Chapter 13
PALOMA, TIRAMISU CUPCAKES & LIbrARY BOARD MEETINGS (FRUSTRATING ONES)
FIFTEEN NEW TITLES CHALLENGED!
The Crow’s Nest Public Library is reeling! Over the weekend, fifteen new challenges to the library catalog were submitted. Councilwoman Ceridwen Crowhart has announced that the next meeting of the Library Board of Governors will be public, with all islanders encouraged to attend.
“This is a public emergency, and I am relying on the townspeople to answer the call. How long are we going to allow a coward who can’t even show their face or reveal their name to run our town’s business? The library is a treasure, and books should be protected at all costs.”
The Caw plans to attend the Board of Governors meeting, and so should you!
Watch this space and keep watch over the library.
—Crow’s Caw
“Ms. Crowhart!”
Paloma entered the pristine kitchens of the Astronomy Resort and looked around for the woman who had been rather elusive lately. She wondered if Deryn was beginning to question their arrangement. And she wondered even more why that thought brought about a sudden shiver. An entirely unpleasant one.
“Ms. Allende?” Reem stepped from the deep freezer, carrying some kind of box.
She gave Paloma a strange look before pointing toward the other side of the space, where Deryn’s red head was bowed over a book, hands covered in flour.
Next to her, a young man was paying very close attention to whatever it was she was reading out loud.
When she turned back to Reem, the usually stern-looking woman appeared flustered.
“Ma’am, that’s Khalid. I hope you don’t—”
“Ms. Alami, why would I object to Victoria Crowhart’s pastry chef being in my kitchen if you clearly don’t? I assume she’s teaching him?”
Reem smiled, a rare sight in Paloma’s memory.
“He came begging for her advice. Something about cupcakes. He even brought a book. That crazy old woman needs him to bake hundreds for some event of hers. And she demanded he do it by the book. But the book makes no sense. I read it too. So, Deryn is trying now.”
“I’m not trying, I am succeeding!” Deryn crowed. Khalid appeared slightly awed and apprehensive about being surrounded by all these badass women. And judging by the furtive glances he was throwing at Paloma, he was particularly scared of her. She had to smile at that. Smart man.
“I thought Victoria threw you out because you were in Khalid’s way?” Paloma looked on as the man grew even paler.
“Ma’am, no… I mean… I wasn’t… She wasn’t…”
He stammered, then closed his mouth with a snap and looked at Deryn, a plea clear in his eyes.
“Khalid, Khalid, Khalid… It’s a good thing you’re gay, bud, otherwise this would be super embarrassing. I mean, yes, she is really gorgeous, so I get it.” Deryn batted her eyes in Paloma’s direction. Reem rolled hers and snapped her fingers.
“Ay, enough. You both are over the top. Khalid, gay or not, Ms. Allende is Deryn’s significant other. Why, considering Deryn is a clown, I don’t know.”
Deryn laughed.
“Clearly, it’s the cupcakes. They bring both the girls and the boys to my yard, apparently, since both Ms. Allende and Khalid are here.”
Reem made a shooing gesture at Deryn, one which Paloma really wanted to imitate. Why was this woman so irritating? And yet so…attractive. With a splatter of god knows what across her chest, her hands covered with flour, her face… Was that chocolate?
Paloma sighed, then crossed her arms—just in case they wanted to reach out and clean that smear of chocolate from Deryn’s jaw.
Because… absolutely not.
“It must be because she is respectful, Reem, and calls her ‘Ms. Allende.’ I hope only in public, though.” The sole male voice in the room sounded quiet but resolute.
Every jaw in the room but Khalid’s was on the floor.
A second, then two, and Deryn started laughing as Reem sputtered.
Paloma smiled. The boy had a backbone. And a sense of humor, as he bit his lip to hide the grin and was brave enough to glance at her.
If she didn’t like Victoria Crowhart as much as she did, Paloma would’ve poached him then and there.
“Ha, good one, Mascarpone Boy.” Deryn finally collected herself enough to respond, but it was weak, especially by her standards. Reem simply resorted to giving Khalid a narrow-eyed look, but Paloma could see there was no malice in it at all.
“So… Ah… Um…” Deryn wiped her hands on her apron and stepped closer to her. “Aside from witnessing me solve the issue of Victoria’s cupcakes—and no, that’s not a euphemism of any kind, and I don’t ever want to think about this again—may I ask what I can do for you…darling?”
The word came out tentative, almost furtive. Paloma’s eyes widened, her fingers flexing, the smear of white chocolate on Deryn’s jaw almost irresistible.
