Page 76 of The Pop-Up Cake Shop

‘That you two are getting back together?’

‘What?’ he barked.

‘Isaid: That you two are getting –’

‘I heard what you said!’

‘Oh. Okay. Well?’

Why the hell couldn’t he just come off that bloody ladder so we could have a normal conversation. Because right now, it felt like the ears of the entire building team were twitching in eagerness to hear the upshot of this exchange!

With a sigh, Caleb started descending the ladder.

Down on solid earth again, he glared at me, hands on his hips. ‘What I don’t understand, Katja, is why it would matter to you whether Loretta and I were getting back together again? When I distinctly remember you telling me that you’d had a good time but that you didn’t want anything more from me than that?’

‘Did I say that?’ I frowned. I’d been so worked up after my encounter with Loretta, I honestly couldn’t rememberwhatI’d said to him.

‘You did say that.’

‘Right.’ I shrugged awkwardly, wishing he would stop glaring at me. ‘Well... the thing is, I would actually like to know if you and Loretta are back together.’

‘Why?’

‘Because... well... because Ilikeyou and I’ve been thinking maybe there could be something there?’

‘Between you and me?’ His face hadn’t changed, which wasn’t a great sign. He’d greeted my confession with the delight of a contestant onThe Apprenticebeing told they were fired!

‘Well, yes.’ I soldiered on, not sure how to get out of this mess, which felt as sticky as a glob of newly-dropped tarmac. ‘Just tell me. Are you and Loretta getting back together? Because that’s what she told me.’

His sullen face muscles moved into a frown. ‘She told you that?’

I nodded.

‘Well, she shouldn’t have because it’s not true.’

‘Really?’

‘Really. We’re friends. Or at least we’resupposedto be.’

‘Apart from sharing a bed that time and a kiss?’

‘You’ve got a good memory.’

‘I’d be unlikely to forget that.’

‘I suppose. Yes, well, as I’ve already explained, the kiss was a mistake. We talked about it afterwards and even she agreed it was a mistake. I gave her some roses as an apology. Someone told me yellow roses meant friendship, and I thought we’d sorted it out. So I’m not sure where she got the idea that we’re getting back together.’ He sighed, took off his hard hat and pushed a hand through his hair. ‘Why is life so complicated? Why arewomenso complicated? I don’t think I’d understand the female sex if I lived fifty lifetimes!’

‘Well, that’s a bit sexist,’ I snapped. ‘And an appalling generalisation into the bargain.’

His mouth twitched. ‘Maybe. But anyway, she shouldn’t have lied to you like that.’

‘So you’re saying she made it up for my benefit? But why would she do that? As far as she was concerned, I was just a delivery person.’

He shook his head. ‘She told me she called round the night before but didn’t knock because she saw us through the kitchen window.’

‘Oh.’

‘So when she arrived next morning and you were still there, she figured there was something going on between us.’

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