by Hayden Hunt
He took my hands from out under my chin, holding them in both of his and forcing my head up so I had to look at him.
“I’ll tell you what comes next. Next is us moving in together officially. Next, I get to walk down the street with your hand in mine and kiss you any time I want. I get to show you off to the whole damn world. My love for you gets to be open as does your love for me. The next step is the one where we begin the rest of our lives together. It’s going to be stressful and messy and scary, but who cares? Because we’re always going to have each other. I’m going to help you through whatever comes next and you’ll help me. We’re going to be okay, you and I.”
I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed as tight as I could. I didn’t care who was looking into the window to see us. It didn’t matter, let them fucking look. I was going to hold my man, regardless of the repercussions.
When I finally pulled away, I kissed his shoulder and whispered, “I love you.”
He grinned. “I love you too.”
It took nearly two months to find a buyer for the bake shop. Which wasn’t surprising, as most people in this town wouldn’t touch this place with a ten-foot pole. The one man who seemed genuinely interested was from out of town, which hopefully meant he was blissfully unaware of the reputation this place now had.
He was coming in today to look through the place and, ideally, make an offer. I told Miles to stay home for this part. I didn’t know why, exactly, I just felt this was something I had to do myself. I knew I didn’t need to carry the weight of all my issues alone but I did feel I needed to do this by myself. He couldn’t carry the weight of saying goodbye to my grandparents’ bakery, that was on me.
I made sure I had no client appointments the day the potential buyer came in so I could focus completely on the tour. Which wasn’t hard, considering the low amount of clients I currently had.
I had made sure the place was absolutely spotless in every way. I myself had dressed particularly nicely for the occasion. I was prepared, but still really nervous.
When he arrived, I could tell immediately this was a rich guy. He was considerably older than me, maybe in his forties. He was dressed in a business casual suit that looked expensive as hell.
“Hello!” I said, reaching for his hand as soon as he arrived. “My name is—”
“Aidan, hello,” he said shaking my hand. “My name is David. Lovely to meet you.”
“Great to meet you too!”
“Wow,” he said, looking around. “This place looks even better than the pictures.”
“You like it?” I asked excitedly.
“Oh, very much. This is exactly the kind of bakery I was hoping to find. Something classic, with a rich history. Retro is really coming back into style.”
“Well, this place certainly has a rich history.” I smiled politely. “It’s been passed down in my family for ages.”
“Oh, I know, I’ve done my research.” He smiled slyly.
Shit, did that mean he was already aware of how hated this bakery was in town? That would be no good for me. That would mean he was aware of how desperate I was to get rid of this place.
“Barring more recent events, I hear that this bakery was quite successful,” he commented.
Yep, so he knew.
“It was,” I assured him. “And I’m sure it will be again, as soon as I’m not the one running it.”
“So am I. Which is why I’m very interested in buying it. And don’t worry, I would never use that information to low ball you. I’m not that kind of business man.”
“Is that right?” I asked, a little suspicious.
“I believe a good business is built on ethically sound decisions and a lot of networking. I don’t screw people over. You never know who might be useful to you in the future.”
I laughed. “Well, I hate to say, I don’t think I’ll be useful in the future. I’m small time, and you seem like you’re already very successful.”
“Oh, don’t undersell yourself, Aidan! I won’t say I’m not big time, I am.” He gave a cocky laugh. “I own a chain of bakeries on the west coast and they all do very well. But in running them, I’ve learned not to underestimate the mom and pop restaurants. They beat me out in a lot of cities. People appreciate a business with some character. Mom and pop business are more trustworthy in many people's eyes and they garner a lot of loyal fans.”
“Well, even so, It’s unlikely I’m even going to be able to run my own bakery after I sell this one, sadly. The place I’m looking to move to is a lot more expensive than here. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to afford the property.”
That was the hardest part about moving. Knowing that I wasn’t just going to have to start my business again from the ground up, but that I had to say goodbye to it forever. But that was the cost of living in places more open-minded than here. They were more expensive. I’d already accepted I’d have to get a regular job somewhere in order to make things work. And Miles and I would be downgrading from a house to a condo.
“I see, and where is that you plan on moving?” he asked.
“Somewhere on the west coast too, actually. I haven’t decided.”
He nodded understandingly. “It’s a good choice, you know. You’ll have a better life out there.”
Was he referring to what I thought he was referring to? I couldn’t be sure.
He continued, “My brother is gay. He’s very happily married out in California. It’s a different world out there, compared to the South.”
He seemed sweet. “That’s really great to hear. I’m hoping that will make all of this worth it.”
He nodded as he walked back to the kitchen, opening cabinets and looking underneath counters.
“So, if you can’t run your own bakery, how would you feel about running someone else’s?”
“What?” I laughed. “Uh, pretty good, I guess. I’m actually hoping to get some kind of managerial position, something a little higher up based on my experience.”
