Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Audrey
Watching Mason exit her bakery with a dark-haired beauty on his arm made Audrey’s stomach do all sorts of unhappy flips. They made a good-looking couple. Just like he had with Yasmine. What was it about him that attracted model-gorgeous women?
Okay, so it wasn’t like they were a couple. Rebecca was married. Although getting divorced.
She needed to stop the green-eyed monster inside her because it was making her crazy.
“Don’t worry, there’s no way she’s going to get her hooks into him,” Ashley said from behind her. Audrey whirled around to face her friend/employee. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alexis peeking out from the back, just for a moment before she disappeared again.
“What?” Audrey stared at Ashley, who smiled at her as she leaned against the counter.
If she was bothered by the showdown with her ex-best friend, it didn’t show on her face or in her demeanor.
She looked like it was just another day; meanwhile, Audrey could still feel her hands trembling, her stomach still hurt, and her throat felt clogged.
Having Mason swinging in to save the day had made her want to throw herself into his arms.
“Rebecca. She’s not his type.” Ashley’s smile didn’t diminish, and she winked at Audrey. “You don’t have to worry about her.”
“Well, of course not. Why would I worry about her and Mason?” Audrey brushed away invisible crumbs from her apron as she went back around the counter, summoning up a smile and a wave for the small group in the corner who was now leaving.
Goodness only knew what they’d thought about Rebecca’s meltdown.
“Uh huh. Well, you don’t have to, is all I’m saying.”
Was she that transparent? Maybe. Audrey could already feel the blush rising in her cheeks, and she ducked her head.
“I’m not… we’re not…” she muttered.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ashley patted her shoulder. “No judgment. Maybe I’m just imagining things.”
Except that she wasn’t, but Audrey didn’t know how to say that.
She was trying to get up the courage to ask Ashley if she really thought the group would be okay if she had a crush on Mason, but before she could get herself there, the front door opened again, and it began the rush of people for the afternoon.
A massive rush. Audrey wasn’t sure where they were all coming from at first, although Ashley eventually asked one of the customers what brought them in.
A video had gone viral of Rebecca in the bakery, Ashley and Audrey’s reactions, and “the hot guy” swooping in.
Whether they were there hoping for more drama, a glimpse at Mason, or because they thought Ashley was hilarious was up in the air, but the bakery was absolutely flooded by customers for the rest of the afternoon. Ashley stayed later than she’d originally planned because they were so busy.
Which totally screwed up her attempt to track what hours were going to be busy, but she wasn’t sad about the new customers.
By the time they closed up, she was almost completely out of inventory, and all of them were exhausted.
Mason texted her that night that there were no updates, and she sent him a thumbs-up before she crashed into bed.
The video had gone even more viral overnight. Thursday was absolute insanity, and she sold out of stock again. Ashley joked that she would have to send Rebecca a thank-you note.
She was tired enough that she was tempted to skip game night and go home and crash again, but she didn’t want to miss out on new friends.
Plus, she wanted to see how Yasmine was doing.
Although she felt a little guilty because, while she absolutely cared, there was also a part of her that wanted to know for purely selfish reasons.
Which made her worry that she was a bad person.
Mason and Yasmine were broken up, though.
And Yasmine had been the one to end it.
And Audrey could almost swear that Yasmine had been encouraging her in Mason’s direction.
But she needed to be sure sure.
So, game night it was. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be playing anything super complicated.
“Hey, I was wondering if you were going to be coming,” Claudia said, appearing pleased when she opened the door and saw Audrey.
Today she was wearing black leggings and a grey oversized sweatshirt that went down to mid-thigh, her long hair up in a messy bun, and somehow she still managed to look intimidating.
“Ashley called to say that she was too tired after the day at the bakery.”
“It was pretty crazy. I almost didn’t come, and my brain does feel kind of mushy right now,” Audrey admitted as she walked in, taking her coat off as the warm air of the house enveloped her. “I’m hoping you’ll take it easy on me tonight.”
“We can do that,” Yasmine joked, waving at Audrey from the other side of Claudia’s table. “I think it’s going to be a small group tonight, anyway.”
