Page 4 of Rebel Heart
Soft laughter escaped as she cocked a brow. “Being here,” she clarified. “Have you ever been here before?”
“Not to…” I leaned back and looked up at the sign above the bakery. “I’ve never been to The Mixing Bowl before, but I did come to Westwood’s quite a few years ago.”
“Ah, I see. Well, since you mentioned having lunch already, I wouldn’t suggest any of the savory items. I’d stick to something sweeter. The cupcakes are super moist. The brownies are perfectly fudgy. And the cookies are perfection.”
Narrowing my eyes on her, I teased, “I thought you were going to help me decide. That just makes me want to try all of it.”
“Sorry.” Her eyes raked down over me before shifting to the side and staring at something in the distance. Eventually, she returned her gaze to meet mine and said, “I think, especially if you intend to share with your buddies, the cookies might be the best first option for you.”
“Okay. Let’s go with the cookies then. A variety of whatever flavors you decide.”
“Would two for each of you beenough?”
Given that my friends weren’t as big on treats as I was, I said, “That sounds great.”
“You’ve got it.”
She got to work on packing up the cookies, and I used the time to take her in. As she moved around the space, grabbing a bag for the cookies, tossing them inside, and sliding a handful of napkins in as well, I couldn’t help but notice things I hadn’t been able to when I first walked up and allowed my eyes to roam over her body. And I didn’t feel guilty about it, either. She’d done something similar to me only moments before.
Plus, this was about one thing.
Fun.
That’s what my life was about.
And this beautiful woman in front of me—who seemed to love desserts just as much as I did—was someone I believed I could be content to have a few nights of fun with.
She finally returned to the spot behind the register and held out the bag to me with a wink. “I threw in an extra one on the house.”
A wink.
She was flirting with me.
I took the cookies from her. “Thanks…”
“It’s Jules.”
“Jules. I’m Beau.”
“Well, you’re welcome, Beau.” She rang me up and gave me the total, and after I paid, she said, “I hope you enjoy the cookies. And maybe you can come back sometime so you can try the brownies or cupcakes.”
I grinned at her. “Oh, I fully intend to.”
Jules held my stare for several silent beats. “I’ll be looking forward to seeing you then.”
Confidence surged inside me.
This whole exchange was just another thrill for me, just one more thing I did to make myself feel good.
Liking that I had the upper hand, I shot Jules a knowing look, turned, and walked off. But I swore I could feel her eyes on me the entire way back to my friends.
2
JULES
“Oh,Birdie, I don’t know if I can ever truly express how grateful I am for you. Hiring you has been one of my best decisions since opening this business.”
Bernadette, better known as Birdie or Bee, looked over at me with a bright smile. “You’ve told me no less than a thousand times since I started here, Jules. Trust me, you’ve made it clear how much you appreciate me.”
