# How To Bake The Perfect Wedding Cake

Gina Calanni

A three-tiered cake. A groom to take. Here comes the bride! After an explosive 4th of July, Lauren Hauser is glad to finally be home with gorgeous fiancé Jack by her side. With only three months to go till their wedding, Lauren needs to get planning. But she can’t even choose a wedding dress, let alone a maid of honour!And with her job drastically taking a turn for the worse, the wedding quickly approaching and a blast from the past causing problems, Lauren feels like she’s losing the bridal battle.At least baking their perfect wedding cake together is something she and Jack, as award-winning bakers, are excited about! But when a surprise wedding gift arrives earlier than expected, suddenly Lauren must take back control of her job, her life and her wedding – before she says ‘I do’!Don't miss the brilliant fourth book in the Home for the Holidays series from Gina Henning.The Home for the Holidays series:Book 1 - How to Bake the Perfect Pecan PieBook 2 - How to Bake the Perfect Christmas CakeBook 3 - How to Bake the Perfect Apple PieBook 4 - How to Bake the Perfect Wedding Cake

A three-tiered cake. A groom to take. Here comes the bride!

After an explosive Fourth of July, Lauren Hauser is glad to finally be home with gorgeous fiancé Jack by her side. With only three months to go till their wedding, Lauren needs to get planning. But she can’t even choose a wedding dress, let alone a maid of honor!

And with her job drastically taking a turn for the worse, the wedding quickly approaching, and a blast from the past causing problems, Lauren feels like she’s losing the bridal battle.

At least baking their perfect wedding cake together is something she and Jack, as award-winning bakers, are excited about! But when a surprise wedding gift arrives earlier than expected, suddenly Lauren must take back control of her job, her life, and her wedding—before she says “I do”!

Also by Gina Calanni:

Home for the Holidays

How to Bake the Perfect Pecan Pie How to Bake the Perfect Christmas Cake How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie How to Bake the Perfect Wedding Cake

Ice Cream Dreams

Dream Come True Dream A Little Dream

How to Bake the Perfect Wedding Cake

Gina Calanni


Copyright

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2015

Copyright © Gina Calanni 2015

Gina Calanni asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © June 2015 ISBN: 9781474045049

Version date: 2018-06-20

GINA CALANNI

currently resides where bluebonnets line the highways in the spring, but she prefers the rock flower anemone from under the sea. Above the ocean’s surface Gina likes to bake with her three boys and run like the ground is crumbling beneath her feet while being dragged along by her pooch, Schatzi, Music is the backbone of each one of Gina’s books and her favorite button to press is repeat. At the end of the day Gina’s glass of wine is always half full.

You can follow Gina on Twitter at @Gina_Calanni Instagram: @gina_calanni

Check out www.ginacalanni.com to keep up to date with the latest scoop in her life.

To Ethan, Beck, and Jude I look forward to the day that I shall taste the cake at your weddings.

To my mom, and to the stars that aligned to make me yours.

To Kierney Scott, thank you even though we didn’t work on this book together, writing with you has been a thrill and my “ing” has never been better. Boom.

To Engy Albasel Neville, thank you my friend for the various discussions about scenes for this book.

To Tracie Banister, my author consigliere thank you for your continued support and guidance.

To my Gems, especially the Fembot thank you for the many suggestions and support.

To Bethany-words cannot express my many thanks to my dear friend who is amazing!

To Charlotte my editor, thank you for challenging me to bring my writing to another level.

Thank you to my fabulous Carina UK family, I love our group and the fun chats we have.

And finally thank you to my pooch Schatzi, who is always ready for our special treat time.

For Maria Barcelo

You have made more cakes than I can count. From the realistic chocolate wine bottle, beyond compare for my birthday to my college graduation cake with the girl dancing barefoot in the flowers with the St. Edward’s crest in the background. Each cake has risen to the next level. The amount of detail, delicacy, and diligence that you put into each one of your creations is the very essence of the precise recipe for how to bake the perfect wedding cake.

