“It does make sense, Addie. I knew that guy was up to no good,” I said, furiously wiping down the counters.
“I thought you were crazy in love with him,” Addie said matter-of-factly. “I mean I know you’ve had some hiccups along the way.”
“Since the moment I met him there have been hiccups. Forget hiccups, he’s more like the stomach flu. I’m over him one minute, then overtaken by him the next minute. I told you the day I met him he was trying to unload his desserts at the art gallery, remember? And that building he wanted to buy, he specifically pointed out there was some great bakery space in there. Oh my gosh, Addie, he is using me,” I said, throwing down the cloth I was cleaning with. “He was so eager to get to know me, and now he’s stealing business right out from under me.” My heart ached as I spoke, and my throat felt like it was closing up as my anger increased.
“Mallory, are you sure? Maybe you should talk to him. Maybe there’s an explanation for all of this.”
“Addie, that guy has an explanation for everything. No matter how he tries to spin this, it doesn’t look good. I am so mad. The last thing I want to do is talk to him. In fact, I have no desire to talk to him at all. Like, ever. I am so over him,” I said, walking to the back of the bakery. I angrily pulled out some of my recipe books and started feverishly flipping through the pages.
“What are you doing?” Addie asked.
“Baking. That’s what I do. I just want to do something other than think about Greyson. I am going to bake every single thing in this book today if that will keep me from calling him and giving him a piece of my mind. I don’t want to hear him out. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want his sorry excuses for why he is yet again pissing me off. I just want to be done with it,” I said, pulling out random pans and mixing bowls. I dropped a few of them and the loud clanging sounds further infuriated me.
“Well, let me help you. What do you want to make today? Something we’ve never done before?” Addie asked, taking one of the recipe books from my pile. I smiled, relieved to have such a good friend. Someone who knew what I needed in this moment.
We thumbed through the books and picked out six new recipes we wanted to try. Addie and I laughed as we came up with new names to call the recipes, and we pondered whether or not any of them would be worthy to make the menu. As we pulled out bags of flour and sugar the front door chimed, which was unusual for the middle of the day. Addie went up front to assist whoever it was, and I continued to lay out our supplies. About ninety seconds later, Addie came back to the kitchen, and I could tell by her face something was wrong.
“He’s here, Mal.”
Chapter 21
“What are you doing here?” I asked with a sharp tone as I walked up to the bakery counter.
“Mallory, I just got my package and I saw the outline. I tried calling you a few times, but you didn't answer or return my messages. I know you’ve seen it by now and that’s why you’re angry,” Greyson said gently.
“So you’re coming into my work, my job, to further insult me?” I asked squarely.
“Mallory, it’s not what you think,” he replied calmly.
“With you, it never is. Look Greyson, I don’t need an explanation from you, or an apology, or whatever you came here for. I would honestly just prefer it if you would leave. This is not the place for you to be right now,” I answered.
“Just hear me out. Please. You don’t think I bid against you, do you?” he asked, staring at me intently for an answer.
“Does it matter Greyson? I shouldn’t be competing with you. Why am I competing with you? How did we even get here?” I asked angrily.
“I don’t know, that’s what I’m trying to explain to you,” he said, reaching out an arm to touch me.
“Don’t, Greyson. Don’t you dare touch me right now. You want to explain all of this to me? Even the secretary gushed about your pie. Since when is Luca’s in the dessert business? You never thought to throw that out in any of the conversations we’ve been having recently?” I huffed.
“I told you the day I met you that I wanted to branch out into catering desserts. That shouldn’t be a huge surprise to you,” he responded.
“So you thought you’d hook up with the bakery girl? Maybe learn a thing or two? Then take her jobs out from under her?” I mused.
“That’s what you think this is?” Greyson responded, hurt by the accusation.
“You just took fifty percent of my job. That seems to be exactly what this is.” I stared at him with piercing eyes, and I knew my voice would begin to waiver if this conversation escalated.
