by Skylar Dawn
"Looks serious." He smiled.
I shot him a wicked glance.
"Very serious."
It was a tiring day, and when Noah and I threw ourselves on the couch in my apartment, exhausted, it was late. He ended up opting to stay in my apartment and let the girls have fun alone. And of course I was going to have fun with him, too.
"So," I snuggled into his lap. "Shall we put our channels together?"
He stroked my hair.
"You like these social media stuff, photos, videos don't you?"
"Yes, I like it."
He gave me a little kiss.
"Why not to invest in it? You did this whole video thing, filled Lou's Caffé of millennials, made me the naked baker..."
He was right.
"I like that, yes. It might be a good idea. And I didn't turn you into the naked baker. You are the one who cooked naked to begin with. I only created the marketing around it."
"Shirtless isn't naked." He rolled his eyes.
"It's still delicious."
He jumped off the couch.
"Speaking of delicious, today I'm going to make your favorite cheesecake.
"But you don't even know which one it is." I teased.
"I have a hunch."
I picked up Ham and sat on the counter while he made the cheesecake. It was complicated for him to cook in my apartment because of my lack of utensils. I made a mental note to buy some and leave it there. After all, Ham and I liked to watch. Not to mention the delicious smell that was spreading all over the house. Especially when he used the oven. He didn't cook bacon near Ham though, to avoid traumatizing him.
As soon as he put the cheesecake in the fridge, he decided to make pasta for both of us.
"Can I help?" I stopped by his side and he looked at me suspiciously.
"Make the sauce then. Bolognese."
I faced my task with commitment and made sure that I was putting salt and not sugar. You never know, right? With my abilities it had the potential to turn into another disaster.
He drained the pasta in a bowl and I threw the hot sauce on top. Smoke was coming out of our combined efforts. Noah picked up the cheese grater and filled it with parmesan on top, tossing a few basil leaves.
He smiled, showing me the dimples I adored.
"We’re a good team."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
"We are."
We sat on the floor around the coffee table in my living room and turned on the TV to look for another old movie. Our favorite thing to do. Ham this time hid under my bed, he wasn't keen on having light on his face, so we were both alone, enjoying each other's company.
Noah picked up the dishes and took them back, putting them in the dishwasher.
"Stay there," he gestured at the couch. "I'll bring your favorite cheesecake."
I laughed, shaking my head.
"I don't know how you're so sure it's my favorite now."
"I know it is." Noah laughed in the kitchen.
He brought me a plate with a single slice, but quite big. There was no syrup, no lemon, no chocolate chips, nothing. It only had the slice and a little whipped cream on the side.
I glanced at him.
"Give it a try."
I used my fork to separate a tiny bite. I put a little whipped cream and took the combination to my mouth. Noah was looking at me in expectation. I made the whole point of chewing in slow movements to keep the suspense going.
"Am I right?" He nudged me.
I nodded my head. Traditional cheesecake was actually my favorite. Of course I liked adornment, but in the end my favorite was simple, tasty and without anything else on top.
"How did you know?"
"I didn't know," he laughed and shook his head. "But I've been accounting for all the recipes I've made in the last few months. The things you've tasted at least, and I realized the only one I hadn't done was the traditional cheesecake."
"So that means I ate all the cheesecakes in the world?"
Noah burst into laughter.
“Most likely.”
Noah hugged me, whispering in my ear.
"You're full of surprises, Emma Woods. And I love you."
"I love you too."
CHAPTER fifteen
The Strip
Early in the morning Lou invited us to talk. It was serious business, after all, he directed us to a table at Caffé, instead of doing our usual gathering behind the counter.
"It's a proposal," Lou put a briefcase on the table. "I've been watching several things since each of you came to the Caffé."
"In what sense? Tasks?" I asked, leaning forward.
"That too, but the creative ideas you both brought to the table. Emma with the social part and Noah with the menu. I want to include orders too."
Noah’s eyes widened in satisfaction. It was one of the things he wanted to do the most.
"I'll have helpers then."
Lou smiled and clapped his hands.
"Bingo, you will. And so is Emma. I want each of you two in the area where you shine the most. "
It was excellent news, but Lou had an expression as if he had a lot more to say.
"But that's still not the proposal."
Noah and I looked at each other, curious.
Lou opened the briefcase and handed us a document that looked like a contract.
"I want to know if you want to be my partners."
My jaw dropped. Me? Co-owner of a Caffé? Lou looked at us, excited.
