Page 13 of Baking Spirits Bright

We're being so careful with one another. It's beyond odd. Back in the day, it didn't matter what the fuck we said to each other. We'd say anything that would get the other fired up, just so we could argue. I miss that with her. There's never been anyone who could go toe-to-toe with me like Lyla. I finish up the last of my food, and then wait for her to do the same. After she finishes, I clean the table off and throw our trash away. "I'm gonna warn you before we get in there. You might've thought the office was small, but with the cot in there, it's tiny."

"It's cool," she answers. "We'll make it work, however we need to."

I'm nervous. We've never been in there together like this, and I've never been thinking about her the way I'm thinking about her right now. "I promise I'm not going to come onto you or anything."

She turns, looking at me over her shoulder. "Is this one of those situations where you're going to promise that you won't fall in love with me?"

We haven't talked like this before. Why haven't we? The arguing we did was what everyone said was foreplay, but I never thought about her like that. Maybe I should've, but I think she's joking, and I don't want to be seen as the one who's taking this seriously, while she isn't. "Trust me, you don't have to worry about me falling in love with you, Lyla."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lyla

Weirdly enough, the words he's said hurt. I've never, not once in the time we worked together, did I think we should date. But those words hurt. Maybe it's because everyone needs to be wanted, and it's been a long time since I've had a person want me. At least in person.

Bossman on that app does. We matched, and we haven't looked back. But that isn’t real life. He's not going to keep me warm at night. He won't be someone I can call when I need help. Hell, I don't even know what he looks like. We've never exchanged pictures.

Who knew a blizzard would make me question everything I've got going on right now?

"Are you okay?" Lincoln asks. "I didn't mean to offend you. You have to know you're beautiful and smart. Anyone would be lucky to be with you."

These words bring tears to my eyes. As long as it's been since someone has seen me as attractive, it's been the same amount of time that someone has given me a compliment. For the past year, I've dealt with a lot on my own, and I've never given thought to how much I've actually needed the past twelve months. I've missed out on everything that most people take forgranted, and I'm realizing at this moment how much I need it all. "Thanks, Lincoln, I appreciate it."

"I don't say it to blow smoke up your ass. I mean it."

I nod, not able to say anything. When we get to the office and walk in, I finally understand what he means about how small it feels and looks with the cot in there. It's tiny as fuck.

"See what I mean?" He says as we enter.

The only way there's enough room for both of us is because he plasters himself up against the wall. "I'm getting it."

Going to his desk, he picks up a remote and points it at the TV. With the flick of a button, it comes on, and then the local news comes across the screen.

"Sugar Creek is under a Blizzard Warning. It's extending through tonight into tomorrow. Looks like we'll be going straight through to Friday evening, and once the snow stops, that doesn't mean we're out of the woods. Temperatures are extremely low. With the windchill they are in the single digits."

We look at one another. The enormity of the situation coming down upon us. "We might be stuck here for a few days, Lincoln."

"Yeah." He rubs his eyes. "Luckily, I keep a change of clothes here."

I don't, and that sucks. "Who knew it would be a good idea to pack panties in your car?" I quip, giving him a grin.

The smirk on his face reminds me of the man I worked for last year. "Believe it or not, you have clothes here from last year."

"Do I?" I'm trying to dig back into my memory bank, wondering why I would have clothes here.

"Not long before you quit, you worked a catering job for me. You didn't have to, but you did. When you came in, I asked you to change..."

I laugh loudly, thinking back to the argument we'd had. "That pissed me off so much that you made me dress up in a suit. Wefought like we hadn't fought in a long time." I play with a thread between my two fingers. "To be honest, that was the first time I thought about going on my own. It's when I started making my plans."

He tilts his head to the side. "What about that made you want to quit working for me? I mean, I knew you were mad, you left your clothes here and then a month later you walked out."

I've thought about it a lot since I left. "It's so stupid, now that I think about it."

"Whatever you were feeling is valid. I learned that in the last year. What came between our working relationship was my unwillingness to listen to you. I wish I had realized that earlier, and not been so dead set in my ways."

Pressing my lips into a firm line, I answer his earlier question. "I was pissed because you weren't willing to put the outfit on and help us. In a perfect world, I truly believed that a boss should help their employees, and from where I was standing, you didn't want to do that."

"It's not that I didn't want to..."

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