“That’s not what happened. I didn’t even put in a bid, Mallory.”
“So they just assumed you’d be interested in baking? ‘There’s a handsome guy, maybe he can make better cupcakes than the girl whose entire business is baking.’ Seems like an interesting coincidence. Look, I don’t care what happened. I can honestly say I really don’t care anymore. I just want to end this conversation by pointing out that I was right about one very important thing,” I said, crossing my arms.
“What’s that?” he asked curiously.
“Remember that night at the bar when I told you I thought you were my next big mistake? Well congratulations to me, I was more right in that moment than I even realized. So let’s just call it, Greyson. You wanted to turn this personal relationship into a business contract, right? Well now you’ve made my business personal, and that is a line you shouldn’t have crossed. That is a hard rule, Greyson. Not one I wrote down on a napkin, but a hard fast rule. We’re done. Please leave,” I said, pointing towards the front door.
“Mallory, how on earth can you believe I’ve been using you this whole time? You really think that’s what I’ve been doing?” he said, pleading for me to change my mind with an obvious sadness in his eyes.
“Please Greyson, I’m working. I’d like you to leave.”
“I don’t know what the right play is here, Mallory. I want to stay and talk about this,” he responded genuinely.
“The right play is to listen to the girl and do what she asked. You should go,” Addie chimed in, walking up to the bakery counter. I shot her a small smile, happy for her interjection.
Greyson reluctantly walked out of the bakery, and I turned away and walked back into the kitchen. Hot tears poured down my face, and Addie said nothing. She just hugged me and smiled, squeezing my arms as if to let me know everything would be okay.
We went back to baking and didn’t talk about it any further. The day flew by and Mallory and I worked on some orders we had, along with a few new pastries. We actually managed to laugh throughout the day and Megan came by as soon as she got off work. She hung out with us in the bakery for about an hour, and then we all went back up to my apartment to freshen up before dinner.
Sure enough, there was an envelope taped to my door.
“So we actually get to meet the guy tonight, right?” Megan asked as we walked into my apartment.
I could see Addie frantically shaking her head no in my peripherals, but Megan didn’t seem to pick up on her gesture.
“Actually, we’re done,” I said, taking a deep breath. “It just didn’t work out. Addie, do you want to explain the story to her while I change?” I asked, walking back to my bedroom. I stared at the envelope in my hand. Part of me didn’t want to open it, because I wanted to continue pretending I was completely over him and this whole thing didn’t bother me. But on the other hand, that was a complete lie, and I hated the pit I had in my stomach from everything that had happened this morning.
I slowly opened the envelope, curious as to what Greyson could possibly say at this point to make any of this better.
Mallory,
Please just at least give me the opportunity to explain. I miss you. - G
I stared at the note, not quite sure how to feel about it. Why did he always have an explanation for everything? I believed he missed me, sure. But I couldn’t believe he had no part in anything that had happened. N
o one would just give a dessert gig to an Italian catering company that didn’t even make desserts. It just didn’t make sense.
I threw the note in my drawer and picked out a low-cut green dress. At least a night out with my best friends would make me feel better. I called out to Addie in the living room and she and Megan came into my bedroom, sitting down on my bed.
“How about this one, Addie?” I asked, holding up a purple chiffon dress for her to wear.
“Can’t I just wear some flashy leggings and this top?” she responded, pointing to the tunic style shirt she already had on. Despite all my best fashion efforts, Addie was a minimalist, and I was constantly trying to get her to dress up a bit more. I threw the dress at her, and she knew what that meant.
“I’m wearing my work dress,” Meagan chimed in. She was wearing a form fitted black dress with a zipper up the back. “I’m hoping to meet some of the after-work crowd. I need a man who has an actual job,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Those last few guys I went out with had no motivation. One of them actually told me he was trying to find a way to become a video game tester for a living, so he could get paid for playing video games all day. How very ambitious,” she sneered, fixing her hair in my vanity mirror.
