Take the Cake (43 page)

“I stand corrected,” Michael said, rubbing her skin with his thumb.

“I’ll talk to Paul,” Kate continued, “and we’ll talk it through. I can sublet this and keep it as an investment property.” Kate looked around the room with a wistful smile. “I’ve got too many good memories here to let it go entirely.”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to,” Michael assured her. “We can sort out the details later. Right now, I’m just glad you said yes.” He set his cup down and nodded at Kate to do the same. When her hands were free, he reached over to pull her onto his lap. “Hey,” he whispered, rubbing his nose against hers, “love you.”

“Love you too.” Kate smiled and gave him a kiss before pulling back and regarding him with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. “So, we’re really going to do this?”

“Looks like.” Michael nodded.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done this,” Kate mused.

“It’s a first for me,” Michael confessed, giving Kate a rueful smile as she gaped at him. “Yeah, you heard that right.”

“Never?”

Michael shook his head.

“Never ever?”

“I guess it was a case of not the right person, not the right time,” Michael suggested with a wry smile.

“So what happened to change your mind?” Kate marveled.

“Simple. I met you,” Michael said as he pulled her in for another kiss. “So what do you want to do, call Paul?”

“Uh …” Kate’s mind was reeling now. She felt daunted by Michael’s impressive show of faith in their relationship. Living together was the next logical step, she knew, but it was intimidating, even though she was delighted that Michael was willing to commit to her so much. “How about we get out of here?”

“You want to go out there?” Michael gestured toward the window where they could see a glimpse of gray skies and the occasional flurry of snowflakes.

“Why not?” Kate shrugged. “We could always go to your place and start to talk things through some more. It’s where we’re going to be living after all.”

“If that’s what you want,” Michael replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

Kate looked at Michael, his hair sticking up in damp curls and whorls, a rumpled T-shirt and his old jeans riding low on his hips. She could feel a pressure expanding in her chest, a bubble that was waiting to burst into pleasure or fear of the unknown, she couldn’t tell. She took a deep breath.

