A Taste of Trouble Part 20

She stole a look under the curtain and froze when she registered Jake standing in front of her. He was persistent. And a glutton for punishment. But something inside her warmed at the sight of him. She did her best to repress the smile she wanted to flash him.

He stood stiffly, his eyes glued to her, his fists clenched at his sides. Like he wanted to punch something.

She owed him an apology. She had no doubt hurt his feelings. Okay, she owed him more than one apology.

But she had been humbled this morning. Nancy had been right. She'd had it too easy all these years, and it was time she paid her dues. Why not get all of the feeling-like-s.h.i.+t moments out of the way in one morning? She needed to fix things with Jake.

Liv looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"You weren't supposed to do that." His voice was stern, hard, nothing like the smooth tone she was used to.

"Do what?"

"Apologize. That's not how I planned this."

He planned their encounter? "Jake, I know I-"

"Let me say what I need to say." He held his hand up, cutting her off, and took a deep breath. "You freaked out this morning."

She lowered her gaze to the floor. She knew what was coming. He was here for closure.

"You were worried," he hesitated. "And I'm sorry."

She looked up at him. The last thing she expected was an apology.

"If I came on too strong, I'm sorry. I should know what not to do."

Shame gripped her. It took a lot of guts to do what he was doing right now. She only hoped she'd be able to do the same thing when it was her turn to lay her cards on the table.

"I know you're busy. I'll give you as much s.p.a.ce as you need. Maybe one day, you'll trust me and let me in." He stepped closer. He had changed into a suit. No one looked better in a suit. The pale pink of his dress s.h.i.+rt matched his pale, pink patterned tie. So he did have pink in his wardrobe.

Jake reached out and covered her hand with his. "I know we aren't together-together, but when I'm with you, I want nothing more than to have your hands all over me."

Agreed! She loved Jake's hands all over her. Couldn't get enough of his hands all over her.

"But I don't want to just hide under the covers in your bed." A sly smile spread across his face. "Not that it wasn't fun."

He was drawing her in. She was inching closer and closer, leaning over the counter. "It was fun."

"I can't wait for the book launch. Say you'll go out with me on Wednesday."

Before she could answer, the ding of the oven interrupted. "Uh...can you...? Can we move this to the kitchen?"

She couldn't handle burnt cupcakes on her conscience today, too.

He nodded and followed her to the back.

She grabbed her oven mitts on the way to the ovens. When she opened the doors, sweet chocolate flooded her nostrils. Despite the problems this morning, her feelings toward cupcakes hadn't been tainted. The smell still brought back wonderful memories.

"Those smell great." For a moment she had forgotten that he was with her.

She placed the trays on the wood island then shut the oven door.

"Have you sold anything today?"

Despite the gnawing sense of dread that sat heavy in her stomach, she gave him a genuine smile. "A few. But it's early in the day. The two o'clock craving hasn't hit yet." Not to mention the after school crowd. She'd noticed there was an elementary school just down the street, which meant lots of stay at home moms, and lots of sugar-craving kids to cater to.

"What happened there?" Jake gestured to the sink where the soaked boxes sat. She didn't have the heart to throw them out just yet.

Liv sighed. "Let's just say it's been a chaotic morning."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "What happened?"

She let her shoulders droop. She was going to have to recount the events at least three more times, anyway-Austin, Patti, and her mother. She might as well practice.

"The power went out." She didn't mention the weird circ.u.mstances. "The sink leaked and flooded the area behind the counter, ruining all of my business cards and advertising materials."

"I'm sorry." He sidled up to her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his body. "That's not the best start to your opening day."

"It's just..." She hesitated. This was a suspicion she didn't want to say out loud, but she needed to talk it through with someone. She raised her head from his chest. "I think someone might be trying to sabotage me."

His body tensed and his eyes narrowed.

"Do you think it could be someone I know? All of these bad things have been happening, like someone doesn't want me to open."

Jake lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. "You really believe this, don't you?"

She did. With every pa.s.sing minute, a feeling of dread settled heavier in her stomach. "I think it might be Nancy. She's my mentor. I owe her a lot, and I just feel so..." She felt awful thinking that Nancy could have anything to do with her failing. "I feel horrible even saying it out loud, but she's just been around a lot, and all of these bad things are starting to make me paranoid."

"Has she given you any reason in the past to believe she might not want you to succeed?" Jake asked.

Liv shook her head. Nancy was her number one fan and supporter. And Liv was so eager to throw her under the bus. Shame on her. But that didn't stop the suspicion from growing in her mind.

"Businesses have ups and downs," he said. "Sometimes it takes a lot of downs to finally get your stride." Jake stroked her hair. "Everything will work out." He smiled.

And she believed him.

How easily she believed him. How easily she missed the signs that someone could be out to get her. This man was a distraction. Everything she had worked for was at risk the closer they became.

She whispered, "Thank you," and wiggled out of his embrace.

While icing her cupcakes, Jake walked over to the boxes and sifted through them, pulling out a stack of cards. "What are these?"

Liv smiled. Those were her favorite idea. "'Buy twelve cupcakes, get the thirteenth free' cards." With every single cupcake a person bought they could have their card stamped, and when they acc.u.mulated twelve, they would get one free. It didn't apply to the purchase of dozen and half dozen boxes, of course. Liv's shoulders slumped when she realized Valerie had been the perfect opportunity to promote her special.

