see Emily and Kate regarding her with surprise. “What? Just sayin’,” she continued in a defensive tone.

“Wow,” Emily commented. “Sounds like we all had quite a time of it then.”

“What can I say?” Kate waved her cup. “Life is never dull.” She swigged back the last of her coffee and set the cup down as she gave Wren a speculative grin. “Speaking of which …” she said in a meaningful tone.

“This one’s going to get you,” Wren said, leaning across the counter to pick up her stub of chalk. She collected the chalkboard and propped it on a chair to write up the quote, and then turned it around with a flourish to reveal her words.

Procrastination is like masturbation;
in the end you’re just screwing yourself.

Emily gave a whoop of laughter, and Kate chuckled before her gaze turned inward and she walked slowly toward the kitchen. Wren watched her with satisfaction. She could almost taste victory.

~~~

Michael was thinking about food when he let himself into his apartment. Kate’s early morning starts had meant he was home earlier than usual and so he had gone out for his morning run. Now that he had jogged off the Indian meal indulgence from the night before, he was ready for breakfast.

He had abandoned his phone on the kitchen counter when he’d gone out, and now he snatched it up as it started to vibrate against the marble countertop. He inspected the display and considered rejecting the call, but then thought better of it. Kate had dealt with her issues head on, the best he could do was follow her example.

“Alistair,” he said briefly as he kicked off his running shoes, “you have some explaining to do.”

“I know,” came the sighed admission. “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

“It might,” Michael grunted as he flicked his phone onto loudspeaker and tossed it onto the bed so that he could take off his shirt. He listened to Alistair’s apologies with half an ear as he peeled off his running clothes. He wanted a shower and he didn’t feel particularly well disposed toward listening to apologetic babble. The damage had been done, but the damage control had been swift, no thanks to Alistair. He sniffed at his tank top, and after making a face, balled it up and threw it toward the laundry hamper. It missed and fell to the floor. He’d pick it up later.

Alistair was still talking. Michael leaned over the bed and snatched up the handset.

“Alistair, can I call you back?”

Alistair stopped mid-sentence and stared at the receiver. It had been a while since Michael had offered to call him back.

“Sure,” he said after a moment’s pause.

“Won’t be long,” Michael replied, and disconnected the call.

Alistair listened to the disconnected tone. Michael wasn’t one to talk on the phone very much so the fact that he had offered to call Alistair back spoke volumes. Alistair sat and rubbed his chin. He just couldn’t work out if it was good or bad.

~~~

“Good, huh?” Wren had popped her head around the kitchen to see Kate leaning against the counter deep in thought.

“Almost too good,” Kate replied. “You might have me on this one.”

“Ha.” Wren turned to give Emily a victory fist bump.

“Hang on.” Kate held up a cautionary hand. “I haven’t thrown in the towel yet.”

“Maybe not, boss,” Wren taunted with a wide grin, “but the clock’s a-tickin’ and customers will be here soon—” She broke off as Kate snapped her fingers and turned toward the mixer. “You haven’t,” she gasped.

Kate looked up and gave her a conspiratorial wink, and she pulled the mixer forward on the counter and then started to measure sugar into the bowl.

“No,” Wren all but wailed, “I thought I really had you on this one.”

“We’ll see,” Kate replied in a placid tone, hoping she had enough white chocolate.

Wren pushed herself away from the door frame and headed out to finish setting up for the morning.

“Any clues?” Emily paused on her way out to stock up the sugar packets on the tables. “I promise not to consort with the enemy,” she vowed, holding up her pinkie.

