Chapter 13 Maddox #2
“I wanted it to be. But sometimes you don’t have the luxury to chase dreams. And for many years, I thought I didn’t.”
I feel my fists clenching as Gabi talks about her ex and how much she hated her job. How much he dicked her around for years about opening the bakery.
One punch. That’s all I’d need…
“So that’s when Beau stepped in,” she says. “In a matter of weeks he was buying a building, he was telling me a name to put on the business license, and Sugar and Sweets was born.”
“Sounds like a pretty good guy.”
“The best,” she says with a smile. “Protective over me, my mom, and anyone he loves. Competitive to high heaven. But most of all? He’s smart and a little calculated.
But maybe more than all of those? Is that he hated my ex-husband.
Getting to open this bakery not only gave me my dream, but it was a good middle finger to him.
Hell, he might’ve done it for that reason alone. ”
“I love that. Sometimes we’re not petty enough.”
That makes Gabi laugh. “Petty and spite. Maybe that should’ve been the name of the bakery instead of Sugar and Sweets.”
I laugh but shake my head. “Nah. I think you hit the nail on the head with this place. You should be proud Gabi. It’s amazing.”
“Thanks,” she says, a blush coming across her face like it does any time I give her a compliment. “Though I don’t know if you should keep eating here. ”
“Why is that?”
She signals down to my bear claw. “Keep eating those, and anything else you get me to teach you to bake, and you’re going to be out of shape for next season.”
I wave her way. “My dietitians know about my sweet tooth. Plus, it’s the off season. I’m allowed to indulge.”
“But what about when the season starts? Are you still going to be averaging three bear claws a week?”
“Oh, it’ll go up to five,” I say with a wink. “Especially if I start the season with an interception every game.”
“I can see it now,” Gabi says, her hands pretending to unveil a billboard. “My new advertising slogan: Come to Sugar and Sweets. Get a bear claw. Play like Maddox Gallagher.”
Holy shit… my future wife and current friend is not only gorgeous, but she’s a genius too.
“That’s it!” I shout, grabbing my phone out of my back pocket and handing it to Gabi. “Will you take a picture of me please?”
“What are you doing?” she asks, very confused, as I hold up the bear claw to my face as I prepare to take a massive bite.
“Take my picture!” I say with the pastry half in my mouth. “Mmmm, so fucking good.”
“I have no clue what the hell is going on.”
I don’t reply to her, instead throwing on a filter that I’m known to use, and type a few words out, but I can feel her eyes on me.
“There we go. Perfect!”
“Maddox…”
Yup. The stern way she says my name. I fucking love it.
“Gabrielle…”
She’s giving me a look like a few of my teachers did when I was in school. Like I’ve been very bad and she wants to make sure I know it, but I’m still not going to get punished
It’s a little hot. If she would be wearing her glasses right now I’d be saying fuck this friends bullshit and I’d be eating her out under this table.
“Maddox, I asked you what you’re doing?”
I finish typing my caption, and hit post, before looking at a very concerned Gabi. “Testing out the new ad campaign.”
Smiles.
All smiles.
Because Gabi has a line out the door.
Fuck yes.
I should’ve known something was happening when I had to park three blocks away from the bakery. Then I turned the corner and the line.
I fucking love this for her. I love that I was able to make it happen with one social media post. But mostly? I love that I know for a fact these people are going to be returning customers because no way they’re going to have one of her baked goods and not want more.
When I make it to the sidewalk, I hear people whispering, wondering if it’s me walking next to them. Any question of my identity is thrown out the window when one woman yells “Holy shit! Maddox Gallagher! He really does eat here!”
“I do,” I say to her as I pose for a selfie. “The bear claws are awesome, but really you can’t go wrong with anything. I hope you all enjoy!”
I squeeze through the door, which no one bats an eye about, as I stand against the back wall and look on at the craziness.
Every time I’ve been in, it’s usually only Phyllis, Kitty, and a few random other customers.
But now if the two elderly women tried to come in they wouldn’t be able to find a place to sit.
Every table is being used and there’s a host of people standing to the side waiting for their orders.
Two college-aged girls are working behind the counter who I’ve never seen before.
Then there’s Gabi, who’s looking as frazzled and beautiful as ever.
Her hair’s more of a mess than normal. She normally has traces of flour on her, but it looks like she just walked out of the bag.
But that’s not stopping her from taking the time to talk to each customer, thanking them for coming in today and apologizing for things she was out of.
Her smile is ear to ear, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything, or anyone, more beautiful.
Fuck I have it bad…
Gabi catches me staring across the room and I give her a small wave. I purposely don’t walk over, not wanting to get anyone in a tizzy if I cut the line. But when she gives me a nod, signaling me to meet her at the end of the counter, I push off the wall and make quick work of the space between us.
“Seems as if the new advertising campaign worked,” she says with a smile that’s as big as I’ve ever seen it. “It’s been like this all day. I’m going to run out of everything in an hour if it keeps up like this and it’s barely noon.”
“That’s a good problem to have, right?”
Though by the worried look in her eye, I’m not sure it is.
“I mean it is,” she says. “And don’t get me wrong, it’s a problem I never thought I’d have. But at the same time, I hate feeling like I let people down.”
“I get that,” I say, suddenly getting an idea. “Are there things you could bake quickly so you could at least have something to sell?”
My suggestion takes her by surprise. “I mean sure. I could do some basic cookies and cupcakes. Brownies and easy recipes. But I’m needed out here to help the girls.”
“No you aren’t,” I declare, clapping my hands together. “I’ll help.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You’ll help?”
“Yeah,” I say as I walk around the counter, grabbing a blue and white apron that’s part of the uniform for Sugar and Sweets. “You go back and bake the treats. I’ll help…”
“Lexi and Jada.”
“I’ll help Lexi and Jada with whatever they need. Or if you need me in the back, I’ll be your helper.”
Gabi looks at me for a second, assessing if I’m serious or not. “Are you sure?”
I nod and take her by the shoulders, turning her around toward the kitchen. “You go do what you do best. And I’ll do the same.”
She looks back over her shoulder. “And what’s that?”
As I’m about to say something, I hear people yelling “Maddox!” with cameras coming out to take pictures of me in an apron.
“Giving the people what they want. And today, they want sweet treats served by Maddox Gallagher.”