Page 7 of Baking it Merry

Quickly, she hustled across the lobby and dashed into the restroom.Checking her reflection, she smoothed her ponytail, adjusted her sparkly pink headband—the same hot pink as her apron—and applied a fresh coat of lipstick.Then she let out a long breath.“You’ve got this,” she whispered.“They’re going to love the muffins and even if this doesn’t become a weekly gig, they’re still going to enjoy what you baked.”Another long breath.“And bring some business cards in case the clients enjoy the food and want to order for themselves.”

When she walked back across the lobby five minutes later, she felt only slightly more confident.The line was gone from the front of her booth and her mother was wiping down the counter.

“Everything going okay?”she asked.

“All good!I just sold the last banana nut muffin.I marked your inventory sheet so you know that for later.”

“Thanks, Mom.You’re the best.”Picking up a small stack of her business cards, she slid them into her apron pocket before grabbing the boxes.“Okay, wish me luck!”

“Good luck!And don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control here!”

Boxes in hand, Daphne carefully made her way out of the booth and started heading for the elevators.She pushed the up button and felt a mixture of nerves and excitement.If Knight Architects took up the entire top floor, they had to be impressive.Getting them as a client could be very good for her little business.

The doors opened and she stepped into the elevator.Turning, she hit the twenty-eight button and sighed happily as the doors slid closed.

Here we go…

Only…they slid back open, and an arm covered in navy blue wool wedged in.

No!

She had to stifle a growl of frustration when Grinchy Grincherson himself stepped in.He barely acknowledged her presence before hitting the twenty-eight button too.

Then he turned to her, looking mildly horrified.“You’re going up to twenty-eight?”

She nodded.

“Why?”

“Um…” Holding up the boxes, she let them speak for themselves.

“I’ll just take them,” he said, reaching for them.“You don’t need to go up to the office.”

But Daphne took offense to that.“That’s okay.I promised Faye I’d deliver them, and, not for nothing, I don’t trust you.”

His eyes went almost comically wide.“Seriously?Youdon’t trustme?”

Nodding, she held firm to the boxes.“That’s right, I don’t.You don’t like me or my business.Who’s to say you won’t throw these out before Faye gets them and make me look like I’m irresponsible?So…no thank you.I’m delivering them.”

“This is ridiculous,” he murmured before hitting the button for the tenth floor—which they were almost at.“It’s absurd for you to bring them up when that’s where I’m going.So…” he hit the button again and then the one for the lobby.“I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than delivering cake.After all, who’s watching the gingerbread house, Hansel and Gretel?”

Then, surprisingly, he laughed.

“My mother is watching the booth, so it’s fine.”The doors slid open, but she refused to move.He took a step toward her, and she contemplated screaming so someone would come and throw him off the elevator so she could ride up to the top floor in peace.

When the doors closed, he cursed.“Look, what is your deal, huh?Why are you making things so difficult?”

“I’m not making anything difficult.You are.I don’t see why you feel so strongly about my not going to the top floor,” she countered.“Although, I still believe it’s so you can sabotage this order and smear my reputation and get me thrown out of the building.”

“I knew I should have called the landlord…”

“But you didn’t, so…deal with it.”She paused.“All I’m trying to do is spread a little joy.That’s all.Every day that I’m here, I greet people with a smile, serve them some yummy food, and wish them a great day.It’s called being nice.Maybe you should try it sometime.”

And she hit the twenty-eight again for emphasis.Then he hit the fifteen.Daphne went to hit the button again at the same time he reached for the panel and it became a juvenile game of hitting too many buttons when…

The elevator came to a jarring halt.

“Oh!”The boxes nearly slid from her hands, but she held them tightly as she braced herself against the wall.“What happened?”

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