"I'll take care of the administrative tasks, which is what I do best. Emma takes over marketing and internet and Noah leads the kitchen. What do you think?"
"Lou," I raised an eyebrow. "I don't have any capital to invest here right now."
Noah nodded.
"I have something, but it's not much."
The look on Lou’s face showed us he was expecting us to say that, so he added.
"That's where your work counterpart comes in. And I also thought we could take advantage of the brand you already have on the internet."
Noah threw him a confused look.
“The Naked Baker?”
"Exactly!" Lou hopped in his chair, excited. Noah was still frowning, confused, but it was clear to me.
"We join the videos, open up online orders for the Caffé and make a new branding."
"Exactly girl!" Lou nodded.
It was perfect. We could expand the Caffé and still take advantage of all the traction that the online content was bringing. And it was Vegas. Anything new happened first here.
"The Naked Caffé?" I suggested, looking at Noah from the corner of my eye.
"L-O-V-E-D I-T!" Lou squealed, super excited.
Noah nodded in agreement.
"I like it. It reminds me of naked cake."
Lou slammed the briefcase shut and left the papers for us to read.
"So, are you in?"
Noah and I looked at each other.
“Of course!”
“Wait a second,” Noah tilted his neck and narrowed his eyes at Lou. “I don’t have to be naked, do I?”
Lou rested his arms on the table and I leaned back on my chair.
“There’s no need to show your skin,” Lou burst into laughter. “We can add a few pictures on the wall. That will serve your fanbase.”
I thew Noah a mischievous look.
“But at home you do.”
I wasn't even believing I was going to have my own Caffé. Something that was mine to take care of. I loved working here when it was all Lou's, and now sharing it with him and Noah was much more rewarding. I was sure we were going to fill this place up, and it was time to start answering those online orders and grow our business.
We spent the afternoon making plans and outlining what the next few weeks would be like, but Noah and I had to leave a little earlier to drop Mia and Jesse at the airport.
Mia was going home looking like she didn't want to leave, and Jesse's eyes were red from crying. I was feelin
g sorry for them, and Noah didn't know what to do. It was going to be hard for them to match their schedules, one in Boston and the other in Cleveland, but if it was up to Mia, I was sure they'd make it.
Noah went back to his apartment and I confess I was finding everything very empty without him around here. But we didn't have to speed things up now. Although our trajectory was strange, I had a lot to learn about relationships, especially healthy ones, since this had never been my strength.
Ham didn't like the idea of Noah going home either, so when he cried behind my door, I let him go to his apartment. But he always came back to sleep and snore at the foot of my bed. And he was getting big, not like Jesse's German Shepherd, but he was bigger than a pug. I thought he was going to be small forever.
Noah and I had our work routine, but the nights were always ours and the weekends were always together. He even decided to take part in the water aerobics sessions, to the girls' delirium, because he said he was getting weight after eating so much. Absurd. He was just as delicious as before.
I kept my dance lessons with Mrs. Dunn, first because I liked it and then because it was a great exercise. At least now I didn't have to worry about getting undressed one day, it was only physical activity. And of course, Mrs. Dunn still kicked me in the ass whenever she turned into a sexy firefighter on that damn pole. But she gave me an interesting idea, I had never used my skills, and I might as well debut with Noah.
"Spice things up at home," Mrs. Dunn laughed.
I stretched my back and sat down on the floor. I was a pro at reaching my toes now.
“Trust me Mrs. Dunn,” I glanced at her. “Things at home are hot as hell. But I’ll give it a shot. It may be interesting."
She looked at me and smirked, amused.
"Try not to kick his face this time."
I narrowed my eyes at her and then buried my face between my knees.
"It will be very difficult," I burst out laughing. "You know it's my strongest move."
She patted me on the shoulder and leaned against my back, forcing me to stretch even more.
"I know. For safety, get him a helmet."
I know Mrs. Dunn said that as a joke, but since I'm a little clumsy, I took the hypothesis into account, and on Friday when we were going home from the Caffé, I asked him to make a quick stop at the sporting goods store.
"What are you up to, Emma Woods?" He chuckled as I got into the car with a football helmet.
I raised my finger and shushed him.
"No more questions. It's a secret."
He started the car, still laughing.
"Don't tell me you're into NFL now. Don’t tell me you’ll play in a team. We’ll need lots of ice and ointment to keep you alive if you do."
I frowned.
"I would, but it has too much knocking down for my taste. And that's not the goal. Not intentionally."
Noah smirked and looked at me from the corner of his eyes.
