Cakewalk: A Calhoon Small Town Romantic Comedy Read online

  Griffin frowned up at me. “This place isn’t shabby.”

  “The apartment above us sort of is. Never mind. I don’t think before I talk—or walk, apparently.” I laughed nervously again, hoping he wouldn’t think I was a complete nutcase.

  He simply smiled. “I would love to see the apartment sometime. It’d be a very short commute to my work.”

  I saw my first opportunity to get to the bottom of why a guy like him would be in a town like this. “Oh?” I started, my tone casual. “Where do you work?”

  “Well, it’s a temporary office just down the road. I’m sure you’ve heard about the ocean front development, Marketplace Square?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. Some big city fat cat thinks he’s gonna turn the place into a big attraction.”

  “Oh, really?”

  I nodded, giddy to be the bearer of gossip for once. “Yeah, but get this—the land’s polluted to high heaven.”

  “Is it?”

  Having finished with his injury, I pulled out the chair next to him and sat. “Yeah, it’s downstream from the old paper mill. That’s why it smells funny here on some mornings, even though the mill shut down two decades ago.”

  “Well, I sure hope he knows that. Otherwise, it sounds like he’s been completely ripped off.”

  I shrugged. “He’s gonna find out sooner or later.” I then froze as the blood in my veins went ice cold. “Oh. Oh shit. You’re… You’re the big city rich fat cat.”

  Griffin nodded slowly, the smile on his face widening.

  If anybody had a terminal case of foot-in-mouth disease, it was me. I groaned and covered my face with my hands, wishing I could splatter into a thousand pieces just like my sister’s cake. “Well,” I said, throwing a hand up in defeat. “I guess I just gave you a candid sample of what everybody else in town really thinks about you. You’re welcome. Hope you’re enjoying your stay so far.”

  Somehow, the amused twinkle in his eyes hadn’t faded. At least he had a sense of humor about it. “I appreciate your honesty. I usually only get that sort of derision from anonymous people on the internet.”

  I groaned. “I always tell myself to just shut up, ‘cause every time I open my mouth, I make an ass out of myself. Yet here I am, rambling on again.”

  “I mean, you could just stop.”

  “But at this point, the damage is done. Might as well keep talking.”

  He leaned forward. “Well, is there anything else you think I should know? Is the land also an ancient burial ground? Or was it cursed by witches?”

  “No, I think that’s about it. Besides it being infested with opossums.”

  “Good. That’s not bad then, because I was already aware of the pollution.”

  “And yet you’re still going to build there?”

  “After it’s cleaned up, sure.”

  I relaxed a little. “Oh. Good. But you should probably know that the entire town is against you. They worry their rent will go up, not to mention word is you’re getting a sweetheart deal from the council to build this place.”

  “The council?”

  “Yeah. They’re the ones who own half this town. They own all the property on Main Street, and everybody has to lease from them and adhere to their strict rules regarding our storefronts and hours. But it sounds like your little development will be a free-for-all.”

  Griffin frowned, and for the first time, it seemed like I was telling him something he didn’t know. But he had no rebuttal for that, instead saying, “I bought the property from a private seller, not the council, so I have nothing to do with them. But a development like mine will bring in a lot of traffic, which would be good for all the small businesses on Main Street.”

  I wasn’t buying it. I’d heard enough rants from Courtney on the subject to know that any benefit to the small businesses here probably wouldn’t be seen until long after the raised rents suffocated us.

  The cuckoo clock went off behind me. 6 o’clock. My sister would be arriving any moment now.

  I jumped up so suddenly it made Griffin jerk back. “Don’t tell my sister who you are if she sees you, okay? You’re just a… You’re just a random businessman!”

  Finally, it seemed I had reached a level of kooky that Griffin would react to, as he arched a curious brow at me. “A random businessman? Just here to do some generic business stuff?”

  “Yes, exactly! If she finds out who you are, she’ll blow a fuse. She’s like twenty months pregnant and she is not having it.”

