by M. C. Cerny
“Frankie, hey.” Tommy popped out and came right over to us resting his hands on her shoulders gently. She seemed to calm down immediately and I made note to ask my brother about that later. His magic touch typically was only on heads, but he was all kinds of touchy feely with the corporate attorney sitting at his station.
“Well, I’ll let you two get to it. Make her hair amazing, Tommy.” I nudged my brother.
He smiled at Francesca in the mirror, some secret look passing between the two of them that made my own hair stand up.
“Easy peasy, sis. Her hair is already gorgeous.” Tommy busied himself gathering what he needed while his free hand tangled in her locks. I assumed he was on top of this in more ways than one as he dismissed me.
As for me, I had a gaggle of ladies coming on the senior bus.
“On that note, I’m off to take care of the Churchill sisters and half the bingo crew.”
Francesca reached for my arm making me pause.
“Louisa, if you need to reach Michael again let me know. I think he enjoyed taking care of that issue.” Francesca smiled and I nodded back thanking her. It was nice knowing there were good women out there supporting women. Tommy gave me a look that said we’d chat later and I gave him a similar one nodding at his client. He smirked and ducked his head down like he was suddenly shy. Weirdo. He’s lucky I loved him and I finished out the rest of my day humming Katy Perry songs trying to forget about Carmen.
4
Carmen
“It’s so great to see you! It’s been forever!” Taylor rushed over to hug me tight before we sat down on opposite sides of the table at my bakery. “This place looks amazing.” She turned her head, hair swishing around her shoulders from the messy braid that was a collection of white blonde and gold highlights. I bet everyone in this town went to the Vodka and Wash. It was apparent this town was full of hair-hos and I mused about the skilled stylist wielding her silver sheers like a fairy godmother.
“Thanks. I’m glad you could come over and see it.”
“Are you kidding me? After the cliff notes version of you rolling into town and not seeing me first?” Taylor looked affronted and I did feel bad, but not bad enough for her to see me like that. Nope, I left that shame in New York and the evidence in my hair being several colors and a few inches shorter now down the street.
“You were busy.” I muttered.
“I’m never too busy for a friend, especially one having a crisis.” She said touching my arm and squeezing gently. Taylor was a big softie.
I rolled my eyes. I had given her the quick and dirty of breaking up, moving out, and destroying my hair in a seventy-two hour time frame. I was nothing if not efficient.
We were lucky to catch up considering Taylor had been busy with a recent house flip. The lucky girl got to work with her fiancé and I had been moving up here finalizing the building sale and documents for the health department that needed updating. It still needed some work, but I was open, and it was operational. I used my inheritance to buy the shop from the previous owner who wanted to retire after forty years of making bread. The smell of warm dough gently permeated the walls like an old hug and fought a losing battle to a batch of fresh chocolate cupcakes.
Maybe it was happenstance that Taylor asked me to do her wedding cake and the opportunity came up. Either way, I needed out of Connecticut and the town my former college roommate lived in was adorable with a booming business for specialty food and wine in the Hudson Valley. It finally felt like it was my time to shine and nothing was going to hold me back. Not my family, not an ex, and not the rigors of managing a kitchen where I’d never be my own boss.
This was my dream come true.
“I was lucky to find the listing, but more importantly, the space was already cleared by the health department for cooking use.” I waved back toward the kitchen area feeling the excitement overwhelming me. “Even the ovens are pretty new cause those would have been a pain to purchase.”
The stainless steel convection ovens would have broken my budget and my dreams. I’m pretty sure Grandma Gigi thought I’d be taking a sabbatical to master pastries in Paris or chocolates in Belgium. She might have had second thoughts if she knew I’d be jumping head first into a bakery on my own with only my Business for Dummies to help me with the books, but I knew there was very little reward without risk, especially after my breakup.
My friend tapped her pink lips looking as excited as I felt.
“So are we going to discuss décor?” Taylor had an eye for design, but today was about her, not my needs to change up the candy pink striping which I was tempted to keep.
I shrugged and grabbed a plate of desserts pushing them slowly in her direction. “I thought we could discuss the cake, and your hot man.”
Taylor blushed bright red. There was no hiding it with her pale complexion and bright blonde hair. She was in love with Hunter Hart and he with her. I was happy for her and a little jealous, but it made me want to make sure she had the most gorgeous wedding cake this town had ever seen. She was a rising star with her house flipping and getting to do her cake would put me on the map as well. Despite being college roomies she was doing me a solid favor by giving me cart blanche to design her wedding cake.
“Hunter is pretty much into whatever I am so that will be easy.” She said with that secret shit-eating smile on her face.
I chuckled watching eyes glaze over.
“But you want pretty.” My nail tapped the table thinking.
“Mmm, I do. I so want pretty and girly.” Taylor sighed dreamily.
“So here’s what I’m thinking. Flowers, a walkway of steps to the top and a glass gazebo made of sugar candy like glass.”
“Just like the mini one you did for your senior seminar baking class?” Taylor clapped her hands together beaming. Her smile was like warm sunshine and I knew rocking this cake out of the park was my top priority.