“I’m just going to stand here because I can see Cassidy parking,” Claudia said, waving a hand at Audrey. “Go sit down.”
Which meant sitting down at the table with Yasmine.
Despite it being the end of the day, she was wearing a light-blue shirt under a pinstripe vest, half her hair pulled back in a clip.
From the waist up, she looked like she would fit right in at any corporate office that happened to hire models.
If Audrey had to guess what she was wearing on the bottom half, she would picture a pencil skirt, high heels, and hose with a visible seam going up the back.
As usual, just looking at her made Audrey feel downright frumpy.
“Why a small group tonight?” Audrey asked as she sat, sighing with relief. The short walk from her car to the front door had almost felt like too much. She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to get up anytime soon. Her legs were about to stage a revolt.
Yasmine shot her a sympathetic look.
“Ashley called out because she was too tired to come after today at the bakery. Jennifer is on a date with Dr. Grande. And Naomi is on her period, which means she’s not pregnant again, so she’s staying home.
” Yasmine’s lips turned down. “She and Drew have been trying to have a baby, but it hasn’t been going well.
She won’t mind you knowing, but don’t bring it up unless she does because she doesn’t really want to talk about it. ”
Understandable. Poor Naomi.
“And Brenda’s not coming because apparently Cassidy needs a break from her,” Claudia said teasingly as Cassidy came through the door. Audrey twisted around in her seat to look at her—she looked almost as exhausted as Audrey felt.
She also looked comfortable, in sweatpants and a fuzzy sweater under the warm coat she was shrugging off as she came through the door.
“Sorry Grandma’s giving you a hard time.”
“Honestly, it’s more about being caught between her and your brother.” Cassidy shook her head. “He’s freaking out over this Mick thing, even though I’m pretty sure she’s just messing with him, and the more he freaks out, the more she doubles down.”
“What Mick thing?” Yasmine asked, sitting up and frowning.
“Oh, they’ve been spending time together, Mick and Brenda.” Cassidy groaned as she sat down next to Audrey. “I wouldn’t call it dating, exactly… but mostly because I think David’s head would explode, and mine might, too.”
Yasmine’s eyes widened.
“Mick and Brenda? That’s… okay, you know, I was going to say I wouldn’t have guessed that, but when I take a second to think about it, it almost makes sense.”
“Which is probably why it’s driving my brother crazy,” Audrey said. “I’ll admit, I am trying really hard not to think about it.”
“Neither of them will confirm they’re doing anything other than spend time together, but Brenda keeps dropping sexual innuendoes, and when David flat-out asked Mick if he and Brenda have sex, Mick said—and I quote—‘a gentleman doesn’t fuck and tell’.
” Cassidy dropped her head into her hands, and it was hard to tell if the sound she made was a laugh or a groan.
Maybe a little of both.
“Hence, the need for a break,” Claudia said. “Who needs a drink, and what do you want?”
After everyone had something to drink and Claudia had put out some snacks on the table for them to nibble on until the pizza got there, they went through the game options.
Since there were four of them and Audrey was so tired, the other three agreed that Pandemic was the perfect option—the game play was still on the level they enjoyed, but since it was a cooperative game, they could give Audrey plenty of help and direction.
Which worked for her.
They got everything set up and had started playing when the first question came.
“So, Ashley said something about a video going viral?” Claudia glanced over at Audrey questioningly.
She told them the story of Rebecca, which also necessitated admitting to Claudia about Mason showing up and why she’d called him for rescue—as well as him chasing the guy down the street.
Game play paused, then the pizza arrived, and they all listened while she went through the whole thing.
She had to backtrack to the first note and how Mason had gotten involved, which made her nervous, considering who she was talking to.
She wasn’t wrong to be.
“I had no idea!” Cassidy frowned. “I can’t keep this from David, can I?”
“Sure, you can,” Audrey said immediately. “Please? I don’t want to bother him. Mason seems to have it handled. And David’s already stressed out enough between work and now Grandma and Mick.”
“Well, there is that.” But Cassidy still looked conflicted. “I don’t know if I can lie to him, though. Especially if Audrey is in danger.”