Page 38 of Power Plays & Proposals

We said our goodbyes and I promised to be better at calling.

Chapter 16

Nate and I texted a lot when our schedules didn’t match up. Late games made it hard to get up early. He still came by the bakery to get his croissant fix, but with the larger crowds hoping to catch site of a hockey star, our conversations kept getting cut short. I found it very strange whenever someone asked for a photo with me simply because I knew him. Hannah had assured me that it was a good thing that the fans loved me.

Lou poked his head in through the door, during a surprising lull in the crowd, looking around quickly for Maria. I'd managed to sell him a muffin twice since Maria put him on the banned list for no reason.

"She's in the back."

With hurried steps, he rushed to the display case. His eyes grew big with excitement as he looked over the wide array of options. "I want one of everything. Wait..." he held up a finger, "scratch that. Make it two of everything."

I couldn't stop the smile or my laugh as I asked him, "Are you sure?"

"How fast do you think you could box it all?"

I shook my head with amusement and began boxing his order. As I rang him up at the register, Maria emerged from the back, her expression a mix of outrage and disbelief.

"You!" she exclaimed, slamming a tray onto the counter and snatching away the box I had prepared for Lou. "You don't get these."

Lou bristled. "Oh come on!"

Maria turned on me. "And you know he's on the banned list."

I winced in response.

"So..." she continued. "The only thing you get are these."

Lou's expression softened as he looked to where she pointed at the tray she'd brought up. It was full of lemon bars topped with powdered sugar.

He lit up like a kid at Christmas. "You made all these for me? I knew you didn't hate me."

"I did make them for you," Maria smirked. "Left Wing Lemon Bars, because you suck."

She stormed back to the kitchen, taking the box of goodies back to the kitchen with her. Lou looked like he was caught between anger and awe as he stared at the lemon bars. Minutes passed, and I wondered if I should text Nate that Maria had broken Lou. But then he shrugged, picked up a lemon bar, and took a bite.

He groaned in absolute delight and shoved the square treat in his mouth. With his mouth full he said, "I'm going to need that entire tray in two boxes."

I pulled out two new boxes, and shaking my head in amusement, did what he asked.

"The guys are going to be so jealous that I got something named after me." He picked up another lemon bar before I could box it.

"Warn me when you're coming in next time. I need popcorn for the show." I rang up his order.

He grinned, paid for his order, and left a hundred-dollar bill on the counter. "Let her know that's for the first box."

"They don't cost that much."

"I know." He took his boxes and left.

Still smiling, I picked up the bill and walked it back to the kitchen. Maria had a half-eaten eclair in her hand.

"He gone?" she asked before taking a bite.

"Yes, and he left this to pay for those." I held up the bill and pointed at the box.

"He's insufferable," she grumbled.

"Seriously what did he do?" I asked.

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