“Exactly, only bigger. Enough for at least a hundred and fifty, maybe two hundred people.” I took out a piece paper and started sketching the design.
“Oh my god, Carmen! That’s a huge cake. What will we do with the rest?”
“I can order cute take-out boxes for the guests to take home cake. The top will of course be saved for your anniversary and anything else we could donate to a homeless shelter or where ever you want.”
She clapped her hands, excitement sparkled in her eyes like sugared blueberries with edible glitter. “Yes, I love it.”
“Flavors?” I asked continuing to sketch.
“You know I’m going to need Kristen’s help with that.”
Ah the friend I hadn’t met just yet. Taylor told me she could be a bit territorial.
“Let’s get that scheduled and then I can set up some samples. Things like Dutch chocolate, lemon lavender, vanilla almond, and some fruits.” I drew out the staircase wondering how I would work out the fondant.
“My mouth is watering.” Taylor traced the drawing reverently. Her cake would be over the top amazing. I’d stake my entire career on it.
“Good thing I made some fresh doughnuts, biscotti, and chocolate croissants.”
“Carmen, you’re going to make me gain so much weight before I can get my dress.” My bestie pats her middle and I’m sure that if her fiancé had his way by the sound of things she might also be pregnant by then too.
We laughed and I tugged her behind the pretty glass counter where I kept the goodies. The bell rang and we looked up at the man stepping into my shop.
“Hello, any chance you’re open?” His green eyes lasered in on me as he ran a hand over his shorn blond cropped hair. His hands rested on his hips as he rocked back in forth in his uniform pants that hid nothing. He looked young to be a police officer with his baby face, but the broad chest and muscles made up for it.
“Now that’s a tall glass of water.” Taylor nudged me and I smiled at her going to help my first official customer of sorts.
“Oh hey, Taylor.” The guy acknowledged my f
riend before coming back to me.
“I’ll put some coffee on in the back.” Taylor squeezed my shoulder and left me out front with my first customer. This guy couldn’t be all bad if Taylor knew him, small towns and all that.
“The grand opening is this weekend, but I think I can help you out.” I gave the stranger dressed in a neatly pressed police uniform a smile. He was attractive in a beefcake kind of way. The kind of guys I dated in the past weren’t into the gym and preferred doing anything but get their hands dirty unless it involve fileting a salmon or slow roasting a chateaubriand. This guy seemed like he knew his way around women more or less with the gun toting swagger and the handcuff case strapped to his Batman belt.
“I was doing a little parking enforcement and happened to smell something incredible coming from this vicinity, so naturally I had to investigate.”
“Naturally.” I drawled observing him the same way he was observing me. Alright, I was intrigued. Not going to lie, an attractive man makes eyes at me and I’m curious. His smile and sheepish admission drew me further down the rabbit hole.
“Was that a lame pick up line?” He leaned over on the counter as I opened the case and took one of everything sticking it in a white box tying it up with red and white string.
“I don’t know. Depends. Was it a pick up line?” I pushed the box across the counter and Officer Hottie got out his wallet. I stopped him with my hand over his extending the bills. “I’m not technically open so these are on the house.”
His face crinkles in the corners as he rubbed his fingers over my hand in a suggestive hand shake. “I’m Noah by the way.”
“Carmen. New in town, obviously.”
“Obviously.” He grinned picking up the box with a nod. It was like we were in high school or something awkward with our one word answers. I’d sworn off guys after my ex. I knew better, but Noah had this odd charisma that made me want to try again despite being burned so badly. It was like I never learned.
“I’m not in the habit of bartering services, but maybe you’ll consider not writing me an overnight parking ticket.” I winced. My brand new bakery van was parked in the lot behind the building illegally.
Noah let out a bark of a laugh.
“Where are you parked?”
My hand nervously went behind my head to show him pointing toward the kitchen and the back lot.
“Behind the building.”
Noah released a dramatic hiss. “Oh, I don’t know. I think it might cost you more than these goodie right here.” He tapped the top of the box.
Sure he was cute in that all American gym rat muscle head kind of way that made my insides foolishly quiver.
“What did you have in mind, Office?” I flicked his chest playfully.
“Pettigrew.” He said giving me his last name. I couldn’t recall the last time I was so forward and flirty.
“Ah well, I run my bakery from about five in the morning until about one in the afternoon unless I’m doing a special event.”
Noah made a groaning sound that jump started my libido. This was a bad idea I reminded myself. New to town, fresh off men, still thinking about my hair stylist down the street.
“I was thinking dinner, maybe dancing if that’s your thing.” He suggested. It did sound fun. I could do fun. I deserved to have fun and I was an adult, therefore I could rationalize this any way I wanted.
“Pick me up at six. I don’t usually share this, but considering you’re an officer of the law and can probably look this up, I live in the apartment upstairs.”
“Perfect, except I work until six with my shift, so how about I come by at seven.” He offered and I agreed.
“Great.” I tapped the counter.
“Good.” He spun around and left leaving the door to swing closed and jingle on the bell that was left from another decade.
