Love Actually (Love By Design Book 5)

by M. C. Cerny

  9

  Louisa

  I watched Carmen flee down the bar hallway almost knocking into the redheaded waitress. She looked gorgeous with her hair down and flipped into a wavy style. The pretty dress she wore with strappy Mary Jane heels accentuated her figure but the panic on her face coloring her cheeks worried me. As if I was somehow the cause of it, but that wasn’t possible, was it?

  “Shit.” Both Noah and I looked at each other meaningfully before looking at Tommy, Gemma, and the rest of the group.

  “Huh. Who knew.” Damien Hart muttered and then sat down shoving his mouth full of nachos and beers like he’d suddenly made some revelation the rest of us were just coming to grips with.

  I couldn’t stay.

  I couldn’t do this.

  I leaned into my best friend and said, “Noah, walk me out?”

  “Sure thing. I have to get in early before my night shift so I can’t really stay.” I made my goodbyes and nodded at Tommy who I’d see tomorrow along with Gemma anyway.

  “Hey, I’ll text you tomorrow.” Taylor pulled me in for a hug and I knew she’d ask me about my weird behavior. Not much got past her but for now I was taking a time out.

  Noah of course, perceptive as always followed me outside and reached for my hand to hold. We walked that way for a block before getting to his car.

  “I could walk the long way home.”

  “Or I could drive you and you can tell me what’s up.” He clicked the remote locks and opened the door for me. I got in and waited for him to come around the car.

  “I like Carmen.” I blurted out saving us time and more awkward silences.

  “I figured that.” He said pulling his car out on to the street.

  “Do you wanna fight over her?” I looked over at Noah who glanced at me with a smirking smile before resuming his concentration on the road. I was half kidding.

  “As much as it might make me sound like a typical Neanderthal with a penchant for Jell-O wrestling?” He chuffed. “Not so much. I just want you to be happy. I want you to go for it.”

  I loved that Noah had this heart of gold even if he tried hiding it behind his numerous nameless dates. He didn’t show this side of himself with just anyone even though he’d always been a perfect gentleman.

  “Do you think I should have chased her down the hallway and pinned her against the wall in the ladies bathroom?”

  I swore Noah’s nose flared when I said that out loud. He was probably picturing some sordid situation the same way I was and it was cute. Noah was definitely a guy-guy with fantasies we’d never hashed out.

  “Jesus, Lou. You would have done that?” He turned his head at me quick and then back to the road. I observed him gripping the steering wheel hard.

  I barked out a laugh. “If only to get the taste of you out of her mouth.”

  “Cruel woman. I told you I didn’t I know.” He said.

  I chuckled this time. “Yeah, I know, but we wouldn’t be such good friends if I couldn’t say it.”

  “Ask her out, go see her. Don’t deny yourself the possibility of something good.”

  “I love you in that platonic we’ll always have prom deflowering kind of way.” I smiled.

  “And I love you only if you promise to set me up with a nice girl for your wedding as payback.”

  “Deal.” We both said finishing the other’s thought.

  Noah pulled up to my house and dropped me off. I crossed my fingers I had something other than Gemma’s gross vodka in my house to drink since I left Easton’s Pub without one.

  “You totally got a lady-boner for the cake baker who had a date with your high school boyfriend.” Tommy sang while he cleaned up his hair station with a Bollywood shimmy dance that left his sexuality stereotypically in question. If it wasn’t for his crush on the cougar client he saw regularly, I might have teased him about it instead of biting my lip trying to hide my own smile.

  “Tommy, shut up.” Turning away did me no favors though because he could see my blush in the mirror anyway. I felt the heat rise up my neck like July had come with a vengeance here to the Mohonk Valley.

  “Seriously, it’s all good but I’m wondering if you’re going to act on it or let this one fly the coop.” I stared at my partner in crime and best friend despite being my sibling. Tommy read me like an open book and it annoyed the hell out of me. Both he and Noah were up my butt about this.

  “Please, Tommy. She’s still smarting over that see you next Tuesday bitch that skipped town and the rent payment.” Only Gemma could get away with calling Sydney a cunt in such a poetic way. I had been over the break up for a while–sort of. The signs had been there if I looked hard enough and when she packed a bag and left it wasn’t a shocker. I wasn’t guarding my heart, but I was wary of stomping into Carmen’s life if she wasn’t ready for it. The stylist-client friendship I had with her was tenuous and delicate at best.

  Groaning I rolled my eyes at Gemma who was intent on hashing this out whether I wanted to or not. “Seriously though, she was one of those people who was happy with whatever she got reaching into someone’s pants, even if she said she was committed to you and that’s the part that pisses me off.”

  “Gemma…whatever happened to love is love and let it go already.” I said unwilling to get into whatever Sydney had been into or not.

  “Hey, if you want to be singing show tunes with animated characters going down town that’s your business, but I am allowed to be upset for my friend who got her heart crushed by that lady-tramp.” Gemma continued to harp on this and I was getting a headache.