“No clues yet,” Kate muttered as she watched the butter and sugar mix to a creamy consistency. “I’m winging it this morning. I think she might really have me this time.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” Emily smiled and went about her duties.

~~~

“Michael, I had no idea that Kate didn’t know,” Alistair began as soon as he answered Michael’s call.

“It’s okay.” Michael sounded resigned but not angry. “It’s something I should’ve told her myself, so we’re both to blame.”

Alistair blinked; he had expected more fallout than this. Perhaps Michael breaking through his writer’s block had been beneficial in more ways than one.

“So,” he began with caution, “how’s the writing going these days?”

Michael gave a dry chuckle. “Alistair, you’re as tenacious as a pit-bull. I really haven’t missed these conversations at all.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Alistair replied in an equally dry tone, “but no avoiding the question, Forrester—how’s the writing?”

“Good,” Michael allowed. “Better than good,” he added after a moment’s pause. “I’m averaging about a thousand words a day.”

“How much more time do you think you need?” Alistair asked as he moved forward in his seat and propped his elbows on the desk.

Michael told him.

“So soon? I’ll let them know,” Alistair said, his eyebrows raised in surprise. When the call ended, he hung up his phone and leaned back in his chair, staring at the notes and doodles he’d scribbled in his diary. After his conversation with Kate the day before, he had been sure the situation had been heading for disaster. Now he found himself in the position of reviewing his Gantt chart and wondering what sort of marketing push they were going to come up with for Michael’s latest creation.

~~~

Kate set the last cupcake creation on the tray and twisted it slightly so that it was in line with all the others before giving a slight nod of satisfaction.

“Wren,” she called, “brace yourself.”

“Hang on,” Wren answered. “Be there in a minute.”

“That’s what she said,” Emily replied, earning a few laughs of appreciation from their morning customers.

Carefully scooping up the tray, Kate carried it out of the kitchen and toward the display cabinet. Wren appeared to slide the door open, so that Kate could set the tray down with all the reverence the cupcakes deserved.

“All right,” Wren said in a weary tone. “Let’s be having it.” She had picked up the small chalkboard and stood waiting.

“
Time Flies When You’re Having Fun
,” Kate dictated. “Chocolate cherry butterfly cakes with white chocolate wings.”

Wren wrote quickly, and then set the chalkboard onto its easel with a dejected sigh.

“One day,” she vowed as she shook Kate’s hand to concede defeat, “one day.”

“It’s good to have a goal,” Kate assured her.

~~~

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Wren blinked. It was late in the afternoon now and she had paused in the act of resupplying the sugar packets, thinking about David.

“Want to talk about it?” Kate gave her a gentle smile.

“I don’t know.” Wren pushed her hair away from her face and then shifted her weight from one foot to the other, aware that she was fidgeting and unable to stop it.

“I told you mine,” Kate prodded. She gave the store a quick glance. The day was drawing to a close now and the pace of customers was beginning to slow down. “Come on, we’re getting ready to close so we’ve got time. Spill.” Taking Wren by the elbow, she steered her into the kitchen. “Emily, can you hold the fort?”

“No problem,” Emily assured them. She had come a long way from the days when she had been nervous about making coffees.

Kate urged Wren to sit on the solitary high stool in the kitchen. “So, what’s up? Is it David? Is something wrong?”

“No … I don’t know,” she said as she wiped her sweaty palms on the thighs of her jeans. “It’s just all harder than I thought.”

“What is?” Kate asked.

“Being with someone,” Wren said, picking at a thread on the beaded patch that adorned one knee of her jeans. “What’s it like with you and Michael?”

Kate was nonplussed with the question. It wasn’t something she often stopped to think about. “It’s … well, I guess it’s …” she searched for the right word, “… easy isn’t quite right, but it’s comfortable.”

“Right,” Wren sighed. “So it’s just me then.”

“Oh, Wren, no.” Kate rushed in to reassure her. “You know I wasn’t sure about Michael for a long time, but we just took things slow and …” She smiled just thinking of him. “He was always there for me.”

“Uh-huh.” Wren nodded. “Go on.”

“Like David seems to be there for you.”

“Tell me about it,” Wren said with an air of gloom. “Every time I turn around lately, there he is.”

“Maybe it’s a sign,” Kate said with a gentle smile. “How do you feel when you see him?”

Wren considered the question for a moment, thinking of the way David’s smile had lit up his face when he saw her. “Good,” she answered at last, not noticing that her entire demeanor had softened when she thought of him.

“Well, then, that’s a start,” Kate offered with a gentle smile. “Wren, you don’t have to label what the two of you are straight away. Just take it as it comes and see how comfortable you feel.”

“I guess.” Wren nodded. “I’m so used to doing my own thing that it freaks me out a little.”

“If you’re happy when you’re with him, then focus on that,” Kate advised. “And whatever follows will be worked out in time by the pair of you.”

“Door’s closed, boss.” Emily appeared, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “So that’s us done for the day. Got any plans tonight?”

“Not that I know of,” Kate answered. She and Michael hadn’t made any plans for the week now that she thought of it. Feeling a buzzing in her pocket, she dug out her cell phone. It was Paul.

Dinner? xP

She grinned and typed out a response.

Sure. Where? xK

The response came so quickly she knew he had to be waiting for her reply.

Pizza + beer = happy bear. Meet u at shop. xP

“Looks like I’m catching up with Paul.” She smiled. “He’s probably wanting to check up on me after the weekend to make sure everything’s okay.”

“As far as protectors go, you can’t get much better than him,” Emily commented. “He’s pretty good value.”

“Yeah, he does good,” Kate acknowledged with a proud smile. “Jack told him to look after me, and I guess he takes that pretty seriously at times.”

“Well, you’re all each other has, don’t forget,” Emily said.

Wren paused on her way past and gave a slight cough for dramatic effect. “Hello, I’m standing right
here
.”

Kate laughed and threw her arms around her. “And, of course, I’ve got you,” she said. Emily caught her eye and made her lower lip tremble. “
And
you,” she added, reaching out to haul her in for a hug as well.

“Just so we’re clear on that,” Wren said, squeezing Kate for emphasis. “Bear’s all well and good, but the sisterhood will always be here too.”

“Damn straight,” Emily seconded.

“And that’s always good to know,” Kate said, her voice muffled as she hugged her two friends.

