Crumbling Cakes

Part VIII

CRASH.

I flinched as the sound echoed from the other room. Still safely cocooned in the bathroom, for once I was not responsible for the latest calamity.  

Tiptoeing to the door and pressing my ear to eavesdrop, sounds of firm footsteps greeted me as they were fast approaching the corner.

"God damn it, Dalia," Sebastian growled from the other end. Pulling away, I rolled my eyes. Jokes on you buddy, this one is Dalia-free.

I gave it another thirty seconds before making my way to the kitchen. El Diablo's voice was carrying down the hall just as I reached it. Jude was standing in shock and he glared at her.

With a heavy sigh and at the risk of walking into his cross-hairs, I cut around him toward Jude. Sometimes it felt like we were all pinballs that Sebastian tried to keep in line, but all we managed to do was crash into every immovable object available to us. Destroying what he built.

Jude met my gaze, her face pale at what she'd just done. Jude was a piper along with Ola. They were typically covered in frosting and never handled the trays to the front of the house. That would be one of my many tasks. However, I really needed to go to the bathroom so Jude offered to take it.

Now here we were. Cupcakes on the floor, Jude looking like she just set off an IED, the tray held limply in her hand, and our boss hitting strawberry level red.

In case you're wondering, the levels are:

Level one Starburst Pink

Level two Tomato Red

Level three Strawberry Red

Level four Beet Soup Red

And last but not least, level five Bucket O' Blood Red. So crimson you'd almost assume that it was the darkest shade of burgundy.

Sebastian had only ever hit level five once and that was when a customer decided to openly rough up his poor wife in his shop. He may have gotten extra care from me that day in the form of hospitality services. Just saying.

Nothing like that you dirty birds! Get your mind out of the gutter. Although I did think about it... Moving on!

I patted Jude's arm tenderly and took the tray out of her hand.

"Where the hell were you?"

Um... what? I turned around startled. A minuscule squeak came out of Jude's mouth. Sebastian's face was still in Strawberry land but with one false move, we could be fast approaching the Borscht. Of course he was going to blame this on me, the dickhead.

"The bathroom, I wasn't aware restroom breaks were no longer allowed, Sir." A collective gasp broke out through the room. I could have sworn I saw Heather hide her smile behind a quick hand. Sebastian ground his teeth. Soon this man was going to need a whole helluva lot of dental work thanks to moi.

"Excuse me?" He cocked an eyebrow and oddly that was encouraging. 

I've had enough. I could take his rude behavior because I smashed a rather expensive, high profile piece. He wanted to berate me for making a mess? Sure fine, whatever. But to openly snap at me because I dared to be a person with basic needs? Fuck that.

"I don't believe I stuttered, Warden."

He took a step closer to me, body so tense every step felt like he was going to blow. "My office, now." His voice was deceptively calm, eyes narrowed. Houston we have hit Defcon 1! Nuclear war imminent, target Shy Guy's Bakery. 

 He turned on his heel and stalked off toward the depths of hell where he dwelt.

The sense of Deja Vu was unavoidable. Last time he ordered me into his office, these magnificant couple of weeks occurred. History was doomed to repeat itself it seemed. I bent down and started piling the cupcakes onto the tray. Jude's hands were flitting about in my peripheral vision.