Page 6 of Melody’s Little Secret

“Kels!” Amanda poked her upper arm. “Getting in trouble is not an option, but I’ll say it again, one cupcake a day isn’t a lot.”

“Youdon’t have a rule,” Kelsey insisted back. “Maybe we should just come here every day instead of buying a bunch at once.”

“I want a bunch and we won’t get into trouble with either of them.” Amanda blew out a long breath.

I was sure my eyes were as wide as saucers. I was on the money, I knew I was, so I went for it.

“My bestie and I watch Pretty Magical, er, we watch cartoons sometimes,” I blurted out, removing the attention from the trouble debate. “I really miss her.”

“We lovePretty Magical Ponies.” Kelsey bounced on the balls of her feet. “Maybe you can come over one day and watch it with us. We can totally be your friends if you want. We can’t replace your bestie, but we could still have fun.”

“Yeah, you should come over.” Amanda bopped her head up and down. “We live on Sunflower Lane. Do you know where that is?”

“No, but I’m still learning. Main Street goes through the stretch of town and then I know there are a bunch of streets named after flowers, and a bunch named after animals, and, uh, that’s all I know so far.”

“My favorite colors are pink, purple, and blue.” Kelsey returned to my earlier question about what colors they wanted on their unicorns. “I think your decorating skills are amazing.”

“Thank you so much and thanks for the invite. You’re so nice! Write down your phone number and email. I can send you a message as soon as the sample is ready.” I handed her a pen and a pad of paper, and she scribbled out the details. I loved the way she added a heart into the tail of the Y in her name. The two of them seemed so genuinely kind that I wanted them to be my friends. I wasn’t bold in general, but I hadn’t tried to make any contacts around town. I had to get outside of my comfort zone like I told myself last night. It was now or never. “My apartment is upstairs, so I haven’t ventured out too much. I’d love to come and visit you both. I think it would be so much fun.”

Kelsey reached onto the countertop and plucked one of my business cards out of the holder. Her fingers trembled as she held it, but she pointed to the fancy font I had chosen on the word “Little”.Melody’s Little Treats. She opened her mouth, but just as she might have asked about the double entendre that I so cleverly hid in the name, another customer burst through the front door with the sexy pizza maker himself, Bosco, strutting in behind her.

“I need four dozen assorted pastries.” The woman declared, obnoxiously waving her hand at the display window like she was disgusted she even had to be ordering anything in the first place. “Now,” she demanded.

“I’m already helping two other customers,” I stated sweetly, “but if you give me–”

“You need to help me first. I’m in a hurry.” The snotty woman wore a light blue jacketed suit and a huge hat on her head. She barely glanced at Kelsey and Amanda before taking her phone out and tapping on the screen. “I’m on a schedule and I can’t be late. They can wait.”

I opened my mouth to tell her exactly where she could shove her order, but Kelsey thankfully spoke before I did. “It’s okay, Melody. We have to go anyway. Text me later?”

I nodded and waved at them, still biting my tongue so I didn’t tell the other woman off. A customer is a customer, but I really hated rude, entitled people. Especially rude, entitled people who chased new friends away.

They greeted Bosco before waving a final good-bye and hurrying out of the shop. I had to quickly swallow my pride and focus on the demanding lady and not on my anger or Bosco’s delicious-looking forearms that were crossed over his chest as he stood patiently and watched everything that was going on with a smirk on his face.

“Thank goodness.” She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head. “No one over the age of ten should wear glitter.”

Pushy McRudester Pants probably wrote bitchy online reviews like it was her second job, but I wouldn’t allow her to be hostile to my new friends. “I don’t allow such comments in my shop, ma’am. You’ll have to buy your treats somewhere else.”

“Oh, no, no. That’s not acceptable. I need pastries and yours are the best in town.” The blonde threw eighty dollars on the counter. “Wrap it up. I need them now.”

“Your money’s no good here, ma’am. Kindly leave my shop.”

“Well, I never!” The woman slammed her hand down on my counter. “Do you know who you are talking to? My father is the mayor of this town and he—”

“There’s another bakery in Mechanicsville. It’s about ten minutes away from your father’s office, Claudia,” Bosco interrupted her rant in a decidedly authoritative fashion.

His tone sent pulses of pleasure straight to my core. If he wasn’t a Daddy, I’d eat my apron.

“You can’t keep throwing your attitude around and expect people to just bend over and take it. You’ve been asked to leave, so take your money and go. Maybe next time you come in you’ll remember your manners if you would like Melody to serve you.”

ClaudiaMcRudester Pants stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. Her face was beet red with anger. “We’re not at your restaurant, Boz. Your authority doesn’t stretch the entire block.”

Bosco gave a smug smile. “I can get you banned from this entire block if that’s what needs to happen.”

“I’m a paying customer,” she insisted, but was quickly losing her bravado.

“Kindness is free, Claudia.”

Something about his tone, or perhaps his calm attitude seemed to move something within the woman.

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