Chapter Twelve
Garett
Another week has passed at the cookery school. We’ve had a couple of sessions, but they’re not enough for me to raise funds to get Cookie back. I’ve swallowed my pride and emailed a college about teaching classes. I can do it around working at the cookery school, but it grates that I—an expert in my field—must work at a college rather than run a restaurant. It’s another reminder that I have to leave this area. All I need is my boy, and I’ll be gone.
Although I’ve seen Ruby at the school this week, I haven’t learnt what expertise she needs me for, although I’ve imagined it most nights. She’s a welcome distraction from my life. And those cupcakes were like spongey heaven. If my expertise means I get more of those, then I’m all in.
Today was another successful children’s party, but now the kitchen is child-free. Everyone left smiling, and several parents signed up for next week’s Halloween cookery class. We’re full. Ruby is remarkable.
“What are you still doing here?” she asks, popping her head into the kitchen and catching me licking buttercream from my demonstration bowl.
My face burns, and I throw the bowl into the sink. Only Kath knows I do this, and she’s sworn to secrecy. We’ve flirted during every session over the last week. Well, I’m flirting. She’s constant sunshine, so she’s probably like this with everyone. It’s become my favourite part about working here.
Ruby smirks. “Chill out, Garett. We all do it.” She picks up the bowl and rubs her finger around the rim before popping it into her mouth.
Time slows as her cheeks hollow and she sucks that finger so damn hard. Her eyes flutter closed, and she moans in a way that would make me snap a mouth guard if I were grinding my teeth against one.
She shoves the bowl back at me, and I nearly drop it, so distracted by the pleasure I just witnessed.
“I thought you’d gone home,” I stutter. I’ve forgotten how words work.
I slowly lick buttercream off the teaspoon to stop myself from saying anything stupid.
My stomach jumps as Ruby’s eyes darken. Her chest flushes, but that could be the lighting or a rash or something. Please let it be me.
“I was going through the list for Tuesday’s evening class.”
We don’t have loads of classes in the middle of the week, although Amber’s business model involves getting additional work from evening classes, daytime team-building, and children’s parties. Still, I can’t afford to survive and build up savings on four day classes a week, even with the possibility of working at the local college.
Ruby adds, “We have a cookery class for a work team-building event on Tuesday, and we need to ensure we’re all set with dietary requirements and accessibility issues.” Her voice drops. “By the way, what are you wearing?”
“Right now? A shirt and—”
She facepalms, “No, for the Halloween session. It’s fancy dress, remember? I might dress as a naughty maid if I can find my costume and wash my hold ups in time.”
She’s killing me, and she knows it. My stomach is all over the place, and I’m tempted to shove all my gum in my mouth, but I don’t want to ruin the taste of the buttercream. I pop the spoon in and suck on it.
Her laughter is a melody that I swear I’ll hear in my dreams. “Keep up, Garett.”
“I have to wear a costume? Maybe I could go as a grumpy chef,” I utter around the spoon.
Her eyes twinkle, and that flush hits my stomach again.
“You’d wear that costume well, especially if you had those forearms showing.”
“Would you be able to look away? I’d hate to be distracting you all Halloween.”
“Sweetie,” she says as she steps closer, pulls the spoon out of my mouth, and pops it in hers. She gives it a big suck. My eyes must be as big as saucers. She takes the spoon, puts it back in my mouth, and tips my chin to close it. “I’d be so busy readjusting my hold ups that I wouldn’t notice you. You, on the other hand…”
She sashays away, and I’m frozen.
She has the measure of me, and the happiness bursting from my heart is disarming. Don’t go there. She’s a Cloud, and you need this job. But her giggles as she turns to me make my heart do that thing again. I stare back at her and roll my tongue around my mouth.
Will she finally ask for the favour I’ve been considering all week?
She comes over to me several minutes later as I check the stock. I don’t need to, as Kath will have it sorted, but I’m already looking for reasons to hang around on the off chance Ruby will speak to me again.
My old team used to call me the dictator, emphasising the dick , but her sunshine routine is wearing me down. I want to soak up her light and give some of it back.
She’s back in front of me, and a tiny part of me hopes she can’t get enough of me, even though that would be the worst thing. “I won’t be a sexy maid next week, so don’t get yourself all hot under the collar again.” Her teases are relentless, and I’m all here for it. “I’ll probably be a gnarled old witch with boils and bumps all over my skin.”
“Will you need help applying those? Because I’m sure I could help with the hard-to-reach places.”
She throws her head back and laughs. The pride hits my chest hard. I did that.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I appreciate the support.”
“Always,” I say with a smirk.
I get a waft of buttercream and remember tasting Ruby after she licked the spoon and popped it in my mouth. She was like strawberries and white chocolate, meaning she’d sneaked a blondie from somewhere or tastes of heaven. A kiss would confirm it. I glance briefly at her lips as she busies herself with the stock. They have a slight sheen, like she’s licked them.
“How’s Cookie? Based on how you two were the other week, I'm presuming the dog was yours.” She’s worrying that rosy lip now, nibbling at it.
“Cookie, yeah,” I reply, relieved that she’s giving me a reprieve from flirting. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m usually an expert at banter. “It’s nice that you remembered his name.”
She shrugs like it means nothing, but it means the world to me. “What sort of dog is he? Apart from the cutest, liveliest ball of floof ever.” She’s tapping her foot now.
“He’s a Cavapoo.”
