8. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Rebecca
M azie and Liv have been all smiles at work for the past few days. Ever since Alina welcomed her baby boy, Phillip.
From what they’ve said, everyone is doing great and loving every second. Mazie is some sort of rockstar, not being upset that her two younger sisters are now both mothers when she just got married. If I had siblings, I’m not sure I’d be so graceful about it.
It’d be easy for her to be angry, spiteful, or even just irritated. But she beams like a proud sister. Almost like a proud mother.
While I would love to see the tiny, squishy, surely adorable baby boy, Liv said that Alina won’t be bringing him by for at least a few weeks, possibly more as we get into cold and flu season.
The brother they barely mention flashes through my mind, and I wonder if he’s married with kids. The only thing I know about him is that he’s a professor at my university. I shake the thought away just as quickly. It doesn’t really matter, it’s not like he and I will be communicating about more than my econ class and grades.
Nothing is running any differently around here as Alina found someone to not only take over for her in her absence but help her bake on a regular basis. The biggest thing is that most of the customers are taking a minute to stop and congratulate Mazie and Liv.
It’s a small town, so everybody talks. And it seems like everybody is always keeping tabs on the Bakers.
The day goes by quickly and smoothly. The added patrons help. Liv swears it will slow down in a few weeks when tourist season is officially over. Though, from what I’ve been told, it never truly ends here, just settles down a lot.
While I’m going to miss the hustle and bustle of having so many customers, the timing really couldn’t be better. I’m always exhausted after days like this when I’m on my feet nonstop and going from one task to the next without much of a break in between. There have been days it’s so busy I don’t even get a chance to use the restroom until my shift is over.
With classes starting, it’s going to be much better to have quieter work days. The girls never ask anyone to work long enough to require a break. They said something about making sure the shifts are short and sweet and not taking up our entire day. They want their other employees to be able to spend weekends and days and nights with their parents, partners, children, whatever it may be.
At one point, Liv said something about wanting this to be a safe space for all. A happy place for people to mingle, get good food and drink, and customer service. They take it all very seriously.
It’s a big reason why I wanted to work with them. Their reputation precedes them and they’re incredibly well-respected members of the community.
Liv bumps her hip into mine, jarring me from my thoughts. “You okay there?”
“I was just thinking about how amazing this place is. And, of course, the three of you for making it so incredible.”
Her cheeks pinken as she looks at her feet before meeting my gaze. “You don’t have to flatter us, Bex. You already have the job.” There’s a tease to her tone, but I know she appreciates the mention.
“I mean it, though. It’s really important to me to be able to continue to work here and learn from you three while classes are going, and you’ve made that possible by adjusting schedules. A lot of other employers wouldn’t.” Tasha has bounced from job to job because of it. Nobody has been willing to hold her position while she goes home over the summer and is willing to work with her hectic and varying class schedule. That’s part of the problem with being sophomores. We have a lot of classes to get in and not a ton of time to do it.
“Our staff members matter to us. We tried, for a long time, to do this all on our own. It took…some bad experiences for us to really open up to more consistent help. And you’re doing great. We get a lot of compliments from our regulars about you.”
My cheeks heat and I look down, the compliment burning beneath my skin. I so desperately want to do well in their eyes.
I’m an only child and not close with any of my cousins. I never had someone to look up to when I was younger, never had someone looking up to me. But these sisters, they’re so close and supportive of each other.
It’s the kind of sibling bond I’ve always dreamed of having.
Liv must notice my unease because she shifts the subject. “Are you ready for classes to start? That’s really soon, right?”
My shoulders slump. I like college. I enjoy the challenge that the courses give me. There’s just something nagging at me about it this year.
The last time I was worrying about classes, about filling a void before classes began, was when I slept with Eli at Mazie’s wedding. He still haunts my dreams like an unsettled ghost. It’s stupid.
I’m stupid. For all I know, he’s married and was having a grand old time having fun and letting loose at a wedding. I didn’t even bother to ask if his wife was present. The fact that he brought me to his room makes me think he was at the very least there alone, but still.
Thinking about him is a worthless endeavor. The only things I know about him are his first name, his devastatingly good looks, and the fact that he knows how to use his God-given body in all the best ways.
I shake my head and give Liv a tight smile. “Yes. I’m ready. Or at least, as ready as I can be. New courses and all that.”
She nods as if she understands, but the reality of the matter is that I have one thing weighing my mind down, and I need to get Eli out of my thoughts before classes start next week.