Page 53 of Baking it Merry

“Wow,” he said quietly.“This is…it’s exactly what I needed.Thank you.”

“You mentioned that you really enjoyed the crispy shrimp and broccoli, so that’s what I ordered for you.”Smiling, she added, “I also got fried rice for us to share, and I brought a couple of cupcakes for dessert.”Taking a bite of her dinner, she hummed with appreciation.“I know it makes me boring because I always order the same dish…”

“The Cantonese tiger beef,” he said with a wink.

“Exactly.I know it makes me boring, but I just love it.Most nights lately I’m eating a bowl of soup or a sandwich in front of my Christmas tree, in my pajamas, before crawling into bed because I’m exhausted.So this is a treat.”

“You work too hard.And that’s coming from a man who everyone says works too hard so…clearly I know what I’m talking about.”

“It’s just temporary,” she reminded him.“In a few weeks, my life will return to normal.”She paused before adding, “But I’ll miss my tree and all the twinkly lights.Sitting in front of them just makes me happy.Sadly, all good things must come to an end, right?”

She caught the small eye roll before he asked, “And what about when you finally take the leap and open a bakery of your own?Then what?”

But she waved him off.“That’s so far away.And when it happens, I’ll have a staff, so everything’s not on me.”

“I’m sure that will be a relief.I know I couldn’t accomplish half of what I do without my staff.Sometimes you end up with someone who you don’t realize is a liability—it slips through the cracks somehow—but once you figure it all out, everything runs smoothly.”

As much as she didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but ask, “Have you heard from Jeff since the party?”

“Nope,” he confirmed with a headshake.“Good riddance.I made sure I reached out personally to all his clients to apologize for any possible inappropriate behavior.Luckily there weren’t too many complaints and I think I even managed to save a few accounts.”

“Well that’s a good thing.”They ate in companionable silence before her curiosity got the better of her.Putting her fork down, she blurted out, “What exactly are we doing, Tristan?Are we just fooling around or…or…is there something more here?Is it weird that I came here?Is this like one of those things that only happens when there’s a party and then we’re supposed to pretend it was nothing the rest of the time?”

“Daphne…”

“Because I’m not good at these things!”she went on.“I don’t date a lot and I’ve never even considered anything casual.This whole thing with you caught me off guard, and now I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

He repeated her name again, but she was on a roll.

“We don’t make sense!I’m here in my holiday sweatshirt and you’re wearing a stupidly expensive suit!At least…well…I don’t know that it’s stupidly expensive, but it looks that way, so…” Letting out a long, loud breath, she concluded with, “I don’t know the rules and I really hate that.”

Patiently, he took a sip of the sweet tea she had gotten for him and placed the glass down before looking at her.Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his.“I don’t think we’re just fooling around, Daphne.I’d love to spend more time with you, but I’m also trying to respect your time.I know the next two weeks are going to be incredibly hectic for you.Between my father’s office party and then all the Christmas Eve orders you have, I didn’t want to add one more thing to your schedule.”

The smile he gave her was definitely reassuring.

“Plus, I haven’t been in the best of moods lately, but that’s something you probably already know about me.”Laughing softly, he caressed her hand.“I’m sure you look at me like I hate the holidays, but I don’t.This year has just been one disappointment after another for me professionally and I’m taking it personally.”

“Oh, Tristan…” What she wanted to do was get up and go curl up in his lap, but…that would be awkward.Especially while they were eating dinner.“I may not know a lot about architecture, but I’m an excellent listener.”

Daphne had a feeling he didn’t like to talk about his feelings, but at that moment, he surprised her.

“I feel like I’m suffocating,” he admitted quietly, shocking himself.But now that it was out there, he went with it.“Architecture and engineering are all I’ve ever known.I’ve been groomed for this my entire life.”Slowly, he pulled his hand from hers before raking it through his hair.“I love what I do, and I know I’m good at it.”

“But…”

“But…I’m competing for jobs that don’t excite me because I’m looking for approval and acceptance from my family.”

Holy crap!Did I seriously just say that out loud?

For several moments, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.Thankfully, Daphne finally spoke.“If you could design or build anything you’d like, what would it be?What projects would bring you the most joy?”

He had to think about that.Studying his hands, he replied, “That’s the thing—it’s not so different from what I’m already doing; I just want the freedom to take on smaller projects.Like…not everything needs to be a skyscraper in the middle of downtown.”

When he looked up at her, there was nothing but kindness staring back at him.

“You asked me why I don’t open my own bakery,” she began.“That’s always been the dream, but doing something like I have down in the lobby?The little seasonal pop-up shop?That brings me joy.The thought of running an actual bakery terrifies me.So I rent booths at craft fairs and small town festivals.Because it doesn’t need to be a brick and mortar building somewhere.”Pausing, she took a sip of her water.“Although a kitchen of my own instead of renting a shared space would be nice.”

“I guess we’re not so different, you and I, huh?”he said lightly.

---