“Perpetually on the search for Mr. Right,” I joked, wondering if Megan would ever take dating seriously. “Maybe I should try this whole serial dating thing you’re into. I could use a two-day relationship. All this falling in love with every handsome guy that comes my way, it just doesn’t seem to be working for me,” I remarked.
“Do you want to go out with me after dinner tonight? I know just the place to find your next ex-boyfriend,” Megan said excitedly. “There’s this bar on Fourth Street, right by that vintage shop. It’s kind of a hole in the wall, but I’ve met some gems there.”
“Oh really? Care to recall any of their names?” Addie shot back. It was no secret that Megan had an attention span for any guy of about seventy-two hours. After that it was like they never existed.
“Come on, leave me out of this. I’m perfectly happy this way. Besides, I think Mallory needs to come join me on the dark side. It’s a lot more fun,” Megan said with a deviant smile.
I curled my hair and put on eyeliner, which I didn’t apply often. I was probably too overdone for a night out to dinner with my friends, but if Megan and I were really going out afterwards, I needed to at least put in some effort. Her long dark hair and forever long legs were hard to compete with.
We all drove together over to the Fish Bowl, a trendy restaurant with an amazing view of Lake Tahoe. It was a younger crowd, mostly people in their twenties and early thirties. It was busy almost every night of the week.
We met up with Steve, Johnny, and Griffin and we were seated in a large booth near one of the huge windows overlooking the water. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone asked me where Greyson was.
“I thought you had a plus one tonight Mal,” Johnny said, eyeing my curiously.
“Yeah, well he’s unavailable,” I said vaguely. “Are we drinking tonight?” I asked the group, holding up the drink menu. Everyone nodded in agreement, and we ordered large pitchers of flavored margaritas. We talked, we laughed, and we reminisced about old times. It was a perfect night out, and I had to admit, Greyson was finally far from my mind for the time being.
I slugged down three margaritas as we waited for our food, which made Megan even more excitable for our night out tonight. Addie and Griffin had plans to see a movie afterwards, but we talked Johnny and Steve into going out with us as well. We had so much fun together, so I knew this was exactly what I needed.
Six margaritas later we left the restaurant and said goodbye to Addie and Griffin. Johnny volunteered to drive for the night, which was a nice gesture. We made our way downtown and went to several different bars. We danced, talked, and drank too many shots. I felt alive and far from alone, and I was so appreciative to have such wonderful friends.
I can’t say that Megan was a good wingman though, she pretty much failed at it. Anytime we saw a handsome guy, she hurried off to work her magic, leaving me to hang with the guys. It definitely makes you unapproachable to be standing around a bar with two already very handsome men.
Sometime around midnight, everyone seemed tired. We talked about going to a different nightclub, but no one really had the stamina.
“I think we’re all getting too old for this,” Steve commented as we walked out to the parking lot to retrieve Johnny’s car.
I had to admit, I didn’t feel great and I knew the morning would come much faster than I would be ready for.
“Are you sure you guys don’t want to just hit up one more place?” Megan asked in her perky voice.
“No,” we all said in unison, which made us laugh.
“Just because you’re going home alone Meg, it doesn’t mean the night wasn’t worth it,” Steve teased. She threw her arm around his shoulders and made a pouting face.
“I’m too cute to be going home alone,” she retorted.
“How’s that dare going, Megan? You realize you aren’t allowed to sleep with anyone for a consecutive three months, right? You can’t add it up one night at a time,” Johnny chimed in.
“Maybe I’ll start tonight then,” Megan said with a smile. “Although I have a date tomorrow night, so it’s not looking good.”
“You’re hopeless,” I said, climbing into the passenger seat of Johnny’s car.