“There was an issue with the cupcakes?”
It was really the first thought that came to her mind amidst the insanity she was fighting in her attempt not to reach for the pale skin.
“Um, yes, you see, she brought Khalid a sample and no recipe. Just one she had somewhere on the mainland at some reception, and she demanded that he replicate it. I mean, he’s no Mary Berry here, our Khalid, but he’s good. Still, he was stumped by the combination of ingredients.”
“It’s a tiramisu cupcake, ma’am.”
Khalid said it like it was supposed to be the key to the puzzle. Paloma lifted an eyebrow. Deryn blinked.
“Yes, well. Anyway, he’s good, but I, however, am much better. And I have discovered the secret ingredient that has been messing up Khalid’s baking for days.”
Deryn was standing closer now, gesticulating, and the scent of vanilla, the memory of it, enveloped Paloma, making her sway a little closer, trying to inhale more. Sweet, so sweet—
“We have a rack ready if you want to try one, ma’am?”
Khalid’s words made Paloma snap out of whatever foolishness had taken over her.
She did not miss Reem’s elbow to his side.
He almost covered his yelp with a cough.
Deryn dashed to the massive fridge just a few steps away and opened the doors, revealing rows upon rows of ivory cupcakes paired up like dancers in a ballet.
“They’re about ready to come out…Paloma.”
The name felt novel pronounced in that low, slightly rusty voice, as if Deryn had not spoken in days, as if her name was the first thing she had uttered in a long time.
It felt as if she had been calling the name forever, the intimacy of those pink lips wrapping around every syllable of it making Paloma shiver.
Deryn took a cupcake out and placed it gently on a little plate.
Paloma saw no way to refuse politely when the plate was already directly in her face.
It would look ridiculous. It would look…
awkward. And while Paloma did not mind making others feel awkward—not at all, since it was a useful tool during negotiations or business in general—in this particular moment, she didn’t want to do it.
She took the dainty fork and speared a small piece of the cupcake, careful to get both the crumbly cake and the creamy frosting.
The cut revealed the dark brown interior, and the scent was all coffee and something undeniably tiramisu.
It was unmistakable. And yet, while familiar, it was also distinctly unique.
She placed the piece of cupcake in her mouth, careful not to get any of the cocoa or sugar on her blazer.
It was…divine. There was no other word for it.
Paloma closed her eyes and savored. Sweet, creamy, yet so light it was almost airy…
the taste and texture were unbelievable.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but Paloma allowed herself to chew slowly, eyes still closed.
When she eventually swallowed, she licked her lips.
She was aware of a sound escaping, maybe even a moan, and when she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her.
Deryn’s cheeks were blazing crimson. Khalid was holding his side again. Reem’s eyes were fixed on him.
Paloma reached for another bite, then stopped herself. Was she missing something? Why was everyone staring?
Just as she was about to ask, Lachlan—all six foot seven of him—came barging through the door. The boy really did not move in silence. No, he elicited as much noise as was humanly possible, and since he was one big human, the noise was proportionate.
He clambered in, took one look, zeroed in on her plate, and shouted, “Oh my goodness, is that a cupcake?”
He did not wait for an answer, merely snatching the rest of it and stuffing it in his mouth before finally looking around.
“Ah…hello, everybody?”
Reem took the plate out of Paloma’s hand and disappeared. Deryn still looked dazed, though her regular color had returned.
And then, there was Khalid, who stood quietly to the side, not making any sound.
By some strange chance, Lachlan turned, and what happened next was very movie-like.
The big bear of a man finally noticed the willowy and ramrod-awkward pastry chef.
Khalid ignored him entirely. Lachlan stopped almost comically abruptly, startled, eyes wide, then blinked, gulped, and clearly choked as he proceeded to cough.
Then he coughed some more. He doubled over, waved his arms for Paloma and Deryn not to smack him over the back, and then popped back up and threw out his hand to Khalid.
“No, no, I’m okay. I’m better than okay, ladies, because helloooo! And you are?”
Khalid sniffed and did not extend his hand.
In fact, he looked at his nails before looking back at Lachlan, then said, “I’m someone who helped bake that cupcake that was not for you.
” He turned to Deryn. “Ms. Crowhart, thank you for your help. Now, I know that it was Kahlúa liquor, I will be adding it to my batches when I bake them for your aunt. I appreciate your time. Ms. Allende, it was nice meeting you.”
Lachlan was not deterred.
“And what about meeting me?”
Khalid sniffed again and took a few steps toward the elevators.
“I haven’t.”