"Great idea."

"It was a great idea." Liv shrugged then pulled the cupcakes from the tray and set them on the cooling rack.

Jake looked through the boxes a little longer then asked, "Did you mock these up yourself?"

"Yes, with Austin's help." Liv ducked inside the fridge.

"Are they on a flash drive?"

She emerged with two bowls of icing, one in each hand, and kicked the door closed. "I don't have one here, but they're on my laptop." She gestured to her computer that sat on the makes.h.i.+ft desk in the tiny room that was supposed to be an office.

"Can I borrow it?" Jake grinned. "You need brochures and business cards, and I might have someone who owes me a favor and can get this printed for you in a few hours."

"What?" Liv let the bowls drop to the table. They banged against the wood. "I don't need you to-"

"Liv." He paused, making sure she was looking in his eyes. "Letting someone help you doesn't make you weak."

She sighed. She needed help. And he offered. If he didn't want to help, he wouldn't have offered. But letting him help meant giving away another piece of herself. She didn't have very many pieces left when it came to Jake, and holding her cards close to the vest was in her best interest. They could have s.e.x, maybe they could even date, but she would be d.a.m.ned if she let him cloud her dream any more than he already had.

Liv placed a disposable piping bag inside a cup and folded down the edges-her secret trick for filling up the bag with ease.

But his next words confused her even more. "Besides, I owe you."

"Oh, yeah?" She scooped up a spoonful of icing and dropped it into the piping bag. "How do you figure?"

"You're doing me a huge favor by not making me go to that book launch alone. It's the least I could do in return."

She smiled. He could have found a date in less than thirty seconds if he really tried. She didn't doubt that.

"Let me do this for you." He walked closer and rested his hands on the island.

"Don't you have to work?" He talked about his job, but Liv hadn't actually seen him do a job.

"I can go in late." He checked his phone. "I'm already late."

With the bag now full, Liv lifted it out of the cup and twisted the plastic tightly.

All he was doing was printing things. If he could even deliver on his promise. She couldn't leave here, and letting Jake help meant she would have business cards by the end of the day.

What harm would it do? Too much had gone wrong today already. Letting Jake do her a favor wouldn't be her worst decision of the day.

"Okay, yes."

Jake rushed to the office and picked up her computer.

"They're in the folder marked PR Material."

"Got it." He walked out, but before he reached the doorway he turned. "Just so you know, this wasn't a free favor. You've just agreed to go out with me on Wednesday, too." He wiggled his eyebrows and left the kitchen.

The jingle of the front door signaled he'd left the bakery and she let out a huge breath. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding it. She'd managed to put off having to answer his proposal for a date because of the call of the oven, but now...

Liv brought the piping bag to the flat surface of one of the cooled cupcakes she had sitting off to the side, and squeezed. Just like that, Jake had made everything better. He'd saved the day. He made it all seem so easy. She hoped that it would be, because his voice and his presence alone made the idea of taking the next step a little less daunting. Maybe she could do this-run a business and have a boyfriend.

Then why was it the scariest feeling in the world?

Chapter Eighteen.

Liv answered the knock at her door in a flurry, her hair half dry, dressed in nothing but her bra and a pair of daisy duke spandex shorts.

"Now that would definitely make an impression." Austin stood in her doorway, shopping bags in hand. She could see he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Honey, you look like you're going to combust. Calm down. Otherwise, Jake is going to have a date with one big hive."

"Ozzie! I'm freaking out!" She clasped onto his arms. "I have a date!"

"That's good news, not the apocalypse."

The two days since she'd seen Jake had dragged by. Despite no drama at the bakery and a surprising amount of business, their date was always in the front of her mind. But now, it was finally Wednesday. And she was going on a real date with Jake Miller.

Austin entered and closed the front door. "You just had an entire weekend together...alone. What's the big deal?"

"Because last weekend was like a fantasy. We were in our own little world. Now we have a date. Totally different expectations."

"I know you can't be talking about s.e.x, because I think that it goes without saying that you gave in to that expectation a long time ago."

"Not s.e.x! Me!" She pointed to her chest. "We're in the real world now. He's going to want to know things, important things, personal things, intimate things. I've never done this before. What if he figures out he doesn't like me?"

"First of all, you're fantastic." Austin s.h.i.+fted the bags in his hands. "You're a loyal friend, you have a big heart, and look at you." His last few words were louder than the rest. "You have a hot body and a beautiful face. Any man would be lucky to have you. Secondly"-he toed off his shoes-"if he does end up not liking you, then he's an a.s.s and he doesn't deserve you."

"That's my point. Why bother if it's just going to end badly?" How could it not end badly? It's what she had believed for so long.

"You don't know that it will."

"But it could."

"But it might not."

Liv hated how Austin loved to play the back and forth game.

"If you don't give it a try, you're going to end up alone. And personally, I don't know if the man of my dreams will enjoy you living above our garage when we move to the suburbs."

Liv let out a humph.

"I would say Jake is a pretty good first attempt at a relations.h.i.+p, don't you?"

"I'm scared, Ozzie." Not that she needed to say it. He knew full well that she was scared to death. But if she was going to do this, she had to say it out loud and face her fears head on. That was what she had done with the bakery, and that was what she was going to do with Jake.