"I'm here wondering if I should ask what is it for."
I placed my hand on his leg as I did whenever he drove us.
"You'll know at the right time, but for now, no comments." I laughed.
"Okay," he chuckled. "I only hope it doesn't involve anything painful."
“You never know. There’s always a small possibility.”
Noah raised an eyebrow and then laughed, holding my hand for a moment.
"There isn't a day of boredom with you. You're always full of crazy ideas."
I leaned in his direction and kissed his cheek.
"And you approve them all."
"Ninety-nine percent. I like to live in danger."
I glanced at him and smirked.
"Then you'll love the helmet."
#
It had been thirty minutes since I locked myself in the bathroom. I was trying to put on those weird strings I bought with Mrs. Dunn on our shopping spree, but I had no idea what was going on with those clasps and velcros. Let alone if I was wearing them the right way.
I got one of Noah’s buttoned shirts to put ot top and do the impact thing Mrs. Dunn taught me, but if I misplaced the artifacts down there, it wouldn't do me any good.
"Is everything okay in there, Emma?" Noah asked from my bedroom, using a concerned tone.
"I'm great," I lied. "I'll be out in a second."
"Are you sure you don't want my help?" He insisted.
"Absolutely not," I said. "It's only a matter of logistics. I'm leaving in a minute."
I heard him laughing.
"There's at least half an hour you're telling me you're about to come out."
I let out a sight. I’ve been telling myself the same thing.
"Don’t rush me. It will work out just fine."
The only thing I'd knew it was right was that string wrapped around my neck, but as for the rest I couldn't tell what was above or below. I would have to improvise.
I dropped half a bottle of perfume on my body, as I learned from the girls: a few drops on my neck, on my thighs, between my breasts and closer to my private parts. They had been very adamant about never putting it on my parts, but of course I had forgotten all about it. The result? It burned like hell I had to take another shower.
"Emma! I'm coming in!" Noah’s hand shook the doorknob.
"Don't rush things, I'm about to come out. Get the helmet!"
He sounded confused on the other side.
"What?"
"Put the helmet on!" I insisted.
"What for?"
I sighed, I was getting impatient.
"Noah Cook, if you want me to get out of the bathroom, put on that freaking helmet."
He took about twenty seconds to reply in a muffled voice.
"Done. I'm wearing it."
I opened the bathroom door and stretched one leg out. I was going to use all my seductive powers and impact techniques that Mrs. Dunn took months to teach me.
Noah was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless and with his helmet on. I couldn’t see his face, but his eyes seemed to enjoy my efforts.
The dance routine was pretty similar to the last one. Turn over, arrive. I don't want you, now I do. Lower kick, high kick. I'm mad at you. Open the shirt with impact. Creamy hands on my chest, creamy hands on my ass. Strike a pose.
I couldn't finish the dance. No, I didn't hit Noah this time, despite the fact he took off his helmet and ventured into my routine, interrupting the whole process. As for me, if he wanted to interrupt every single time, he was more than welcome to do so.
"I like that thing you were wearing." He gave me a mischievous look when we were in the kitchen after my performance. Eating cheesecake, for a change.
"That's good," I chuckled, "but let me tell you now I can't put it on again."
"Is it that hard?" He looked at me, eyes wide in curiosity.
"Let's say that none of that comes with a instruction manual. So I don't even know if it was in the right place to begin with."
He stuck his fork into the cheesecake and brought it up to my mouth.
"You look perfect. Always."
Our eyes met and I smiled, leaving cream on my lips on purpose. He leaned in and took it out with a kiss, but I wanted more of that and pulled him back to me, running my fingers from his chest to the back of his neck.
"Come back here," I bit his lip. "That's my cream."
"Then come and get it." He whispered.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Skylar Dawn finds extremely pretentious to write about herself in third person, but since it is the norm, she won't fail to follow through in her first book.
The poor thing is always lost in her fictional worlds, wearing a silly smile. Who knows what goes on in her head, but it should be at least interesting for her to take the trouble to write a book. Or maybe she has way too much free time on her hands.
Adept of headphones and loud music, if you find her on the street, go ahead and poke her. And no, she doesn't have a little piggy (she wanted to), but she like
s Star Wars just as much as Noah and to eat as much as Emma.
Skylar is not a match for social media, but she has one of those gram things (@dawn_skylar). Feel free to follow her food pictures, dogs and excessive alcohol display. She also has a website. It’s just a place to talk about shenanigans, so follow her there too.
www.skylardawn.com
