Baked With Love

by Tina Martin

  “Good question, isn’t it?” Ramsey asked. “I was there because I was supposed to meet her. When I walked in, she was on her cell phone with her butt pressed up against the counter. She had no idea whatsoever that I was standing behind her and when she turned around, she literally screamed. I scared the living daylights out of her.” He chuckled, remembering.

  Regal looked at Ramsey like he was nuts. Maybe working so many years at the firm had finally taken a toll on him. Mentally. “So, you got a cupcake that day?”

  “A butter pecan cupcake that was absolutely delicious. I ate the cupcake and drank coffee while I watched her work. I was the only customer, at the time, until this homeless man showed up. She gave him a half dozen cupcakes. For free.” Ramsey took a sip of coffee then placed the cup back on the table. “But we’re getting off track here. My point is, I need to know her. I need to know the source of her sadness. I need to know why she put on this façade of happiness when I can see and feel the sadness when I’m with her.”

  “What if she doesn’t want to talk about it? This ain’t a Wedded Bliss situation where women agree to marry you and get to know you after the fact—a concept that I think is absolutely asinine to begin with—”

  “She’s on the site,” Ramsey blurted out.

  Regal looked puzzled. “Gianna is on Wedded Bliss?”

  “When you asked me if she was on there, I went home and checked, and sure enough her profile appeared, but there was no picture…just information about her. Without giving myself away, I did manage to find out over dinner that she’s on the site because her best friend, Felicity James, owns Wedded Bliss and had Gianna enter a profile for testing purposes. The only thing is, her friend forgot to deactivate Gianna’s fake account.”

  Regal squeezed his eyes and opened them wide. “My mind is officially blown. How does this stuff only happen to you man?”

  Ramsey smirked.

  “Think about it—you have all the pieces you need to end your obsession with this girl.”

  “How so?”

  “When is your next appointment at Wedded Bliss?”

  “I told Felicity I’d get back to her on Monday.”

  Regal scooted to the edge of his seat. “Check this out—you already know the owner is Gianna’s best friend, right?”

  “Correct.”

  “Does Gianna know you’re affiliated with Wedded Bliss in any way?”

  “No, and she has no idea I know Felicity.”

  “And what about Felicity? Does she know that you know Gianna?”

  Ramsey shrugged. “I don’t know. My guess would be no. I have to imagine if she did, she would’ve said something to me by now. Felicity is not the kind of woman to bite her tongue.”

  “Then, there you have it. Get Felicity to tell you everything you need to know about Gianna.”

  Ramsey chuckled. “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not, Ram? It’s brilliant. Once you talk to Felicity and find out everything you need to know about Gianna, you won’t find her so mysterious and interesting. Then, your life can go back to normal.”

  “Normal, meaning working myself into an early grave?”

  “But you love working.”

  “Yes, because I have nothing else. Nothing.” Ramsey stood up and quietly paced the floor near the area where they were sitting – where Regal still sat. “There has to be more out there for me, Regal.”

  “What more do you need? You have everything—no, you have the best of everything. Take the firm for example. You built that from the ground up—no pun intended.”

  Ramsey smirked. “Give yourself some credit, too. You were right there with me.”

  “True, but it was your vision, Ram. You went from a home office making thousands, which was impressive on its own merits, to a ten-floor building of employees where you make millions. You own houses, cars, a yacht—there is nothing you don’t have.”

  “I don’t have love. I don’t have anyone to share my accomplishments with.”

  “You said you didn’t want love,” Regal reminded him.

  “I know what I said.”

  “You said Leandra was your soulmate and there was no reason to look for anyone else after she died because no one could compare to her. Everyone in our family knew your stance when it came to Leandra. That’s why, to this day, mom and dad will never mention anything to you about meeting someone, getting married and having a family. Not a thing. But every time they see me, Romulus and Royal, that’s all they talk about, well especially mom because she knows that her oldest son gave up on those things since losing the love of his life.”