“And it’s good experience. I’ve seen your work. You are an excellent baker. And I can see here you run a pretty tight ship. Clearly, you’re good at both aspects of this business.”
“Well, thank you, I really appreciate you saying that.”
He stared at me, analyzing what to say next.
“All right, Aidan, let me be up front with you. Assuming this place passes all the inspections I want to run, I’m interested in buying this place at asking price.”
“At asking price? Seriously?” I asked. “You’re not even going to try and get it lower?”
“Nope.” He grinned.
“But… Why would you do that?” I asked suspiciously.
“Well, I’m hoping that by doing you this favor, you might do me one.”
“…And what’s that?” I asked skeptically.
“I’ve got a particularly bad branch out in Mosart, California. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find a manager worth his salt. The place keeps getting run into the ground, no matter who I put in charge. Which is unfortunate, because unlike my other branches, Mosart is pretty far from me. It’s hard for me to get up there regularly to check in on the place. I need someone who knows what they’re doing to take over it.”
“Wait, are you saying you want me to run your bakery?”
“I do. I know it’s a big ask, and it’ll greatly limit where you’re able to move to if you’re working for me. You’d have to move into the area. But I’m hoping I’ll be able to entice you with a decent salary.”
“And a decent salary would be… what?”
“About 75,000 a year.”
“About 75,000?” I spat. “But I’ve been looking at managerial positions in California. They almost never pay over 50,000!”
“What can I say? I believe in treating decent workers well so they stay on with you. Like I said, I think good business is built off connections.”
“I just… I don’t understand,” I stuttered. “This all sounds so great but… W
hy would you do this? You barely know me.”
“You’re right. But I know of you. I’ve seen your cakes, you’re very talented. And I’ve heard your story. Like I said, my brother is gay. And we didn’t always live out west, either. I remember how hard things used to be for him. When I heard of your predicament, I was hoping there would be some way I could help. Really, I was hoping you would be a gifted baker so I could offer you a permanent way out of this town. As it turns out, you’re probably one of the most talented bakers I’ve ever met.”
“So you’re doing this… just to be nice?” I asked, still not understanding how this could all be happening right now.
“Well, a little bit to be nice and because I empathize, a little bit because I really do think you’d be a great fit for the position.”
“I… I don’t even know what to say. I’m sorry, this is just such a big surprise for me…”
“Oh, don’t worry about saying anything right now,” he said as he began to walk back to the front of the bakery. “You think on it, take all the time you need. Speak to your boyfriend about it. I’ll go ahead and tell my realtor I’m interested in this place and he’ll set up the necessary inspections and send an offer your way.”
“Th-thank you!” I stumbled on my words. “Thank you so much.”
“Not a problem,” he said, extending his hand before he moved to leave. “It was great to meet you, Aidan.”
“Great to meet you too!” I said as I shook with a firm handshake.
He handed me a business card and turned to leave. “Call me when you’re ready to give an answer.”
Right as he put his hand on the doorknob, I stopped him.
“Wait, David?” I asked.
“Yes?” He smiled.
“I don’t need to take any time. My answer is yes.”
He smiled as he continued to walk out the door. “I’ll be in touch.”
11
Miles
“Wait, so he said he wants to buy the bakery and give you a job?” I asked Aidan excitedly.
“Yes!”
“Baby, that’s fantastic!” I said, squeezing him tight. I hadn’t seen Aidan this happy in months. I was absolutely thrilled for him.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it! And I haven’t even told you the best part!”
“What’s that?”
“He wants to pay me 75,000 a year!”
“What?” I gasped. “But you said you could expect to make 50,000 at most, even at big companies!”
“I know! He said he believes in treating his employees right. Isn’t it crazy?!” He collapsed on the couch next to me, putting his head in my lap. “It’s just perfect timing. And the realtor said someone else is interested in making an offer on the house too. I just feel like everything is falling together.”
“Oh, baby, I’m so glad,” I said as I ran my fingers through his hair.
“Me too. Really, really fucking glad. I was feeling… Well, really down about everything. It was starting to feel like things weren’t going to get better for me. For the both of us, really. I was really starting to lose my faith in humanity. But the fact that this complete stranger is offering me a job because of the hardships I’m experiencing being gay, it really gives me hope that things will be better in California.”
“They will be. I know it. And he also offered you the job because you’re incredibly talented, don’t forget to give yourself some credit.”
“Yeah, well, that too.” He laughed as he looked up at me. “You know, these past few months have been really painful, but it’s beginning to look like there was a point to the pain. Maybe this needed to happen, to force us to the next stage in our lies. I think we’re going to be a lot happier in California.”
“Me too.” I kissed him. “I still feel bad that all this happened but… You’re probably right. It’s probably all for the best.”
He sat up quickly. “No, seriously, it was! I never would have made this move if the bakery didn’t start failing. If this hadn’t happened, how long would we have stayed in this shit town? What kind of life could we live?”