~~~

Michael glanced at the time display in the upper corner of his laptop screen and then looked back at his work; he had made good progress today. Alistair would be more than pleased when he saw the volume that he had managed to produce over the last few months.
When it rains, it pours,
he thought with a smile. Months with nothing to show for it, and then the floodgates had opened. As long as his editor could make sense of it all, then he’d feel confident about his work. He sat and rubbed his top lip while he re-read what he had written, wondering when Kate would want to read it. She had said little after their discussion. Perhaps the very fact that she was the source of his inspiration was still sinking in. He was sure that her curiosity about it would only be a matter of time. Words stirred in his mind as he sat thinking about her, and he looked at the keyboard for a moment before he smiled and began to type again.

Standing up from his desk, he wrapped his arms around his shoulders to give himself a squeeze before stretching his arms up and over his head, feeling his muscles pop. The action pulled his T-shirt up, and he stood absently scratching his abs while staring out the window. It was late afternoon; Kate would be closing up shop soon and they hadn’t talked about they might be doing that evening. He picked up his cell phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.

“Hey,” he greeted her in a soft voice. “Doing anything this evening?”

“Hi,” Kate replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “Paul just messaged me wanting pizza and beer tonight. I think he’s doing his Brother Bear after Tom unleashed the bitch on the weekend.”

“Sounds fair.” Michael laughed. He wondered if Kate noticed she tended to adopt Paul’s syntax when she spoke. “Should I leave you to it?”

Kate paused. “No, I’d like you to get to know him better. How about I run a couple of things past him and let you know where we’ll be?”

“Sure, but no pressure okay? If you need family time, I’m cool with that.”

“Thanks, babe,” Kate replied. “I’ll be in touch soon, ’kay?”

“Okay. Have you had a nice day?”

“It’s getting better all the time,” she assured him.

Michael put his phone down and strolled toward the bathroom. If he didn’t see Kate tonight, he was sure he could keep working. Still, it would be good to see his girl. He got into the bathroom and shucked off his jeans, pausing when he saw Kate’s toothbrush and a tube of mascara sitting on the bathroom counter. He had a toothbrush and deodorant at Kate’s place now, and these small domestic touches made him smile.

~~~

“I don’t have to ask who that was,” Wren commented. “Just hearing his voice makes you go all goofy.”

“Takes one to know one,” Kate retorted, swatting Wren on the rump as the smaller woman passed her to empty the water jugs in the industrial sink behind the counter.