  “Then she’s going to be really upset about the cake.”

  My hands flew up to my face. “Oh, God. I forgot all about that. Madison is going to throw a fit, probably trash the shop all over social media.”

  “Madison?”

  “The person who ordered the cake I splattered all over you, Griffin! Keep up!”

  Griffin mused, “I could have a cake flown in from the city. Really, I’m the one who ran into you, so I should be the one fixing this mess.”

  “But wouldn’t that sort of be cake plagiarism? My sister won’t stand for that. No, I need to take responsibility for this. The fallout is unavoidable.”

  Griffin stood, so I had to crane my head to look up at him. His expression was grave. “I don’t think so. It seems you and your sister have taken on more responsibility than is reasonable for anyone. I know running a business is hard enough, and to do so under these circumstances…”

  He shook his head and held out a frosted hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow your phone and make a few calls. It won’t be the exact cake your client ordered as it’ll have to be pre-made, but it’ll be a pre-made cake from the most prestigious bakery I can find in Atlanta, and it’ll be delivered in the next two hours. I’ll also refund her the cost of the commissioned cake. I’m sure your client will find it to be an acceptable compensation.”

  I could’ve melted right there. Sure, Courtney was still going to kill me, but at least now she might use a more humane method of execution. I also didn’t want Madison to be missing the centerpiece of her grand opening, as much as she ticked me off lately. “O-okay. If it’s no trouble for you—”

  Griffin put a warm, reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Of course not.” I almost didn’t care that he was getting frosting all over my shirt sleeve.

  Once he pulled his hand away, I pushed aside all the warm fuzzy feelings and put on my game face. “Okay. Go to the kitchen in the back. There’s a sink you can wash up in. Then make the calls.” I pulled out my phone and unlocked it, handing it to him. “I’ll hold off my sister as long as I can, and hopefully by the time she busts past me and into the kitchen, you’ll have already done the deed. Then she’ll just have to accept it.”

  Griffin nodded seriously, starting his way toward the kitchen.

  I remembered something and just about screamed out, “Oh, and don’t pull up my photo gallery, okay?”

  He glanced back at me as a smile slowly grew on his face, but otherwise gave no indication whether he’d obey me on that matter.

  I groaned and wrung my hands, turning to watch the front entrance. How was I going to break it to Courtney? Should I start off like, “So, something funny happened this morning!” Or maybe, “You wouldn’t believe who I ran into!” Or how about, “I’m your little sister and you love me, right? You wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt me… Right? So, anyway, I had a little accident.”

  But when the beautiful rosy cheeks of my sister appeared at the front entrance, her dirty blonde hair done up in a bun, I realized my fate had already been sealed.

  Because her eyes screamed murder.

  And she had pink frosting all over her hands, as if she had tried to scoop up her poor, dead cake before realizing it was a loss.

  You think that’s bad? Wait until she finds out fat cat Griffin is in her kitchen.

  I gulped.

  Chapter 2

  Jade

  “So, funny story!” I yelped as Courtney slowly opened the front door and closed it behind
her.

  She wasn’t saying anything, which somehow made things worse.

  I glanced at the bistro table, seeing that the chair where Griffin had sat was covered in residual frosting. “Uh, so I ran into this guy.”

  “Where is he?” my sister asked, her tone freakishly calm as she grabbed a few napkins off one table to wipe her hands.

  Okay, so she didn’t want an explanation. She just wanted to sacrifice somebody, but I wouldn’t let it be him. I would fall on the sword. “I’m sorry,” I said, looking down at my sneakers. I had specifically worn my high-grip sneakers too, for what little good that did me. “I’m a ginormous klutz. I know this, and in the end, I still didn’t take enough precautions. It’s all my fault. I know how hard you worked on it.”

  My sister sighed and took a seat—thankfully not on the frosted chair. “It’s all right, Jade. No business that hinges on the satisfaction of one customer really stands a chance, anyway. We’ve been fighting against fate, and I guess we need to accept that we have to cut our losses before we have no savings left.”

