Chapter 5
TESSA
By Thursday evening, my kitchen looked like controlled chaos. Sheet pans cooled on racks, piping bags lined the counter, and I had enough buttercream bowls out to frost a wedding cake. Instead, the frenzy was for a sweet sixteen. But not for just any birthday girl…she was Serena Watts’s sister.
Even thinking her name gave me a weird flutter in my stomach. I’d made cakes for plenty of high-profile clients, but this was the biggest one I’d taken on. And even though she’d been sweet in her messages, I stressed about making the cake perfect.
My phone buzzed on the stainless-steel table beside me, and the screen lit up with her username.
serenawattsofficial: What time works for tomorrow? I need to make arrangements with the pilot.
I stared at her message for a second, hoping my brain would stop tripping over itself at the idea that I was coordinating a pickup time with a celebrity I adored.
I wiped my hands on a towel and typed back, keeping my message professional even though I felt like squealing.
hale&honey: Any time after noon is perfect. The cake will be ready and boxed. Looking forward to seeing you!
Serena had let me know just yesterday that she planned to come pick up her sister’s cake herself, which only added to my nervousness.
I returned to the cake layers cooling in front of me, running my hand lightly over the top to check their temperature.
They were still too warm to frost, but their texture was perfect.
Soft but structured enough to support the design I had planned.
The filling chilled in the fridge exactly the way it should.
The modeling chocolate had come together without cracking.
Every piece of this cake was cooperating.
Sleep was a distant memory at this point. Three nights of sketching designs, making flavor adjustments, and redoing the lace stencil when I caught one tiny imperfection that no one else would’ve noticed. But that was the thing about custom cakes—the details made the magic.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and murmured to myself, “Totally worth it.”
Cake details were something I could control. In this kitchen, nothing blindsided me. I was in charge.
My throat tightened as I wished that I had a special someone to share my excitement with. Jace was great, but he was more of a friend than a romantic partner. He wasn’t the first person I thought to call when something wonderful happened. Another man was, even after all this time.
Instead of kicking myself over that, I focused on creaming the butter for the frosting.
Then when the cake cooled enough, I stacked them with filling between the layers and began to smooth a thin layer of buttercream over the tiers, my hands moving with muscle memory.
Calm washed through me with each turn of the cake stand.
I was good at this. It was my safe place.
My career was thriving, and I was grateful for it every single day.
But as I stepped back to admire the expert job I’d done on the frosting, it didn’t ease the pain of knowing that success didn’t fill every empty space. Some of them stayed, no matter how much frosting I used.
I didn’t have time for ghosts today, though. I had a celebrity cake to finish. So I shook the feeling off and got back to work.
The frosted cake was chilling in the fridge, and I was prepping the stencil for the contrasting buttercream layer on the bottom tier when there was a knock on the back door.
I wasn’t expecting a delivery, and Jenny had gone home a couple of hours ago. My pulse sped up until I heard Jace call, “It’s just me.”
Stripping off my gloves, I crossed the room to open the door. Jace had a cup of iced coffee in one hand. “I saw your lights still on and figured some extra caffeine would help if you were doing your workaholic thing again tonight.”
“I don’t have much of a choice this time.” I huffed out a laugh as I accepted the coffee from him. “Or else my customer will fly all the way across the country to pick up a cake she could’ve gotten from any high-end bakery in California.”
“Fair point.” His gaze swept over the counter and snagged on the tray of molded chocolate flowers I’d finished earlier. “Are these edible?”
“They’re white chocolate, dyed lilac to match the color palette,” I confirmed.
“Sounds like a yes to me.” He grinned and reached for one, closing his eyes when he bit into one of the petals. “So good.”
I snorted. “Of course it’s good. It’s chocolate.”
He took another bite, then held up what was left of the flower to my lips. “Have the rest.”
The way he held it out to me felt intimate in a way I wasn’t expecting, making my breath catch in my chest. I leaned in and took the bite from his fingers. His gaze dropped to my mouth for a beat too long, and I didn’t pull away when he stepped closer.
He brushed his thumb lightly along my cheek, “I like when you let me see you like this. A little messy and vulnerable.”
“Wow.” I gave a shaky laugh. “You’re very charming tonight.”
“Is it working?” he asked, leaning in.
He closed the distance between us to give me a soft kiss. He tasted like chocolate and coffee, and the way he cupped the back of my neck was familiar and comfortable.
But something was missing. A spark I couldn’t force. A part of myself that I’d never given to him.
No matter how unfair it was to both of us, my heart still remembered the all-consuming passion I’d felt for Gage.
Jace pulled back slightly, searching my face. “I know we said we’re keeping things easy, but there are times I wonder if you’d ever want something more.”
It killed me that my thoughts had just been on another man. “You deserve someone who isn’t still figuring their life out.”
“I’m not asking for a label, Tessa. Just wanting to understand where your head’s at.”
