Pretty Boy: Do you see this face? He thinks I ran you off and is blaming me you aren’t here.
He’s attached a pic of a grumpy looking McLovin.
Me: Tell him I’ll be home tonight.
Pretty Boy: He doesn’t believe me.
Me: Lies.
He stops texting me, so I set my phone down and look over the next two week’s schedule. We tend to go full on traditional around Cinco de Mayo. People expect it. This year is no different. If I weren’t taking a huge amount of time off, I might be tempted to change it up, but I don’t want to rock the boat. I have it almost all figured out, all the staffing set up, making sure Mario has an extra sous chef to keep things tight while I’m off work, when my phone pings. It’s Fritz again, this time he’s added a video.
It starts off with a view of a very grumpy McLovin. My heart melts a little when I realize he’s sitting in my office chair. Then, Fritz starts speaking and my toes curl in my shoes. God, that voice.
“I told you she will be back tonight. I did not run her off.”
McLovin stares at the camera, unblinking. Fritz is right. He definitely looks like he blames this all on Fritz.
“She has to work, buddy, so you have to deal with that.”
His hand comes into the view of the camera as he reaches out to McLovin. The cat hisses and takes a swipe at Fritz’s hand but misses. The camera turns around and Fritz’s stupidly beautiful face fills the screen. He’s frowning and, dammit, he’s even pretty when he’s upset.
“See. He hates me and you are now his human. Asshole. Have fun at work tonight, roomie.”
Then the video stops. I watch it one more time before there’s a knock on the door. Mario sticks his head in my office. “I hate to ask you to start early, but since you’re here and one of those tour buses just pulled in with tons of senior citizens on board, I thought I would ask.”
I slip my phone into the pocket of my pants.
“Be there in a second. Need to clean up, then I will join you.”
“Thanks, Chef.”
He disappears and I head off to get ready for the night.
Chapter Eight
Fritz
The countdown for the wedding is on and things are ramping up. I thought Ed would get nervous, but he’s as cool as a cucumber. He’s always been the more serene of the three of us. Harry was the planner and always looking for mistakes. I was searching for the next big thing. Ed was the calm one. It’s why we worked so well as a unit in the field and now as we run our business. Still, I thought he would get a little antsy the closer to the wedding date he got.
I’m making a sandwich when my phone buzzes on the counter.
Ed: Hey, you MFers, make sure you’re on time tonight.
I roll my eyes. The only thing he has been kind of a bitch about is the tux fitting.
Me: Don’t worry old man. We know how to find a tux store.
Harry: I don’t understand why we aren’t wearing our uniforms. That would be easier.
Ed: This is what Sunshine and I want.
Sunshine is Ed’s name for Allison, and I have to admit, it is kind of sweet the way he calls her that all the time. What? Just because my friends think I’m a manwhore doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for them.
Harry: Pussy whipped.
Ed: Happily. I love your sister’s pussy.
Harry: *throwing up emoji*
Me: You walked right into that one, Harry.
Ed: Sunshine said that Savannah hasn’t been around much. Is something going on?
Me: Remember when we used to text about work, sports, and getting laid?
Harry: We have women. You’re the only loser around here.
Ed: LOL you walked into that one O'Bryan. Sunshine was just worried about her.
Me: We keep very different hours, but she said something about a tough schedule and that she blocked out five days for the wedding.
Harry: What the fuck do they need five days for?
Me: Bachelorette party, spa day, etc.
Ed: Spa Day?
These two. You would think they never spent any time with women. I had a hellish childhood being the only boy in my house, but as an adult, I’m thankful for what I learned at the hands of my sisters.
Okay, that sounds weird. What I meant was that I know more about women and their activities because of them. Guys act like our sex is the only one that needs to let off steam. Women need to celebrate the changes in their lives and not always with a wine night at someone’s house. Getting out, singing, dancing—you know, the party activities. They’re human too, and I never understand why men think they are any different.
Harry: EJ hasn’t said anything about a bachelorette party.
And Harry proves my point. Ed, I understand. He grew up an only child in the foster system. Harry had a sister he was super close with.
Ed: Yeah, they are going to some club to dance and drink.
Harry: And you’re allowing this?
Really, Harry? I roll my eyes. This one is going to spend most of the rest of his life getting his ears boxed. Women do not need permission to go out and have fun.
Ed: Sunshine said something about getting a limo and having a girl’s night out. Syd is taking care of it.
That surprises me. I remember Syd Fillmore, sister of the home improvement star Travis. She works for the head of the network that airs Travis’ show. I know from what EJ and Allison say, Syd comes into Magnolia Books to shop a lot. She shows up for all of the wine nights, but I didn’t know they were that close.
Me: Hey, are we doing anything for the loser who’s getting married?
Harry: Poker night.
Me: Really? That sucks.
Ed: That’s what I want.
Me: Fuck that shit. I thought we would go party like the girls are going to do.
Harry: Party? What kind of party?
I thought we just established they were going out. Harry is a numbers guy. He can tell you the square root of just about any number, but women, he has issues with them. Thankfully, EJ took pity on him.