“It is. It really is.” She smiled, and with that, the bubble in her chest subsided and the pressure was gone. “Let’s get outta here.”

~~~

Wren looked up when David deposited the newspaper on the table in front of her. “Read that and see what you think.” He grinned.

Wren grabbed the newspaper and scanned the title. “Food and Review,” she read aloud. “I don’t get it, what am I … oh!” Her eyes widened, and she began scanning the pages, flipping through it quickly until she stopped with a short squeal of excitement.

David leaned back in his seat and watched her with an indulgent smile. He already knew what the article had to say; his former colleague had emailed him a draft before it had gone to print.

“Was this you?” Wren gave him a smile of delight when she had finished reading.

“I didn’t write it, but—” David began and stopped when Wren got out of her seat to give him a kiss that was eighty percent exuberance and twenty percent caffeine. “Wow,” he said when he came up for air. “Remind me to surprise you more often.”

“Let’s not get too excited,” Wren cautioned him as she took her seat, but despite her words, her eyes were dancing with excitement. “I usually only like surprises if I know about them in advance.”

“But then it’s not a—” David was waved to silence by an impatient Wren.

“Back to the article,” she said, tapping the page for emphasis. “How did this happen?”

“Don’t you remember me buying some cupcakes weeks ago? That’s how I got your number.”

“Oh, yeah.” Wren stared off into space with a little smile. “I remember that, but how come it took them so long?”

“Babe, there’s more than a few restaurants and cafés in this town, and the writer had to wait until she had the right angle for a cupcake feature.”

“Hmm, I see she’s reviewed a couple of bakeries.” Wren gave a sniff of dismissal as she scanned the section again. “But they’re not as good as
ours
,” she said proudly.

“She knows her stuff,” David replied with a pleased smile.

Wren read the article again, smiling.

Cupcakes used to be the domain of children’s parties, but not anymore. These miniature works of art have enjoyed a renaissance of popularity, and it seems that cupcakes are here to stay. For the cupcake fan, there are bakeries aplenty in New York, offering all manner of frosted wares to tempt even the most jaded palate. For the aficionados, there are the mainstay bakeries such as Magnolia Bakery (be prepared to wait in line, this bakery has enjoyed a cultish following since its appearance on Sex and the City) and Cupcake Café that do a nice trade in personalized-photo, bite-sized masterpieces. Once in a while, however, along comes along something special.

Take the Cake is a small café bakery in Greenwich Village that charms visitors as soon as they walk through the door, usually laughing at the Quote of the Day, which is prominently featured on the chalkboard outside. Either this store hasn’t made up its mind what it wants to be when it grows up, or it has a quirky sense of style designed to bemuse and beguile. I’m going with the latter.

The store is an eccentric mix of gallery, bookstore, and bakery. The walls are covered with a collection of original art and found objects. There are racks filled with a collection of vintage books and magazines for customers, even an umbrella stand for those unfortunates caught out by the weather. The marble counter, brass fittings, and mismatched wooden tables and chairs makes it feel as if you’re sitting down in the kitchen of a grandmother you never had. All of this, however, is only the trailer to the main attraction: the cupcakes themselves.

Don’t be fooled, some of these cupcakes carry a real sugar punch, but oh, what a way to go. For those of you that are sweet enough already, there are cupcakes that deliver a bite; bitter chocolate and raspberry, chili chocolate, lemon meringue, and even—heaven help me—gin and tonic cupcakes. The names of the cupcakes themselves are just as eye-catching: ‘Lemon Afterglow,’ ‘Woodstock After Burn,’ and even ‘Vegan Rehab,’ all the result of an ongoing war between the baker and barista who try to outsmart each other every morning with their cupcake/quote war. These two have been battling it out for two years now with no end in sight, but the customers are the ultimate winners, and to the victors go the spoils.

Take the Cake offers the usual lunch offerings of wraps and bagels, and a delicious Zuma blend coffee that will make your ordinary filter coffee experience seem like a forgettable one night stand. The service is quick, the cupcakes are bliss, and the coffee is hot, so forget what you think you know about children’s party snacks and high-end designer bakeries, and Take the Cake.

“Wow,” Wren whispered to herself and then looked up to see David watching her with an intent expression. “You’ve read this already?”

“Yup, and I believe
that
—” he nodded his head toward the page, “—is what we, in the industry, call a rave review.”

“Did you have anything to do with it?” Wren narrowed her eyes as she considered this. If there was any hint of favoritism, she was going to find out.

“Nothing beyond taking some cupcakes to the Food Editor and telling her to send someone your way,” David explained. “The rest of it was up to you guys.”

Wren looked at the article again and traced a gentle finger over the words with a smile.

“Does Kate know?” she asked as the thought occurred to her.

“She will if she gets the weekend paper,” David answered.

“I don’t think she does.” Wren frowned.

“Michael will have it,” David assured her.

“Maybe she’s at home,” Wren suggested as she reached for her phone.

“Or maybe she’s not,” David said as he glanced at his watch. “It’s not even ten yet. Any idea if she likes to sleep in?”

“Oh,” Wren said, “yeah, she does.” She considered her options before brightening and began to compose a text message. “You’re sure Michael gets this paper?”

“Sure, I’m sure,” David replied and then gave a slight frown. “At least he did while I was writing for them.”

“You stopped working there months ago,” Wren accused. “What if he’s canceled his subscription?”

“If he has, they can go out and get one,” David said in a soothing tone. “Which they will once they find out the bakery is featured. It’ll be okay.”

“I hope so,” Wren fretted, biting her lip. She wanted Kate to find out
now
. “Oh, to hell with it, if she gets mad, the worst she can do is fire me,” she muttered as she began to dial.

~~~

“Damn, it’s cold. What the hell were we thinking, leaving your warm apartment?” Michael tried to grumble but was feeling too good to even pretend to be complaining.

