The Accidental Honeymoon (Wildflower Lane #1)

Chapter 18

eighteen

JAY

I push open the glass door of You Butter Believe It. The scent of freshly baked bread and sugar hits me like a baseball bat to the face. Calla is behind the counter, decorating a cookie with her lips screwed up in a crooked line of concentration. When she looks up to see me, those lips burst into a smile. "Jay! I thought you were sending your crew."

"I decided to give them the day off." I shrug like it's no big deal. "Figured I could handle it solo. Plus, it's more fun this way."

Calla's eyes sparkle with excitement. "More fun, huh? Well, I'm all for fun. What do you want to film?"

I set my camera bag on the counter and pull out my handheld. "I was thinking a Valentine's Day cupcake-making class. You show me how it's done. I pretend not to ruin everything."

She laughs. The sound is like tinkling glass. "Pretend, huh? This should be good."

We move to the kitchen. Calla starts pulling out ingredients while I set up my camera and do a quick intro. I explain that we're at the famous You Butter Believe It with the talented Calla Rustin. She waves and bites her lip, looking adorably nervous.

"Okay, Calla,” I tell her once we’re ready. “Teach me your ways."

She dives in, explaining every step with the enthusiasm of a kid showing off their favorite toy while I try to keep up.

With just the cracking of eggs and measuring of flour, it's already clear that I'm out of my depth. When it comes time to mix the batter, I put the bowl in place and turn on the mixer, full speed. A mushroom cloud of cocoa powder explodes into the air.

"I'm making it rain chocolate!" I shout.

Calla bursts out laughing and accidentally steps on a stray egg yolk. She goes flying. The bowl of sprinkles she was holding goes flying too, and the sprinkles rain down like edible confetti.

"Look, Jay! A rainbow!" she gasps from the floor, laughing so hard she can barely breathe.

I help her up. We salvage what we can of the batter and put a batch in the oven, but the kitchen looks like a war zone. I turn off the camera and lean against the counter. "Calla, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She wipes chocolate from her cheek.

"Do you think people only hang out with me because of my online fame?"

The question arose this morning when I was scrolling through the comments on the last few posts. The posts heavily featured Calla, so there were definitely some haters in the posts saying that Calla only wants me because she knows that dating me will equal fame.

The comments stuck with me. Because in Calla’s case, they’re entirely true .

Calla tilts her head. "I think... that people are drawn to you because you're interesting and cool. The fame is just a bonus. Who wouldn't want to hang out with you?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you hitting on me, Mrs. Rustin?"

She laughs and shakes her head. "You wish, Mr. Nikolakis."

She puts the second batch in the oven, and pulls out the first, setting it on a rack to cool. I turn the camera back on and aim it at the cupcakes. "Calla, these look amazing. I didn't think we'd actually make something edible."

"You have so little faith." She smirks. "But you're right. I did most of the work."

I grab a bowl and start making frosting with a spatula. Calla watches, bemused. "You know, for someone with millions of followers, you'd think at least one would've taught you how to make buttercream properly."

I shrug. "I'm a fast learner. Watch this." I take a glob of frosting and fling it at her. It hits her apron with a splat.

"Jay!" she scolds me, but she's smiling. "This is serious business." She starts frosting the cupcakes, her mood sobering. "I'm really glad you came. The bakery... it's been tough. The profit margin on cupcakes and cookies is so slim."

"Is that why you're getting into wedding cakes?"

"Sort of. But also, I just love weddings."

She turns to the camera and explains how to make rosettes with a piping bag. I watch her. She’s genuine. Relatable.

When she finishes, I announce, "You're a great baking influencer, Calla. That's a thing I just made up. Still, you're teaching me a lot today."

She laughs. "Influencer, huh? Maybe I'll steal some of your followers."

"Having tasted your cake, I don't know why you aren't rolling in money. You're the most talented baker I know."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." She says it lightly, but I can tell she's pleased.

"Your cupcakes are so good, they should be illegal. I might have to call the dessert police."

She blushes and thanks me. I make some more buttercream and offer her a taste on a spoon. She takes it and grins, dabbing a bit on my nose playfully. I laugh and grab a frosting filled piping bag. "Time for the grand finale. I'm going to write 'You're Sweet' on this cupcake." I squeeze the bag. The frosting comes out in a wobbly line. I try to control it, but it's like trying to write with a broken pen.

"I think it says 'You're Sweat'," Calla giggles when I show her the end result.

"Well, you do make me sweaty." I wink.

She blushes furiously and takes the cupcake from me. She scrapes the frosting off with her finger and holds it up. "Sugary treats are my love language," she says, then feeds it to me.

I take it into my mouth, savoring the sweetness, then lean in. She doesn't pull away. Our lips meet, soft and tentative at first. Then more urgent. We kiss, forgetting the camera. Forgetting the cupcakes. Forgetting everything.

When we finally break apart, she laughs. "How's that for a sweet ending?"

The resulting video goes viral. Not for the baking tips. But for what fans dub "The Great British Cake-Off: Disaster Edition."

It’s also our first real memory as a couple. Laughter. Frosting-covered faces. A surprising sense of closeness.

And blackmail material on each other for life.