Even before Gage showed up at my bakery last week, I couldn’t give him the answer he wanted. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
We both knew that wasn’t true.
He stepped back, giving me the space I needed, but the distance didn’t make me feel better. Jace was everything I should want, but my heart just didn’t see him that way.
“Sorry, I have to get this done so I have time to do the normal baking in the morning.” I turned back to the cake, pretending to be focused as I steadied the piping tip, but my hands were just the tiniest bit unsteady.
“You do what you need to, Tessa. I understand.”
If only his words didn’t feel like they were about more than cake.
By the time the clock crept toward noon the next day, the cake was boxed and waiting in the walk-in fridge, ready for Serena to pick up.
I’d double-checked every detail twice. The stencil work was perfect. The hand-painted accents matched my sketches exactly. The chocolate roses and sugar pearls on the top were gorgeous.
I found myself pacing behind the counter even though everything was ready. Finally, the front door chimed, and Serena Watts stepped inside. Even in oversized sunglasses, jeans, and a sweater, she had the kind of effortless glam that made it easy to understand why the world adored her.
Removing her sunglasses, she gave me a smile that made her seem more approachable. “Tessa? Oh my gosh, it’s so nice to meet you.”
I blinked, stunned by her warm greeting. “Hi.”
She glanced around the shop, her smile widening. “This place is gorgeous. Seriously. I saw photos online, but this is next level.”
“Thanks.” Heat crept up my neck as I came around the counter, reminding myself not to completely fangirl over her. “I’m so glad you think so.”
“Any chance I can see the cake?” She rubbed her hands together, an excited gleam in her eyes. “Or is it too risky to open the box?”
“Of course.” I waved my hand toward the kitchen. “Follow me.”
I led her into the kitchen and rolled the cart out of the walk-in fridge. Then I carefully undid the top of the box so she could see inside.
“Oh wow,” she gasped. “This is stunning. Exactly what Avery wanted. She’s going to lose her mind.”
No matter how many cakes I made, seeing a client light up never got old. “I’m thrilled you like it.”
“Like it is a massive understatement.” She licked her lips. “I want my own cake now. You’re officially hired for every birthday from now on.”
“Deal.” My cheeks warmed. “The cake is chilled now, but you don’t need to refrigerate it. The blackberry preserves and American buttercream have a high enough sugar content to keep it fresh for up to three days.”
“That’ll make the flight home much easier.” She shook her head with a laugh. “The Learjet is awesome, but this wouldn’t fit in the tiny fridge drawer in the galley.”
I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the casual way some of my customers talked about their private jets. “Well, no worries there.”
When I closed the box again, she reached into her tote.
“Any chance I can add something to my order for my pilot? When he found out why I was flying here and back in one day, he mentioned his wife follows your account. I figure the least I can do to make up for the early departure is help him earn some brownie points when he gets home tonight.”
I beamed a smile at her. “I can definitely help with that.”
Grabbing a pastry box, I filled it with an assortment of my favorite items. As I handed them over, I admitted, “It’s not my first time sending a cake off on a private jet, but you’re the first celebrity who came all this way to pick it up.”
Serena’s gaze turned introspective. “Let’s just say I needed some space, and this was a good excuse to get out of LA.”
Her sparkle dimmed, hinting at something heavy she wasn’t ready to share.
I didn’t pry, in large part because I recognized that shadowed tone. I’d used it myself more times than I could count.
“I’m glad I could give you that reason.”
Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “I guess in some way, I should be grateful this was all so last minute. Maybe I would be if the person who dropped the ball wasn’t a big part of why I needed that space in the first place.”
I hesitated, the question right there on the tip of my tongue. It wasn’t any of my business, but the shadow in Serena’s eyes made me want to ask anyway. “If you ever want to talk about it…”
She shook her head as she clutched the pastry box to her chest. “That’s a whole drama-filled story. One that’s way too long to tell without a bottle of wine.”
The vulnerability in her voice tugged at something in me. “You’re welcome here anytime. And I have no problem giving you as many excuses as you need to escape LA.”
“Careful, I might actually take you up on that.” She nodded toward the cake box. “I better get this beauty on board before my pilot wonders if I’m coming back.”
I walked her to the front, rolled the cake out to the car waiting at the curb, and settled it carefully onto the passenger seat. I even buckled the box in to be extra careful.
“Thank you again.” She paused before climbing into the back seat. “Not just for the cake. For being so kind. It’s rare for me these days.”
I blinked, a little taken aback. “Then I really do hope you put my offer to good use.”
Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I really hope things change soon so I don’t need to.”
When her car pulled away, I watched it disappear down the street. I kept thinking about that flicker of hurt. I knew that expression. It was the same one I’d worn for months after Gage disappeared from my life with no explanation.
Only a man could put that kind of uncertainty on a woman’s face.
And as I stood there on the sidewalk, I hoped Serena wasn’t running from the same kind of heartbreak I’d barely survived. If she was, she’d have to endure it in the public eye with how famous she and her boyfriend were.