“The Jollies?” Zig asked. “What in the fuck is that?”
Meg flitted her hand at Zig. “None of your business. Go out front and help back in the truck.”
Zig saluted Meg and walked out the back door.
“Truck?” I asked. What did we need a truck for?
“I have a friend,” Meg explained. “They normally sell hot dogs and nachos at the race track every weekend, but they were nice enough to let me borrow their truck for a couple of days until you are back on your feet.”
“Mr. Weiner?” Blain asked. How in the hell did he know what Meg was talking about? I was utterly clueless.
Meg pointed at Blain. “Bingo, bread man.”
Blain tipped his head to the side. “How do you know I do the bread?”
She motioned to his apron. “You’re covered in flour, man. Bread man all the way.”
Blain hitched his thumb at Meg. “She’s pretty damn observant. Stick with whatever plan she’s cooking up.”
Meg beamed proudly. “I know it’s not ideal to be selling out of a truck that says Mr. Weiner on it, but you can’t have people traipsing in and out of a busted door.”
“But how?” I asked. How were we going to get everything in a small truck? I was glad that Meg was more than willing to help, but I didn’t know how it would work in the end.
“Don’t stand there and stress about it, just do, honey. It’ll all work out in the end.” Meg motioned to Paige and Luna. “Start grabbing any trays of pastries and bread that are ready to be sold. Load them into the truck, and I’ll start selling.”
“Meg,” I called. “You don’t need to do this. I know you have your own job and life to worry about.”
Meg laid her hand on my shoulder. “Honey, I know you don’t get it, but you are part of my life now. And you’re gonna learn really quick that if you’re in my life, I’m gonna make it the best and craziest ride ever.”
The next few hours Blain and I kept baking and decorating while Meg and the rest of the girls helped haul and sell everything.
“Some guy named Mark ordered, paid, and then refused to take what he ordered.”
I looked up from the tray of cupcakes in front of me. “Was he about ninety years old and have red glasses?” I asked Luna.
Luna nodded and set another empty tray in the sink. “Yeah. If he would have been younger, I thought maybe he had the hots for you, but I figured he was a regular.”
“Mark has been coming to Layers Bakery every day since Reese opened her doors.” Blain laughed and wiped down a bread tray. “Coffee black with two croissants?”
Luna nodded. “Yup. He said he’s sorry about the store, and to keep the money.”
I had some of the best regular customers. Baked goods always seemed to bring the good out in everyone.
Maybe the person who had smashed my shop windows should eat a cupcake or twenty to sweeten them up.
“That was sweet of him, but I’ll make sure he gets a double order tomorrow.”
Blain pulled out the last tray of bread and shut down the oven. “How many days do you think we are going to have to do this?”
I really had no idea. Zig and the guys had boarded up the window and door, but we were still waiting for the glass guys to come. I was hoping it would only be one more day or so, but it really all depended how long it took to install new glass and windows. “I don’t know. Hopefully just a day or two more.”
“Whoa,” Meg called. She held up an empty tray with a huge smile on her face. “I just sold seventeen croissants to some guy in a suit who then took one bite and said he would like to make a standing order of four dozen every week.”
“What?” I gasped. I had regular customers who came in most days, but to have an order that big every week was amazing. “You’re amazing!”
“I know!” Meg agreed. “I’ve always had a knack for selling things. All those years I spent at the factory tooling around on a forklift were wasted years.”
“I need more cookies,” Paige called. “Whatever you have!”