Coffee, Cupcakes & Pizza

Chapter 2

He must be a glutton for punishment.

What other reason would Troy have for standing outside of her bakery waiting for a chance to talk to a woman who ignored his dinner request?

And why had he run home to shower and put on something decent before stopping by, rather than just heading straight over after work all sweaty and covered in sawdust? Christ. What the fuck was he doing here?

He was apologizing, that's what. No matter what her reaction would be, he at least wanted a chance to defend himself. Just a quick apology. Then he'll be one his way.

Troy pushed open the bakery door and stepped inside. The sweet scent of warm chocolate overpowered his senses, and he breathed deeply, letting the delicious aroma permeate every pore in his body. Yet he was alone in the bakery. The lights were on, but there were no customers. Hell, there weren't even any employees. Nothing.

Figuring someone forgot to lock up for the night, Troy turned to leave, but a strange gurgling noise drifted from the back room and stopped him in his tracks. Worried that someone, possibly Gabriella, might be hurt, he moved quickly around the counter towards a swinging door. "Hello?"

A weak, strangled voice came from the back. "I'm c-closed."

Troy recognized it as Gabriella's and pushed the swinging door open anyway. He found her standing in front of a long, stainless steel table wearing a shimmery black cocktail dress that easily rivaled the tight, sexy one she wore just a few days ago.

Surprised, Gabriella looked up with tears streaming down her cheeks before blushing and quickly turning away. "I...I said I'm closed."

"You okay?"

She sniffled a little and swiped at the tears in an effort to hide them. "I'm f-fine."

"You don't look fine." It slipped out before he realized how she might take it.

Gabriella cleared her throat, lifted her head and turned to face him. "What do you want?" Her tone wasn't particularly friendly.

If she wanted to pretend nothing was wrong. Who was he to argue? "I stopped by to apologize for the other day."

"Fine." She said, her voice still cold. "Apology accepted."

He stepped further into the room and placed his hands on his waist. "Strange, since I haven't given you one yet."

"Look, I appreciate you coming by, but I really don't have the time for this right now," she snapped.

"What's your problem?"

She sighed heavily with defeat. "My air conditioner just went out in my car, and I have to figure out how to deliver a wedding cake without the heat melting the icing all over the place."

"That's what has you this upset?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't seem like much of a problem. It's just a cake."

"Just a cake?" She gawked at him. "I'll have you know, I use only the best ingredients in each of my creations and make everything from scratch. It's my ex-boyfriend's wedding cake, and I spent weeks planning out every detail of this cake, down to the last edible flower."

"Your ex, huh?" His lips curled involuntarily. "And someone's eating flowers? Real ones?"

She sniffled. "Yes, real ones. Some flowers petals are edible, you know. And they'll complement the cake's Bavarian cream filling."

Troy chuckled softly. "So, let me get this straight. You need to deliver your ex-boyfriend's wedding cake, topped with plants and filled with something that sounds like a venereal disease...and people are actually going to eat it?"