Page 39 of Useless Love

Speaking of my princess, what time did she say that bake sale was?

CHAPTER 13 — CAN'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE

Gaia

Carla, Victoria and I spent most of last night baking at the church. Finally, that new kitchen I got my father to renovate was put to good use. Now it’s the day of the bake sale. When noon arrives, I go to the church because Carla gave me a donation last night, so I want to give Father Eddie the check. I also want to see how everything is going.

When I arrive, I wave at a few younger parishioners selling the pastries we all made. We decided that teenagers selling the items would guilt potential customers into saying yes. So far, it seems to be working. I spot Julia, a thirteen-year-old volunteer, and notice she’s tasked with selling most of the goods I baked. Almost everything I made is still on the table in front of her. Most of what Carla and Victoria made is gone.

My heart drops. Did I mix up the salt and sugar or something? Why does no one want what I made?

“No luck?” I ask Julia.

“Huh?”

Nodding toward the brownies and cookies, I ask, “Do they taste that bad? No one wants to buy them?”

“Oh no,” Julia says, then adds a giggle. “They were all sold. Just waiting for the customer to pick them up.”

“What? We do pick up?”

“They do now,” I heard behind me. I turn to see Carmine and his mother.

It has only been a week, but it feels like a month since I last saw him. Five days without a fashion show of his suits, his seductive voice in my ears, or his skilled tongue.

“Hey, princess,” Carmine says.

My cheeks are already blushing. I really want to kiss him, but that would be so inappropriate here.

“Hi!” Mrs. Gaudino says, interrupting my thoughts. “Carla told me about your project, and I was dying to see it. I hope it’s okay. I tagged along with Carmine.”

I can’t imagine how I must look to Mrs. Gaudino, ogling her son and his black, well-fitted suit.

Shaking my head, I gather myself and properly greet Mrs. Gaudino. “It’s great. I’m so happy you’re here.” I step forward to embrace her.

“You looked shocked,” she whispers to me.

Glancing beside her, I say, “I didn’t know he was coming.”

“I said I’d be back sooner than planned,” Carmine teases.

“Yes, but I didn’t know when. Didn’t think it would be here.”

Mrs. Gaudino takes my hand and stands in front of Julia's table. “I’d like to buy a few of these. Along with making a donation.”

“These are already sold,” Julia says, smiling at Carmine like she has a schoolgirl crush.

I turn my head back at him and ask, “Do you two know each other?”

Before he can answer, Julia says, “He called earlier and instructed me to put everything on hold that the woman with the long, black hair baked. I figured it was you since your friends have shorter hair. He said he’d pick it up later and he’d be the only man in a suit.”

Mrs. Gaudino touches her son’s arm. “How romantic of you, Carmine.”

Julia gives a dreamy sigh. “It’s something they would do in one of those romance movies,” she says, completely smitten.

Carmine smirks. “I don’t know about all of that. She’s my fiancee Can’t have another man eating her goodies.” He steps closer and I feel his body heat.

Smiling, Mrs. Gaudino says, “Well, guess I’ll walk around and buy something from another table.” She leaves, but Julia is still watching Carmine and me like we’re a soap opera couple.

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