Chapter Seven
Aiden
I hummed under my breath as I scooped cold cookie dough onto the first of the prepared baking sheets, the silence and temporary coolness of the early morning making it easier to focus on work.
My hands moved quickly, working to get the cookies into the oven before the dough got too warm. If that happened, they’d spread badly and be unusable. I mean, I could eat them. Or send them to Jonny. Or give them to my neighbours.
But I’d still have to make the whole batch again to fulfil my orders.
Working in a kitchen during a hot British summer was always hellish but I found it worse when the weather was unpredictable. I felt like such a fucking old man checking my weather app every morning and tutting, even if I liked what it said.
I couldn’t really complain, though. Starting a home delivery cookie business had been my choice, and I loved every second of it.
Baking had always been my escape when I’d felt like shit, so when I’d been trying to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life, going back to it had felt like coming home.
I’d worked in various bakeries, takeaways, and restaurants over the years—always in kitchens so I didn’t have to deal with people—but I’d never been a fan of having someone boss me around.
Even when my managers had been cool, there’d still been an itch under my skin to get out from under their control.
So when the last restaurant I’d worked at had closed down unexpectedly, I’d taken it as a sign to get my shit together and finally put my attitude where my mouth was.
The kitchen space I was currently renting wasn’t big or fancy, but it was mine and there was something unbelievably cool about seeing the little plastic sign with my business name on listed on the plaque by the building door.
I currently occupied one of five ground floor units in an old factory building on the edge of Leicester, alongside another local bakery—they had a couple of shops across and around the city—a couple of e-commerce businesses, and a custom fetish attire company whose owners I’d sort of made friends with and who were always happy to take spare or leftover cookies.
I didn’t really know what was in the rest of the building, but I had a vague feeling it had been converted to offices. Although I couldn’t say for certain because I’d never been upstairs, and I didn’t even think my access fob would let me into anything beyond reception.
“Okay, forty-eight triple chocolate chunk,” I muttered to myself as I put the last of the cookies on the sheet before looking over at the racks with empty trays waiting to be filled.
“Then we’ll do thirty-six salted caramel crunch, thirty-six red velvet, and another thirty-six of the white chocolate sprinkle.
Plus twenty-four white chocolate, lemon, and blueberry, twenty-four cherry and coconut, and twenty-four cherry bakewell.
Might throw a few cranberry and orange ones in too. That should be enough.”
My business wasn’t big enough to do hundreds of orders every day but it was growing steadily at a manageable pace, and I did a few extra things like local markets and supplying a couple of small coffee shops to supplement my income.
One of the places I supplied was a tiny Pride shop and cafe, and it still hadn’t stopped being cool as fuck to see my cookies in the display.
Every time they tagged me on Instagram, my heart melted slightly.
It was the same feeling I got when anyone tagged me.
Unless they were talking shit about me for no reason. Then they could get fucked with a cactus.
I took the tray over to the oven and slid it in with the others I’d already prepped, setting the timer so I wouldn’t forget them.
Then I grabbed another batch of dough to start working on.
By this point I’d streamlined the whole process down to a fucking art, because the business was currently only me and I’d be screwed if things went wrong.
My phone buzzed on the counter and I sighed, wondering what sort of customer-based nonsense I was about to encounter. It was too fucking early for that shit, but it was also my job and now I’d heard it buzz, I knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore it.
Getting a business phone was still on my to-do list and every day it moved higher up. One day I’d actually fucking get around to doing it.
Tapping the screen with the back of my knuckle, I frowned when I realised it was a message from Hunter. That was… odd. He and Bailey were still in Ibiza, so why the hell was he messaging me?
I mean, I knew my dick was good but I hadn’t realised it was that good.
A smirk curled the corner of my mouth as I opened the screen, curious to see what the taller of my gorgeous rugby men wanted.
He’d added Bailey and me to a group chat and dropped two pictures in. There was one of each of them sitting on loungers by a sparkling turquoise pool—the sort that looked too filtered to be real—both bathed in bright sunlight and wearing the tiniest swimwear I’d ever seen.
Shit, I could practically see Hunter’s dick through them.
When I zoomed in, I could definitely see Bailey’s.
Hunter
Hey from Ibiza =)
I snorted. It was the most generic message a man could send, and it was so awful it was almost endearing. He might as well have texted me asking if I was up. Or sent a dick pic.
Although I’d have preferred to see his hole.
Bailey
Hope you don’t mind us ambushing you with a group text
Aiden
Definitely not. Especially if you send pics like that! Can practically see both your dicks
I glanced at the clock on my screen, frowning when I realised it was only quarter past five. Ibiza wasn’t that far ahead of the UK time-zone-wise. Maybe an hour? In which case, what the fuck were both of them doing awake and messaging me at quarter past six in the fucking morning?
They definitely wanted something.
And I was betting my favourite dildos on the idea it was sex related.
Eh, I could multi-task if I needed to. It wouldn’t be too difficult to send them filthy sexts and voice notes while I finished making today’s cookies.
Hunter
I told Bailey they were too small
Aiden
They could be smaller. Or you could go naked
Hunter
Putting sun cream on Bailey is already a nightmare, I’m not dealing with him if he gets a sunburnt dick
Bailey
Thanks for making me sound like a complete twat
Hunter
Maybe now you’ll listen to me when I tell you to put fucking sun cream on!
I chuckled as I scooped salted caramel crunch cookie dough onto the sheets in front of me. This wasn’t going the way I’d anticipated but it was surprisingly sweet.
