cupcakes, and he was talking into a cell phone. The bell above the door jingled again and Katya turned to smile at the customer who came walking in, but she was again ignored. It was a young woman who was dressed in a smart suit and skirt, and she didn't even look at Katya, just made a beeline for the man in the corner. She stood next to him, leaning in close to say something softly, then she stood back and fiddled around on a tablet.
Wondering whether or not she'd actually be needed, Katya busied herself with checking over the racks in the display case. She didn't usually bother with the donuts and pastries and croissants, but she had to keep herself busy. If she didn't, her mind would wander back to her activities from the night before, and then she'd blush like an idiot for the rest of the day.
Bad enough that I'm having trouble walking normal, don't need to be red in the face, as well.
She was pulling one of the racks out of the case, determined to change out the croissants that she just knew were stale, when the strange couple finally turned around and came to the counter.
“ Angel food cake. ”
Katya almost dropped the entire rack. It wasn't like it was really her nickname, but still. She would never be able to hear those words again and not remember Liam whispering them while he touched her.
“I'm sorry, what did you say?” she asked through gritted teeth while she worked to get the rack back into the case.
“Cupcakes,” the man said. “Do you make angel food cake cupcakes?”
“We could, sure. What were you thinking?” she finally got the display back to rights and she stood upright, brushing her hands against her apron as she turned to face the front.
“I was thinking I'd like a couple dozen.”
Katya froze as she stared into a pair of very blue eyes. She flicked her eyes to the other woman, but that girl was still looking at her tablet, moving a stylus back and forth across the screen. So Katya looked back at the man.
Holy shit, how long has it been? Eight years? Nine?
“You do speak English, don't you?”
Hmmm, not long enough to forget he's a total asshole .
Katya knew him, or at least, she used to – he'd grown up in the house next door to her, their families had been loose acquaintances. He was about six years older than her, though, so they'd never been friends. Not that they would have been even if they'd shared a birthday – he'd always been a jerk. Smarter than everyone else, richer than everyone else, more talented than anyone else. A gifted swimmer, there'd been talk of him going on to Olympic trials, but he'd pursued a college career instead.
He'd never paid any attention to Katya and her friends, or any of the other kids in the neighborhood, even the ones his age. He'd always been aloof. Snobbish. When she'd been fourteen, she'd taken a job babysitting his little sister for the entire summer. She hadn't realized he'd be home for the whole time, as well. No matter how rude he was to her, no matter how selfish or thoughtless, she couldn't help the small crush she'd developed. He had just been too good looking, and her bedroom had overlooked his pool. Watching him swim everyday hadn't been a burden at all.
She wondered if he still swam.
“Yes,” she finally answered. “I'm sorry, I don't normally work the counter.”
“That is unfortunate. I was hoping to deal with the manager, or at the very least, someone professional,” he sighed. Katya felt her feathers getting ruffled.
“I'm head baker here, sir. Anything you need, I assure you, I'm the person to help you with it,” she informed him.
“So you can make my cupcakes for me?” he asked.
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On when you need them. I have a waiting list,” she said.
“You have a waiting list? ”
“Yes. If you'd like me to make them, I can have them to you in roughly three months. But if you'd prefer for one of the intern bakers to make them, I'm sure they could get something together in a couple
Wondering whether or not she'd actually be needed, Katya busied herself with checking over the racks in the display case. She didn't usually bother with the donuts and pastries and croissants, but she had to keep herself busy. If she didn't, her mind would wander back to her activities from the night before, and then she'd blush like an idiot for the rest of the day.
Bad enough that I'm having trouble walking normal, don't need to be red in the face, as well.
She was pulling one of the racks out of the case, determined to change out the croissants that she just knew were stale, when the strange couple finally turned around and came to the counter.
“ Angel food cake. ”
Katya almost dropped the entire rack. It wasn't like it was really her nickname, but still. She would never be able to hear those words again and not remember Liam whispering them while he touched her.
“I'm sorry, what did you say?” she asked through gritted teeth while she worked to get the rack back into the case.
“Cupcakes,” the man said. “Do you make angel food cake cupcakes?”
“We could, sure. What were you thinking?” she finally got the display back to rights and she stood upright, brushing her hands against her apron as she turned to face the front.
“I was thinking I'd like a couple dozen.”
Katya froze as she stared into a pair of very blue eyes. She flicked her eyes to the other woman, but that girl was still looking at her tablet, moving a stylus back and forth across the screen. So Katya looked back at the man.
Holy shit, how long has it been? Eight years? Nine?
“You do speak English, don't you?”
Hmmm, not long enough to forget he's a total asshole .
Katya knew him, or at least, she used to – he'd grown up in the house next door to her, their families had been loose acquaintances. He was about six years older than her, though, so they'd never been friends. Not that they would have been even if they'd shared a birthday – he'd always been a jerk. Smarter than everyone else, richer than everyone else, more talented than anyone else. A gifted swimmer, there'd been talk of him going on to Olympic trials, but he'd pursued a college career instead.
He'd never paid any attention to Katya and her friends, or any of the other kids in the neighborhood, even the ones his age. He'd always been aloof. Snobbish. When she'd been fourteen, she'd taken a job babysitting his little sister for the entire summer. She hadn't realized he'd be home for the whole time, as well. No matter how rude he was to her, no matter how selfish or thoughtless, she couldn't help the small crush she'd developed. He had just been too good looking, and her bedroom had overlooked his pool. Watching him swim everyday hadn't been a burden at all.
She wondered if he still swam.
“Yes,” she finally answered. “I'm sorry, I don't normally work the counter.”
“That is unfortunate. I was hoping to deal with the manager, or at the very least, someone professional,” he sighed. Katya felt her feathers getting ruffled.
“I'm head baker here, sir. Anything you need, I assure you, I'm the person to help you with it,” she informed him.
“So you can make my cupcakes for me?” he asked.
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On when you need them. I have a waiting list,” she said.
“You have a waiting list? ”
“Yes. If you'd like me to make them, I can have them to you in roughly three months. But if you'd prefer for one of the intern bakers to make them, I'm sure they could get something together in a couple
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