Page 18 of Holly, Jolly, and Oh So Naughty

“No, no, she just wants me to take pictures so she can start teasing it online.”

“Oh.” Lily puffs out her rosy cheeks and places one hand against her chest. “You scared me for a second. Do you want to buy something as well?”

“I would but I didn’t come prepared,” I joke. “Next time, though.”

Lily’s smile is a little shy, then she waves a hand at me. “Okay, come through the back. The cake’s in storage, but you can get your pictures.”

Lily leads me to the back of the bakery where countless half-finished cakes and desserts line trays and trolleys. It’s amazing to see, especially knowing she does all this herself. No wonder she’s award-winning.

“It smells amazing back here,” I say, carefully avoiding drops of flour on the floor.

“Doesn’t it?” Lily beams at me. “I’m in the middle of a commission for a hundred cupcakes for some function in the city, and they changed from lemon to marble at the last minute, so things are a bit hectic.”

“Ahh. I did see that you have quite the website presence. All those glowing reviews—it’s really impressive.”

“Thanks.” Lily smiles wider and her rosy cheeks shine. “It’s hard but it’s worth it. Anyway, the cake’s in here. Take what pictures you need.”

Lily opens up a gigantic freezer and ushers me inside. On a metal table in the middle sit four thick cakes, and their decorations take my breath away. Each layer is themed after parts of the town, and it’s like looking at a detailed miniature reconstruction. From the forest and the inn to the town square, the Christmas fair, and even the gigantic fallen tree that signals the turn into town. It’s all here in extreme detail.

“Holy shit. Lily, this is… this is amazing. You did all this?”

Lily’s fingers twist together as she nods. “Yep.”

“It’s incredible. Your talent is just… simply mind-blowing.”

Her cheeks darken further. “You’re going the right way to a free cupcake.” She chuckles.

Lily leaves me to it, and I take as many pictures as I can, from all angles, so Margret can pick her favorites. I get as close as I dare, wary of disturbing Lily’s masterpiece. While the chill of the freezer was alarming at first, it quickly became comfortable, but it’s nice to walk back out into the heat of the bakery. The tray of blank cupcakes I passed before is now filled with sparkling decorated ones, and I laugh softly.

“You’re fast.”

Lily shrugs at her work station. “All it takes is practice.”

“Lily?”

“Hmm? You get what you need?” She sets down her piping bag and turns to face me.

“Let me take you to dinner.”

Lily’s smile vanishes. “James. I agreed to be your pretend girlfriend and your fake date to the charity event because I know Margret and I don’t want you to lose your job. But that’s it. There doesn’t have to be anything else.”

“I know, I know. Look.” I hesitantly step forward. “I know we have… history.”

Lily’s lips press in a firm line.

“But you’re the only person I know here. I’ve been here a few months but I haven’t really reached out to anyone, and seeing a familiar face, it’s amazing. And I want to thank you for being my fake date, so please, let me take you to dinner. As friends. It can be a chance for us to get to know each other so we can sell this to Margret. She gives me the impression that she’ll be able to sniff us out really fast.”

Lily looks thoughtful for a moment, then her shoulders drop and she nods. “Fair point, actually. Okay. You can take me to dinner. As friends.”

I hold up my hands. “Strictly amicable. Are you free tomorrow night?”

Lily glances at the dinosaur calendar on the wall and nods. “Yes, actually. Emma has a sleepover, so I’ll be free.”

“Excellent!” Those giddy butterflies once again sweep through my gut. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, then.”

Lily finally smiles again, and its warmth soothes my churning stomach. “Tomorrow, then.”

She does grant me a free cupcake, and I carry it out with me, only to almost lose it when a man shoves open the door to the bakery and nearly collides with me.

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