  “Hang on.” I almost took the seat beside her, but opted to remain unfrosted. “I actually might be able to save this.” Well, Griffin might. But I wasn’t about to reveal who he was just yet. “The guy I ran into, with the cake… He’s having a new one flown in. It won’t be your original, but at least Madison won’t be left high and dry.”

  “What guy?”

  “I don’t know. He’s just some businessman.”

  Courtney’s eyes narrowed and her arms crossed above her big belly. “What’s a businessman who’s rich enough to fly in a replacement cake doing out here?”

  I shrugged stupidly. “Business stuff? I don’t know. I’m just relieved I didn’t crack his head open. Imagine the lawsuit!” I straightened up. “Anyway, I’m going to run into the back real quick, clean this frosting off my shoulder, then go tell Madison what’s going on. I think she’ll get over it when she hears we’re having a ritzy cake brought in just for her. Why don’t you take the morning off? I can bake and frost the breakfast cupcakes.”

  “Fat chance.”

  “Okay, then.” I backed away slowly, as if she were a rabid rodent. “Either way, I think you should sit here and rest for a bit. I’m sure seeing your cake all over the sidewalk gave you a mild heart attack, and you shouldn’t be straining yourself with the baby and everything.”

  “You’re hiding something.”

  I blushed. Ugh. How does she always see right through me? “I have a crush!” I announced a bit too loudly. “The guy, the businessman, he was kinda cute. That’s why I’m acting weird. You know how I get.”

  “You haven’t had a crush since eighth grade.”

  “Okie dokie, I’m going to go clean up now. I really insist that you sit down, right there, and don’t move for at least another five minutes.”

  “That’s very specific. And why’s the first aid kit out?”

  “Beats me!” I then ran off into the kitchen before she could interrogate me further.

  I pressed my back against the door, just in case she tried to follow me in, then scanned the wide open kitchen for Griffin. It was dark, so I flipped on the light switch, revealing Griffin bent over the stainless steel sink. He was shirtless, rinsing his hair under the faucet.

  For the first time, I was seeing him without a coat of frosting on him—or any clothes on his upper body, for that matter—and nothing had prepared me for what a stud this man was.

  He wore a suit very nicely, but damn, he ought to be walking around in a tank top. It was a crime to cover up those broad shoulders and defined chest, not to mention the ink work he had displayed all across his back and shoulders. From my vantage point, I couldn’t quite see the details of the tattoos, but either way, it was not what I expected from a guy who looked like a prim and proper businessman on the surface.

  I almost forgot all about my mission to get him the hell out of here as I stood mesmerized by the subtle ripples in his muscles as he scrubbed himself clean. It wasn’t until he shut off the faucet and looked up at me that I remembered what I was even doing here.

  He lifted a formerly white, now very pink rag in his hands apologetically. “I might’ve ruined this towel, but I didn’t see any disposable ones.”

  “That is literally the least of my worries right now,” I said once I managed to peel my eyes away from his muscles and tattoos. “My sister’s in the front, and I kinda didn’t tell her there’s a man cleaning up back here.”

  “Why not?”

  “I just panicked! But she’s actually not as mad as I thought she would be. Though I almost would rather have her choking me out right now compared to how she’s acting.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s…” I paused. “Defeated. Ugh. I never thought I’d see her, of all people, give up. She even suggested closing the place!”

  Griffin frowned. “Just now?” I nodded, and he continued. “That would be a shame. I hope she doesn’t.” He grabbed his clean white undershirt, which had been shielded from the frosting by his suit, and I felt myself deflate as he started buttoning it up over his chest. “I already made the calls,” he said, nodding at my phone placed on the countertop. “Madison will have her replacement cake by about eight.”

