My Curvy Valentine: A Perfect Fit Novella (7 page)

She couldn’t flee now, because no matter how much her attraction to him made her feel uncomfortable and confused, he was still one of her oldest friends. “If you don’t say anything and you keep this bottled up your body will turn into a pressure cooker and your head will explode or you’ll go on some of bakery-related massacre. I can just see the headlines now. Baker goes ballistic and assaults customers with day-old cinnamon buns.”

He looked at her, shaking his head. “What the hell are you going on about?”

“Tell me what’s going on. Fernando walked in here at 8:30. I know bakers get an early start but that’s ridiculous.”

“Remember those cakes Kerman’s Marketplace wanted? They want six dozen of them by tomorrow morning. I sent Arthur home sick. I’m just going to have to call and cancel.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “That money from those cakes was going to help me pay the full cost of the rent to my father.”

“You know he doesn’t really want the money from you.”

He looked away from his phone and into her eyes. “But I really wanted to give it to him. He needs to see that I’m not a failure.”

Her chest twisted painfully for him. He wasn’t a failure. He was just a son in a hard position. “Give me your cell phone.”

“What? No.”

She took it from him. “You afraid I’m going to look through your text messages? You got dirty pictures on here?” She dialed the phone and hit the speaker button. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing some dirty pictures. They would spice up my night.”

“Hello?” Her mother’s tentative voice came through the phone.

“Hi, Mom. It’s Maggie May.”

“Are you okay, baby girl? Why are you calling from this number? Do you need help?”

“I’m fine, Mom. I’m calling from Alex’s cell. We do need help, though. Alex’s bakers have come down with the flu and he has a cake order to fill for the morning. Do you think you could help?”

“Of course, Maggie! I’ll be right over. Oh shoot. I’m on a date.”

“On a date? Again?”

“Yes, I’m with the nice man from the other evening. His name is Gordon. He’s a butcher, you know. Been out three times now. The man knows his way around a steak, I tell ya.”

“Oh great, so when he kills you, he’ll know how to slice you up so he can dispose of your body.”

“Maggie May Calhoun! I don’t know where you get your mouth from.”

“Sorry, Mom. I watch too much TV and I’m just not used to you online dating yet.”

“Well, get used to it, Maggie. You should try it too. They’ve got some cute boys on the computer. I bet I can pick you out a nice one. With a good job and car. A boy who loves good food, Jesus and his mother.”

Alex’s chuckle caused her. “Shut up,” she mouthed to him. “We can talk about man computer shopping later. Bring your date by the bakery. If he’s really a good guy, he won’t mind helping out.”

“Okay, I’ll ask him. But either way I’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you!”

She disconnected and handed Alex back his phone. “What just happened?”

“We’re going to help you make your cakes. Duh.”

“Call her back and tell her don’t bother. I’m going to cancel.”

“You can’t. We both know that. Plus I want to see this butcher guy my mom has been dating. If you can be scary, that would be great. Can’t trust men nowadays.”

“You’re insane and the last thing I need is a bunch of untrained civilians running around my kitchen.”

“Civilians?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I wasn’t aware you weren’t one. Should I call you General, or Captain? Is this kitchen a battlefield?”

“No, but the last time I checked the only thing you could make was frozen pizza and even then I wonder how you manage not to burn down the place.”

“You’re a son of a bitch, you know that?” She turned away from him and pulled eggs out of his walk-in refrigerator. “Just for that I’m really going to help you.”

“Put those eggs down, Maggie,” he warned. “I don’t need shells in my cakes. You’ll ruin my reputation.”

“Chocolate cherry cake, huh? You put cherry cola and candy bars in that?” She went in to his pantry. “Where do you keep your Hershey Bars?”

“Dear, Lord. Please help me. Bittersweet chocolate.” He called after her. “And you put cherry cola anywhere near my cakes I’m coming after you!”

She popped her head out of his pantry. “You’re going to tell us how to makes these cakes, and you’re going to be nice about it, or I’m going to make up my own damn recipe and slap some icing on it straight from a can.”

“Okay. Okay.” He put his hands up in surrender. “You can help.”