  Regal took a breath and then continued, “I’m not stupid. I know that’s precisely the reason you wanted to join Wedded Bliss. You were hoping to get married quickly just to have some companionship—some form of normality in your life—and you needed to do that with a woman you knew you could never love because no woman can be Leandra.”

  “Are you done?” Ramsey asked, eyebrows raised. “You’re right. Everything you said is true. I poured myself into work because I have nothing else. Losing Leandra broke my spirit, and you don’t know how incredibly painful that is, Regal, because you haven’t lived it. I don’t have everything. I want to love again.”

  “You want to love, but are you truly capable of loving somebody or is every woman you attempt to love not going to measure up to who you were with Leandra?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know that. I can’t predict how I will feel in the future about someone I don’t even know. What I do know is, it’s been fifteen years and I think I’m finally ready to find out. No, I know I’m ready because I’ve finally had a true connection with someone.”

  “With Gianna?”

  “Yes.”

  “The shy cupcake girl.”

  Ramsey smiled. “Yes. The shy cupcake girl and I want to explore that connection. I want to find out why I’m drawn to her...why I can’t stop thinking about her.”

  “How are you going to go about doing that?”

  “That much, I haven’t quite figured out yet.”

  “Does the bakery open on Saturdays?”

  “It does.”

  “Then, go see her.”

  “No. I’m sure she needs breathing room after our not-so-good date last night. Maybe I’ll call her. I don’t know yet.”

  Regal smiled. “I’m proud of you man.”

  Ramsey chuckled. “Why?”

  “For trying again. I know it took a lot out of you.”

  “You have no idea,” Ramsey said. “Hey and keep this between us for now. I don’t want to get the folks all worked up.”

  “Not a problem, man.”

  Chapter 12

  Late in the afternoon, when he knew it would be near closing time for the bakery, Ramsey parked across the street in front of the Vietnamese restaurant. He strode over the boardwalk bridge, passed the boat rental and looked into the window of the bakery where he saw Gianna standing behind the counter with another woman he recognized – Felicity James – her best friend. A small grin touched his lips. He had no reason to doubt that Gianna was being truthful when she told him Felicity was her best friend, but this confirmed it. He wondered if Gianna had told Felicity about him, in turn prompting Felicity to tell Gianna that he was a client of hers at Wedded Bliss. And if she had told her, how did Gianna feel about it?

  Peering through the window again, focusing strictly on Gianna this time, he watched her smile as she interacted with a customer. Her smile made him smile, just like that. And it was instant. Goodness. He had it bad.

  He wanted to see her up close, not through a window, but he couldn’t right now – not with Felicity there. He didn’t exactly have a good rapport with Felicity and he definitely didn’t need the negative energy he felt whenever he had to interact with her regarding Wedded Bliss. So, he walked away, heading back for his car when he heard the voice of a man say, “Hey, I know you.”

  Ramsey glanced around and found the source of the voice – the h
omeless man, Jerry, that he recognized from the bakery. He was sitting on the sidewalk near some bushes and an area where skateboarders frequented even though skateboarding wasn’t allowed at the boardwalk.

  Waving his index finger, Jerry said, “Yeah, that’s it. I saw you in the bakery.”

  “Yes, you did. Your name is Jerry, right?”

  “Yes, suh. Pleased to meet your acquaintance Mr.?”

  “St. Claire,” Ramsey said, reaching down to shake the man’s hand. He remembered Gianna said she’d known Jerry for two years. He wondered just how much Jerry knew about her.

  “Hey, Jerry, I was just about to grab some dinner at Boardwalk Billy’s. Would you like to join me?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have money for dinner,” the man said.

  “No problem. I got it covered.”

  The man’s eyes shot open wide. “You-you said you got it covered?”

  “Yes. It’s on me.”

  “Well, all right, then.” Jerry struggled to get up off of the sidewalk.

  Ramsey leaned forward, clutched his hand and helped pull him up. “Thank you,” Jerry said.

  “No problem.”

