Chapter 14
Chapter Fourtee n
I woke up the next morning and moved through my routine, but the second I stepped outside, I lost all momentum. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Find a new walk? Go past the bakery and have my heart ripped out again? I stood outside of my front door, the usual morning walkers hoofing it past me on the sidewalk in their workout gear off to get a juice from Green Goddess or a coffee from The Magic Cafe.
“You are a badass, Jenna,” I whispered to myself as I lifted my chin and closed my eyes, letting the sun energize me. “You are a badass,” I whispered again.
When I opened my eyes, the two old ladies in a power-walk lockstep looked at me scandalized, threatening my barely-there confidence. When they were out of earshot, I whispered it one more time, to reaffirm it in my mind. Maybe if I kept saying it, I would believe it. Either way, I wasn’t letting corporate take-over ruin my walk too. Besides, I could do some recon when I passed my bakery.
I started my walk with a pep in my step and an anger-fueled conviction. The closer I got to the bakery, the more my anxiety ticked up. I felt it tightening my chest when the glass windows of the bakery came into view.
“What the hell am I doing?” I whispered to myself. I stopped in my tracks and started turning around. I didn’t want to see Jared, and I definitely didn’t want him to see me. I didn’t have a plan of attack yet. I needed Cat. I needed … I didn’t know what I needed. Maybe to channel Carrie. I didn’t feel badass at all anymore.
“You come to take me up on my offer?”
The voice left my throat dry for more reasons than one. I wished that every time I thought of him, I didn’t think of that stupid kiss. I turned. He stood there, still wearing vacationer gear, a floral print, short-sleeved button down, khaki shorts, and flip flops. Who works in a kitchen in flip flops?
“Of course not,” I said.
“That’s too bad,” he said. “I was just trying to decide on a color scheme. I have the construction guys coming tomorrow to rearrange the layout. I have to choose paint colors and order the furniture and fixtures.”
“How about orange and purple?” I said.
“Bold choices,” he said with a smirk as if I was joking.
“I guess you aren’t brave enough to stand out,” I said. Internally, I felt warmth creeping through my body as uncertainty coursed through me in waves. What was I doing?
“I thought you didn’t want to mar the beauty of Cape Shore. Don’t you think a bright orange and purple bakery might do that?” he asked, still smirking like we were just two friends having a laugh.
“I think you aren’t going to be here long enough to make an impact one way or the other,” I said with a lift of my eyebrow that I hoped looked confident and uncaring.
“Is that right? How come?”
“Because I am going to make sure of it,” I said, letting all the anger I felt drip from my voice like venom. Shit, did I just show my hand? Goddamn, why was I so bad at this?
His eyebrows climbed his forehead. I had finally managed to wipe the stupid smirk off his face. It was replaced with genuine concern and something else that I couldn’t read because I didn’t interpret asshole. I had forgotten that he had no idea that he had ruined my life, or at the very least, dropped a bomb on it. He knew how I felt about his family and their business practices to some extent, but he had no idea how personal it was for me.
Shit, this wasn’t going how I intended it to.
“I will have you know that this was supposed to be MY bakery,” I said.
He stood silently for a minute blinking through his shock. We stared at each other to the accompaniment of waves crashing and seagulls screeching.
“What?”
“This bakery. I didn’t miss the old place. I wanted it to be mine.” Suddenly, I worried I sounded like a petulant child. I had gone years not divulging my real ambitions, and here I was, blurting it out to a rich, famous, and hugely successful chef who didn’t give two shits about me or my town or my bakery. My cheeks burned red, and I had half a mind to cut and run. Pack a bag and move far, far away. I guess I would have to start considering that as a real possibility—open a bakery someplace else. My shoulders sagged with the thought.
“Then why wasn’t it?” he asked.
I blinked. Ouch, that was not a comeback I was prepared for.
“I was just waiting for the right time,” I said.
“And what time was that?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest and leaning up against the window of MY bakery.
I willed myself not to look at his strong, muscular arms. I took a deep breath. I had lost control of this conversation. “When I was sure.” I shook my head and shrugged.
“Sure of what? You seem pretty sure now.”
“I don’t mean sure. I’ve always been sure. I was born to run this bakery.” Holy shit that was lame. “I just, wanted to, you know, get all my ducks in a row or whatever.” My brain was failing me, and I felt the first prickling of tears threaten my eyes. How had this gone so far south so quickly? He asked me a few stupid questions and I was ready to fall apart. “You know what?” I said, lifting my chin and reminding myself of my mantra. If I had been Carrie, I would have made the glass he was leaning on shatter, so that he fell over like an idiot. Then I could point and laugh.
“What?” he asked. That knowing smirk was back.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you. ”
“No, you don’t,” he said. “But we are at an impasse. You seem to want the bakery I just purchased.”
“Like I said, it won’t be a problem for long,” I said, although I didn’t know how it could possibly be true.
“You know that I have a history of very successful restaurants under my belt,” he said, and I could only term it as smug gloating.
“Chain restaurants backed by your family’s company. Like I said, this isn’t a chain restaurant kind of place. You won’t be able to fall back on your tried-and-true methods of cheap menu items and khaki-covered walls. And,” I said, stepping closer to wag my finger in his face. As soon as I was within his orbit, I regretted the decision. I could feel the heat coming off his body and all I wanted to do was run my fingers along his biceps and shoulders. “It is now my life’s mission to make your life harder.”
He unfolded his arms and stepped even closer to me. I had to crane my neck up to continue looking in his startling brown eyes that looked at me like he could see every thought in my head. My breath caught in my throat, and I thought for a second he was going to kiss me again. With his body so close, I couldn’t decide if that was a bad thing or not. He leaned down, my eyes following the movement of his lips before they moved past me to brush against my ear. I forgot how to breathe.
“I look forward to it,” he whispered into my ear before pulling back, turning around and opening the door to the bakery. “See you around, Jenna.”