Crush

Eleven

After a couple of hours of icing and packaging the baking, Maddie held up the limp piping bag in triumph and said, "Done." Tess looked up and laughed. Lizzie finished tying a ribbon around a clear cellophane bag that held four pieces of pink and white coconut ice and looked up.

"What's so funny?" Maddie asked.

"You've got icing everywhere," Tess said.

Maddie scrunched her nose and looked down at her hands, which were stained pink and blue. She looked back at Tess and smiled sheepishly. Tess threw her a hand towel and Maddie wiped her hands and face. "Gone?"

Tess nodded.

"Do we get to eat any of these as payment?" Maddie asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Gran makes us buy them on the weekend like everyone else," Tess replied.

"Really?"

"'fraid so," Lizzie confirmed.

"Well," Maddie said, tapping her chin with her finger. "Hypothetically, what would happen if one of the cupcakes just, you know, fell onto the floor?" She grinned mischievously, her hand poised above a newly-iced cupcake that sat perilously close to the edge of the table. Lizzie sucked in a breath.

"Well," said Tess. "You couldn't really sell it after that, could you? Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically," Maddie said and deftly flicked the cupcake off the table. Before Lizzie or Tess could jump up to retrieve it, Will appeared, seemingly from nowhere, scooped up the fallen cupcake, wiped off the top and shoved it into his mouth.

"Oops," he said, grinning.

Maddie laughed. "So not fair."

"You snooze, you lose," Will replied, licking the icing from his fingers. He peered into the kitchen and said, "Bloody hell. Is she feeding an army? It looks like Betty Crocker fired off a scattergun."

"You know what she's like with baking. Especially for the festival."

"What are you doing inside anyway?" Lizzie asked. "I thought you had a heap of stuff to do."

"Pop's let me go for today, but he's given me a list as long as both my arms to get to tomorrow."

"Are you sticking around for dinner?" Tess asked.

"Can't. Mum felt so bad about me missing out on the interview that she's making me a condolence dinner tonight."

"It's not like you missed out completely," Lizzie said.

"A condolence dinner?" Maddie asked.

"I missed out on a job interview," Will explained.

"Will's mum thinks food makes everything better," Tess said. "Kind of like Gran and baking."

"Oh," Maddie said.

"Yeah. She must feel really bad for me. She's making me Guinness Pie."

"Will's mum makes the best Guinness Pie in town," Tess said. "So good, that the Royal Hotel took it off the menu because Mrs Armstrong wouldn't give them her recipe, and people kept complaining that the pub's version wasn't as good as hers."

Maddie laughed.

"Do you think she'll make enough for leftovers?" Lizzie asked.

"Probably, but you could always just come for tea if you weren't doing anything."

Lizzie shrugged and said, "I guess so. Dad will be working on the paper and I think Mum's working a late shift tonight. I'll let you know."

"Cool," Will said. "I should get going. I've got some stuff to do for the band, but I'll be back in an hour or so." He swiped another cupcake off the table and walked away, winking at Maddie.

"I'll tell Gran on you," Tess teased.

Will called back, "I'm her favourite. She'll never believe you."

"He is Gran's favourite you know," Tess said to Maddie. "And he's not even really family."

"Who's my favourite?" Gran called from the kitchen.

"Will," Lizzie said.

Gran smiled. "He's a good boy, Will."

"Good Boy Will ate two of your cupcakes," Tess said.

"Oh, that doesn't matter. He's been working hard outside with Pop all morning."

"Does that mean we can have one?" Tess asked.

"Don't even think about it," Gran replied, swiping at Tess with a tea towel. She surveyed the table. "You girls have done a lot more than I thought you would. I'm impressed."

Maddie grinned. Even though it had been tough going, icing all those cupcakes, she'd had a good day. "I should get going," she said. "I have an appointment I need to get to, and I probably should have a shower and get changed."

"Thanks so much for helping," Gran said. "You're welcome for dinner tonight, if you're not busy."

"Thanks," Maddie said. "I'll check with Jo and let you know." She smiled as Tess helped her up and handed her the crutches.

"I'll walk you out," Tess said.

Maddie managed to hop her way down the three brick steps and turned to see Tess grinning at her. "I've had plenty of practice at the McGregor's," Maddie said.

Tess nodded and replied, "You looked a bit better than you did yesterday, trying to get down that one step at the bakery."

Maddie considered poking her tongue out, but she thought Tess might think it childish if she did it twice in two days. So she just wiggled her head and said, "Ha ha."

"I'll see you later?" Tess asked.

"I hope so," Maddie replied. She knew that coming to Tess's for dinner later would hinge on how her phone call went this afternoon so she didn't want to make any promises.