Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
JOEY
“Good morning, chica.” Carmen was already in the bakery kitchen.
“You’re here early.” Joey was used to being the first to arrive. She enjoyed the solitude.
“Dani said you were up late last night keeping her company with her uncle again last night. She said you might need to sleep in a bit.” Carmen put her hands on her rounded hips.
“No, I’m fine,” said Joey. “But typical of her to be worrying about me and reporting back to you, when really she has bigger things to worry about.”
“She cares about you, Josefina. That’s what people who care about you do.” Carmen glared in Joey’s direction. “You need to accept that you are not the lone wolf you think you are. We all love you.”
“All? Who is this ‘all’?” Joey chuckled.
“Well, me, Dani and, well Vanessa I don’t know yet, but I think she is fond of you.” Carmen’s eyes softened. “And based on the colour your face just went, I think that feeling might be mutual.”
Joey rolled her eyes. “You’ve already switched the ovens on, it’s warm in here.” She was lying, and Carmen knew it.
“Yes, of course.” Carmen gave a wry smile. “What are you teaching our little English friend today?”
“Coc de mel,” said Joey.
“Ooh yes, simple but delicious.” Carmen raised her shoulders in delight.
Joey smiled and set to work with the croissant dough. That was always the first task of the day.
Fifteen minutes later Joey heard the door open. She spun round, her heart in her mouth. “Hi,” she said, sounding more stunned than happy to see Vanessa. She was on edge, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Morning,” replied Vanessa. She looked as though she was about to say something else, but then thought better of it. She smiled, before reaching for her apron.
There was an awkward crackle in the air.
Joey had never been the most talkative person.
Lately she’d come to rely on Vanessa to initiate a conversation.
But today, there was silence to start with.
Her heart sank. Did Vanessa regret kissing her?
Was it such a normal, everyday event for Vanessa to kiss someone that she’d forgotten it already? Had Joey dreamt it?
She returned to her dough, finding comfort in the repetitive motion of kneading. There was still a shadow in the corner of her mind, a reminder her that whatever happened, this thing between her and Vanessa was going to end at some point. And probably quite soon.
Once the dough was done, she turned to Vanessa, who was busy making two Victoria sponges. They had been a hit with the customers, so Carmen had asked her to make more. Vanessa was staring absently into the bowl as she mixed the sweet batter.
“Are you ok?” Joey asked, dreading the answer.
Vanessa looked up and smiled. “Oh, um, sorry. No, I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”
If ever there was a moment when the phrase ‘elephant in the room’ was apt, it was this one. There seemed no space at all in the room, as they both manoeuvred themselves around it.
“Ok, good.” Joey decided that business as usual was the only way forward. “Today I’m going to teach you how to make coc de mel.”
“Ooh, is that honey cake?” said Vanessa, seemingly keen to show off her Spanish skills.
“It is,” said Joey. “Well done. I heard you chatting to Carmen the other day in Spanish, too. You’re really throwing yourself into this.”
Vanessa looked at Joey, giving her a wide smile that made her feel as if her heart might pop out of her chest. “Thank you,” Vanessa said. “I couldn’t do it without you.” She looked down at her hands. “And Dani, of course.”
“Dani’s a good one,” said Joey, gathering the ingredients together.
“She is,” said Vanessa. “How are things with her uncle now?”
“He’s better than he was, but it’s going to be a long recovery for him. Dani’s going to be doing lots of work to look after him.” Joey sighed. “I really respect her loyalty, though.”
“Yeah,” said Vanessa, “she’s a great niece to him. And a good friend. And I think you’re a good friend.” She looked down. “To her, I mean.”
Joey tried to listen closely, to understand what Vanessa wasn’t saying. Was she acknowledging that she and Vanessa were something more than friends? Or was she simply highlighting that they barely knew each other? Or perhaps, she wasn’t saying anything at all that she hadn’t said out loud.
Joey was already exhausted. The late night hadn’t helped, but the overthinking was driving her to distraction.
“So this is a really simple one. Not too many ingredients. Just eggs, sugar, milk, olive oil, flour and honey. All the good stuff.” Joey gave a tight smile. Baking was what she knew, and when all else failed, she could stick to that.
Under Joey’s instruction, Vanessa began to work. “It’s a lovely batter,” said Vanessa. “It’s so smooth.”
Joey admired Vanessa’s slender fingers around the wooden spoon as she stirred, unable to prevent her eyes moving up to her long neck, which was glistening slightly in the warm environment.
“It’s one of my favourites.” Joey smiled.
“So what now? Do we put the honey in?” Vanessa looked up at Joey, her cheeks rosy from the heat, her curls falling in her face. She really was beautiful. In that moment Joey wanted to kiss her even more than she had the day before.
“No,” said Joey, her voice slightly strangled in her throat. “That happens once it’s baked. Put it into a cake tin. That’s right. And now sprinkle some flour over the top of it. Yep, like that. Then a thin layer of olive oil on top.”
“Really?” Vanessa’s eyebrows rose. “There’s nothing like this in baking back home.”
“Nope,” said Joey, “and it’s the secret of the beautiful flavour of this cake. Do that again a couple of times – two more layers of flour and olive oil. Then once that’s done, it goes into the oven for forty-five minutes.”
“And the honey?” Vanessa asked once she’d closed the oven door.
“You pour it over the top of the cake while it’s still warm from the oven.” Joey grinned. “Delicious.”
“It sounds incredible,” said Vanessa. She looked into Joey’s eyes and spoke again. “Are you ok? I mean, after what happened?”
Joey felt her eyes go wide and her jaw drop. Vanessa had named the elephant in the room, and she wasn’t ready to face it.
Vanessa frowned. “You seem, well, a bit off? I don’t know, maybe I’m projecting. Sorry if I am. I just wanted to check in.”