Page 23 of Go Cook Yourself

Her restless tapping and the little noises of her tongue clicking against the top of her mouth feed my devilish side. I study the bags of flour like they’re the most important thing. I like making her wait.

“My…?” I smile briefly before wiping it off my face. I don’t want her to know I’m enjoying it. “Oh, Flora. She’s Clive Macdonald’s sister.” I nearly choke on his name. “Flora’s like the little sister I never had, and she can be quite protective of me.”

“Cool, cool,” she says. It reminds me of Jake fromBrooklyn Nine-Ninewhen he’s super awkward. She’s swallowing a lot. Maybe she thought that Flora and I were dating. I can only think of one reason why would she care. Again, I hide my grin while reminding myself she’s a Cloud. But she tastes of strawberries and white chocolate.

“Did you—” I start.

“Could you—” she says at the same time. “Doesn’t matter.”

“No, you go.” I wanted to ask if she’d eaten a blondie before she licked my spoon. It’s probably wise to have a reprieve from asking that question.

“If you’re sure.” She raises her eyebrows, waiting for me to change my mind. “Okay, well, you mentioned Clive.”

Joy leaves my body in one intensewhoosh. I grit my teeth. “Yes.”

“And the thing is…” She lets her hair out of the elastic and immediately starts tying it again. She should be nervous if she wants to talk to me about that bastard. “I entered his competition, and I’ve been struggling with my bake. Will you help me improve my skills with one of your techniques?”

I grind my teeth hard enough to snap the bastards. “No,” I grunt.

“Sorry?” Her voice catches. “Oh, okay. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, you shouldn’t.”

The happiness that bounced between us has died. Tension fills its space.

“Well, thanks anyway.” She’s trying to be polite, but she doesn’t know my history. I could make this easier for her, yet my shoulders stiffen and my throat burns.

“You shouldn’t enter that competition.”

“Why?” She’s staring at me now and worrying her lip again. I can’t say anything in case it gets back to Clive. I don’t need slander added to my name. I can’t prove what he did. Besides, I don’t know if I trust her.

“Because,” I grunt. Her eyes pinch as she stares at me. Way to make it worse. But I continue like Cookie in a china shop. “Anyway, you’re a Cloud. You have a cookery school and everything you need. Why do you need to enter the competition?”

I’m deflecting, but if she enters that competition and wins, which I reckon she has a shot at doing after eating her cupcakes, Clive will steal her ideas. And if she works for him, he’ll destroy her like he did me or try and seduce her.

“Maybe I don’t want to only succeed in my family business. Maybe I want to be known for what I can do. What do your family do?”

They tell me I’m worthless, rack up debts in my name, and destroy my future. Oh, and my dad gave me my secret scar when he clipped me while wearing a sharp ring before I left home for good. But I don’t talk about my manipulative family in interviews or with anyone for good reason. Clive knows some stuff and suspects more, but he doesn’t have enough to use against me.

“Don’t enter that competition if you know what’s good for you. In fact, listen to me. I know what’s good for you, so don’t enter it.” I scowl and walk away.

“Oh wow,” she shouts. Suddenly, I’m confronted by the sunshine-free version of Ruby. “What makes you think I’d listen to you? You’re a grumpy bastard with a hard-ass reputation, and now you’re telling me what to do? You arrogant dick of a man.”

I turn and raise my eyebrows. Ruby’s correct, but it still hurts coming from her, although I’ve no idea why. She’s not done with me, though.

“I refuse to be professional when you’re acting like this. When I saw you with your dog and after how you’ve been over the last fortnight, I presumed I’d got you all wrong. But you’re the same guy you were the first time I met you. You’re such a wanker. Listen to you giving it the big I AM.”

I puff my chest, ready to let rip, when suddenly Kath dives between us.

“I need you to make a wine run for the Halloween cookery evening.” She’s looking at me but then turns to Ruby. “Both of you.”

“Hold on,” I shout, but she puts her hands in the air.

“Both of you. You have the van and can help carry it. Ruby can’t drive a manual car and can’t carry it all on her own anyway.” At least I know why she didn’t move her van herself using the cookery school’s spare keys that time.

“I can take my car and go on my own.” Ruby’s face resembles her name: bright red. Miss Sunshine is fucking livid with me. It might look sexy if I wasn’t about to sit in a van with her.

“It won’t fit, and your light is out. I’m not having you drive there at night. And before you say you can do it alone during the week, that’s also impossible. The wine merchants are closing for a week.” I open my mouth, but Kath silences me with a stare. “No, I don’t know why, and no, we can’t get it from anywhere else, because we’re on account with them and Amber needs to pay for it after the party. Ruby must go because she needs tolearn this part of the business, and you need to do it as it’s one of the conditions of having the van.”

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