Page 45 of Semi-Rejected Life

I drove out to the pizza shop, letting myself in through the back thanks to Vince’s hidden key, and took a seat at the desk in the back office. There were some things I needed to think through before I met Vince for breakfast. And I wanted to work them out on paper before I finally admitted everything to him. Steps one to grovel had gone very well. And step two to be honest about my feelings went better than I ever thought possible. But step three was telling him everything about back home. That meant revealing I was technically engaged, that I’d grown up rich, and that the biggest reason I’d tried not to get attached was because I was depending on my inheritance to secure an easy future for me.

Definitely not easy things to say. But I had a little bit of time to work it out before his text inevitably came through.

Vincent: You coming to breakfast?

Me: Yeah. Had to do some stuff real quick. On my way now.

Vincent: The line is long this morning, tell me what you want and I’ll get it. Love you!

I typed my order back to him, feeling my heart swell as I got to type I love you too and it actually meant something. It was incredible how much my life had improved in just a span of a few weeks. And, with each passing moment, I felt myself growing braver and braver. By the end of next week when it was time for me to return home, I felt like I’d finally have the courage I needed to face my father at last.

Ten minutes later I left the pizza shop, locking it up behind me, and headed for the cafe. Vince hadn’t been kidding. When I got there, the parking lot was packed. There were no spots, so I parked across the street and walked over. Just inside the door I saw Vince waving me over to a corner booth he’d secured for the pair of us. It looked like he’d managed to get our food, but only just. The entire place was packed shoulder to shoulder, all the tables were full, and trying to get through people was like threading a needle blind.

“Christ,” I said, sitting down across from him after pushing my way through. “Why is it so damn busy in here?”

“Andy got a new baker,” Vince sighed, shaking his head. “Apparently he’s really good. But that’s all the barista would tell me.” He looked sort of grumpy that Andy’s place was so busy. “If he outsells me, I’m never gonna live it down. And, I can’t even tell him off like I want to because he’s already baking. The barista said they’re gonna run out of food in the next hour if they don’t start replenishing their stock.”

“Wow.” I scanned over the crowd once more. “Well, good for him I guess. Everyone wants their business to succeed, right? Even you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Vince groaned. “But he’s my rival in town and I want to win.”

“Well, you’ll always be a winner in my eyes.”

“Thanks Dad,” he sighed. He pushed the tray full of food to the center of the table. “Here. Eat your breakfast and we can get the hell out of here. It’s too damn busy.”

I reached out, picking up half a cinnamon roll and taking a bite. The moment the warm sugar and cinnamon spread over my tongue, I let out an involuntary, but inappropriate moan.

“Oh my god… this is–”

“Don’t fucking say it!”

“The best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had,” I finished. I took another bite. “Holy shit. Is this from the new guy?”

“Yes…” He reached out, tearing a small piece of his own half and popped it in his mouth. I could tell he was trying to hold it back, but his reaction was the same as mine. “Fucking Andy…” he grumbled. “This isn’t fair.”

“So what? He got a new baker and you got a new mate.” I leaned across the table, grabbing him by the collar and forcing my lips to his. “I think you got the better end of the deal.”

Vince seemed shocked and maybe a little embarrassed, but that didn’t stop him from kissing me back.

“You know what? You’re right.”

“I know I am.”

“Now if only you could make pizzas as good as this new baker…”

“Hey! I’m not that bad! I’m just… a little messy.”

“A little?” Vince laughed. “I think I lose more money when you make pizza than when you drop one on the floor!”

“Ha ha. You’re hilarious.”

“Come on,” Vince smiled, giving me a nudge. “Eat so we can get the hell out of here. This place is making me anxious.”

Chowing down as fast as we could, we finished our breakfast in record time, took the dishes back to the bussing tub, and got the hell out of there. Hand in hand, Vince and I exited the cafe. However, the moment we passed through the door, I found two figures blocking our way.

“Excuse us,” I said, without looking up.

Then that familiar scent hit me.

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