Once everyone was seated, Johnny began the drive back to my apartment. My stomach felt queasy, and my mind raced with thoughts of Greyson. Earlier today I had to admit, I was genuinely sad about the whole thing. Sad that everything unfolded the way it did. Sad that there would be no more ‘us’ days, relaxing in the sunshine without a care in the world. Maybe it was all the margaritas, or the shots at the bar, or spending time with my best friends, but now I was just downright angry. The way Greyson outbid me behind my back without even a warning. The way he wanted to justify and explain everything he did, like he was charming enough to find an excuse for any situation. He was far more calculated than I realized, and that was what angered me the most.
As we headed down Dixon Drive, something caught my eye. “Stop the car, Johnny!” I exclaimed, almost sounding panicked.
“Oh no, not in my Camero, Mal,” Johnny said, bringing the car to a screeching halt on the side of the road. “You’re going to throw up?” he asked as he reached across me and flung open my side of the door.
“No, no. I mean, maybe later. But that truck,” I said pointing to the large black pick-up parked in front of the vacant lot across the road. “That’s him.”
“What?” Johnny asked, clearly confused.
“Are you talking about Greyson? How do you know if that’s even his truck? Why is he just sitting in front of that empty building?” Megan asked from the backseat. “That seems a little creepy.”
“I know that’s him. That’s the building he wants to buy for his catering business. He took me here one night,” I answered, wondering if now was really a good time to talk to him. I can’t say the alcohol I had tonight made me a nicer person, so maybe this wasn’t a good time to vent to him.
“Mallory,” Steve chimed in, “are you sure you want to do this? You had a lot to drink tonight. Are you sure you know what you want to say to him?”
“Yes, I know exactly what I want to say to him,” I replied, angrily unbuckling my seatbelt and climbing out of the car. “Will you just give me a few minutes? I’ll be brief,” I said to Johnny, who replied with a nod.
“Mal, I just don’t think…” I slammed the car door as Megan tried to call me back in, ignoring anyone else’s advice. I was really mad at him, and I just wanted the last word.
I walked across the street to the vacant parking lot where his truck was parked in front of the empty building. It was in the same spot we parked when he first showed the place to me.
I walked up to the driver’s side window and angrily pounded my fist on it. The door op
ened, and Greyson sat there with a surprised look on his face.
“Mallory?” He climbed out of his seat and stood squarely in front of me. “Mal, I am so sorry. I just want to explain what…”
“Don’t bother. I came here to explain something to you,” I said firmly, interrupting him. He stared at me with his moist blue eyes. “Are you crying?” I asked in a harsh tone.
Greyson closed his eyes and tilted his head back, unsure of what to say. “I just… I was thinking about everything, and I…”
“I’m sorry, that was a rhetorical question I guess. I don’t want you to think I’m interested in your answer,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “I just want to tell you that I think you’re an asshole.”
“Whoa, you haven’t even heard my side of the story yet. Can I just explain to you what happened? I don’t even want the bid, Mallory. It’s all yours,” he said genuinely.
“I don’t want your pity, Greyson. That’s not what I’m doing here,” I said sternly.
“How did you know I was here? You came to find me?” he said, narrowing his eyes at me.
“No, I was out with my friends and I happened to see your truck. I had no intention of ever speaking to you again, honestly. But after the shots I’ve had tonight, I finally feel like saying what’s on my mind. What you did was despicable, Greyson. You are a bad person,” I began. “You didn’t even warn me. Look, I know we have similar jobs and it’s not out of the question that our paths would have crossed in this way. But you knew how bad I wanted this. You never even said a word about it, Greyson. And that sucks. A lot. That’s the worst part. You knew I would be crushed, and you didn’t even bother to soften the blow. Worst boyfriend ever,” I said, staring straight at him.
“Do you remember the day we met? In the alley outside the back of the art gallery?” he asked, putting his hand on my arm.
“Are you really getting all nostalgic on me right now? I hated you that day,” I said honestly. “It doesn’t exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling, if that’s what you’re going for right now. Nice try. I wanted nothing to do with you.”
Six Rules: Book Two in the SIX Series Page 13