“And does he live with that lady that came? She’s your…”
Her restless tapping and the little noises of her tongue clicking against the top of her mouth feed my devilish side. I study the bags of flour like they’re the most important thing. I like making her wait.
“My…?” I smile briefly before wiping it off my face. I don’t want her to know I’m enjoying it. “Oh, Flora. She’s Clive Macdonald’s sister.” I nearly choke on his name. “Flora’s like the little sister I never had, and she can be quite protective of me.”
“Cool, cool,” she says. It reminds me of Jake from Brooklyn Nine-Nine when he’s super awkward. She’s swallowing a lot. Maybe she thought that Flora and I were dating. I can only think of one reason why would she care. Again, I hide my grin while reminding myself she’s a Cloud. But she tastes of strawberries and white chocolate.
“Did you—” I start.
“Could you—” she says at the same time. “Doesn’t matter.”
“No, you go.” I wanted to ask if she’d eaten a blondie before she licked my spoon. It’s probably wise to have a reprieve from asking that question.
“If you’re sure.” She raises her eyebrows, waiting for me to change my mind. “Okay, well, you mentioned Clive.”
Joy leaves my body in one intense whoosh . I grit my teeth. “Yes.”
“And the thing is…” She lets her hair out of the elastic and immediately starts tying it again. She should be nervous if she wants to talk to me about that bastard. “I entered his competition, and I’ve been struggling with my bake. Will you help me improve my skills with one of your techniques?”
I grind my teeth hard enough to snap the bastards. “No,” I grunt.
“Sorry?” Her voice catches. “Oh, okay. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, you shouldn’t.”
The happiness that bounced between us has died. Tension fills its space.
“Well, thanks anyway.” She’s trying to be polite, but she doesn’t know my history. I could make this easier for her, yet my shoulders stiffen and my throat burns.
“You shouldn’t enter that competition.”
“Why?” She’s staring at me now and worrying her lip again. I can’t say anything in case it gets back to Clive. I don’t need slander added to my name. I can’t prove what he did. Besides, I don’t know if I trust her.
“Because,” I grunt. Her eyes pinch as she stares at me. Way to make it worse. But I continue like Cookie in a china shop. “Anyway, you’re a Cloud. You have a cookery school and everything you need. Why do you need to enter the competition?”
I’m deflecting, but if she enters that competition and wins, which I reckon she has a shot at doing after eating her cupcakes, Clive will steal her ideas. And if she works for him, he’ll destroy her like he did me or try and seduce her.
“Maybe I don’t want to only succeed in my family business. Maybe I want to be known for what I can do. What do your family do?”
They tell me I’m worthless, rack up debts in my name, and destroy my future. Oh, and my dad gave me my secret scar when he clipped me while wearing a sharp ring before I left home for good. But I don’t talk about my manipulative family in interviews or with anyone for good reason. Clive knows some stuff and suspects more, but he doesn’t have enough to use against me.
“Don’t enter that competition if you know what’s good for you. In fact, listen to me. I know what’s good for you, so don’t enter it.” I scowl and walk away.
“Oh wow,” she shouts. Suddenly, I’m confronted by the sunshine-free version of Ruby. “What makes you think I’d listen to you? You’re a grumpy bastard with a hard-ass reputation, and now you’re telling me what to do? You arrogant dick of a man.”
I turn and raise my eyebrows. Ruby’s correct, but it still hurts coming from her, although I’ve no idea why. She’s not done with me, though.
“I refuse to be professional when you’re acting like this. When I saw you with your dog and after how you’ve been over the last fortnight, I presumed I’d got you all wrong. But you’re the same guy you were the first time I met you. You’re such a wanker. Listen to you giving it the big I AM.”
I puff my chest, ready to let rip, when suddenly Kath dives between us.
“I need you to make a wine run for the Halloween cookery evening.” She’s looking at me but then turns to Ruby. “Both of you.”
“Hold on,” I shout, but she puts her hands in the air.
“Both of you. You have the van and can help carry it. Ruby can’t drive a manual car and can’t carry it all on her own anyway.” At least I know why she didn’t move her van herself using the cookery school’s spare keys that time.
“I can take my car and go on my own.” Ruby’s face resembles her name: bright red. Miss Sunshine is fucking livid with me. It might look sexy if I wasn’t about to sit in a van with her.
“It won’t fit, and your light is out. I’m not having you drive there at night. And before you say you can do it alone during the week, that’s also impossible. The wine merchants are closing for a week.” I open my mouth, but Kath silences me with a stare. “No, I don’t know why, and no, we can’t get it from anywhere else, because we’re on account with them and Amber needs to pay for it after the party. Ruby must go because she needs to learn this part of the business, and you need to do it as it’s one of the conditions of having the van.”
Ruby and I stare at each other. Ruby’s eyes are like little black beads. My jaw hurts from how hard I grit my teeth as I glare back.
Kath claps her hands like a teacher trying to harangue naughty kids. “Now that’s agreed, I’ll see you both soon. I’m going to finish the tidying and get away. Good luck.”
“I’ll be in the van,” I grunt in Ruby’s direction.
“I’ll be there when I’m ready,” Ruby snaps back.
The following two hours will be agony, and I won’t do anything to make them more manageable.
“Don’t keep me waiting all night. Some of us have lives.”
Her guffaw winds me up further. Yes, my plans include sitting in my bedsit, eating whatever I can rustle up from my cupboards, while watching anything I can find on the television, but Ruby doesn’t know that.
I hope she’s not a mind reader either, because aside from that, I’d planned to think about Ruby in a maid’s outfit tonight.