*

“You know you can buy a whole cow now. A whole cow for yourself,” Gordon French, butcher extraordinaire and Maggie’s mother’s date, told them during hour five of their cake-baking fest. “Right down there on Bullock Farm. They’ll raise ‘em up for you. Only feed it an organic diet. They’ll even slaughter it for you too. It’s much better than some of the beef they send to the supermarkets that’s filled with all that gunk and junk. Much better tasting and better for you too. I could hook you up with a nice deal it you want.”

“That’s sounds nice, Gordon, but I’m not sure where I would put an entire cow. My freezer barely has room for the Hot Pockets I keep in there,” Maggie said.

“You’ve heard of farm share, right? This is like cow share. Sometimes a couple of families go in on a cow together.”

“Hey, Alex,” she called to him as she combined cocoa powder with the baking powder. “You want to go in on a cow with me?”

He stopped rolling out the dough he was making for tomorrow’s lemon meringue pie and looked up at her. “Yeah, a cow sounds like something I might like to invest in.”

“Awesome. Now, can I keep my half of the cow in here? You’ve got an industrial-sized freezer and I’ve got… I’ve got Hot Pockets that I’m pretty attached to.”

He grinned and shook his head before he went back to rolling out his dough.

“This baking thing is kind of fun,” Gordon said. “I thought cutting meat was a pretty relaxing job, but this is good because you’ve got something pretty fancy to show for it at the end.”

“If you’re looking for a job, Gordon. I’m hiring,” Alex told him. “You’ve got skills with a mixer.”

“Why thank you, Chef.”

Maggie grinned at the exchange. Surprisingly she really liked Gordon. He had a balding head and a little round belly, but he was sweet and jovial and he treated her mother very kindly. He was the exact opposite of her father, who was extremely handsome and fit, but too rigid and cold for Maggie to think of him that way.

“Okay, I’m back.” Betty clapped her hands. “I’ve got to tell you, Alex. You have one of the cleanest restrooms in Durant. I don’t like to use public restrooms, don’t you know, but
yours… It just sparkles and it smells yummy in there too. Do you know he’s got cupcake-scented soap in there, Gordon? Just makes a lady want to eat her hands.”

“You hanging in there, Betty?” Gordon stepped away from his mixer to rub Betty’s back. “I know it’s late for you. Can I get you some more coffee?”

“Oh, no thank you. I had too much of that pink velvet cake that Alex made and now I’m flying high on a sugar rush!” She giggled, her cheeks turning pink. “I don’t know why people need illegal drugs when they can just have sugar. It tastes better and it’s just as deadly—to the waistline, that is.”

Alex walked over to Betty, kissing her cheek. “You’re very cute, Betty. I do love you. Thank you for saving my butt.”

“You’re a sweet boy.” She blushed. “So handsome, too! If your mother could see you now,” she sighed. “Oh come here and let me hug you for her.” She wrapped him in a long motherly hug, patting his back.

Alex closed his eyes, absorbing Betty’s affection and something twisted inside of Maggie once again. He still needed a mother’s love.

“Okay. Enough of that! I have to make the icing!”

Four hours later and they had done it. They made, frosted and packaged seventy-two cakes that night. And by some divine intervention Alex had made all the fresh baked goods that the store sold every morning. It was no small feat but when the delivery man packed them all into his truck Maggie felt a huge sense of accomplishment. She was also dead tired but too
pumped to try to sneak in a nap before work. Besides, Alex opened the doors to the bakery at 6:30 and he was surprisingly busy. She didn’t want to leave him yet.

“Okay, baby girl.” Betty hugged her, resting her head on her shoulder. “I’ve got to go to bed now.”

“Thank you, Mom. I appreciate this.”

“I know and you can repay me by calling your father.”

“Mom,” she whined.

“Call him.”

“I’ll think about it.” She let her mother go. “Gordon.” She looked at the sleepy but still smiling man. “Bring in it.” She extended her arms to hug him. “You’re a hell of a cake decorator.”

“I think I found my new calling. It was nice meeting you, Maggie. I hope to see you again.”

“Oh, I think things might go your way,” Betty giggled. “Come on, Gordon. Take this old girl home.”

Alex came from behind the counter after his customer was taken care of and walked over to them, hugging Betty tightly. “If there is anything I can do for either of you please let me know, and of course you will eat here free for the rest of your lives.”

“Don’t tell me that.” Gordon patted his belly. “Besides,” he shook the paper bag he was holding, “you sent me home with enough stuff to last me a month.”