“Don’t know.” Kate shrugged. “Jack used to call it a rush of shit to the brain,” she added, looking up with a grin as Michael laughed.

“I’ve got to remember that one,” he said, chuckling, and then stopped as he saw a yellow cab approaching. “We’re in luck,” he added and waved his arm up and down. “Come on.” He picked up the pace as the cab approached.

“We’re only a few blocks away,” Kate protested in a half-hearted voice.

“Maybe, but you’re cold and tired, so we’re getting out of this weather,” Michael retorted, reaching for the door of the cab as soon as it stopped and raising an eyebrow as another intrepid New Yorker tried to beat him to it before he bundled Kate inside. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you home.”

Kate slid across the back seat with a smile at Michael’s words and waited for him to climb in beside her. Michael gave the address and the cab took off with a lurch.

“So what did Wren want?” Michael asked after he had gotten himself settled. They had been leaving Kate’s apartment when Wren had called, babbling excitedly about some sort of surprise.

“I’m not sure, but do you get the paper delivered?”

“Just the weekend edition. It’ll be with the doorman,” he answered. “Why’s that?”

“There’s something for us to read, but she wouldn’t say what,” Kate said with a puzzled air.

“Which paper?” Michael asked, and when Kate told him, it was his turn to look thoughtful. “That’s where David used to work,” he said, and then shrugged. “Sorry, I’ve got no idea.”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Kate assured him. “When we get home.” She smiled as she said it, and then looked out the window. Was she really doing the right thing? Only time would tell, but she found herself needing to talk to Paul now more than ever. Decision made, she pulled out her phone again.

Need Bear time xK

She didn’t have to wait long before she got a response.

Everything okay? xP

Kate smiled. She could picture the look of concern on her brother’s face.

Yes. Need my big bro for talk tho xK

Michael gave her a curious look but said nothing.

Anytime, anywhere xP

Kate was about to reply when another message came in.

With food xP

She laughed and glanced over at Michael.

“It’s Paul. I told him I wanted to discuss something, and I think he’s negotiating dinner.”

“Would you expect anything less?” Michael smiled.

“Oh, hell, no.” Kate grinned and returned her attention to the phone.

2day sometime? xK

Paul was quick to respond.

Sure. Call when ur ready. Sure all ok? xP

She smiled at his question and sent back some reassurance before stowing her phone back in her coat pocket.

“That’s got him curious as all hell,” she commented as she turned to Michael, “but I’ll call him later to arrange a time and tell him then.”

“Do you think he’ll be okay with it?” Michael asked. He knew how tight the bond was between the two siblings and didn’t want to be the cause of any unrest, particularly after the situation between Kate and Tom.

“Sure.” Kate glanced at him in surprise. “As long as I’m happy, he’s fine.” Looking at Michael’s pensive reaction, she leaned in closer. “Relax. Paul likes you because you make me happy.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Well, then …” Kate tried to look solemn. “I guess you’ve got a problem.”

“True, but there’s one thing I’m really curious about,” Michael mused.

“What’s that?”

“What had Wren so excited on a Sunday morning.”

Sitting in Michael’s living room, Kate sat on the couch with the paper held loosely in her hands, her face slack with surprise. “I can’t believe it; we’ve been reviewed.”

“And it’s a good one,” Michael added, reading over her shoulder.

“Did you have anything to do with this?” Kate turned her head to look at him, watching as his eyebrows went up in surprise.

“Me? No, it might have something to do with Watson, though. That’s the paper he used to work for,” Michael commented as he scanned the article again, smiling as he read the comment about the cupcake/quote war. “This is really good.”

“I know.” Kate nodded her head slowly, wondering what the review would mean for business. She had the sudden sensation of things moving and changing around her outside of her control, and for the first time she realized what a cloistered life she had created for herself. Paul would always be there for her—she knew that now—but Michael was an entirely different matter. He had chosen her, worked to get to know her, and now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. And now the business she’d worked so hard to establish was on the brink of greater success than she’d dreamed of.

