Chapter Twenty #2
Virginia Bonnie Black was the human behind Virginia’s Secrets, a wildly popular social media account.
She’d built her following by exploring various local legends and state lore, then reporting her findings.
She also dug into modern issues, small town news, and big events in our state.
Her most popular posts often involved scandals.
Followers ate it up with a spoon and licked the screen.
I was a follower. I’d counted myself as a fan until this moment.
The last thing the Invisible Baker needed was any interest from her.
She sighed, gaze locked on mine, and my brain misfired as I tried to recall her question.
“Sophie.” I nearly collapsed with relief. All she wanted was my name. I immediately wished I’d given an alias.
She nodded, having already taken note of my name tag. “What do you do here?”
I took a tiny step backward. My fight-or-flight instinct prepared me to run.
Jeannie’s warning that Joyce, from my old HOA, had beef with local moms who didn’t make their own treats for school events blew back into my mind like a tornado.
“I’m the pastry chef,” I said, knowing she’d catch me in the lie if I said otherwise.
“Interesting,” she said. “But you don’t make the pastries for the display?” Her brow furrowed. “Is that odd?”
“Not at all,” I said, feigning casual confidence and hoping she didn’t see through me.
“Sometimes I work with pastry doughs, but the desserts I bake are created individually upon request. Each is decadent and intended for leisurely consumption at the end of a meal. The pastries sold from our case are delicious, but most importantly, they’re made in bulk and designed as grab-and-go options. Very different,” I assured.
“Right.” Her expression grew bored as I spoke, and she turned for another look into the empty display. “So they aren’t made here. Do you order them direct from the Invisible Baker?”
“Lucas does,” I said. “He owns the restaurant.”
“Okay, so who makes the deliveries?”
I bit my lip. I’d started using a standard delivery service when Alicia’s son’s schedule and mine made it impossible to keep up.
The change seemed genius when I’d thought of it.
A different driver picked up from my house every day.
Their businesses, like mine, were independent.
They didn’t all convene at a certain location to clock in or out, which meant it was unlikely that they discussed their jobs or compared notes on deliveries.
Unfortunately, apps kept records, I realized far too late. Someone like Virginia could easily access the details I wanted to keep hidden. She wouldn’t need a court order to get the information. She was Virginia’s Secrets. She just had to ask the right driver.
Which meant I had to make sure she never knew whom to ask.
But how would I make the deliveries without a service?
She set her hands on her hips, impatient as I mentally imploded. “Should I ask someone else? If you don’t know, that’s fine.”
“I guess I’m not sure,” I said. The one thing I was certain of, however, was that when I finally came clean as the Invisible Baker, I wanted it to be on my terms. Not because I was ousted like a scheming criminal.
All concerns about Robert’s probable reaction aside, I owed Lucas a proper explanation and enough time to make him see I hated being deceitful.
I’d made a desperate decision, and I would do it again under those circumstances.
I wasn’t ready to be seen at that time, and I’d needed to be sure I could trust him.
“Who usually signs for the delivery?” Virginia asked.
I screwed up my features in confusion. “Whoever’s at the desk, I guess.”
“Hmm.” She scanned the dining area. “Where’s Lucas? You said he places the orders?”
Lucas raised a hand from his position at a nearby table.
I’d been so overwhelmed I hadn’t noticed him chatting with patrons. How long had he been within earshot?
Lucas made his way in our direction, a bright toothpaste-commercial smile fixed in place. “Hello, I’m Lucas. How can I help you?”
I puffed out my cheeks, thankful for the escape but unable to walk away.
Lucas coaxed Virginia Bonnie Black into soft giggles within moments, and I rubbed my tired eyes to stop them from rolling.
“Can I get you something to eat while we chat?” he asked, already pulling a menu from the stand. “I’m sorry you missed the pastries, but every dish is fantastic here. I promise. My treat.”
Her lips curved into a quick cat-that-ate-the-canary smile. “How can I say no to a meal with a handsome stranger?”
“No one is a stranger here,” he assured, then motioned her to join him as he led her to a table.
I tagged along, uninvited, and several feet behind. I paused alongside leafy potted plants and decorative brick columns as they made their way deep into the dining room. Then I hid behind the bar when they stopped.
Mason, the bartender, frowned down at me, and I shook my head erratically. He scanned the room, then smirked and nodded without making eye contact again.
I could stay.
Lucas effortlessly turned the conversation with Virginia to his plans for expansion. She gushed over the possibility of a new, upscale riverfront venue. For a moment, I wondered if he knew exactly who Virginia was as well.