Jack nodded. “Your grandmother likes to try new things.”
Rose clenched her teeth and counted to ten under her breath. Luckily, Grandma breezed out of her bedroom, dressed in her kimono again. Rose wasn’t sure if there was anything under that kimono. The thought made her shudder. Which was why she had to do this.
“Grandma, we need to talk.”
“Of course, dear.” Grandma walked over to Jack and set her hand on his shoulder, leaning against him. “Want to know what we’ve been doing?”
“No, please, I don’t want the specifics.”
Grandma shrugged. “We’ll show you then.”
Rose dropped her basket and covered her eyes. “No! Don’t show me, for the love of lavender biscuits.” Rose heard the rustle of Grandma’s robe as she tried to back up toward the door with her eyes still closed.
“Lavender biscuits. Now those sound lovely,” Grandma said, dreamily.
“Okay, on all fours, Kate,” Jack said.
A whimper slipped out Rose’s lips.
“Oh, I’m too sore for that, darling.”
Rose whacked her heel on Grandma’s credenza as she tried to blindly flee the apartment. She reached and grabbed around her, trying to get her bearings.
“Okay, let’s start on your back, Kate,” Jack said.
“Hold my ankles, then.”
Rose tripped over the rug and landed on her butt, but even worse—she opened her eyes. “What are you two doing?” She looked back and forth between Jack and her Grandmother.
They’re still clothed.
Jack held Grandma’s ankles while she did—“Sit ups?” Rose asked, incredulously.
“I believe they’re called crunches these days,” Grandma said.
“Yep, that’s what most of my clients call them,” Jack confirmed.
Rose scrambled to her feet, heart pounding. “Wait, so you’re not … I mean, you two aren’t …because I thought….”
One corner of Jack’s mouth quirked up. “Oh, I know what you thought.”
Rose stomped her foot. “Why did you let me believe that?”
He shrugged and shook his head. “Ask your Grandma. It was her idea.”
“Grandma?” Her words came out in a raspy whisper.
Grandma sat up and looked at Rose with big wide, innocent eyes. Then she fell backward laughing. “Oh, you should see your face.”
“Why would you let me think….”
“That I was having an affair with Jack? That he was an escort?”
Rose nodded her head vigorously.
Grandma shrugged. “Because I’m a bored old lady and it seemed like a hilarious prank to pull on my granddaughter who hasn’t had fun in a long, long time. Remember when you convinced me you were joining a Hungarian circus with your boyfriend? I was mad at first, but then I laughed my behind off for weeks. You need a little fun, Rose. I’m worried.”
Her heart fell. She had good reason for not having fun. If I hadn’t had so much fun, maybe Mom would still be alive.
Grandma continued snickering as she lay on the floor.
Ready to kick something, Rose put her hands on her hips instead. “Do you know how worried I’ve been about you and … him?”
“Oh darling, don’t be mad at me. You can’t be mad at me. I’m the only relative you’ve got. And we are going to laugh about this when I get old some day. Really, it was almost as fun as really having a younger male companion.” She winked at Jack. “I’ll call you when I’m ready for that.”
“Honestly, Kate, I don’t think I could keep up with you.”
Rose turned her glare toward Jack. “And you played right along with this! Making me think….” Rose let out a string of obscenities. All the words she’d been holding back for two years.
Sweet berry muffins my ass.
When she finally finished, Jack said, “You thought what you wanted to think. I just didn’t correct you. I do specialize in older women—as a fitness trainer for senior clients. Ever since my Great Aunt Tildy broke her hip and died, I’ve tried to get more seniors to work out, build up their bone mass, keep their heart healthy. Although, I didn’t believe your grandmother was a senior until I insisted she show me her ID.” He winked at her.
“But Grandma, you said you really needed it and that he had a really big…”
“What did you think I meant?”
Her lips wobbled. “A really big p… p…”
“Pectoral muscle?” Jack offered.
Rose figured her face was as red as her beet muffins.
Grandma laughed. “A really big heart, darling. He volunteers as a trainer for seniors at the YMCA. I’ve hired him as a private instructor. Some of those women down there are so annoying, popping out their false teeth, complaining about their aching joints while they’re working out. He’s been improving my health, darling. You should be pleased.”
