Baking With Boys |✔

55. Shuku Shuku

A deep breath. Another one. One more... and I exhaled. Swiping the thick mess of my hair away from my face—the rubber band had fallen off sometime during the run—I pushed the trolley forward.

The cake swayed with the sudden jolt of motion on the hand driven vehicle, giving me mini heart-attacks and sending shots of panic through my system. It resumed its static position after a few sways, and I sighed. The entrance to the venue was right in front of me. A few meters more, and I would reach the chapel where the wedding was supposed to be going on. However near it was, the distance was proving to be difficult with the heavy cake and no help.

Yet, I kept walking forward with a heavy heart. My mind told me to hurry up, worried about the long absence and our possible disqualification, but my heart was elsewhere. The tormenting thoughts kept nagging me, pulling me apart from all angles, showing no signs of dissipating anytime soon. Was this the right thing to do? What if we were wrong? I couldn't... not like this. The cake glistened under the blazing sun, a reminder of what I had given up in exchange for it. Was it worth it though? Was it worth the risk? I didn't have the answers. I wish I had the answers. Why couldn't I have the answers? Why was everything a mess, a mystery, a speculation till the very end? Bella... why did she let me do this?

Why?

A loud blare of the trumpet made me snap out of my thoughts. I looked around the empty area, confused. It sounded like a commotion. No, it had to be a commotion if my thinking was right. The Director must have gone mad after hearing the debacle at the back gate. Security must have been called, strategies re-evaluated, and cakes would have been transported back to the venue... except one.

I crossed my fingers and scrunched up my face. Even if it meant begging, and crying, and wailing, I would do it. I would give up the shards of pride I had left, and plead for another chance. Another chance to continue in the competition.

The doors to the cake-tasting room of our team were closed, and I hurried, fuelled by my curiosity to find out the matter. Were the sounds coming from inside? I bit my lip, and pressed my ear to the door, expecting shouts and grumbles, with the crew members ready to stake me out at first sighting for running away with the cake. The result was unexpected though.

Giggles and booming laughter reached my ear. All harmonized with the loud music. I pulled back my ear from its position on the door and frowned.

Was this the right place?

I raised my hand up to knock on the door since no one else was here to give me instructions or directions. My hand hadn't even reached the door when it got pulled open from the other side. I took a step back, startled. Muffled sounds had turned into a full-on blare of noises, making me wince, as I tried to make sense of things. A hand gripped my shoulder, pushing me forward, and the trolley in behind me. "Here comes the cake!"

The loud cheering and hooting made me blink, the blur of the motions making my head spin. It was a moment before I could look around. Bea was grinning, sending me a hand wave, and then cutting the cake with the help of a crew member. Within minutes, the cake was being handed out to the ladies filling the hall. But the arrival of the cake wasn't what held everyone's attention. Right in the middle of the hall was the stage, and upon it was Brandon—in his infamous attire.

And heck if he didn't enjoy the attention!

Entranced by Brandon like everyone else, I watched him peel off his shirt, moving his body in a sensual wave in tune to the music. He laughed—no shyness and pure confidence—bunching up the shirt and throwing it behind him. The ladies went mad, boosting his ego by urging him on with shouts and thunderous claps. Fuelled further, he took a bottle of water, uncapped the lid and threw it towards the crowd (I so wished the cap would poke someone's eye out). Blood rushed to my face, and my jaw dropped, when he emptied the water on top of his head, letting it trail down his face, his neck, his abdomen, and down to the covered area.