Page 65 of House of Desire

“Yes, and you’re doing a great job standing in it. I’m a mobile order. Relax,” Lore says with an eye roll. Feeling harried, Mom and Dad unable to help this morning, and Liam already at school, I accept her offer.

“Yes, please. Do you want to work the register or bag things?” I ask, pulling out four cupcakes for the older woman on the other side of the counter.

I wasn’t expecting this kind of increase in customers so early in the season. I talked about my business in the beginning introduction interview, but I assumed it wouldn’t be until week eight in the airing schedule when they show the hometown dates, I would begin to see a pickup in business. However, apparently the town was so excited for a local businessperson to be featured, they wanted to offer their support.

I think they also hoped they’d be able to determine if I was the winner by Parker sneaking around here.

But he’s not here and I have mixed emotions about it.

A part of me still wants to believe that him lashing out was not normal, brought on by my rejection and the immense amount of stress and the emotional situation we were in. Out of all the time I’ve spent with Parker, that was the only time I’ve seen him act that way. Even at the movie premiere, the Parker I saw was the carefree one I met in the Desire Suite date.

That doesn’t heal the hurt his words caused and that is the part currently holding me back.

“I’m going to do the cash register. I used to work at a little restaurant in high school to make some extra money.”

She sets her incredibly fashionable, but probably thrifted or second-hand bag, right on the floor by her feet. She takes a second to go through the different options on the iPad and then she’s jumping in.

Soon, we are in a rhythm. I pull treat after treat from the case. She rings them up as they order. By the time I’m done boxing, their credit card is being swiped and they are out the door. It takes two hours and a few trips to the back to restock every cookie flavor, the croissants, and half of the cupcakes before we are through the line and finally able to take a breather.

“That was intense,” Lorelei says, grabbing two bottles of water from the case and bringing me one. I tap in my code, marking the two items as free for inventory, and then crack open the lid, drinking down the cool liquid.

“Thank you for helping. I don’t think I would have made it through without you.” I flip the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’ and we move into the back of the shop and grab two stools I have pushed against the wall and out of the way for slower days. “Shouldn’t you be at work or something?”

“Probably, but I didn’t have any client meetings today, and I was supposed to meet Charlie for breakfast over in this area. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Okay? What about? You could have just called me,” I tell her.

“No, this is an in person conversation.”

“Yes, I will run away with you, but I just think Tank is going to really be upset and we should tell him where we are going to be so he can visit in off season.”

She snorts, swatting my arm.

“That’s not what I was going to ask.”

“Seriously, what’s up?”

She turns toward me on her stool and her eyes go big and a bit watery. Sniffling, she grabs my hands. A little concerned she’s going to ask me for an organ or something, I brace myself.

“You’re starting to freak me out,” I tell her.

“Will you go to Charlie and Alec’s wedding with me?”

“What? Why? Why isn’t Tank going with you?” I take a drink of my water before getting up and grabbing us each a broken cookie I couldn’t sell. I hand one to her as I take my seat again.

“They planned the wedding for Friday night so Tank could be there and fly back on Saturday for the game. I guess Alec’s mentor knows the owner of a hotel in Hawai’i or something and he put in a few calls and got it all arranged and they did one of those wedding packages so the planning took pretty much no time. But that’s beside the point.” She waves her hand through the air. “The team they are playing hasn’t won a single game, their starting quarterback got hurt, and their offensive coordinator was just fired so the league has decided to flex the game and now they are playing Sunday at noon, Saturday is no longer an off day, and he can’t leave.”

“But why would I go? I only met Charlie one time three weeks ago,” I say, confused.

“Because you’re my friend and I have a plus one and Charlie loves you and she maybe thinks you and Parker need to talk.” She mumbles the last part so quickly I can’t make out the words.

“What was that last bit there?”

She sighs. Her shoulders drop and the tears well up and I know I’m going to end up agreeing just to keep her from crying.

“When Tank told Alec he couldn’t be his best man any more after the schedule change, Charlie said I could bring a friend and then mentioned you and how it’d be great because at least you would know people. And then she talked about how she watched you and Parker at the movie premier and she could see there was something there. And she loves Parker, so she’ll do anything to make sure he’s happy.”

“I haven’t seen Parker since then and the entire night it was awkward! All he wanted to do was get away from me, I’m sure.” My heart starts racing at the thought of seeing Parker again, and I can feel my resistance crumbling.

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