“Oh, I am. As punch. It’s all good. Great. You’re not taking advantage of my grandmother.” She flung her arms wide, sending a muffin flying from her basket.
“Oh, he takes advantage of me, alright. He tries to squeeze a few extra crunches out of me every visit.”
“Sounds like she’s lucky to have you, Jack.” I spit out his name.
“Actually, I was thinking he’d be lucky to have you. You’d make a lovely couple,” Grandma said.
“Absolutely not.”
Jack was shaking his head, too. “Rose doesn’t like to have fun. And I most definitely do.”
She jerked back. “I do too like to have fun. Just because I’m not a fan of fattening cupcakes and inappropriate juvenile pranks doesn’t mean I don’t like fun. I like to …” Organize her spices? Return errant shopping carts to their corrals? Rose’s heart wasn’t slowing down any. “I’m leaving. Enjoy your banana buns.”
“Oh, that’s not my nickname for Jack. It’s granite thighs.”
“And there you go with more jokes! I’ve been worried sick about you, when I should be worried about my bakery, which will probably be closing any day. I haven’t been able to concentrate on sales or new recipes…” She paused to take a breath. “And you’ve been cooking up ways to make me look like a fool!”
Grandma looked horrified and popped up from the floor. “Darling, I had no idea. I’ll lend you money.”
“No you won’t. This is my mess, I’ll handle it.” Her cheeks still burned from embarrassment. “Get back to your crunches, Grandma. I’m going home to take another look at my budget books from the bakery.”
***
Grandma was at knocking on the door of Yum Yum Good For You before Rose even opened the doors for business. “I want six dozen of your best sellers, Rose,” she announced, breezing inside with a waft of Chanel in her wake.
“Grandma, you don’t have to. You’ll never finish six dozen muffins.”
“True, but my neighbors will. I’m passing out samples today.”
Her eyes got teary. “Really?”
“You have no idea what an astute businesswoman I am Rose. I’m more than just a hot body, you know.”
Rose packed up six boxes filled with goodies. “Good luck, Grandma and thanks.”
Grandma took the boxes and then paused. “Rose, I’m sorry. I never meant to make you look like a fool. I was just having fun.”
Rose nodded, but the embarrassment still stung. She still felt so silly.
After whipping up a few more batches to replenish her stock, Rose wondered if she could keep up. By noon, fourteen of Jack’s clients had dropped in, nearly wiping out her stock. As usual, she was working by herself and she panicked, wondering how she was going to wait on customers and make new supplies.
The answer showed up in a dark leather jacket and a wicked grin. “And how’s business looking today, Red?”
She crossed her arms and offered her first smile for him. “If business was like this everyday, I’d be making a profit.”
“Excellent.”
She brushed a coating of flour off her apron. “A little too excellent, I’m almost out of stock.”
“Put me to work.”
She gave him a doubtful look.
“What? If you need a reference, you can always call your grandmother. I’m a hard worker. I’m sure she’s told you so.”
“Oh, yes. She’s crazy about you.” She sighed. “If you’re willing I could use the help. Come back to the kitchen.”
Rose mixed up batter for carrot raisin muffins and apple bread, and directed Jack on how to fill the muffin cups while she dashed out to man the register. She sold another three loaves of passion bread, took the muffins from Jack and slid them into the oven, then answered the phone.
When she finally hung up she stared at Jack. “That was the YMCA. They want me to start making them five-dozen kid friendly muffins for their preschool program. Every day.” Rose did the mental math. “That’s an extra thousand dollars a week.”
Jack crossed his arms, quite satisfied. “Fantastic. But is that all?”
She blushed, knowing she owed this all to him. “Ten dozen cupcakes for a reception this weekend. Where did they get the idea I make cupcakes?”
“When I gave them your card, they just assumed a bakery had sweet treats as well. What would be the harm in offering some ooey-gooey desserts? ”
“Hey, that’s why your clients have to come to you in the first place.”
“Good. It’ll keep me in business.” He winked at her. “Hey, everything’s fine in moderation. Why don’t you let yourself have any fun at all?”
She started measuring out ingredients for another batch of passion bread. “I spent a long time having nothing but fun. And people got hurt.”