Me: Aren’t you and EJ living together? Ask her.
Ed: He’s afraid too.
Harry: *middle finger emoji*
Ed: You can’t say anything because it’s true. Either way, there are a few guys coming into town for the wedding, so we’re going to do a poker night at Harry’s. I thought you knew about that.
Me: Guys?
Ed: Papas, Smith, and I think Longstreet.
I knew they were inviting a few of our old Army buddies, but I hadn’t realized how many were coming. Both Harry and I knew that Ed’s side of the church might be a little light since he didn’t have a family to speak of. I made sure that my family knew to sit on that side so it wouldn’t seem so lopsided.
Me: Great. Will there be strippers?
I don’t care about strippers. I just like fucking with them. It’s weird that both of them settled down so fast. In less than a year, they both had found love and were intent on spending their lives with the significant others.
The hollow feeling in my chest had nothing to do with that. At all. Stop giving me that look, will you?
Ed: Just show up on time.
I roll my eyes. He’s turned into such a hen.
“What’s that look for?” Savannah says.
It’s been a few days since we’ve seen each other. She looks…exhausted. In the two years that I have gotten to know her, she’s always looked tired. But lately…I’m amazed she’s still standing. She’s wearing a Camos and Cupcakes t-shirt and sleep shorts, and her hair has that just been fucked look. Again. Jesus, she’s a walking wet dream, and I have a feeling she has no idea.
“Fritz?”
I hear a meow and notice McLovin sitting beside her. He has completely abandoned me for her. More often than not, he sleeps with her throughout the day. Asshole.
“Sorry. You surprised me. And the look is for the guys. They’ve turned into such hens. Especially Ed.”
She smiles
, her eyes lighting up and those cute little dimples appearing. Why doesn’t she date?
“What?”
I blink. “What, what?”
“Did you just ask why I didn’t date?”
Dammit. That is embarrassing. “I was thinking it.” I shrug. “Didn’t mean to be so nosy.”
She waves it away and goes to start the coffee. It’s noon and she’s just getting up. This is why we never see each other.
“Running late?”
She shakes her head. “I’m not going in until after three. Mondays.”
I know what she means. La Trinidad is usually busy every day of the week, but Mondays are always slow. In a week we’ll get hit with the Battle of the Flowers and Cinco de Mayo right after that. As a city that thrives on tourism, it seems like we have something going on every weekend, but this is sort of the slow point before the massive storm.
“And the look is thanks to the guys. Ed is worrying that we make it to the fitting on time today.”
She snorts. “Yeah, you know Harry will be there on time without a problem.”
“I’ll be there on time.”
“Sure, Fritz.”
“Ugh, you are as bad as my sisters.” I sit down at the bar. “Apparently, Harry didn’t know about your bachelorette party.”
She chuckles. “We’re just going to that club Stallions.”
“Wow, that’s hard to get into.”
“On the weekend. Thursday night?” She shrugs and grabs her favorite mug. “Plus, Syd’s using her boss’ connections to get us into the VIP area.”
“There’s a VIP area?”
She nods as she pours her coffee. “My brothers talk about it.”
I frown. I find it odd that during the last month, I have yet to see her brothers. They never show up at her house. Sure, she works a lot of hours, but if I lived near my sisters, we would definitely be checking on each other. We text several times a week, so with four of them, I text with at least one of them each day. And then there were the horrible group texts.
“You’ve never been?”
She shakes her head as she takes the seat next to mine. There is that scent again. Something spicy, earthly, much like the menu at her restaurant. “I don’t have time, and while I am going with the girls, I really hate clubs.”
“Not a clubber in your early twenties?”
She snorts. “Nope. I was running La Trinidad before my twenty-third birthday.”
“Before that?”
She shrugs as she sips at her coffee. “I was working a lot back then. We went out but I worked at least five nights a week.”
“We?”
“Some of my friends from school.”
This woman. I swear most women were ready to throw their whole lives out there. Savannah acted as if she were harboring secrets.
“School?”
She glances at me. “The CIA.”
I let that sink in. The Culinary Institute of America isn’t the easiest school to get into. “I knew you went to a culinary school, but I didn’t know it was the CIA.” It is one of the hardest to complete, and I know for a fact that competition is intense. No wonder she could handle her family’s business. Not that she should have to.
“So, no broken hearts left in San Francisco?”
Another snort. “Uh, no. I was dating a guy when Tito died. Frank. We just…when I decided to stay here, we both knew it was over.”
I now hate Frank the Dick. Yeah, I don’t know him, but now that I know she had a boyfriend, I have an irrational need to beat the crap out of him.
We chat about nothing really all that important. Instead, we discuss the wedding, the fact that Ed can’t seem to relinquish control over the wedding “cakes.” They are opting for strawberry lemonade cupcakes for their main cake. It’s Allison’s favorite cupcake, and the flavor is named after her in our shop. The groom’s cake is going to be a tres leches cake from a recipe made up between Savannah and Ed. It took all of us griping at Ed to get him to understand he couldn’t make the cakes. He grumbles every few days about it, but apparently, Allison has been running interference for us. Then we chat about the garden I planted in the back. I have the herbs going and after the wedding, I plan on planting peppers and some cucumbers.
