Chapter 2 Meet the New Baker #2
“Of course,” she said, clasping her hands at her waist. Her bubblegum-pink manicure caught my attention. I knew how those nails felt against my scalp and digging into my back.
Shit. So much for keeping my thoughts professional.
I was screwed.
“Sorry, it’s just that you look a little…” Sadie hesitated, one fang showing as she bit her lip. “Angry.”
I leveled her with an expression I hoped was neutral, but I’d bet my favorite mixer it wasn’t.
“Why would I be angry?”
Her lips thinned in a grimace. “Do you want me to start making a list?”
“Sadie,” I said, rolling my eyes, “go wash your hands.”
“Where, in the bathroom?” she said, spinning to look around.
I wanted to smack my palm to my forehead, but instead, I pointed at the handwashing sink in the corner with the state-mandated handwashing instructions pinned above it.
She probably just missed it, being in a brand-new place. But anyone who had worked in a restaurant or bakery would know the rules about handwashing sinks versus dishwashing stations. For example, they’d know to wash their hands a second time, in the handwashing sink, after using the bathroom.
While she washed and dried her hands, I forced myself to check my task list. I’d gotten ahead for the day and there wasn’t as much left to do.
“So what is your baking experience? Bread or pastries or..?” I asked while pulling the last of the croissants from the oven and sliding the trays onto the cooling rack.
Sadie cleared her throat. “Um, mostly cakes and cupcakes. Stuff like that. But I’m sure I can learn everything else quickly. I’m good at following recipes.”
I couldn’t keep the incredulity from my voice, but I was determined to give her a chance.
“Alright, well we need to finish the scones, prep the cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning, and make the cupcakes and brownies. And then if we have any extra time, we need to prepare more pumpkin puree for later in the week. Next week is the Pumpkin Festival, and we will have a lot of extra baking to do. Anything we can do to get ahead, we will be grateful for later.”
“The Pumpkin Festival you told me about?”
My brows furrowed as I scowled at the reminder of our time together in the bar. It shattered the wall I’d built up in my mind, blocking out that delicious memory.
“It’s our biggest community event all year,” I said. “We make mini shaped pumpkin loaves for that one evening, and it’s the only time all year anyone can get them. We will need hundreds. It’s a lot of work.”
Sadie wavered in the middle of the kitchen, her eyes widening as she waited for instructions. I resolutely kept my gaze on her face and refused to glance down at her gorgeous curves.
My frustration wasn’t just the fact she was my new employee, it was also infuriating that she was so distractingly beautiful. It was impossible to concentrate. Clearing my throat, I glanced around the kitchen.
“Well, I just started shaping the scones. Can you take over cutting those? And then they need to go into the oven for twenty-two minutes.”
Sadie nodded, tying the string on her apron. Dammit, how was she pretty even in the atrocious orange aprons my grandmother insisted we keep? The color made her skin glow and her blonde curls appear even brighter.
I watched as she moved to the scones and picked up the scraping tool I’d been using. She pressed her tongue into her cheek as she used her hand to measure how large the scones were and tried to duplicate it.
She looked like she knew what she was doing. Maybe everything would be fine.
Shrugging, I focused on weighing out the ingredients for cupcakes. My energy was seriously lagging. After only getting half of the ingredients added and watching Sadie successfully shape a tray’s worth of scones, I cleared my throat.
“I’m going to grab a coffee from next door and get their baked goods order so we know how many of those we need to save for them,” I said, waving my hand at the scones under her hands.
It would be a good chance to clear my head and get rid of the lusty thoughts ruining my focus.
“You can finish up and get those in the oven, and I’ll be right back. If you need anything, text me,” I said, grimacing at the realization she already had my number.
If I hadn’t been distracted earlier, she would have gotten some very flirty texts from me. Thank the stars that didn’t happen. It would’ve made this situation even more awkward, if that was possible.
“No problem! I’ve got this covered!” Sadie gave me a floury thumbs up and a cheesy grin that made my stomach clench.
I should offer to get her coffee.
No, that was ridiculous. Inappropriate. Would it be rude to not get her any? Shaking my head, I stomped out of the kitchen. I’d get her coffee when I wasn’t still fixated on how her body melted against mine.
Nope! Not thinking about that.
Enchantresso was open late for the various nocturnal supernatural patrons, but they would be closing up soon, so I untied my apron, brushed my shirt off, and strode out of my family’s bakery without a backward glance. Sadie would be fine. Probably.
Thirty minutes later, I had a wrinkled list of pastries, a fresh cup of coffee to go, and a headache. My visit to the tea shop had taken much longer than I expected, and my nerves were raw. Every second had been consumed with thoughts of Sadie. Did she pull the scones out of the oven on time?
I couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling in my gut. It was a bad decision to leave Sadie alone twenty minutes into her employment. But she would be working solo most of the time, so it would have to be fine.
Halfway back to the bakery, my phone buzzed. The screen flashed Amelie. My sister was the last person I wanted to talk to right now. Mumbling a curse under my breath, I accepted the call and held the phone up to my ear.
“Hey Ro, did the new baker show up?”
“Yup,” I said shortly.
“Isn’t she just so sweet?”
“No. I mean, she’s fine. Adequate.”
“Adequate?” Amelie’s voice flattened. “I hope you aren’t being rude to her. She’s so nice! I thought she could bring some sunshine to the shop. Well, not sunshine, since she’s a vampire and all, but you know what I mean. Balance out your boring seriousness.”
“Amelie, please tell me you didn’t hire her based on personality. We need someone who can get the work done efficiently, not someone who is always smiling. This is a hard job! Did you even check her references to see if she could bake?”
Amelie huffed like I was being ridiculous.
“Stop worrying. She’ll be great. I can sense it. Just give her a chance to prove herself. You’ll love her once you get to know her.”
There was no way I was telling her that I’d met Sadie before tonight, or that I’d ground against her, twisting my fingers in her hair, and seriously considered feeling her up on a patio. Telling my sister definitely wouldn’t help the situation.
“I don’t really think—” I started to say, unsure of how to finish my sentence.
Muffled voices floated through the line, and Amelie covered the receiver as she spoke to them. My fingers tightened on the paper until it crinkled in my grasp. I didn’t have time for this!
“Sorry, Ro. I’m at my new job and—”
“It’s fine. I gotta go, Ames. I’ll text you later.”
We both knew I wouldn’t text her, but it was a nice sentiment.
“Bye!”
I tapped the glass a little too hard, ending the call.
That call was unnecessary, and I was vibrating with anxiety by the time I shoved the phone in my pocket.
The longer I was away from Sadie, the more my intuition prickled.
I wasn’t a seer, but my instincts were screaming at me as I crossed the sidewalk and let myself into the bakery.
“Rowen? Is that you?” Sadie called. Her voice was pitched high and lilted up at the end.
My anxiety spiked into panic, and I launched myself into a jog around the counter and into the back kitchen, grabbing the open doorway to brace myself as I took in the scene.
It looked like Sadie had waged battle and lost, severely.
My mouth fell open. Flour covered every surface. The oven door was hanging open, and from the crooked trays shoved inside, I suspected it wouldn’t close. The room was quickly warming, and under the layer of flour powdering her face, a deep crimson flush darkened Sadie’s cheeks.
My mouth opened and closed like a fish before I managed to say, “What the absolute fuck?”