He raised an eyebrow, like he was waiting for more of the story.
She shook her head no. “I’m different now. There’s no time for fun. I’ve been busy building my business.”
He rested his hand on hers as she stirred the batter; she froze. “If your budget ends up in the black this month, will you allow yourself to have a good time? At least for an hour or so?”
She sighed. “What constitutes a good time?”
“A date. With me.”
She swallowed back a nervous squeal. “I thought you weren’t interested in me.”
“I certainly could be,” he said, giving her the once over. “Once you lighten up.”
Clearly, the man’s eaten a piece of the passion bread, she thought to herself.
“I don’t need to lighten up,” she said, then silently chastised herself. There were two weeks left in the month; she’d need to sell a lot to come out on top for the month. There was very little chance she’d be going on a date with Jack. “Fine. Help me make some cupcakes and we’ll go out if I actually make money this month.”
He rubbed his hands together. “I’ll start planning it now. I’m no slouch in the kitchen. I used to help Great Aunt Tildy bake Christmas cookies.”
“Oh, good,” she said, more than a little bit nervous.
Rose scrounged through her supply shelves and realized she didn’t even have the right ingredients to make adequate cupcakes for an event. “The cupcakes are going to have to wait until I close,” she said, emerging from her storeroom.
“Then I’ll be back. For now, I’ll take some passion bread for my client tonight.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would you need passion bread for your fitness client?”
He looked offended. “She has a gentlemen friend and she’s hoping to move things to the next level.”
She wrapped up a few slices and placed them in a bakery bag. “On the house. Thanks for everything.”
“Now, how am I going to get a date with you if you’re giving away the store?” He laid some money on the counter and walked out the door, like a hunky hurricane that had upturned everything in her life.
***
She was so distracted, she burned two batches of blueberry bread, set off the smoke alarm and decided to call it a day at five. Remembering very little about making cupcakes and cookies and other sweet treats, she did a few google searches for recipes, dashed to the store for ingredients and started experimenting back at her shop.
She was putting the icing on her first batch of cupcakes when Jack showed up at her door.
“Don’t have you a client?” she asked, as she let him in.
“Just finished up with her. Alright, boss, put me to work.”
“Taste this. Is it any good?”
He reached for the cupcake and his big fingers brushed hers. It was no wonder dozens of his clients had shown up in her shop today; he could get an Eskimo to buy a sno-cone. He took a bite and nodded while considering the treat. “Not bad.”
“But not great. I just don’t know how to stand out from all the other cupcake makers out there. The healthy ingredients set me apart. But these…” She gestured to the plate of cupcakes. “There’s nothing special about these.”
“Try one. See what you think.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“One cupcake isn’t going to kill you.” He picked one up, peeled off the wrapper and held it in front of her mouth. He twisted it back and forth between his thick fingers. “You know you want it,” he said, in a thick, taunting voice.
Her eyes widened and her throat felt thick. “This doesn’t seem right for a fitness instructor to be doing.”
“We can find a way for you to work it off.” A dimple grooved his left cheek.
Her knees wobbled a bit at that—she had a thing for one-dimpled men—but she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her with his charm. She reached for the cupcake, but he wouldn’t let her take it.
Twisting her lips, she sized up how to take a bite without grazing his skin with her teeth. “What big fingers you have.”
He chuckled. “The better to feed you with.”
Closing her eyes, she sunk her teeth into the sweet, creamy frosty, then into the spongy, moist cake. Her eyes opened in surprise; it was good. Very good.
Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed. “Not bad, huh?” He brushed a crumb off her cheek with his thumb.
And that was enough to give her goose bumps.
Sweet date bread, I’m in trouble.
She took another bite. “Mmm. I feel naughty eating this.” She licked her lips. “It’s good. But still, it’s not special.” She tapped her finger on the counter, thinking. How could she make these stand out? She snapped her fingers. “I’m going to use natural ingredients like beet juice and cabbage leaves for food coloring. Herbs like chamomile and valerian for their healing properties.”
Rolling his eyes, Jack made a time-out sign with his hands. “Red, they’re special for what they are. I promise you, nobody is going to want a cabbage cupcake.”
She slumped on a stool in front of her counter.