Aiden
Do as you’re told Bailey. I thought you were good at following instructions?
Bailey
Depends who’s giving them
Aiden
Is this why you’re messaging me? So I can tell you to be good?
Hunter
It wasn’t but if you’re offering
Hunter
Please save me!
Bailey
Dickhead
Hunter
[Sent a picture] Aww you’re so grumpy this morning.
I let out a sharp bark of laughter as I opened the picture, the ridiculousness of the whole situation becoming even clearer.
The two of them were in bed together, and it seemed like Bailey was lying against Hunter’s chest—at least that was what it looked like from the photo, which was sort of a selfie, but mostly of Bailey’s scowling face and Hunter’s chin.
Aiden
So grumpy!
Aiden
Are you two literally lying on top of each other in bed and messaging me?
Bailey
[Sent a picture] Yeah we are
This time the picture was a selfie taken from Bailey’s phone of him and Hunter, both of them smiling up at the camera. They were shirtless, but since it was from the waist up, it was impossible to tell if they were naked or not. Either way, they looked really fucking good.
Although Bailey was far too pink.
What was it with men and thinking they didn’t need fucking sun cream? Did they think being a man magically protected them from the power of the sun? Christ on a bicycle!
Aiden
You both look hot as fuck! Been having some early morning fun?
Both of their names appeared at the bottom with typing bubbles, but it took longer than expected for either of them to send something. I wondered if they were furiously consulting with each other about what to say.
Or whether they were lying there, typing frantically and not saying a word.
Still pretending there was a barrier between them despite everything they’d done with me.
I guessed it was different when I was there.
I gave them permission to be with each other in a way they weren’t quite yet comfortable doing alone.
Aiden
Don’t worry, I won’t be jealous if you say yes
Aiden
I’m having so much fun at work ;P
Hopefully that would lighten the mood a little. Stop them from getting so twisted up they ran screaming from this conversation. I still didn’t know what they wanted from me this morning. And I was starting to wonder if they even knew themselves.
Bailey
We made out a bit but nothing else
Aiden
That sounds fun. You’re both very good with your mouths
Hunter
So are you
Aiden
Thank you baby
Bailey
Do you have any plans for the rest of the summer?
Aiden
Just work. I’ve got some local markets coming up, a few Pride events, then the same old marketing and fulfilling orders. Probably need to start designing stuff for Christmas. But nothing fun. Why?
It felt like they were still skirting around the edge of what they actually wanted to ask, and I couldn’t decide if they were simply angling for some sexting or whether they were trying to find a way to ask for more.
But I wasn’t going to put words in their mouths.
If they wanted something, they needed to ask for it.
Because if I started assuming things, it’d probably all go to shit faster than I could count.
Bailey
Just wondering. Didn’t know if you were coming up to see Jonny again
Aiden
I wasn’t planning to. But might come up in September for the start of the season
I hadn’t been thinking about going up to Lincoln again until Christmas, because Jonny and I weren’t that close and we were both busy. But I didn’t want to tell Bailey and Hunter that. I wanted to give them something.
And I hadn’t been to the rugby in a while. It could be fun. Jonny would be able to get me a ticket too.
Hunter
If you do, let us know. It’d be nice to see you again
Bailey
I promise to make sure I wear my best shorts
Aiden
Do you mean smallest?
Bailey
Exactly ;)
With a fond shake of my head, I took the now full tray of cookies over to the oven, just in time to pull out the chocolate and slide the hot trays into the cooling racks.
They were still slightly soft and gooey, which meant they’d firm up perfectly as they cooled.
If you didn’t want rock-hard cookies, you had to take them out when they looked underdone and trust the process.
They’d figure it out. Same as everything else in the universe.
Then I put the salted caramel crunch in, washed my hands, grabbed another set of prepped trays and another bowl of dough—red velvet this time.
Scoop, bake, repeat until done.
As I put the bowl down, I picked up my phone and snapped a quick pic of myself and then one of my kitchen.
Aiden
[Sent two pictures] Not as glamorous as Ibiza but this is me this morning
Hunter
Looking good but I think you’d have more fun here
Aiden
Yeah? Why is that?
Bailey
Because we’re here
Aiden
So? Did you want something?
Hunter
Yeah, isn’t it obvious?
Aiden
It is but I’m asking you to tell me. What do you want? What would you do if I was there?
I smirked as more bubbles appeared at the bottom of the screen and I wondered who would reply first.
Either way, that would keep them busy for a while.
And maybe I’d even be able to persuade them to send me some videos. I had a lot of work to do and it would make the morning more interesting. And then I’d have something to watch when I went home—since there was no way I could do anything while I was working.
A funny knot twisted itself in my stomach as I began to scoop out the next batch of cookies, but I ignored it.
Whatever this was with Hunter and Bailey, it was just really fun sex. Nothing more.
And I was going to enjoy it for as long as they wanted me around.
Because I already knew once they figured out what they were to each other, I’d be surplus to requirements.
And that was fine. I didn’t want a relationship anyway. Or need one.
If I got a few months of fun out of it, and maybe got to be a funny anecdote in the story of their relationship, I’d be okay with that.
I scooped more cookies onto the tray and glanced at my phone, waiting for their response, ignoring the nagging buzz in the back of my head trying to remind me I was alone. Like that was a problem.
Which it wasn’t.
I liked being alone.
Mostly.
I shook my head. “Never going to happen,” I muttered to myself. “Don’t even think about it.”
A new series of messages appeared on my phone and my smirk widened.
The perfect distraction had arrived.