Page 24 of Hockey Boy

“This one is incredible.” Aiden stabs the small piece of chocolate cake in front of him with his fork and brings it to my lips. “Here, try.”

Without thought, I open. When the flavor registers, there’s no stopping the moan I release. That cake is fucking orgasmic. Aiden’s left dimple pops again, and then he’s sliding my coffee toward me.

“God, that’s incredible.” I bring my coffee to my lips and take a slow sip to wash down the cake. “But so were the last four. Seriously, how are you going to pick one?”

He leans back in his chair, posture relaxed. “Already know what the bride wants, so we’re all good.”

The cake I was sure was already clear of my throat makes a reappearance and chokes me. Because we’re planning Aiden’s wedding. To Jill.This is not a date, Lennox. We’re not getting to know one another again. I’m planning my ex-boyfriend’s wedding to another woman.

Fortunately, before I have a breakdown right here in the middle of this bakery, a woman with a hot pink bow in her hair walks by, snagging my attention. The pop of color reminds me of my other assignment for today. “Oh, I need to see if they can make a cake for Josie.”

Aiden straightens, his eyes brightening. “Ava’s Josie?”

Relief floods me at the successful change of topic. “Yes. Her birthday is coming up, so Ava asked me to plan a little party.”

“How’d you end up in this job anyway? I know I asked at our first appointment, but I was a bit distracted, and I’m not sure if I ever got an answer.” The way he says it, in an almost flirtatious way, his eyebrows raising as if we’re sharing some unspoken secret, leaves me thoroughly confused.

“Sounded like a fun job.” I shrug and scrape at the crumbs on my plate with my fork, going for nonchalant. “I still haven’t quite figured out what I want to do with my life, so I’ve been testing out one career after another. I figure that I’ll eventually like something enough to stick with it. Kind of like taste testing these cakes. I like to try a job or a city out for a bit, take a few bites.”

“What do you think of this one so far?” The smirk he gives me is knowing. Like it’s obvious that I both hate and love this job because of him.

I lift a shoulder, focusing on my plate. “It’s okay.”

Aiden swipes a hand across his face. “Come on, you get to hang out with me, eat copious amounts of sugar and—” He scans the bakery, humming. “Actually,” he says, grinning again, “I think that’s reason enough to make this job awesome.”

Laughing, I pick up my fork and stab it into the chocolate cake that I’d like to box up and bring home, since this is the closest I’ve come to an orgasm that wasn’t self-induced in over a year. Does this count as non-self-induced? Someone else made it…

Aiden leans in, his arms settling on the table. “What are you thinking about right now?”

“Orgasms,” I reply without doing any thinking at all.

Shit.

He rears back, and his eyes flare.

Shit, shit, shit. Choking on air and embarrassment, I snatch my coffee from the table and tip it back. Though maybe it’s better if I just choke to death right here.

“I’m just going to—” I point to the bathroom and then book it before I mortify myself further.

Me: I’m going to need you to come to the bakery and light it on fire so I can sneak out the bathroom window.

Sara: Wait. Did you lock yourself in the bathroom?

Me: I can hear your sarcasm and judgment from here.

Sara: Impossible.

Me: Okay, Judgy McJudge Pants. I need you to not be so smart right now and HELP ME.

Sara: tell Momma what’s wrong.

Me: I hate you.

Me: But really, I love you and I need you because I just told Aiden I was thinking about orgasms while we were eating cake.

Sara: Told you that place is awesome. Can you bring a piece of carrot cake home? It’s Brooks’s favorite, and I love it when he licks it off me.

Me: Sara.

---