Page 17 of Losing My Rejection

“You should thank him,” I chuckled. “He’s the only reason you and Ace ended up together.”

“True…”

I saw Josh crinkle up his nose in my periphery. “Don’t worry,” I added. “Sam sent you to me because I needed help, not so we could date. We both know you’re straight.”

“Are you a sports straight or a regular straight?” Matt asked, turning to Josh.

“I… don’t know what that means.” He shrugged. “I like to cook.”

“Hmmm.” Matt gave him a good once over. “I guess I’ll just have to get to know you before I pigeonhole you.”

“Shouldn’t you do that with everyone?” I laughed.

“Do you?”

“Uh…”

“That’s what I thought.” Matt turned back to Josh. “Also, I think it’s mighty nice of you to forgive this asshole,” he said, jabbing a thumb in my direction. “The way he talked to you that day you bought a sticky bun was disgraceful.”

Josh smiled at that. “You heard about that?”

“I saw it,” Matt smiled, putting his hands on his hips. “I was standing right here when it happened. Our booth is always next to Andy’s. I hope you made him grovel.”

“He did have to beg me to take the job. I almost didn’t, but I need the money.”

“I don’t blame you. Andy is a lot even when he’s on his best behavior. I didn’t like him to begin with either.”

“Wow,” I muttered, taking myself to the back of the van and pulling it open. “This is the most uncomfortable conversation I’ve ever been a part of. I just have to stand here and listen to you two trash-talk me?”

“Deal with it,” Matt replied, waving me off. “You had it coming.”

The rest of the morning went like that as we started setting up our booths. Matt and Josh talked amongst themselves with a few comments from Ace and myself thrown in. I’d honestly never heard Josh be so vocal before. There was something about Matt that just brought people out of their shells. I wasn’t sure how he did it, but he was really good at it. He’d managed to get Ace to open up more, and he even had a way with customers, getting them to sign up for whatever newfangled thing he and Ace were trying next. Of course, the cowboy hat and the muscles brought people in to begin with, but Matt’s words filled their cash box to the brim.

It was good to see Josh opening up a bit, so I let him make the trade with Ace that morning. He went through everything in their booth, tasting and touching until he found the perfect ingredients for what he wanted to make that week. I was surprised to see him take a basket of tomatoes. But when he took a solid pound of basil to go along with it, I had a feeling my customers were in for a savory treat.

“There’s only one thing I want,” I added, as I came around the front of Ace’s booth. “And I’ll happily give you cash or trade more sweets.” I reached down, pulling a large bunch of sunflowers out of one of his bouquet buckets. “I want some fresh flowers.”

“There all yours,” Ace replied with a wave. “Take them. I have so freaking many I can’t keep up with them.”

“It’s too bad you don’t have any Hyacinths,” I added, lifting the sunflowers to my nose and breathing them in deeply. “Those are my favorite.”

“Yeah, and they only bloom for a week in the spring,” Ace said. “And they don’t stand up well to being cut. You’re better off just growing the bulb in a pot.”

“I know… I’ll just have to wait until next spring I guess.”

“Don’t know where else you’re going to get them this time of year. The stores stop selling them in May.”

“Do you want us to put some in for you for next year?” Matt asked, his phone already in his hand to make a note. “I’m planning on putting more bulbs in anyway, so it wouldn’t be a big deal to put some aside for you.”

“Nah,” I said, waving him off. “It’s fine. I wouldn’t know what to do with them, anyway. Living over top of the bakery doesn’t exactly leave me a lot of garden space and I’m hardly ever home, anyway. I’d never get to enjoy them. But,” I added. “I could just come visit your place when they’re in bloom.”

“You’re always welcome,” Ace nodded. “Just… uh… give us a heads up.”

“What? Do you two garden naked or something?”

The pair of them exchanged a knowing glance.

“Oh,” I chuckled. “Alright then. I’ll call ahead.”

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