  “Tommy, please talk some sense into her I have to get ready for my next appointment.” I left the two of them in the front while I went to my back office to nurse the oncoming headache.

  Sitting at my desk, I fished my phone out from my purse and scrolled my text messages. Taylor was the most recent so I clicked on the thread.

  Taylor: Sooo…I heard you met my friend from college, Carmen. Her hair looks great, thanks for taking care of her.

  Taylor was a good friend and this only made my thoughts about her friend even more complicated. Things could go to shit if I screwed this up.

  The hair was minor. I’m glad she’s happy with it. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.

  The text blinked as I waited for her response.

  Taylor: I wished you stayed last night and got to know her better.

  I wish I did too.

  I pressed send before I realized what I did.

  Taylor: She’s been through shit so I’m glad she moved up here. I’m having her design the wedding cake.

  I was curious, but unsure how much I could delve into this with Taylor without looking like I was fishing for information. Fuck it. I figured I could brush it off if Taylor didn’t like me asking.

  What happened?

  It took her a while to get back to me. My paranoia continued to run the gamut of conclusions.

  Taylor: BF of a few years dumped her and it was ugly. I don’t think she was in love with him but the way he did it sucked. She was supposed to get her own exclusive pastry kitchen in a restaurant and it all fell through.

  Well I’ve got that in common with her. Except the dude part.

  I wanted to chop my fingers off with that impulsive text, but it was already done.

  Taylor: Obviously, sweetie. Maybe you two can commiserate over cupcakes?

  Surely she wasn’t suggesting…

  Cupcakes?

  It took forever for Taylor to respond to me.

  Taylor: She’s a cake designer over at Cake and Battery on Main Street…

  Cupcakes… I could do cupcakes, but I wasn’t convinced. I was more of a pie or cheesecake girl. Substance and sustenance. I’d learned my lesson last time and I wasn’t about to let my hormones rule my decisions here. Besides, Syd had soured my sweet tooth considerably.

  Not sure she’s playing on my team.

  Taylor: She plays the field, I wouldn’t worry so much.

&nbs
p; So much for my hormones.

  Taylor: Come on. It’s her shop and she’s designing my wedding cake as a huge and lovely favor. So I need my best girlfriends to come and help me pick out my cake flavors.

  Bingo. Sometimes I really loved my friends, but I was still going to play this causal. I could never have too many friends and if it happened, then it happened. It probably wasn’t going to happen. In fact, I was going to completely strike the thought from my mind.

  Really?

  Taylor: She was my roommate for two years. I would know.

  Huh, I guess that explained it all. Right?

  I’m taking things slow getting out there again.

  Taylor: Then we should go taste samples at the bakery and see what we like. And by samples, I mean cupcakes. *smile emoji*

  I laughed because my mind was in the gutter along with Taylor’s innuendoes. I couldn’t indulge more of this conversation right now and switched gears.

  What about Hunter?

  Taylor: Oh please, my caveman doesn’t care as long as it’s got some form of chocolate inside.

  Taylor lucked out getting to hook up with her high school crush. I still couldn’t believe it had taken them that long to figure out their attraction but I guess like fine wine, all good things took time. I was willing to put time into this thing, whatever it could be with Carmen.

  You tell me the time and I’m there.

  Taylor let me know me the details for later this week and it worked for me. I would have time to forget about my attraction to Carmen or figure out what questions to ask Taylor about her without coming off like a crazy stalker woman. I was willing to taste anything Carmen made; the bonus would be getting to see her again.

  10

  Carmen

  “Hey Kristen, can you help me with the coffee? In the kitchen. Like now?” Taylor wiped her hands on a towel and then grabbed a startled Kristen dragging her into my kitchen leaving me with Louisa.

  It was the first time I was alone with her since my hair coloring incident. Was it supposed to feel weird? Only because Taylor was setting us up. I could feel it, see it, sense it by the pair of eyes I was certain were watching us from the window in the kitchen door.

  I turned back and saw a blonde and brunette head drop down from the door. Yeah, not awkward at all.

  “Well that wasn’t glaringly obvious.” Louisa said popping the words from her mouth.

  “No. Not at all.” I took my fork and sectioned off a small piece of cake savoring the delicate flavor curious if I could make the cake lighter without having to make it sweeter. Every baker’s challenge.

  Similar to the enigma finally in front of me.

  “So the cakes were excellent.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed them. I’m hoping Taylor will fall in love with at least one of them.”

  Louisa shrugged and then added, “I’m kind of hoping they fall through a hole in the kitchen getting that coffee for us.”

  I burst out laughing.

  “Why is this so damn awkward?” Louisa looked up from her plate of cake samples licking her lips like what she wanted to taste wasn’t on the plate and instead was right here in front of her.

  I swallowed the dry air in my throat.

  “I’m not sure…” I hesitated which was probably the wrong thing to do or say.

  Louisa reached for the knot in my t-shirt pulling me closer. I looked down at her as she looked up at me. I stood in front of her, my knees locked and wobbly. My skirt was on the poofy retro side and she touched my bare knee that barely showed at the bottom.