“What time is the fitting?” Savannah asks as I finish off my sandwich.
“Five, but I’m stopping by to see Grannie Pam.”
“Speaking of grannies, did you know that EJ’s Gran and Mom are going to be here? I can’t wait.”
“Why?”
“I feel her Gran and I would have a lot in common.”
I chuckle because she’s probably right. I could see an older Savannah threatening a man with a gun. Hell, I could see her doing it now, although I have yet to see any guns around.
“I take it you’re working tonight and tomorrow and…”
“Until I’m off for the wedding.”
I frown. She doesn’t seem to have had a day off since the day I moved in. I know she works a lot. Running a business like she does, it takes a huge amount of time. The guys and I are just lucky we have each other to depend upon. Also, we’re closed every day at three and closed completely on Sundays. “Really?”
“Agreement with the folks. I work these days and I get five days off for the wedding.”
I wanted to say something, but I hold my tongue. I’m not privy to her family life, and I’m sure I don’t know everything that is going on with them. It just seems like kind of a shitty thing to do to your only daughter. As the baby, she should be coddled. Well, to an extent. It just never seems to happen to Savannah.
“Well, I’m going to get ready and head out. I plan on stopping off at HEB on the way home. Do you need anything?”
“Some half and half.”
I nod. Always about the coffee. “Later.”
After a quick brush of the teeth and fighting McLovin to get him in his carrier. I arrive late enough that Grannie Pam had time to clean up from her water aerobics class. She lights up when she sees me, just like every time. It makes everything McLovin has put me through worth it. I would do anything to make her smile every day.
“Fritzy,” she says with a smile as I put down the carrier. I wrap my arms around her, the familiar scent of ginger and lemon surrounding me. When she pulls away, she looks at me. “You have a woman.”
I frown. Grannie Pam has always been kind of a freak with the details. She could always tell when any of the kids had been into something bad. On her good days, she can still pick up on things. Of course, she is completely off here.
“Nope.”
She shakes her head. “You need a woman.”
“Why would I need a woman when I have you?”
She rolls her eyes as I open the carrier. My grandmother has been living in the retirement center for a few years. She wanted to remain independent but also have someone to watch over her. I offered to find a place for the two of us, but she was worried she would cramp my style. Her words, not mine. It’s not just a room, it’s an apartment with a small kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom with a private bath.
“Hey, General McLovin, my good boy.”
The asshole cat slinks out, tosses me a nasty look, then goes willingly into my grandmother’s arms. They allow animals here, but since Grannie Pam started having issues thanks to her dementia, they couldn’t let her keep the animal.
“Is it just females he likes?”
She settles in her chair. “I don’t know. Why?”
“He seems to like Savannah.”
As soon as the words tumble from my mouth, I realize my mistake. She looks up at me, those sharp blues eyes not missing a thing. She might be having some moments, but today is not one of them. Today, she definitely catches my slip.
“Who are you talking about, boy?”
Dammit.
“My landlady.”
There. That should make her think Savannah is old. Granted, I have mentioned Savannah to Grannie Pam before, but I doubt she’ll remember.
“Landlady?”
“Remember, I said I moved into a house.”
She eyes me. “That’s Allison’s friend.”
Double dammit. I have mentioned her before. Grannie Pam always wants to know what I am up to, so I like to tell her about my friends.
“Yes. She has a little in-law suite that her uncle built on the house that I’m living in. It’s a huge house and I will say McLovin really likes it. Lots of room to explore.”
“She doesn’t mind the cat?”
I shake my head. “Mrs. B said her grandmother had a cat.”
She nods. “Will she be at the wedding?”
“Yeah. I’m actually walking with her.”
“Oh, she’s in the wedding?”
Okay, this is getting a little…weird. Don’t get me wrong. Grannie Pam wants to know what is going on in our lives, but she’s never been this nosey about my living situation.
“Yes. I’ve told you about her. We’ve actually been to her restaurant, La Trinidad.”
She nods and lets the subject drop. We have a good time talking about Avery and her social media marketing, how we worry about Olivia being a single mother since her husband was killed in Afghanistan a couple of years ago, we discuss if Gerry’s—short for Geraldine—wanderlust will ever slow down, and how Cora’s youngest will be the death of her. By the time I leave, I feel at peace. My life can get a little crazy—especially right now with Ed and Allison’s wedding approaching—but being with Grannie Pam always reminds me what’s important in life. I also know that our time together is growing short. Her dementia is still not that bad, but I do know that the memories will fade, and I want to soak it all up.
I have enough time to take McLovin home and then get to our appointment. Ed and Harry worked today, so we set the appointment for five to make sure they had time to clean up. I always get Mondays off because I go see my Grannie Pam those days. It’s better that I have normal visiting days and the guys suggested Mondays since they are always slow.
Scrumptious: A Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Camos and Cupcakes Book 3) Page 7
