Page 56 of Bake the Town Red

The bones are nice, no argument there. Nothing beats skin and meat, though.

Ten minutes after I serve them the patches of skin, it’s gone. The dog food in the form of powder? Five minutes, and it’s gone. They annihilate the human flesh, unlike any other dog food brand I’d ever gotten them.

Cute, furry creatures.

They’re well-fed now. Will survive until the evening.

My morning customers have been just as pleased with my cupcakes. Time to close up for lunch.

“Dahlia. Dahlia, please. Could I come in?” Kelly, another returning customer, knocks on the glass door to my shop. “The subway was late. I have meetings all the way through the night after lunch. Please.”

Her blue eyes are wide and her brown hair clings to her sweaty forehead. The sign saysClosed. I’m behind the counter removing my apron. She still knocks and knocks regardless.

The need to move forward with my plans for Tyler collides with my empathy. Kelly’s always been nice. She even bought a cupcake for another woman whose credit card was declined.

Ugh, fine. Stalking Ty will have to wait another minute or so.

At least I won’t have to waste time changing out of my clothes. A comfortable long-sleeved T-shirt and yoga leggings will help me climb the fire escape to his apartment. My Chucks are on, but I’m always wearing those. Oh, and of course, the Post-it I stuck in the waistline of my panties.

I’ll just need to throw on my hoodie and I’ll be ready to head out.

Once I’m done with Kelly.

“Thank you.” She squeezes my shoulders when I let her in. It takes her all of a second to pick up on my strained smile. “I’ll be quick, I swear. Trick or Cheese. Two of those. If there’s any left, I mean. Please say you have two left.”

The cupcakes I thought about this morning. The cupcakes that calmed my nerves. This has to be a sign. A good omen. I did the right thing by letting her in. Fate brought her to me. If only Tyler could be here to witness this. That fate isn’t just fire and brimstone. That fate is more than destruction.

“I’ll go grab your order.”

“Oh, thank you. Thank you,” Kelly calls out from behind me. Her heels clink on the tiled floor. “Wait, Dahlia. I asked for two, not four, but…” A giggle. “I’ll take that. I’ll just have to hide them in the office freezer so no one would steal them from me.”

She keeps yapping about how her coworkers eat her food sometimes. How she can’t wait to land that promotion and have her own office with her own fridge, where no one would touch her food.

I listen to her. Sure, I do. I don’t answer, though. I’m busy wrapping the four cupcakes up, tying up the box with my favorite skull-patterned black silk ribbon.

“Here.” Her wide smile is radiant as she hands me her credit card. “Take my money. Take all of it.”

Kelly means it as a joke. I like jokes.

I like stalking Tyler more. Every second here is one that I spend away from him.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Dahlia, no. Please, take my card. I can afford it.” There’s nothing fake about Kelly’s indignance. “Charge me for all four.”

She doesn’t want a freebie.

Sucks for her. She’s getting it.

“Nope.”

First, I shove the box into her hands. Then I grab my hoodie from under the counter, push past the swinging door, and nudge Kelly out to the street.

“But—”

“But nothing.” I lock the door behind us, looking around the area in search of Tyler.

Stalker boy isn’t here today.

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