Take the Cake (44 page)

Michael was frowning at the screen, rubbing his forefinger across his lip as he sat deep in thought, when he was jolted by a touch on his shoulder.

“Sorry.” Kate had jumped in fright herself, not expecting Michael’s reaction. “I called your name a couple of times, but you didn’t hear me.”

“Mom used to scold me about my habit of switching off.” Michael swiveled in his chair and looked at Kate who was standing in front of him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “How’s Paul?”

“Good.” Kate gave a fond smile. “We’ve talked it over, but he’s still keen on being fed.” She made a wry face. “No surprises there.”

“I thought you were going to catch up, so you could talk about it?” Michael was surprised that the matter seemed to have been dealt with already.

“I know, but he made some good suggestions and seems okay with it all,” Kate said as she dropped her cell phone onto one of the living room armchairs, making a mental note to see if her own armchair was going to match. Glancing back, she could see that Michael had turned back to his laptop and was typing furiously. She stood watching him for a moment, wondering what to do, before she padded over to him again and nuzzled his neck. “Hey,” she said, “if you want, I can go back to my place and leave you in peace.”

“What?” Michael pulled his attention away from the manuscript and looked at her in shock. “Hell, no. Shit.” He pushed his laptop away from him and stood up to pull Kate toward him. “I’m sorry. I got in the zone again. I’m just used to doing my own thing.”

“You know …” Kate pursed her lips, standing in Michael’s arms as she looked up at him. “We’re going to have to talk about that side of things.”

“What, my work?” Michael frowned down at her. “Is it a problem?”

“No, well, not really,” Kate amended. “I guess I just don’t know what to do around you when you’re working. I don’t know if I’m intruding, or if you need total silence, or …” She broke off and shook her head. “Maybe I’m over-thinking things, but this apartment has been
your
space for a lot longer than I’ve been on the scene. I think we’re both going to have some adjusting to do.”

“We’ll get through it,” Michael promised her. “As long as we keep talking.”

“Hmm.” Kate was thoughtful now, feeling as if they had just hit the tip of the iceberg. Somehow she didn’t think things were going to be as easy as Michael made out. Casting about for something else to say, she glanced over at the coffee table. “Our drinks have gone cold. How about I make us something else?”

“Sure.” Michael watched Kate as she collected the cups, and then looked back at his laptop. He was nearly finished, just a few more minutes and … He watched Kate’s departing back as she walked into the kitchen and thought about their morning so far. Turning back to the desk, he snapped the laptop shut with a decisive click. Alistair wasn’t expecting to hear from him for a few days, and there were other things to discuss. More important things, he decided, as he followed Kate. When he got there, Kate was sitting up on the counter with her ankles crossed, swinging her legs slowly while she waited for the stovetop coffee pot to brew. “So,” Michael said, “is Paul coming over for dinner?”

“If you want.” Kate gave a tentative nod, which stopped Michael in his tracks.

“If I want?” he repeated, surprised at her phrasing. “What’s going on?” He walked toward her and gently uncrossed her ankles, standing between her thighs and cupping her bottom so that he could pull her toward him. Kate gave a slight smile and draped her arms around his neck, her fingers curling through his hair.

“Dunno.” Kate’s answer was a mumble this time. “It feels weird, is all.”

“What, inviting him over? Kate …” Michael rested his forehead against hers. “This is going to be your home too.”

“But you started working,” Kate argued. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Kate, I work at home anyway.” He sighed, realizing that they were getting to the crux of the problem. “You don’t have to tip-toe around me.”

“I guess I just worry about disrupting things,” Kate admitted. “You work so hard and—”

“And so do you,” Michael replied. “But you saw how I switched off earlier.”

“True.” Kate gave a reluctant smile at this. “But you don’t do that all the time, surely.”

“Wanna bet?” Michael teased. “You give Mom a call. She used to complain that she could have had Whitesnake blaring out of the sound system and I wouldn’t have heard a thing.”

“Whitesnake?” Kate was shocked. “Susan likes Whitesnake?”

“With a passion,” Michael sighed. “Why do you think I was so keen to get my own place?”

“Seriously?” Kate’s smile had turned into a smirk. “I mean, c’mon.”

“And don’t get me started on Dad’s Johnny Cash collection.”

“Oh, God.” Kate started giggling as she pictured Michael’s academic parents. “And I thought Jack’s Elvis devotion was hard going.”