  They walked back across the wooden bridge to get to Boardwalk Billy’s – one of the most popular restaurants at the boardwalk – that served pretty much anything you could want, from oysters to jerk chicken. Stepping inside, they were immediately greeted by a hostess who led them to a table near the bar.

  The place smelled like barbecue – like somebody was having a backyard cookout. When they settled at the table, Ramsey looked at Jerry and asked, “Have you eaten here before?”

  “No. You can’t eat at places like this when you’re broke.” Jerry chuckled, sounding rough and gritty.

  When the waitress showed up, Ramsey ordered grilled shrimp tacos and Jerry opted for a Philly cheese steak and fries.

  While they waited for the food, Jerry said, “Hey, man…those cupcakes are addictive aren’t they?”

  Ramsey smiled. He was addicted to a whole lot more than just the cupcakes.

  “She’s a good lady, I tell you. A good lady. I remember when she first opened. I thought she was going to run me off. Imagine my surprise when she brought me a cupcake instead.” Jerry chuckled. “I said to myself, what is this pretty young thang doing taking an interest in me? I was baffled. Still am to this day. She gives me cupcakes for free, and I feel mighty bad that I can’t pay her for them. Mighty bad.”

  “Why?” Ramsey asked.

  “Well, for the same reason I feel bad about you buying me a meal. I’m a man. A man is supposed to be able to stand on his own two feet—not take handouts.”

  “Well, sometimes we need help.”

  Jerry looked up at Ramsey. “And when was the last time you needed help, Mr. St. Claire?”

  Ramsey couldn’t recall the last time he needed help with anything.

  “See my point,” Jerry said.

  “What’s so bad about her giving you a few cupcakes here and there if she’s doing so out of the kindness of her heart?”

  “She...um…nevermind. It ain’t my place to be telling folks business.”

  “No, tell me. I want to know your reasoning on this.”

  “Well, um…her sister has taken a turn for the worst. Honestly, when I go into that bakery, I’m not looking for her to give me cupcakes, St. Claire. I’m just making sure she’s okay, and I think she knows that. In turn, she pays me with cupcakes.”

  Ramsey’s heart thudded in his chest. “Wait—what do you mean her sister has taken a turn for the worst?”

  “Cancer. Her sister has lung cancer—never smoked a day in her life but the poor thing has cancer.”

  Jerry’s words nearly knocked the air right out of Ramsey. Cancer? Gianna’s sister had lung cancer? Cancer was the disease that took the love of his life away. Lung cancer to be exact. Cancer was the plague that ruined his life, and this is that exact same thing Gianna was dealing with? Now, he understood what her obligations entailed. She was taking care of her ill sister.

  “You okay, St. Claire?”

  Ramsey looked up at Jerry. “I’m—I’m fine. How do you know about Gianna’s sister?”

  “She told me one day when I stopped by the bakery...I’ll say about a month ago now. I found her sitting on the floor crying like it was the end of the world. And she had a look in her eyes, one I’ll never forget. It was a look like it was over…scared me. I asked her what was the matter. That’s when she told me the cancer was out of remission. Said the doctor gave her sister two months to live and she couldn’t let her sister die. Then she cried, told me she put up her house, took out some loans, every dime she makes from the bakery she uses to cover her sister’s cancer treatments. That’s why I feel bad about her just giving me free cupcakes, but I take them because I don’t want to be rude. And, the girl makes some good cupcakes.” Jerry smiled. “I just wish there was something I could do to help her, but I can’t even help myself, St. Claire. How am I supposed to help her when I can’t help myself?”

  Ramsey’s mind flooded over with replaying the last few days of his interaction with Gianna. Okay, so she didn’t know him well enough to share her woes and concerns but now he knew them. Now, he understood his connection to her. He knew what led him to her—why he ended up going into the bakery that day. She needed him. Her nineteen-year-old sister was dying of cancer the same way his fiancée Leandra had passed of the same dreadful disease. He closed his eyes for a moment before he stood up and said, “I’ll be right back, Jerry.”

