Valhalla Cupcakes (18 page)

“Everything you just thought of, you know I already have an answer for, right?” Seda asked.

Erik came back into the kitchen, looking like he might need her help. “You’re still talking to her?” he asked, as if she really should have thrown the phone.

“She wants us to go to this fancy party tonight,” Audrey explained.

Erik’s slightly frazzled look transformed into a delighted smile. “That sounds like fun,” he said. “But can you come out front for a second when you’re done? Someone wants to talk about a catering order.”

Audrey watched him return to the customers, dazzled by his eagerness to go to the party.

“Okay, we’ll go,” she said.

She took the catering order and helped Erik in the front for a while, delighted when the couple they’d met on the beach came in late in the afternoon. She glanced around, eager to put her best foot forward since they’d been so friendly. There had just been a surge of customers and the tables were full, but everything was fairly tidy and they hadn’t run out of anything yet that day. The cookies had really helped take away some of the pressure to constantly make fresh batches of cupcakes. She hoped their bottom line wouldn’t suffer because of the lower price, but she’d only know that at the end of the day when she counted the money.

“This place is so cute,” Lily said, taking it all in as excitedly as if she was at Disneyland. “Do you mind if I take pictures?”

“Not at all,” Audrey assured her, grabbing a table for them as soon as one cleared. “Just tell me what you want and I’ll bring it over.”

She thought Lily might take a picture of her display over the fireplace, and maybe the awards on the wall, but she seemed to snap a photo of everything, leaning down to get the chairs at the proper angle, zooming in on the price board, and of course, wanting to be in a shot with Erik.

“We searched for directions to get here this morning,” Devon said, taking their picture. “And saw your ad. Really funny.”

“Yes, whoever made that is a genius,” Lily gushed. “I already knew I wanted to come here, but that little skit sealed the deal. You two are so sweet together.”

Audrey hurriedly turned to Erik, flashing him a look of disbelief. He looked like he’d just licked a poison toad, but shrugged and nodded to the full house. Apparently her crackpot friend was a genius, because the ad did seem to be working.

They took turns visiting with the newlyweds, and every time a new slew of customers came in, Lily got as excited as if she owned the place, snapping pictures of the crowded tables in between bites of cupcake.

“Is it like this every day?” she asked.

“Pretty much, thank goodness,” Audrey said, feeling so comfortable around them she almost spilled the beans about her gangster buddies.

“And all these recipes are your own?”

“Yes, I’ve been baking for fun since I was ten or so, and got my first job in a bakery when I was fifteen. I went to pastry school right after high school and never looked back.”

Lily nodded seriously. “It’s just the two of you running it? I bet if Devon and I worked together, we’d be at each other’s throats.”

Audrey began to feel like she was being interviewed for something, but not sure what. “Well, for now, until we’re really off the ground.” Erik came around the counter at a gap in customers and squeezed her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. “I don’t mind being around him all the time.”

“I’ll bet you don’t,” Lilly said with a laugh. “So, do you—”

“All right, Lil, take a breather,” her husband teased, to get her to stop her round of questions.

She turned pink with embarrassment. “Sorry, but it’s really so darling in here. I’d want to hang out every day if we lived closer.”

They were telling the truth, and stayed for another hour, drinking coffee and reading when it was too busy for Audrey or Erik to visit with them, and sampled the fresh peanut butter cookies when Audrey brought them out. They had to leave to get ready for a dinner reservation shortly before closing, but promised to come and buy cupcakes for all their friends before they got on the plane to go back home.

“Ugh, speaking of reservations,” she said. She knew Seda would soon be descending on them for the party that night. “I’m going to clean the kitchen since we won’t have time later, if we’re really going to that thing.”

“You don’t want to go?” he asked, crestfallen. He pulled her close and turned her in a circle around the room. “I wanted to dance with you,” he said.

She held on as he whirled her in the opposite direction. “You’re dancing with me now,” she argued, but nothing could have made her cancel, knowing how much he looked forward to it.

“But at a gathering, everyone will see you and know you’re mine,” he said.

She caught her foot on a chair leg and grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling out of his embrace. He clutched her tightly while her heart thudded against her ribcage. Did he just say what she thought he did? She was his? Was she his? Had she agreed to that? She mentally rolled her eyes at herself. As if he needed to ask.

“I thought you were mine,” she teased, thinking he was only joking. Or being a five hundred year old Viking.

His eyes darkened and she hoped he wasn’t hurt that she brought up the curse. God, she was dumb, ruining the moment she’d been waiting and hoping for. But it turned out the moment wasn’t ruined after all, as he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips brushed hers and he pulled away, smiling wickedly.

“Aren’t we so sweet together?” he asked, imitating Lily from earlier.

She held her breath to keep from asking him if he meant it. In her deepest, most secret heart she wanted him to really be hers, not because an ancient curse said so, but because he loved her as much as she loved him.

Oh, damn. It had made its way to the surface, the thing she’d been suppressing since she first set the tiny pink helmet rakishly onto his blond mop.

No, it wasn’t that. It was just endorphins. Instead of running screaming from the room, which was her first instinct, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest, just letting it all flow from her. As long as she still owed eighty thousand dollars plus interest, he was hers. She’d deal with whatever came after.

“Break it up, you two. We’ve got work to do.” Seda barged into the shop as the last customer left, her arms laden with garment bags, a tool box in one hand.

Erik hurriedly took everything from her and laid it on a table, and she flitted around him like a gnat, holding out her hands to gauge his size.

“I think I got it right. If it’s too big, we can pin it, and if it’s too tight, then good for all the women tonight who get to see him.”

“What are you talking about?” Audrey asked, her flowers and rainbows mood doused by the looming party they had to get ready for.