“Why do you think I’m so good at tuning out? It’s a survival instinct.” Michael growled as he nuzzled her neck. “So here’s the thing,” Michael said as he pulled back and looked at her, his playful expression fading to something more serious. “When I’m working, I tune out noise, but don’t ever think that I’m ignoring you. My work’s important the same way that yours is, but that doesn’t mean that you’re less important to me.” He reached up to cup her face, trying to will her to believe the sincerity behind his words. “I love you and I want you here,” he said. “I really want this, and I hope that you want it too.”

“I want.” Kate swallowed. “But I’m not going to lie; it kinda scares me shitless too.”

“Living with me scares you?” Michael watched her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction.

“No.” Kate ran her hands down his shoulders in an attempt to reassure him. “Not that. I guess it’s the part about giving up my apartment.” She gave him an anxious look. “You know what it’s like when you live alone, everything is just the way you like it, and now we’re both going to have to … compromise.” Kate rolled the word around in her mouth as if she was trying to get used to it.

“Yeah, I know, but do you see that as good or bad?”

“Neither,” Kate said after she had considered the question. “Just different.”

“Well, then, we’ll adjust.” Michael smiled and hoped she didn’t notice that he was just as nervous as she was.

“We’ll compromise,” Kate agreed.

Chapter 24

White Russian Appreciation

“Morning, boss,” Wren called out as Kate approached. She had only been waiting a short time, but the wind chill was enough to have her hopping from one foot to the other in a bid to keep warn.

“Wren, don’t call me boss,” Kate said as she fumbled in her coat pocket with gloved hands for the keys.

“Sorry, boss. Did you see it? Tell me you saw it,” Wren demanded as she helped Kate roll up the security door.

“I saw it.” Kate nodded as she unlocked the main door and pushed it open. Stepping aside to let Wren through the door, she glanced down the block and saw Emily approaching at a quick pace. She raised an arm in a leisurely wave and smiled when Emily acknowledged her before going inside.

Wren shuddered as she pulled off her heavy overcoat and struggled with it into the kitchen so that she could hang it up. “Get that coffee going, boss. I need warming up.”

“Yes’m.” Kate nodded as she flicked the coffee machine on as she walked past it before following Wren into the kitchen. “Emily is nearly here too.”

“Cool,” Wren replied. “Did you read it?”

“Sure did.” Kate grinned. “We’re finally in print.”

“Can you believe it?” Wren was glowing with excitement. “David surprised me with it yesterday. Did you know?”

“Kinda,” Kate admitted, and then looked up with a smile as Emily walked into the room, dropping her bag onto the counter and unwinding her scarf from her neck.

“Hey, guys.” Emily smiled. “Anyone here read the paper on the weekend?”

“You read it?” Wren looked up from tying on her apron and gave the other woman an expectant look as Kate brushed past her on her way to the coffee machine.

“After your call? Of course, I did. Brad went out and got the paper as soon as I told him. How did you find out?”

“David drove me nuts until we went out for breakfast, and he grabbed the paper when we were at the café,” Wren explained before glancing at Kate. “How about you, boss?”

Kate gave her an amused look as she poured the frothed milk into the cups, sliding two cups over to the waiting women before she finished making her own.

“Well, of course I’m beyond ecstatic at the review. I just can’t believe David did this without even telling Michael,” she murmured.

“I can’t believe David didn’t tell anyone,” Emily pointed out in a mild tone.

“Well.” Wren thought about that before continuing, “At the very least he could have told
me
. I mean I’m his …” she floundered at this, waving her hand as she opened and closed her mouth without saying anything. Emily and Kate watched her with interest.

“Girlfriend?” Kate suggested.

“Love of his life?” Emily added.

“Ohh, I like that one,” Kate commented as she toasted Emily with her cup.

Emily gave a modest nod. “Thanks, I’m quite pleased with that one myself.” They both looked at Wren who had the grace to blush.

“Okay, okay.” She flapped her hands at them, hoping the color in her cheeks wasn’t too much of a giveaway. “Moving on.”

“Really?” Kate looked disappointed. “I thought the conversation was just getting interesting.”

“Whatever.” Wren rolled her eyes as she sipped at her coffee.

“So …” Emily leaned against the counter with her hip. “What
do
you call David?”

To Kate and Emily’s mutual delight, Wren squirmed.

“Well,” she hedged, “I guess, that is to say—”

“Oh, just tell us already,” Emily said with a laugh.

“All right.” Wren chugged back her coffee and set the cup down with a flourish. “I call him my
boyfriend
.”