  Ramsey walked to the bathroom, ran some cold water, caught some in his hands and dashed it onto his face. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. Couldn’t believe the force pulling him to Gianna wasn’t some meaningless, serendipitous type of happening, but it was actually a calling. He was supposed to meet Gianna. Having gone through the same torment she was about to go through, he knew what it would take to help her heal. And that’s what he was intent on doing – helping her.

  After taking a paper towel from the dispenser, he patted his face dry and exited the bathroom. Heading back to the table in hopes of finding out what else he could get out of Jerry, he frowned when he saw that the man was gone. He glanced around the restaurant looking for him, but he was nowhere in sight. Then he looked at the table where they’d been sitting and saw a note written on a napkin in barely legible handwriting: God bless you.

  “Here you go,” the waitress said handing him a takeout bag.

  “What’s this?” Ramsey asked.

  “Oh, the man you were with said you all were taking your food to go. I gave him his already. Here’s yours.”

  Honestly, Ramsey had forgotten all about the food. He definitely didn’t have an appetite. He took out his wallet and handed the waitress a fifty-dollar bill. “That should be enough to cover the bill and tip.”

  “It sure is. Thank you!”

  “You’re welcome.” Ramsey took the plastic bag and headed out of the restaurant. Outside, in the heat of a North Carolina summer afternoon, he looked around for Jerry. He even checked the area of the sidewalk where he’d first saw him. He wasn’t there either.

  Walking back over to the bakery, he saw the lights off now. Looking around the corner, he saw that Gianna’s car was gone. Walking back to his car, he remembered the things Jerry told him. It only made him want to see her again, but since her bakery didn’t open on Sundays, he didn’t know how to make that happen. If he called Gianna, she would probably be too embarrassed to answer.

  He frowned, thought some more. “I need to see you, Gianna,” he said talking to himself. “I need to see you.”

  Chapter 13

  “Come on sis. I want you to enjoy some of this sunshine today.”

  “Nooo,” Gemma drawled out.

  “Yes. A little Vitamin D ain’t never hurt nobody. You’ve been cooped up in this house all day. Let’s go sit on the porch. Come on,” Gianna said, pulling the covers off of Gemma.

  When Gemma’s feet were
safely on the floor, Gianna helped her stand up and they slowly walked to the porch.

  “Nice,” Gemma said as soon as the warm heat from the sun struck her face. “I love summer.”

  “Me too,” Gianna said, trying her best to keep the sadness out of her voice, realizing that this was probably the last summer she would share with Gemma. She stopped walking when Gemma was in front of a chair. Carefully, she helped her sit there, then pulled another chair close to where Gemma was sitting.

  “Felicity came by the bakery today,” Gianna said. “She stayed all day, too.”

  “That’s nice. She’s a good friend.”

  “She is.”

  “You never told me how—” Gemma coughed. “How your date went.”

  “It wasn’t a date.”

  “It was,” Gemma said.

  “Yeah, more like a pity date. There’s no way a man like him would be interested in me. Things like that just don’t happen to people in real life. In movies, yeah, but not in Charlotte, North Carolina.”

  “Oh, whatever. You’re beautiful, Gianna, and you looked so pretty in that black dress you had on.”

  “Thank you, Gem.”

  Gemma smiled, looking up into the sky. “So, how was it?”

  “It wasn’t as good as it could have been and that’s my fault.”

  “Why? What did you do?”

  “I knocked over some water, and you know how difficult it is for me to hold conversations with people I don’t know.”

  “But you must like this guy. You’ve never gone out with anyone and you’ve been asked plenty of times.”

  “Not true.”

  “Un huh. What about the guy from the beach last summer?”

  Gianna giggled. “Okay, one guy from the beach asking me out doesn’t mean I get asked out all the time.”

  “Why did you go this time?”

  “Because I did kinda like him.”

  “I knew it!” Gemma said. “What’s his name?”

  “Ramsey,” Gemma repeated. “With a name like Ramsey he has to be handsome.”