11. Lennox #2
Aiden straightens, his eyes brightening. “Ava’s Josie?”
Relief floods me at the successful change of topic. “Yes. Her birthday is coming up, so Ava asked me to plan a little party.”
“How’d you end up in this job anyway? I know I asked at our first appointment, but I was a bit distracted, and I’m not sure if I ever got an answer.” The way he says it, in an almost flirtatious way, his eyebrows raising as if we’re sharing some unspoken secret, leaves me thoroughly confused.
“Sounded like a fun job.” I shrug and scrape at the crumbs on my plate with my fork, going for nonchalant.
“I still haven’t quite figured out what I want to do with my life, so I’ve been testing out one career after another.
I figure that I’ll eventually like something enough to stick with it.
Kind of like taste testing these cakes. I like to try a job or a city out for a bit, take a few bites. ”
“What do you think of this one so far?” The smirk he gives me is knowing. Like it’s obvious that I both hate and love this job because of him.
I lift a shoulder, focusing on my plate. “It’s okay.”
Aiden swipes a hand across his face. “Come on, you get to hang out with me, eat copious amounts of sugar and—” He scans the bakery, humming. “Actually,” he says, grinning again, “I think that’s reason enough to make this job awesome.”
Laughing, I pick up my fork and stab it into the chocolate cake that I’d like to box up and bring home, since this is the closest I’ve come to an orgasm that wasn’t self-induced in over a year. Does this count as non-self-induced? Someone else made it…
Aiden leans in, his arms settling on the table. “What are you thinking about right now?”
“Orgasms,” I reply without doing any thinking at all.
Shit.
He rears back, and his eyes flare.
Shit, shit, shit. Choking on air and embarrassment, I snatch my coffee from the table and tip it back. Though maybe it’s better if I just choke to death right here.
“I’m just going to—” I point to the bathroom and then book it before I mortify myself further.
Me: I’m going to need you to come to the bakery and light it on fire so I can sneak out the bathroom window.
Sara: Wait. Did you lock yourself in the bathroom?
Me: I can hear your sarcasm and judgment from here.
Sara: Impossible.
Me: Okay, Judgy McJudge Pants. I need you to not be so smart right now and HELP ME.
Sara: tell Momma what’s wrong.
Me: I hate you.
Me: But really, I love you and I need you because I just told Aiden I was thinking about orgasms while we were eating cake.
Sara: Told you that place is awesome. Can you bring a piece of carrot cake home? It’s Brooks’s favorite, and I love it when he licks it off me.
Me: Sara.
Sara: What?
Me: I JUST TOLD MY EX-BOYFRIEND I WAS THINKING ABOUT ORGASMS WHILE I’M PLANNING HIS WEDDING TO SOMEONE ELSE. CAN YOU NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR AMAZING SEX LIFE FOR ONE MINUTE?
Sara: Wow, all caps. That takes a lot of work. Aiden probably thinks you’re having a lactose reaction to all that chocolate.
Me: I hate you.
Sara: Love you. Don’t forget the carrot cake!
Breathing deep, working to steady my pulse, I survey the bathroom door, then study the tiny window. I’m pretty positive my ass would not fit through it, but it may be worth trying if it means avoiding Aiden. Then again, if I get stuck in the window, that would only ratchet up the humiliation.
Dammit. I pull my shoulders back and don my I don’t give a shit face, then head back to the table, letting my hips sway the whole way.
Aiden’s got his face buried in his phone, so I make a quick stop by the counter to place an order for Josie’s cake.
Once the pink musical perfection is ordered, I force myself back to the table so that we can place the order for his wedding cake and get the hell out of here before I make a bigger ass of myself.
“You almost ready?” Rather than sit, I collect my things, making it clear it’s time to go.
“Sara told me to remind you to get the carrot cake.” Aiden holds up his phone, shaking the screen a little, wearing an eager grin like he knows there’s a hidden message there.
I groan. “I ordered her stupid carrot cake. And don’t ask unless you want to know the kinky shit she and your brother get into.”
Aiden presses his lips together and looks off to one side, thoughtful. “What kind of kinky things involve carrot cake?” Then he shakes his head. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
“Which flavor did you choose?” I ask as I follow him to the counter.
“Vanilla with peach filling.”
I have to hold in my resigned sigh. I was certain he would choose the chocolate. Clearly, I don’t know the adult version of Aiden even half as well as I thought.
He chose a venue I never would have imagined he’d like, and now he’s ordering a cake that I’m pretty sure he’s allergic to. Let’s not forget he’s marrying a woman who isn’t me.
And somehow, I’ll have to be okay with it.
As the owner boxes up Sara’s carrot cake, I lean over the counter and whisper, “Can you throw in a slice of chocolate cake too?”