“Well done.” Kate burst into applause as Emily swooped on the smaller woman to give her a congratulatory hug.

“What’s the big deal?” Wren asked Kate over Emily’s shoulder, who was laughing as Emily began to waltz them both around the limited space behind the counter.

“You finally admitted it,” Emily sang. “I’m so proud.”

“Oh, shut up,” Wren said as she disengaged herself. She smiled as she waited for Emily and Kate to finish their coffee so that she could collect their cups. She rifled through her chalk collection to pick out the color she wanted.

“She’s back to business,” Emily observed with a wink to Kate. “I guess that means the fun’s over.”

“Excuse me.” Wren held up the chalk. “But I think we’re just getting started. And
you
—” she turned to point at Kate, “—had better get busy, because after that glowing review, I think we’re going to get slammed today.” She turned and stalked over to collect the chalkboard, laying it across a table so that she could write. When she had finished writing, she carried the chalkboard over to the counter to show Kate who read it with a smile.

Appreciate me now, avoid the rush!

By the time Wren returned from hanging the chalkboard up outside and brushing the chalk dust off her fingers, the mixer in the kitchen was already going. Emily watched Wren set to work filling up the glass jar beside the coffee machine with marshmallows as she started to make up the wraps and bagels for the lunch time crowd. She turned when she heard her name called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Emily said as she peered around the kitchen doorway.

Kate pushed some hair off her face with the back of her hand as she looked up from the mixer.

“I took home some of your muffins for the weekend,” Kate said, “and they were so great I was wondering if you could make some more.”

“More?” Emily gaped at her. “It was just a recipe that I found online and thought I’d try. Are you sure?”

“Yup,” Kate said as she added some more flour to the mix. “Michael loved them and they sold well.” She gave Emily a quick grin. “So I say go for it. As soon as I’ve got the cupcakes done, the kitchen’s all yours.”

Emily gaped at Kate as she thought of all the new customers that would be coming into the store today, and her grandmother’s words echoed in her mind: “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.” She had been browsing through cupcake blogs and recipe sites one evening when she had found the muffin recipe. Brad enthusiastically reviewed a test batch, and his response had given her the confidence to make some for Kate. Making some for customers somehow felt entirely different.

~~~

“How are my girls?” Kate stuck her head out of the kitchen long enough to see how Emily and Wren were coping with the morning rush.

“We might need you out here soon, boss,” Wren called over her shoulder as she kept making coffees with her usual brisk efficiency. “Things are getting busy. How are you truckin’ back there?”

“I’ll be right out,” Kate answered as she ducked back into the kitchen and picked up the piping bag to finish frosting.

Wren’s predictions about the review had been right; the increase in business so far had been steady and showed no signs of slowing down. Emily had been coaxed into the kitchen to make a batch of her cranberry and orange muffins, which seemed to be walking out the door with accompanying takeout coffee just as much as the cupcakes usually did. Kate finished icing the latest batch of cupcakes and set the frosting aside, pausing to roll her neck and work out some kinks.

“Boss,” Emily called, “we’ve got people wanting to know what your answer to the quote is.”

“Coming,” Kate answered back as she carefully hefted the tray of cupcakes and carried them out into the store. “Wren, assume the position.”

“Gotcha,” Wren answered as she snatched up the chalkboard and a piece of chalk.

“Okay,” Kate began, pitching her voice a little louder so that the waiting customers could hear. “In response to the delightful Wren here—” she grinned as Wren bobbed a curtsey, “—we have
No Time Like the Present:
White Russian cupcakes with a cherry garnish.” Kate gave Wren an expectant smile. “Get it? Russian, as in ‘rush in’?”

“That one was too easy,” Wren commented as Kate put the cupcakes into the display cabinet and stood back as Emily promptly sold one.

“Maybe you’re getting soft,” Kate said as she patted her shoulder. “How about I spot you here?” She nodded at the coffee machine.

“Would you?” Wren shot her a relieved smile. “I’ve got a few jobs that need doing before we get too busy.”

“Get going,” Kate urged her. “I’ll do this. How about you, Emily? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Emily said as she handed over some change with a smile.

Wren darted out from behind the counter to collect some empty cups and wipe down the tables that had been vacated. There was enough of a lull in customers for Emily to finish making the bagels and for Kate to rearrange the display cabinet stock.

“Do you think we’ll have enough?” Emily said as she slid another tray of turkey and ham wraps into the cabinet, nodding toward the cupcakes. “They’re the star attraction after all.”

“We’ll find out soon enough. Just keep an eye on things and let me know if I need to make more,” Kate advised. She held up an empty cup and at Emily’s enthusiastic nod began to make them all another coffee.

