Page 57 of Back to You

“He’s working, same as ever.”

“Yeah.” Michelle grabbed her bread. “I’m off to pick up the kidlets.”

He waved her off and started a new batch of bread.

“Hey, there are customers out here asking what that amazing smell is. One of them said she’d buy it, she doesn’t care what it is,” Marcus said, popping his head around the door.

“Let me bag these that are already done and I’ll bring them out.”

The afternoon passed in a blur of baking and selling. By the time the cafe closed, they were sold out of everything.

“Damn, that was intense. You’re going to get a rep for that bread,” Marcus said, mopping the floor.

“I’ll do more tomorrow. I better go ahead and get started on the baking for the morning, we have nothing left.”

“Yeah, and that way you can avoid going home, right?” Marcus paused to lift an eyebrow at him. “Gotta face it sometime, man.”

“I know. Still sucks.”

“You’ll get used to it. Don’t worry. At least you have the cat.”

That night when he got home, Brandon stood in his doorway and looked around. He could at least try to liven the place up a little, he thought. Make it more welcoming.

The thought was exhausting, so Brandon changed into pajamas and parked his ass on the couch to watch something mindless.

***

“I mean … it could definitely be more boring,” Michelle said, looking around his apartment.

“I just don’t really care about it. It’s just a place to sleep and read and watch TV. Does that sound bad?”

“No, but maybe if we brightened it up a little, you’d be happier here?” she said doubtfully.

“Maybe this is like my rebound apartment. Not long-term, but good for now.”

“That’s as good an excuse as any, I suppose.”

They headed back to work, Brandon having decided to leave the apartment as-is for now. He really just couldn’t be bothered.

“Thank God you’re back,” Marcus said as soon as they walked in the door.

“Why?” Brandon said suspiciously.

“First of all, I’ve gotten like a million phone calls asking if we’re going to be selling the chocolate bread today. Second, a kid peed in the play area and I had to clean it up. Third, the chicken lady walked by with Kelly Cluckson, and Kelly had a topknot, and no one was here to appreciate it.” The phone rang behind him. “But mostly, if this damn phone rings one more time I’m going to break it.”

“How are so many people wanting that bread? We only sold a couple dozen loaves yesterday.”

“Apparently someone posted about it on Facebook and said it was amazing, and now people are all up my grill wanting this bread. We’ve had a lot of people coming through asking about it, too. I’ve been pimping the cookies and pastries, but there’s been a lot of disappointment.”

“That’s all you, baby,” Michelle said, retreating toward her office. “But I can handle the phone, Marcus. B, what am I telling people?”

“Ugh. Tell them we’ll have some ready to go after 4, but it’s first come first serve.”

Brandon retreated to the kitchen and buried himself in bread making. He had to admit, there was something therapeutic about the process.

Once he’d finished baking, packaging and helping Marcus with the surprising rush of customers, he found himself at a loss. When did his life get so boring? Go to work, come home, feed the cat, read a book or watch TV, go to bed. So predictable and boring.

He went back out into the cafe and announced, “I need a hobby.”

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