Taylor came out of the kitchen to lean against the counter next to me. She followed my line of sight watching the cop saunter down the street before getting in his police cruiser driving away. “I see you’ve met Officer Pettigrew.” Taylor shoved a cup of coffee under my nose. I took it inhaling the dark roast aroma that would pair nicely with the sweets I baked this morning.
I hummed taking a sip.
“You didn’t tell me the police force looked so good.”
“Last time I checked, you weren’t dating men anymore. Liar, Liar, retro skirt on fire.” She tugged at the fabric of my skirt teasing me.
“I wasn’t. I’m not.” I shrugged reaching for a croissant I filled with chocolate. Hmm, I should try a batch of them with hazelnut.
“Then what the heck was that? The tension between you two felt like I was witnessing a porn ad here. I thought you wanted to move to the equivalent of the Hallmark channel in our delightful small town.” Taylor winked.
“Cute. Considering all the kinky stuff you text me about Hunter, I doubt any part of this town is PG. Besides we were roommates for two years, don’t act like I don’t know you.” I corrected her which a chuckle.
“Fair enough, but seriously, I thought you had a crush on Lou.”
“Lou?”
“Louisa. Hair stylist to the stars of New Paltz. Shop is literally a block up the street.” She nodded in the direction of my desires.
“Mmm. I don’t know. Guys are so much…easier.” I mumbled not even capable of believing my own lie.
“Easier? Really? It’s like you don’t want to be happy and while I think Noah could be pleasing in many ways, he’s also so not your type.” Taylor wasn’t wrong. Uniforms were a lost cause on me, but maybe I needed to keep trying the opposite to find what I did like?
“Also true, but I figure if he’s out of the box, then he’s got to be better than my ex, right?”
“I guess dinner and dancing will tell you all you need to know. Now hand me one of those croissants before I bite your fingers off.”
5
Louisa
“Take your phone, it’s been ringing off the hook.” Gemma shoved my cellphone under my nose and I swiped the screen before I get a chance to look at it.
“Hello?” I shoved the phone into my shoulder and kept grabbing supplies for my next set of appointments I have coming in. A color, a glossing, and a perm unless I could convince Mrs. Hershfield that looking like her poodle was so late nineties. I shuffled my supplies to my free hand and waited for the person on the phone to answer.
“Lou, baby.” My stomach tightened with that sick feeling hearing a voice that made me rethink relationships entirely. The low pitch was soft and melodic. Her voice was one of the things I fell in love with at first. History was a terrible distraction to the current reality.
Flashbacks to wicked fights, make up sex, and more fights with thrown hair color and torn sofa cushions reminded me why things ended. The last fight ended with the police being called and the kind of drama I didn’t need anyone knowing about. I still had her stash of ecstasy to get rid of under my bathroom counter. She owed me half my business loan and three years of my life I was never getting back.
There was a method to my madness. It was the reason why I hadn’t been taking her calls for the last four months. You didn’t forget the kind of staggering pain and simultaneous relief of coming home to an empty house and a Dear Jane letter on my kitchen counter. She kindly stuffed it under an empty wine bottle and ring of dried up merlot which stained the wood no matter how much sanding and re-staining I tried to eradicate it. I fucking hated merlot, dried up cherries that tasted like ash and disappointment. That ring could have been a tattoo with her name branded on a part of my soul. I wanted it back. I wasn’t getting it back, and the bitterness sullied my feelings on love.
I steeled my nerves and forced myself to speak to her.
“I’m shocked you remember the number, was there something you wanted Syd?” I kept my voice as bored sounding as possible and put down the supplies I gathered so I could hold the phone and hang up the first possible moment I could. My free hand fisted to avoid the shaking that
came with my simmering anger.
“Don’t be like that, sweetie. I missed you and wanted to see you. My band is coming to town for a music festival in a few weeks and I thought…”
And here we go. Sydney was asking for favors expecting me to cave in. It would be easier to cave in, give her what she wanted and wait her out, but I didn’t want that or need that chaos in my life right now.
“That’s the problem, Syd, when you think, it’s only about yourself. The last thing I want to do is see you, or hear from you, so unless you’re going to pay me back, continue to forget my number.” I ended the call and put the phone down on the counter. I rubbed the sore spot on my chest where my heart thumped and the ache grew with the reminders of why Sydney Blackstone was a toxic part of my past better left forgotten.
A warm hand touched the center of my back grounding me. “Hey, you okay? I didn’t know it would be her.” Gemma took my phone and slipped it into her pocket so I wouldn’t do something stupid like hurl it across the shop like last time. A new phone would set me back a couple hundred dollars I didn’t have right now with a looming mortgage payment on the shop. Business was good, but I had overextended trying to accommodate my staff and the expansion.
I forced myself to take in a deep breath.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” I said forcing the smile on my face.
Gemma cocked her too perfect eyebrows not buying my bullshit.
“You sure, boss lady?” She placed her hand on my arm giving me a gentle squeeze. She wasn’t exactly known for her tact or sensitivity. Gemma McAdams was a bull in a china shop most days, but she was a true friend when you needed one. I put my hand over hers squeezing back. It seemed we both needed reassurance. Sydney had done a number on all of us.
