Page 3 of The Accidental Honeymoon

He flaps a hand at me. “Since you seem to like outside the box thinking… what do you think about chartreuse for wedding decor? Blake hates it, but come on. It’s exciting, right?"

“I’m going to have to agree with Blake.” I chuckle, delighted. If all my wedding client meetings are like this one, I’m in for a world of fun. "Choose it if you want your guests to feel like they're inside a highlighter."

"That’s exactly what I want. I want my wedding to be memorable," Jay says dramatically. “Memorable, outrageous, and worth gold on Instagram.”

As we chat, I can't help but notice how easy it is to talk to Jay. He's nothing like I expected a wealthy lifestyle guru to be. He's funny, down-to-earth, and... well, pretty darn cute.

A traitorous thought sneaks in: I wonder if he has any equally charming (and single) brothers? Because I love this guy’s charisma. Too bad he’s taken.

I quickly shove that idea aside.Focus, Calla. You're here to bake a cake, not daydream about your client's family tree.

Suddenly, the kitchen door bursts open with a bang so loud I nearly drop the sample I'm holding. A statuesqueblonde in a skin-tight leopard print dress storms in, her eyes narrowing as they flit between Jay and me.

"What's going on here?" she demands, her voice shrill.

Jay's easy smile fades. "Blake, honey, this is Calla. She's our new cake baker."

Blake's perfectly sculpted eyebrows shoot up. "New? What happened to the last one?"

"You fired her, remember?" Jay says gently. "And the one before that."

“I didn’t mean for her to take everything so personally!”

Jay frowns. “You told her that she should quit her job because the cake sample she offered was so terrible.”

“I was joking.” Blake sighs. “She should learn to toughen up.”

I feel my cheeks flush as I realize I'm the third baker they've gone through. Great. No pressure or anything. Their wedding is in hours, not weeks.

Blake's gaze locks onto me, scrutinizing. She seems to be making some calculations, though I don’t understand what she’s measuring. "Well, let's see what you've got then."

I straighten my spine, determined to stay professional. "Of course. I've prepared a variety of flavors for you to sample?—"

"I want something that changes color," Blake interrupts. "And edible glitter. Lots of it."

I blink, caught off guard. "I'm sorry. Did you say changes color?"

"Yes, obviously," Blake snaps. She looks down her perfect nose at me. "It needs to be Instagram-worthy. Can you do that or not?"

A cake that can change color? I’m not even sure that such technology exists. I open my mouth to respond, but Jay beats me to it.

"Blake, let's start with tasting the flavors Calla's prepared. We can discuss design elements after." He nudges a cake square toward her and offers her a fork with a sweet smile.

Jeez.I wish I had someone to soft-pedal bad news to me like that. Blake huffs but doesn't argue.

As I present each sample, she nitpicks every detail. Too sweet, too bland, too ordinary. With each criticism, I feel my confidence wavering.

Jay, sensing my discomfort, sneaks a bite of frosting and gives me an encouraging wink. "Delicious," he murmurs.

I can't help but smile, grateful for his support. But as I turn back to Blake, I catch her glaring at our interaction, her jaw clenched tight.

Oh boy,I think. This is going to be a long afternoon.

When I’ve introduced all but two flavors, Blake’s attention seems to wander. She pushes away a slice of cake and puts her fork down with incredible finality, as if she is about to make an announcement. But to my surprise, she instead whirls on Jay. Her eyes are gleaming with a manic intensity.

"Darling,” she says, her tone the same as if she were coaxing a skittish horse out of a barn stall. “We should talk social media strategy. How many of your Alto & Ash followers will be watching the live stream?"

I freeze. That certainly wasn’t the question I was expecting. And what’s this about a live stream? For a wedding?

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