  I snatched my phone and glanced at the open apps. He had either been a perfect gentleman, or he knew how to cover up his tracks, but it didn’t appear that my photo gallery had been opened.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” he started. “But I added my phone number to your contacts. I should be able to call you once I put my SIM card in a new phone.”

  I checked for myself, almost not believing it. Did I seriously somehow manage to charm my way into getting this guy’s number?

  “So that I can send you whatever the refund cost is,” he explained.

  “Oh.” Right. Of course he wasn’t just giving me his number for recreational purposes. What was I thinking?

  He continued, “I’ll head back to the city for a change of clothes and a new phone. Then I’ll sort out the refund.”

  I wondered for a moment if he had his own personal limo idling somewhere nearby. Either way, he’d need a stealthy exit. “There’s a door that leads to the back alley for deliveries. You can make your getaway through there.”

  He walked up to me, tilting his head. “Are you sure I can’t apologize to your sister personally?”

  “If you were anyone else, sure. But considering you’re the big bad developer she’s been railing on about for a good year, it’s really for the best that you never, ever meet her. Like, ever.”

  He sighed wistfully. “I’m not like all the other ‘fat cats,’ but I understand. I suppose this is goodbye.”

  My heart dropped.

  He looked deeper into my eyes then, and a devilish smirk started to spread over his face. “Though it is a small town. And I do like cupcakes. And I could use a place to rent.”

  Oh my God… Was he trying to torment me?

  Though was it really “torment” if I liked it?

  I shook my head adamantly. “My sister will have you banned from this building if she figures out who you are. She might even pelt you with her cupcakes, and it’d be a shame to ruin another tailored suit.”

  “How would she ever find out who I am? I keep a low profile. It’s my father’s face she’d probably recognize. He was the one who originally set up the development deal, and I’ve only taken over in the past couple of months.”

  I groaned. “Don’t even play those games with her. My sister will sniff you out in half a second. And then she’ll put two and two together that you’re the guy I’m—” I stopped myself.

  “The guy you’re what?”

  The guy I’m crushing on.

  “The guy I threw her cake at. She won’t be happy to know you’re the one who helped us with the Madison situation. She hates getting help from anyone, and she’s really going to go nuclear if she learns she received any help from you.”

&nb
sp; Griffin tilted his head, as if politely considering it. Then he shrugged. “I guess we’ll see. I’ll text you later to arrange payment for the cake. You can refund your client now, though. I’m good for it.”

  I had no doubt about that.

  He handed me the towel. “You’ll probably want to hide this. Nice meeting you, Jade.”

  “Uh, yeah,” I said, suspending the towel in my hands.

  He disappeared through the rusty back door. I looked down at the towel that had been all over Griffin’s body before I quickly dumped it in the trash. I then turned around to see my sister standing right behind me, holding the door open as her eyes narrowed.

  “Was somebody just in here?”

  “No.” I held up my phone. “I just finished arranging the replacement cake with the businessman.”

  “Does this businessman have a name?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know if he has a name?”

  “He probably does, but that’s none of my business. Anyway, he’s going to pay for the cake he destroyed on top of getting the replacement.” In that moment, I had decided to shift the full blame onto him now that he was gone.

  “Well, that’s nice, I guess. I mean, I’m pissed my cake got destroyed, but it sounds like he’s done everything he can to mend the situation. And it was an accident, after all.”

  I nodded fervently. “Yes. Exactly. Now, let me be the one to deliver the news to Madison. You’ve got the morning rush to prepare for.”

  “You mean the big old rush of five customers?”

  “Well, it’s Friday, so Mrs. Salisbury will be stocking up for her knitting circle this afternoon.”

  Courtney groaned. “I forgot all about that. That’s five dozen cupcakes right there.”

  “Yeah, so let me take care of this.”

  My sister nodded, but she grabbed my shoulders before I could run off. “Listen to me, Jade. Don’t you take any shit from Madison.”

  It was a wonder how someone with such a mouth could make such cute cakes. “I mean, her cake was destroyed,” I said. “She has good reason to be mad.”