  “I like you. I think you might like me.” Her hand skimmed a little higher hidden under my skirt.

  I put my hand on hers over the fabric stilling her way. Her hands were finely boned, long fingers that I imagined doing very naughty things to me as she tugged me closer by the knot on my shirt. Sure she was forward, but I liked it because it prevented me from having to think too much.

  Slowly she lowered her hand slipping it out from under my skirt as she spoke. “I also think we both have some past experiences that might make us a little gun-shy.” The cool air on my heated skin made me lightheaded and slow to process her words.

  “I think you might be right.” The words came out sad and I reminded myself that I wanted this move to be a fresh start. There was no reason why I couldn’t date Louisa. I struggled to be more assertive and it was hard for me to be all in a relationship. That’s what my ex had said, I was never fully present, but I was starting to think that was more about him and less about me.

  “Regardless, I’d like to try.” Louisa stood up and I realized how much taller she was than me. Even in my cute kitten heels I wore for today’s tasting I was still a good six inches shorter than her.

  “Oh.” The one syllable was a breathless mess from my lips.

  “Delicious, yummy, scrumptious, mouthwatering.” Louisa’s hands reached for my hips and then her fingers grazed my ribs making my chest tight.

  “Huh?” I said caught in the daze of feelings. My heart seemed to beat faster with the stroking of her hands.

  “Your shirt.” She chuckled and I looked down to see what she was looking at. It couldn’t have been my averaged size breasts, but anything was possible considering she had her hand up my skirt barely a minute ago.

  “Synonym roll. Cute.”

  I looked up at her face, her eyes were squinted behind her black framed glasses which I had a hankering to peel off so I could look at them unhindered. She was beautiful. She was also reading my ridiculous t-shirt. I felt my neck and cheeks heat with embarrassment.

  “I have a thing for funny t-shirts. Since I can wear whatever I want in my kitchen I refuse to wear the typical pastry chef uniform. Who would see me anyway.” I brushed it off and took a step back.

  I needed space. Air. I needed the chemical molecules between us to cool off before I called my doctor to ask if I was too young for a hot flash. The ovens weren’t on and Taylor was still hunting for coffee like a terrible matchmaker in my kitchen.

  “I’d like to see you. More of you.” Louisa slapped her head gently. “God, what a shit pick up line, and I thought guys sucked at this.” Seeing her flustered made me feel better, like we were both a little bad at this and it was okay.

  “I would like that too.” I wasn’t always shy, but for some reason the uncertainty of a date made me feel all of fifteen again. Awkward, gangly, like I had something in my teeth. I prayed I didn’t have something in my teeth.

  “Now that we’ve worked that out, how about dinner?” She asked.

  “Dinner sounds lovely.”

  The excitement buzzed between us and maybe because I said yes or we realized we were on the same page, Louisa went back to her subtle touches that I didn’t realize I’d missed in the microseconds of this budding relationship.

  “I know an Italian bistro that has the best cannoli and this cute outdoor area.”

  Suddenly warning bells went off in my head. She mentioned something else, but she lost me at bistro.

  “Uh, this wouldn’t be the one near the Speakeasy?”

  “Fucking Noah. He took you there didn’t he.” Louisa didn’t even sound upset, more like irritated I’d been there without her. Noah said his aunt owned the place, and hey, small towns must have been limited in good restaurants unlike Manhattan where it was hard to eat at the same place twice.

  I put my hand over hers to reassure her it was fine. If she was touching me, I figured I could touch her back. “Well, I can agree they do have the best cannoli. That’s not weird is it? That I went out Noah? I mean nothing happened.”

  Louisa made a face and then smiled. It was kind of funny.

  “It’s not weird if you’re fine with the fact that Noah and I were prom dates many moons ago.”

  Now that was a surprise to me.

  “Oh my god, really?”

  She huffed and rolled her neck like she was working out more than a kink in the joint. She seemed to be taking this well, or as well as could
be expected. “Yes. Really. I should have known he’d take you there. He only takes girls he really likes there.”

  I squeezed her hand again giving her a smile.

  “He was nice, but there were no sparks. He’s a good friend.”

  “I’m glad we agree on that.” A commotion in the kitchen made us step apart and look at the doors to the kitchen. Louisa let out a heavy breath. “You two can come out now. It doesn’t take that long to brew coffee.” Her tone beckoned out our voyeurs and I giggled.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Taylor came out with a tray holding four cups of coffee like she was presenting high tea to the Queen minus the cucumber sandwiches.

  “She made me do it.” Kristen said with a grumpy pout before popping a piece of cake in her mouth.

  “The chocolate hazelnut ganache.” Louisa muttered.

  We all turned to look at her.

  “That’s what you and Hunter should have in your cake.”

  We nodded agreeing it was good decision.

  “Take her to the Mountain Haus. Good food, respectable desserts with a seasonal drink menu.” Kristen huffed.