“I rented a suit for Erik. I brought you a bunch of dresses to try on, and all my Spanx. And makeup.” She turned back to Erik and looked searchingly at him. “You’re going to like this party tonight. It’s on a boat. You used to own your own ship, right? Back in your old life?”

Audrey dropped a lipstick back into the toolbox and blinked in surprise. Erik had been tightlipped about his old life to her. How did Seda know something like that? Had he said it when she wasn’t around, or she was too busy and didn’t hear? She didn’t think that was possible, because she was eaten up with curiosity about his life before he was cursed. It hurt her feelings more than she cared to admit that he might have shared something with Seda, who he barely seemed to tolerate.

He looked as shocked as she felt, and frowned so hard, his brows almost met in the middle.

“Did I ever say I did?” he asked, holding his hand to his forehead as if thinking about it gave him a headache.

“Well, did you?” Seda pushed, as if it was extremely important she know.

Audrey found herself leaning forward, wanting to know as well.

“I did,” he said uncomfortably. “But how did you know that?”

Seda jumped as if she’d been cattle prodded, or had a guilty conscience. Audrey narrowed her eyes and waited for her answer.

“I just took a guess, since you know— Viking.” She laughed nervously. “I bet you had an axe like the ones that were in the painting too, didn’t you? Just a lucky guess.”

He relaxed and nodded. “The weapons in the painting were accurate, yes.”

“Well, back to business, then,” she said, clearly wanting the attention off her.

Audrey found the whole exchange weird, but quickly put it out of her mind when she unzipped the garment bags and saw a nicely tailored dark grey suit in one, the other two stacked with sparkly cocktail gowns.

“Is it this fancy?” she asked, nerves flaring.

None of the dresses would look right with flats, and she hadn’t worn heels since— she couldn’t remember. Even for her graduations she’d worn flats. So much for dancing with Erik unless she wanted to break an ankle.

“Did I not specifically say swanky shindig? That’s English, right, Erik?”

Erik’s eyes grew wide and he shook his head, confused at her sarcasm.

“It’s going to have a bunch of important business owners, people who like to invest their money in impressive startups, and people who give lots of parties of their own. Parties that have dessert,” she continued.

“Okay, I get it,” Audrey said. “It’s important.”

Seda gave them each an unflattering once over. “Let’s get started, shall we? Both of you are going to look like supermodels in a couple hours.”

Audrey groaned, wanting to clean the kitchen and count the money before getting ready. She’d thought if she blow dried her hair and slapped on some mascara that might be good enough, let the dress do the heavy lifting. She shared that plan with Seda, who shot it down with a mean laugh.

“Do you want to look like this one’s grandmother?”

She nodded to Erik, and Audrey saw her point. Even in his t-shirt and jeans, his hair pulled back in a ponytail for work, with smudges of frosting on him, he still looked like a golden warrior angel, recently fallen directly from heaven to seduce everyone in his path. She thought with distaste of all the rich women with their glossy hair and pilates bodies and lack of under eye bags surrounding him like vultures.

“Fine,” she agreed tiredly.

Seda clapped her hands at her victory and turned her laser sights on Erik, who jumped under the unwanted attention.

“There’s no doubt about it, and it’s definitely unfair, but I think all Erik will need to do is scrub up and put the suit on.” She turned to Audrey and sighed, once more treating Erik like he wasn’t in the room. “He’s so freaking gorgeous, isn’t he? I’ve got my work cut out for me with you, however.”

She scowled and loaded the garment bags over her shoulder to haul upstairs, but stopped when Seda reached up and tugged at Erik’s tidy ponytail.

“Speaking of cutting. You wouldn’t consider letting us cut this, would you?” she asked hopefully. “Wouldn’t he look great with short hair?”

Audrey frowned. He would look amazing with short hair, so much so that she probably wouldn’t be able to control herself and would end up doing something inappropriate, land herself in jail for public lewdness. But she also loved his long, thick blond strands, how they felt when she ran her fingers through them. And Erik’s look of dismay said he didn’t want it cut. It was the style he was used to, a last remnant of his old life, something he still hoped he could get back to.

“What do you say, Erik?” Seda wheedled.

“Would it help Audrey to cut it?” he asked, looking past Seda at her in such a way that her heart broke. She was sure it did, and pressed her hand against her chest to still the pain that blossomed there.

“Well, people would take you more seriously, get rid of some of the vagabond rock star thing you’ve got going on.”

“He’s not cutting it,” Audrey said, looking fiercely at Erik. “You’re not cutting it, understand?”

He smiled gratefully, twisting her heart even more. “Okay, I understand.”

While Erik took a shower, Audrey and Seda headed to her bedroom where Audrey picked out the longest, least sparkling dress of the bunch, and held it up for Seda to approve.

“Yuck,” she said.

“It’s your dress,” Audrey argued. “I think it’s pretty.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have put that one in there. That’s my funeral dress. Don’t you want to give Erik something to remember when he leaves?”

She flinched, but picked a sexier dress. Seda gave her a long look.

“Are you actually falling for him?” she asked. Audrey couldn’t tell if she was worried or hopeful, but Seda leaned over the bed, she was so eager to hear the answer. “What do you even know about him?”

“Less than you, apparently,” she said bitterly. “He never talks about his past.” She sighed and shrugged. “But honestly, that doesn’t really matter to me.”

 “I don’t know how you can let him stay in the house when you wouldn’t let someone you dated for six months come over.”

“That was different. I was living with my mom back then, and that guy turned out to be a creep. I like having Erik here.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. I think you might be blinded by endorphins. Which is fine, but don’t let it get to the point where you get hurt. I mean, the guy got cursed into a painting for being a womanizer, remember?”