~~~

Michael had gotten up at the same time as Kate so that they could have breakfast together before she went to work. He looked at the gray weather outside and sighed before deciding against jogging, wondering if he ought to look into gym membership for the colder months. After fortifying himself with another cup of regrettable coffee, he sat down in front of his laptop and looked at his revisions from the previous afternoon.

A couple of hours later, he realized he had been writing for the sake of it rather than following his established storyline. Cutting and pasting the unnecessary words into a spare document, he scanned the final chapter and realized with a mild sense of anticlimax that further work was unnecessary.

He blinked as he realized that the manuscript was complete, and after a brief hesitation, emailed it to Alistair. Watching the email send, he swiveled in his chair as he stared out the window again, and then with a herculean effort, got up from his laptop and walked away. It was out of his hands now, and it was time to find something else to do.

Michael was standing in front of his bookshelves, shifting some of the contents around in order to make room for some of Kate’s things when the phone rang. It was his editor, Alistair.

“Michael,” Alistair greeted him. “I got your email, and I have to say I’m surprised.”

“You are? What’s wrong?” Michael’s mind was racing.

“You’ve finished, and so far I like what I see.”

Michael walked over to his desk and sat down, his face slack with surprise.

“How are you feeling about it?” Alistair went on.

“Good,” Michael said at last. “I think,” he amended. “I finished it earlier than expected, so I guess that’s a good sign.”

“Early for you, but you missed your deadline by four months,” Alistair reminded him. “Still, it’s good to see you got back on the wagon.” Alistair wasn’t going to press the issue. Michael’s books had generated a vast and loyal readership, so there was no question of its marketability.

Michael grunted a non-committal response as he toyed with a pen on his desk. His months of writer’s block were a painful, but thankfully receding, memory. He looked at his email screen again so as to reassure himself that the final manuscript had finally left his hands.

“Listen,” he began, “I agreed with some of your recommendations on the earlier draft, but not all. I changed what I thought suited the text, and the rest I’ve left with your mark-up comments, so let me know what you think when you get to it.”

“I’ll be reading it this week,” Alistair assured him. When Michael had advised that the manuscript would be arriving, the editor had breathed a quiet prayer of thanks and cleared his schedule as much as possible for the week. “So you’ll be hearing from me soon.”

“When has that ever changed?” Michael smiled.

Alistair sat up straighter in his office chair as he grinned, looking out the window of his high-rise office. He was enjoying this conversation more than he was prepared to admit. “Just playing to my strengths, Michael. You write, I pester.”

“And you do it very well,” Michael replied.

“Finishing your work obviously agrees with you. Is this a good time to talk about what you might be working on next?” Alistair picked up his pen and began to doodle on the pad in front of him. He wrote Michael’s name and put a question mark next to it as he spoke.

“Give me a break,” Michael protested. “I’ve just finished the last one. Anyway, I’ve got a few things to organize here before I can start writing again.”

“Another project?”

“No, it’s to do with Kate,” Michael admitted. “You know, the one you met on the phone.”

Sitting alone in his office, Alistair cringed.

“Oh,
Kate
,” he said. “Right, we’ve met.”

“Yes, you have, although you’ll get a chance to meet her in person when the book comes out.”

“Based on what I’ve been reading, I look forward to it,” Alistair replied. “She sounds like an incredible woman.”

Michael finished his conversation with Alistair and set the phone down, spying his empty coffee cup as he did so. Picking it up, he carried it into the kitchen, setting it down on the sink as he opened the dishwasher and began to stack the dinner plates from the previous night. True to form, Paul had arrived with a healthy appetite for someone else’s cooking and plenty of questions. Fortunately, there had been enough provisions in the refrigerator for Michael to make a big pot of chili, and when told what dinner would be, Paul had offered to bring the corn chips and sour cream.

Kate had busied herself in the living room, setting the table and catching a news show after commenting that she was woefully behind on current events. Paul had remained in the kitchen and hoisted himself up onto the countertop where he’d sat and peppered Michael with questions about the forthcoming living arrangements.

“You know I won’t let her sell the apartment, right?” Paul had asked before taking a swig of his beer.

“I wouldn’t expect her to,” Michael had pointed out in a mild voice as he stirred the chili and tapped the wooden spoon on the rim of the pot before setting it down on the chopping board. “But if she ever wants to, it’s her decision.”