Page 25 of Batter Up!

“Oh, my gosh, hi!” I said, and I knew I had a big smile on my face.

“Wow! Do you welcome all your guests like that? Talk about amazing customer service!” he said with a chuckle.

“No. Just you,” I said with a nervous laugh. Why was I nervous? This guy had seen me naked.

“Wow. What is so special about me?” he asked as he looked at the case of bakery items. “These look amazing. Did you make all of these?”

“I did,” I said proudly.

“I will take a half dozen of the Raptor cupcakes and three chocolate chip cookies. Those are my favorites. And I guess I’ll get three of the mini strawberry cheesecakes. Oh! And I need to buy out all your peanut-free cupcakes.”

“I know I told you my grandma taught me to bake, but I don’t think I got to the part in the conversation where I told you I was opening my own bakery,” I rambled while I boxed up his items. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot. I hope you don’t hate me.”

He looked at me with a tilt to his head and a frown on his handsome face. “I’m sorry, but I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“Wait, what? I would never forget you...” I proclaimed as I rang up his order and told him his total.

“No offense, but I’ve never seen you before. And I would remember your beautiful face,” he voiced as he slid his credit card in the card reader.

It felt like a ton of bricks were now sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. He was all I had thought of for weeks, and he couldn’t even remember me? Talk about embarrassment. I couldn’t let him see me cry. I wouldn’t let him see me cry.

“Well, thank you for your order,” I said quickly. “I hope you enjoy it.”

I could tell he was very confused, and he just replied with a thank you of his own and walked out the door.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Penelope with her hands full of bakery trays.

“Are you ok?” Pen asked with a worried look in her chocolate colored eyes.

I took one look at her and burst into tears.

“What happened?” She asked.

“He…. Stone…. Here….” I managed to say between tears.

“He came in?” Penelope asked as she put down the trays, “What happened to cause these tears?”

“He didn’t remember me,” I said.

“The fuck? How could he forget you?”

“I don’t know, but I’m so embarrassed. I thought I meant more to him. Now, I’m glad I just left.” The sadness and embarrassment were quickly turning into anger. He had been the first guy I had opened up to in a very long time, and he didn’t even remember me.

“I’m so sorry, Molly,” she said as we heard the familiar ding of the bell. “I’ll go help the customer. Go wipe off your face and calm down for a minute. You don’t need him if he just has so many girls that he forgets you after only six weeks. You deserve better.” She reached over to grab the trays of food and turned to me one more time. “When you’re ready, come back and be the amazing baker you are. We are going to sell out of all these items!”

I smiled through my tears and was so thankful for such an amazing new friend. “Thank you.”

Then, something that she said made me pause as she went to the front of the bakery. Had she said six weeks? No. No. No. I should have had my period a few weeks ago. I still hadn’t had it. The tears were coming back because I felt I already knew the answer.

“Moll! You have a special visitor,” I heard Penelope call out. “You’ll want to come out here and see.”

Was Stone back? Did he finally remember me and come back to apologize? I went through the door to the store front and stopped in my tracks.

“Meadow!!!” I cried and ran into the arms of my best friend.

She wrapped me in a huge hug and didn’t let me go for a long time. “Girl, you lied to me. The drive took forever! I would have been here sooner, but that was such a long, boring drive.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

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