By the time they came up for air, Amanda was almost an hour latefor work. “I really have to go.”
Mel agreed but managed to talk her into having dinner together thenext night. And showering with her. Which led to shower sex. She couldn’t evenremember the last time she’d had shower sex. When she pulled into work a fulltwo hours after her usual arrival time, her limbs felt loose and her bodyhummed with the afterglow of multiple orgasms.
Since the bakery was already open, she went in the front door,letting herself imagine the new entry she’d have in a few months’ time. Meistood behind the counter arranging muffins on a cake stand. Amanda offered awave. “Good morning.”
Mei looked at her with concern. “Are you okay? We were expectingyou hours ago.”
“I let myself get distracted by a few things at home. Issomething wrong?”
Before Mei could answer, Tanya pushed through the kitchen door.“Oh, thank God. We were about to call the cops.”
“I know I’m rarely late, but that’s a bit over-the-top, don’t youthink? All I have is the Chen anniversary cake.”
Tanya’s eyes got big. “And the Humane Society fundraiser.”
Amanda’s pulse tripped. “That’s next week.”
“It’s tonight and you promised twelve cakes to be used ascenterpieces.”
She had. Twelve unique but complementary designs. Eight-inchcakes she could practically decorate in her sleep but wouldn’t decoratethemselves. “Are you sure?”
Tanya pointed to the poster she’d hung on the community bulletinboard advertising the event.
“Oh, no.”
“They’re baked, but not filled. I can get started on that as soonas I finish the cookie order for this afternoon.”
Amanda’s mind raced. “I can’t believe I mixed up the dates.”
Tanya raised a brow. “It’s so unlike you.”
It was. “I guess I’ve been a little distracted.”
This time Tanya folded her arms. “I’ll ask again. Are you okay?”
Amanda nodded. “I am, I promise. Good distraction, if anything.You know, thinking about the expansion.”
If her staff didn’t believe her, they opted not to say so. Shewas usually pretty transparent with them, but things with Mel weren’t usual byany stretch of the imagination. And since she still had no idea what any of itmeant, the fewer people who knew the better.
She headed into the kitchen and donned her apron and cap. It wasfine. It would be fine. She still had close to six hours. She’d pulled offbigger projects in less time. She’d be frantic, but she’d get it done.
* * *
Quinn pulled into the small lot next to Bake My Day. Maybe she’dbeen thinking about Amanda a lot in the last week, but she could just as easilyargue she’d been thinking about the job. Not the biggest or even mostcomplicated on her plate right now, but outside of her wheelhouse. And she was asucker for anything that involved old buildings. Older building, quirkyproject, and a beautiful client? She’d be worried if she wasn’t preoccupied.
But now was not the time for preoccupation. She had a meetingwith that beautiful client, and she was here to discuss business. She grabbedthe plans and headed inside.
At least a half dozen people waited in line ahead of her. Lookedlike lunch service was popular even without the new seating area. Since Amandawas nowhere to be seen, she waited, just as she had for their first meeting.
Instead of ogling the baked goods, she studied the chalkboarddisplaying the lunch options. Two salads, two sandwiches, and one soup. Limitedfor sure, but it all looked good. It probably rotated, so people could comeagain and again and not get bored. Would Amanda expand the selections when sheexpanded her kitchen? Would she have her hand in the cooking as much as thebaking? She’d have to become a regular customer and find out. Even if thebakery was a solid half hour from her house and close to an hour from heroffice.
“Hi. Quinn Sullivan. I’m here for a meeting with Amanda.” Theperson behind the register was different from the one she met at her firstmeeting, so she didn’t feel silly introducing herself again.
“One second.”
She disappeared through the swinging door. Quinn could make outvoices, followed by something clattering to the ground. She glanced at herwatch to make sure she wasn’t inconveniently early. Nope. Right on time.
A moment later, Amanda emerged from the kitchen looking harried.No, harried didn’t do justice to the state she appeared to be in. Her hair wasall tucked up in one of those chef’s caps, her apron smeared with at least fourdifferent colors of frosting, and she had a streak of powdered sugar across herforehead. Really, though, it was her eyes. She had an almost frantic look inher eyes. “Quinn.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m so sorry. I somehow forgot we had a meeting today and I’mliterally drowning in cake.”
“Oh.” Not the end of the world. Deflating, perhaps, since shecouldn’t seem to chase Amanda from her thoughts, but Amanda didn’t need to knowthat. “Um, it’s all right.”
“Is there any chance we could reschedule? I have two deliveriesthis afternoon and am nowhere near done.”
“Of course.” It happened to everyone at some point, right?
“I really am sorry. Can I text you tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Mei, box up whatever Quinn wants, on the house.” She tossedanother apologetic look Quinn’s way. “Thank you.”
And then she was gone.
It would be silly to take the mix-up as anything more than asimple crossing of wires, the result of one too many things to do and notenough hours in the day. But even as Quinn told herself that, she struggled notto be disappointed.
“What can I get for you?” Mei asked.
Quinn sighed. Did it count as consolation if she’d planned tobring something home all along? She eyed the case. “Cookies, I think. I’ll takeone of each kind.”
Eight cookies wasn’t unreasonable if she didn’t eat them all atonce, right?
Mei smiled. “Excellent choice.”
While she boxed them up, Quinn pulled out her wallet. “I don’tmind paying, though. Eight feels like an abuse of the nice gesture.”
“Nonsense. You came all this way.”
She didn’t really want to argue. And she had gone out of her way.“Thanks.”
Quinn accepted the box. As she turned to leave, a