“I mean, we’d still have each other, right? That’s all we really need.”
“Yeah, but still, in what kind of way could we have each other? Like you said, there’s no holding your hand on the sidewalk. There’s no way I could kiss you in public. What about getting married? We’d have to hide our marriage? Pretend we live here as roommates? And what about when we have kids? How would they be treated in school when people finally realized what was going on?”
“When we have kids?” I asked. “It’s a when now?”
He blushed. “I mean…”
“I’m just teasing you.” I nudged his shoulder. “You know I want them too.”
“You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that…”
“About… kids?” I asked.
“Yeah… Because, uh, I kind of do want to know…. when you’d want to have them.”
“Wow.” I paused. “You know, I guess I really haven’t thought about it? I mean, of course I’ve known that I want them but I have no idea when. What about you?”
“I guess I was hoping… in a few years. Not too soon, of course, but I don’t want to wait ten years either. I’d like to at least be trying to adopt by the time I’m 30.”
I nodded. “Yeah, you know, I think I can get behind on that timeline. I’d like to spend a few years just enjoying me and you but, after that…. Yeah, I can see doing the kids thing pretty soon after that.”
He kissed me. “You know, it’s funny, I only recently decided I wanted kids before 30.”
“Really?” I asked. “What was your plan before this?”
“To have them really late, I guess. I assumed I wouldn’t meet a man I wanted to be with for a long time so it never popped up in my mind. But now that I have you, now that I can look at you and imagine you as a father, it’s like it’s all I think about! I never knew how baby crazy I was.”
I laughed. “It was kind of the same thing for me. I was planning on having kids pretty soon actually, I guess, because I assumed Chelsea wanted to have them soon and you know I just tried to do whatever she wanted. But I didn’t really want them yet. I was pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. But now I know that, with my whole heart, I want children. And I want to father them with you.”
He gripped my hand in his own. “Speaking of Chelsea, have you heard from her?”
“Not since she sent those boxes last week.”
Apparently, there were quite a few things I had left at Chelsea’s parents’ house that they wanted to get rid of. They were going to toss them out, but Chelsea insisted on sending them back. Evidently there were some sentimental items she thought I’d want.
She also gave me a letter apologizing profusely for all that happened. She could not be sorrier for how her brothers and father acted. I guessed she had no idea that they were going to put that article about the bake shop in the paper until after they’d done it.
It was not surprised they’d hide this from her. They knew she wouldn’t approve of them going after me this way. But they also didn’t care about her opinion enough to ask. I guessed that was part of the whole sexist gender roles thing. They were willing to do something they thought was ‘for her best interests’ but not actually ask her what she thought was best. They could act for her, decide for her, all in the name of love.
But love would never spread hate the way they had. Chelsea had since cut contact with her parents and brothers. I knew how hard that must have been for her. Her family had their own set of problems, but she always felt very close to them despite their flaws. To cut them off was a big deal for her and it must have stung.
I thought of telling her she didn’t need to do that, that I understood it wasn’t her fault and that she didn’t need to hate her family for this. But I knew it would make no difference. Chelsea was always very resolute in her morals.
They crossed a line and that was going to be unforgivable
to her. Especially since they crossed it with me. We may not have been in a relationship anymore, and we may have been only speaking sparsely, but there was still a lot of love and concern between us. I knew she still felt protective over me the way her brothers were protective over her.
Still, I did tell her many times over that she was not to blame in the slightest. And she told me she really hoped that Aidan and I could find happiness elsewhere. The comment seemed really genuine; she didn’t even seem particularly hurt when she mentioned Aidan like she had immediately after we broke up.
That could have something to do with the fact that she’d started dating again though, which thrilled me. There wasn’t anyone particular in her life yet; she was still only going out on dates and trying to meet someone.
It was a step in the right direction, though. It’d be really good for her. She needed the excitement in her life. It’d be fun for her to be chased by a guy who was really interested in her, finally. The way I should have wanted to chase her for years.
After she dropped off the boxes, I left them alone. I sat them in the garage and didn’t touch them. In a way, I felt almost afraid to. I didn’t know what was in them or what kind of memories they were going to bring up.
“Did you finally go through those boxes today?” Aidan asked. He’d been bugging me to ever since they were dropped off.
“No…” I said sheepishly.
He raised an eyebrow. “Miles, you need to look through them. We’re going to start packing up the house soon and we need to make sure we’re taking only what we need. This is a cross country move, and it’s going to take some planning.”
“Okay, okay.” I sighed. “I’ll do it soon.”
“Let’s do it right now,” he suggested.
“Right… now?” I asked hesitantly. “Do we really need to?”
“Well, kind of, since I strongly suspect you’re not going to bother to do it while I’m not around.”
Yeah, that was probably true. I’d put this off as long as I possibly could.
“All right, fine,” I agreed, better to get it over with, I supposed.