“I can’t thank you enough. I don’t want to keep you. Go sleep.”

Gordon and Betty left then, but Maggie couldn’t help but notice that their fingers were locked as they walked out the door.

“My mommy has a boyfriend.”

“Nice guy. Knows his way around the kitchen,” Alex said as he watched their retreating figures. “Really likes talking about meat, but nice.” Alex turned to her. Stubble lined his jaw and he looked more tired than she had ever seen him, but there was something infinitely sexy about the rumpled pastry chef in the morning. “Go to bed, Maggie”

“Can’t. I have to be at work in two hours and if I lie down I won’t be able to get up. I’m going to hang out down here with you.” She pointed to the door. “You’re going to need me. You just had a stream of people walk through the door.”

“It figures. The day I’m alone is the day we get the most customers. You man the register. I’ll be the runner.”

She had only meant to stay an hour in the bakery before she went upstairs to get ready for work, but
Sweet Eats
was such a hive of activity first thing in the morning that she barely noticed that time had flown by. It was a side of the bakery she didn’t usually see because she came down after the morning rush. It was only after things quieted down did she remember she had to be at work in forty minutes.

“I’ve got to go!” She slipped off her apron, tossing it to Alex as she ran toward the back door.

“Wait.” Alex caught up with her just as she got to the stairs that led to their apartments.

“I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later.”

“No.” He grabbed her arm and spun her around, pinning her against the wall. “We won’t talk later.” He cupped her head in his huge hands and kissed her forehead and then her nose and cheeks, and chin. “Thank you.” She shut her eyes as he kissed her sweetly all over her face. “Thank you for being an intrusive pain in my ass,” he said between kisses. “Thank you for not taking no for an answer.”

She had never been kissed like that before and it was like her body couldn’t help itself. She closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around him and held on. His body was hard and warm and wrapped up in his embrace she felt… She didn’t want to think about how she felt. “I’ve got to go.”

“I know,” he said, but he didn’t let her go, he just buried his nose in her neck, kissing her softly there. And it was just like her dream. Only this was real and it caused her nipples to tighten and warmth to spread through her belly. “I don’t want you to go yet,” he said into her skin before he kissed her neck again. “How can I repay you?”

“You’re my friend,” she swallowed hard. She was finding it hard to think, to speak, to breathe when his lips were pressed into her skin. “Friends do things for their friends without expecting things in return. We’re friends.” She kept saying the word to remind herself that they were old friends, that they would remain friends, that nothing was going to happen between them.

Right?

“I really need to go!” She pushed him away. “I’ll see you later.”

Chapter 5

It was only a ten-minute walk from
Sweet Eats
to
Size Me Up
, but it was bitterly cold outside and Alex wasn’t sure how Maggie didn’t freeze her cute curvy ass off every day. The large hot cup of coffee he was holding helped ward off some of the chill, but Maggie didn’t get her usual cup this morning. She had rushed out the door before he had a chance to see her again. He had wanted to see her once more before she walked out the door, even after spending all night with her. She hadn’t left his mind all day.

He walked into the shop to see that Maggie was busy with a customer. She was behind the woman placing a belt around her waist while they both looked in the mirror. He didn’t want to interrupt her, but he couldn’t help but get closer to her. She wore a dress today, one that was the same color as the raspberry sauce he used on his cheesecakes and looked just as delicious on her curvy body. She wore tights too, and milk-chocolate-colored boots that went over her calves and made her long legs look even longer.

“Look at this tiny little waist you have,” Maggie said. “You want to show it off. You
have
to show it off.”

“Doesn’t it draw attention to my wide hips?” the woman asked.

“Yeah, but it’s sexy. Wide hips are a sign you can deliver babies and men subconsciously look for things like that. It gets their motor running.” Maggie straightened, her expression growing thoughtful. “There was also a study done saying that women with wide hips are more likely to have one-night stands and engage in risky sexual behavior.” She chewed on her lower lip. “Don’t do that. I mean, have a one-night stand if you want to. We don’t judge here. Just don’t be risky about it. Okay?”

The customer laughed. “I’m not looking for a one-night stand. So my wide hips are sexy, huh?” She studied herself in the mirror as she smoothed her hands over her hips. “I’ll take this dress too and the belt. I’ve got a date Valentine’s Day for the first time in years and I need to look smoking.”