“I’m going to get us some coffee. You want anything?” Michael said as he got up from the sofa.

“I’m fine,” Kate said in an absent tone as she read the article again.

“Okay.” Michael trailed his hand across her shoulder as he walked past her to get to the kitchen, and Kate gave him a brief smile at the gesture.

She sat on the couch for a moment, and then got up and walked into the bathroom. Her skin felt dry and taut from the cold outside, and she grabbed a facecloth to run under some warm water before scrubbing her face. Looking at her reflection, she saw her cheeks were flushed with high spots of color and her eyes were a little dazed.

It had been an interesting morning. What had started out as a relaxing Sunday had turned into a life-altering conversation about moving into Michael’s apartment, and now the store had made a prominent appearance in a widely-read newspaper review section. She stared at the bathroom counter, at her spare toothbrush, and visualized her perfume bottles sitting there. Turning slowly, she took in the rest of her immediate surroundings, looking at the vast expanse of walls and wondering where she would hang her pictures. Leaving the bedroom, she walked out into the living room and studied Michael’s bookshelves. She had a lot of books too, but there looked like there would be enough space for her collection. She swallowed hard as the realization hit her; she wasn’t just going to be sharing space with someone, she was going to be sharing her life.

“Hey.” Michael’s soft voice came to her from the other end of the room.

Looking up, she saw Michael standing there with two mugs of fresh coffee, and she realized that she still hadn’t brought him some of her coffee blend from the store. She’d do something about that soon.

“Everything okay?” Michael moved toward her, pausing to set the cups down on the coffee table before he crossed to her. “You look like you’re freaking out a bit.”

“I’m fine,” Kate said in a voice that only trembled a little. “I think things are just sinking in. Today has been …” She paused and licked her lips. “Unexpected.”

Michael put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. “I know,” he said as he kissed her hair.

Kate put her arms around him and ran her hands up and under his T-shirt, so that she could feel the warm hardness of his back. Michael kept talking and his voice was a soothing rumble in his chest.

“We don’t have to do this any faster than you’re comfortable with, okay?”

Kate gave a silent nod.

“I want you here, Kate, I want to live with you, I want to …” He stopped, realizing he had nearly overstepped the mark.

Kate pulled back so that she could look up at him.

“You want to what?”

“Later,” Michael promised. “You want to call Paul?”

“Oh,” Kate’s eyes widened. “I nearly forgot.” She began to pull away to get her phone, stopping when Michael clamped his arms around her.

“Kiss?” he said in a hopeful voice, smiling when she gave a short laugh and gave him a quick peck. He let her go then, watching as she walked over to the hall closet to get her phone out of her coat pocket. This morning had progressed very quickly indeed. “Get Paul over here if you like,” he suggested in an offhand tone.

“You sure?”

“Why not? Maybe we can do something for dinner.” Michael shrugged. “I’ve got a few things here. I’m sure we can come up with something. You go do your thing. I’ll check my email.”

While Kate spoke to her brother, Michael fired up his laptop and wasn’t surprised to see a number of emails from Alistair. It appeared that his editor had already gotten to work on the drafts Michael had been sending through and was now eager to see the final manuscript. Looking over his shoulder, Michael saw that Kate was deep in discussion, wandering around the apartment as she spoke and gradually making her way to the bedroom. It looked like she may be a while.

He sat drumming his fingers on the desktop for a moment before opening the manuscript document and scrolling through to re-read the sections that Alistair had raised a few questions about. He could see the other man’s point; some sections of it needed revising. Culling, even. Another moment’s consideration, and then he began to type. He stopped when he heard a whoop of laughter from Kate. When her conversation resumed, he went back to work. Used to working in relative silence, Michael found the murmur of Kate’s voice in the background to be strangely soothing, and he listened to the indistinct one-sided conversation awhile before he got back to work.