Kill Me Softly

Chapter 3

“Yes! Just in time,” Lola says as she skids into the bakery looking at her watch with relief. Her hair was soaked from the pouring rain. The umbrella did her no good, especially because at the touch of wind it broke. She shakes her hair with her hand and tries to shake off as much water off her body as she can. She looks up finding the owner chuckling at her. “Something amusing, Charles?”

“Not more than the usual,” he says holding in his laugh.

She glared at her best friend but let it go, knowing there was no use. She walked up to the counter and shook her head. “Don’t be smug,” she rolls her eyes. “You shouldn’t be mean to a girl on the day of her anniversary!” she sings, “Karma will come to bite you in the ass!” She moved along the counter looking if there are any more sweets she wants to take back with her.

 “My apologies, my lady,” he hold his hands up in the air for surrender sarcastically.

“Apology accepted.” She spotted a banana cream pie and her mouth went dry. “My god Charles I want to scarf down everything in this store.” She heard him chuckle. “Ah forget it, I just want my cake I ordered!” Lola walks around the counter to where he is standing.

“What’s the magic word?” he said arching his eyebrow.

 “Kiss my ass,” she said chuckling evilly. He stood in place tapping his foot, obviously not satisfied with her answer. “Forget it I am going to get it myself!” she pushes around him and goes through the doors of the storage room. He grins at her frustration and hummed with joy.  

“Tisk, tisk… impatience gets you nowhere in life, sweetheart,” he calls out grabbing her cake from under the counter, holding it up until she comes.

“Charles where did you hide it? I don’t have time for this, Ezra came home early and I am so behind with everything …” she calls still in the big storage room, thrashing everything in her way to find her cake.

“Lola…” Charles sighs.

“…and I am no longer pretty and my clothes are soaked because of the rain.” He hears her sigh deeply.

“Lola you are always beautiful with or without—” Lola cuts him off again and he just laughs. He hears pot and pans falling in her attempt to find the cake.

“And I haven’t even got to cleaning the house, I felt bad for making the maid drive up and down the mountain just to reach our house during this horrid weather and…  Blimey Charles where is the cake?!” she says finally storing out of the storage room. Her eyes went wide when she saw the cake in his hand, she growled at him.

“Right here dear, if you gave me the chance to speak I would have told you sooner but then again your rant was pleasing to hear.”

Lola huffs and gently grabs the box that holds the cake. “Ya, ya, ya, cut the crap. How much do I owe you?” she said as she reached her purse. She set the cake box down and rummaged through her purse to get her wallet. A hand came on top of hers and stopped her. She looked up at Charles confused.

“Happy Anniversary, darling. Consider this a gift.” He said as he tapped her nose his finger. She giggled, and scrunched her nose up. 

“Thank you Charles,” she says grinning from ear to ear. “Hug?” She said putting her purse down and holding her arms out.

“Always,” he said laughing and pulling her in to a bear hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held on tight. He inhaled her sweet scent and shut his eyes. This is what could have been. She could have been all mine… but Ezra is the only one for her. I need to stop thinking like this, I’m engaged for God’s sake. Elizabeth is great… but Lola… no… no don’t go there. Lola’s grip loosened as she began to pull away. Charles pulled back, clearing his throat.