Chapter 5
Jojo
Iheld the back door open while Rafe carried the last of my supplies into the Burger Bonanza. “I suppose you’re not completely useless.”
“High praise.” Rafe smirked making the dimple on his left cheek pop. “Careful, I might get a complex if you keep up the compliments.”
“Very funny.” I followed him through the kitchen to the backroom where we’d be working until Helmut closed up the restaurant.
The two bottom tiers were back in the cooler where they’d started out earlier in the day. I’d wasted so much time carting things back and forth. If I’d just stayed at the Burger Bonanza, I could have had everything done and avoided the cake destruction in the first place.
“What do we need to do first?” Rafe smoothed his hand over the polka dot apron he still had on. He looked ridiculous in it but didn’t seem to mind.
“If we don’t get the new layers in the oven in the next half hour, there won’t be enough cake to save. How are you at following a recipe?” I moved around the room, gathering the items we’d need.
“I think I can handle it. Where do you want me?”
There were hundreds of ways I could answer that question and none of them had anything to do with baking. I handed him a paper hairnet. “First, put this on.”
Rafe took the paper hat and slipped it on over his hair. “What do you think? Is it me?”
He could wear a paper bag and still be the hottest man I’d ever seen. “It’s totally you. If we pull this off, I’ll send you home with a whole case of them so you can wear one out on your next guys’ night.”
“What makes you think I go out for guys’ nights?” He arched a brow as he sidled up to the counter.
I set my notebook down in front of him, open to the page with the recipe he needed to follow. “We’re not doing this.”
“Not doing what?” His eyes widened in mock surprise.
“Flirt baking. Nope, not happening. Go wash your hands.”
He stepped in front of the sink and flipped on the water. “Flirt baking? Is that a thing?”
“Not around here.” At least it never had been until I’d met Rafe. No way was I going to start now.
While he washed and dried his hands, I set out all the ingredients he’d need. Then I cut out a few circles of parchment paper to fit into the cake pans.
“What’s that for?” Rafe peered over my shoulder, his chest close enough to my back that I could feel his body heat.
I stepped to the side. “It’s so the cake doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Everything’s ready. You’ll need to double the recipe and make sure you level off the dry ingredients. Got it?”
“Got it. Don’t worry about a thing.” He gave me a reassuring smile and reached for the notebook.
Hoping he was right and would be able to handle mixing up a batch of cake batter, I retrieved what I needed to redo the chocolate spiders.
“I thought you were going to finish things at the Phillips House.” Helmut stood in the doorway, his arms crossed.
“The power went out,” I said.
He glanced toward the window. “Because of the storm? It’s not that bad out there.”
“A murder of crows was involved,” Rafe said.
“Crows?” Helmut scowled.
“Ignore him.” I prepped the double boiler so I could start melting the chocolate.
“He just likes letting everyone know that’s what a group of crows is called.
A metallic ribbon got wrapped around the power line.
They’re hoping to have it back up in a few hours.
Until then, I was planning on working here. ”
Helmut shook his head. “A murder of crows. Who came up with that?”
“That’s a really good question.” Rafe set down the measuring cup and made a move to pull his phone out of his back pocket.
“Don’t you dare. You can look that up on your own time.” I glared at him until he picked up the measuring cup again.
A deep laugh rolled from Helmut’s chest. “You work fast, Jojo. Most women wait until after the wedding to break a man.”
“Seriously? There’s nothing going on here.” I didn’t have to justify myself to Helmut or anyone else.
“She already told me I’m hers,” Rafe said with a straight face.
“Just for tonight,” I clarified.
Rafe’s lips split into a wide grin. “One night will never be enough.”
I groaned, tuning him out as I faced Helmut. “You don’t mind if we work here, do you?”
He shook his head. “Not at all.”
“Thank you.” I should have called ahead to ask but Helmut had never refused me before. Underneath the attitude and tattoos, he was basically a big softie.
“Holler if your helper gets out of hand.” Helmut narrowed his eyes at Rafe. “I was special ops. I know where to hide the bodies, so they’re never found.”
“You’d better get back to work. I’m sure you’ve got customers waiting on Banzai Burgers.” I pushed Helmut out of the room.
With him gone and Rafe whistling to himself while he added ingredients to the mixing bowl, I finally had the bandwidth to focus on those spiders. I poured the chocolate into the pan and waited for it to start melting.
“So why don’t you have your own bakery yet?” Rafe broke the silence. “You’ve got the talent and the drive.”
“If that was all I needed, I’d be set,” I said as I gently stirred the chocolate. “I’ve also got two kids who need to be fed and clothed.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, making me wonder if I’d been too harsh.
“Look, I don’t expect you to understand.
There’s a lot on my plate. Always has been.
I’m just trying to do the best with what I’ve got.
” It shouldn’t matter to me what some stranger I’d never see again thought about me, but it did.
Being around Rafe made me wish there could be room in my life for more than just parenting and work.
The reality was that I barely had time to fulfill the cake orders I had.
“I understand more than you might think,” he finally said. “My business is doing great now but I started by doing cheap special effects at a rundown haunted house in a crappy area of Dallas. You’ll get there, Jojo. If having your own bakery is what you want, I’m sure you’ll make it happen.”
“Someday.” The tension in my shoulders eased a fraction. Maybe he did understand.
“Do you have a name picked out?”
I smiled to myself. “I’ve got a few.”
Rafe finished adding ingredients to the bowl. “What’s your favorite?”
“I don’t want to jinx myself.” I’d never told anyone the names I’d been considering. Having my own bakery still seemed too far away.
“When we get the cake done on time, you promise you’ll tell me?” He held up his hand and crooked his little finger.
“What? You want me to pinky promise you?”
“They’re the only ones that count.” Stepping closer, he hooked his pinky around mine. “Say it, boss.”
“Fine. I pinky promise that if we survive getting this cake done, I’ll tell you what I want to call my bakery someday.”
“Was that so difficult?” He teased as he held my gaze.
“No.” I forced myself to look away.