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Book List

Title Page

Copyright

Author Bio

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Excerpt

Endpages

About the Publisher

Chapter One

An ocean of white is flowing before me. Waves and waves of variations of styles and fabrics of wedding dresses. Wedding dresses. I squeal a little for a second and Brianna clasps my hand. I almost can’t believe I’m shopping for my wedding dress. I saunter down the aisle to the rhythm of Pachelbel’s Canon in D as I let my fingers dance along the soft silks and brush over the catchy lace.

I’m so caught up in this moment and I can’t wait to be caught up in Jack. With Jack, forever. We are finally getting married. Married. It’s been less than a year since I met him, and I know that seems fast and that maybe we don’t know each other’s quirks, but it doesn’t matter. Love conquers all. I know that. I feel that.

I check the size tag and toss one of each style in front of me to Brianna as I circle around to the next aisle. I want to try on every possible design. I’ve been studying styles like a hungry law student prepping for the bar. I want to get this right. I have to find the perfect dress. I want to have the perfect wedding. I’ve already got the perfect guy so I just need to make everything else align, which means finding the perfect dress.

My best friend, Brianna, is here at my side to make sure I do just that. She has impeccable fashion sense and I know she will help me in creating the perfect wedding dress ensemble. She knows my body faults…nothing big, but I definitely wouldn’t be someone who needs extra padding or fabric around my hips. I’m not Shakira—unlike hers, my hips need to lie about their size. They are not exactly petite. Ha! I’ve actually crossed over into the petite dresses. Time to reroute. I glance at Brianna who is buried under a pile of dresses. Her shiny black hair is a sharp contrast against the white sheen.

“Can’t breathe. How about you try a few of these on?” Brianna gasps through the gauze covering the bottom half of her face.

I let out a laugh. “Okay, of course. But this is just the beginning. We’ve only gone through three of—” I glance around the store. There has to be at least twenty rows of dresses. Could they all be different? We probably should have begun the search earlier. I can’t imagine us even making it through this store in a day and it’s only the first store I have on my list of all-star bridal shops. Yes, I made a list, which is more like my sister, Megan, than me. But I’m all in for this wedding and the marriage. I’m not a whacko-bride who only cares about the wedding. I do care about having a great wedding, but I want the wedding to precede a wonderful marriage. Obviously, the marriage is more important. But weddings do have a purpose and I want mine to provide a start to many more happy moments filled with the love I have for Jack and his in return for me.

“We’ve only gone through three of many. Come on, let’s not get hung up on the details yet. We have to find the contenders and then we can fixate on each stitch and sweetheart neckline.” Brianna pulls the dresses under her own neck and cocks her head towards the back of the store.

I nod and follow behind her. I’m almost marching. My knees lift a bit and my elbows swish against my sides. I’m ready to do this. This. My heart pitter pats inside my chest that is so full of excitement and love. It’s almost overwhelming.

Brianna halts in front of me. And drops the dresses on a chair. “Okay, this place is like five-star reviewed on Yelp and yet here we are without an assistant.” She squints her green eyes to scan the building. It’s filled with other hopeful brides and their families, bridesmaids, or maids of honor. I swallow. I still haven’t chosen mine. Brianna raises her hand, alerting me to wait in my spot.

I gaze over the white fabrics. Brocades, Chantilly, Chiffon, and Crepe. It’s so white. Whiter than white. I guess this is why there are variations of the shade but how am I supposed to find the perfect dress? My ray of light of finding the perfect dress is drifting away like a rescue boat of opportunity that I will miss. My chest tightens as I take a step back.

It’s okay. Take a deep breath. It’s been a couple years since I’ve had a panic attack. I’ve learned to manage my anxiety and not freak out. Even if I did, that would be okay too. I would go back to my sessions, find my anchor. The place I can hold on to and focus.

Rows upon rows of who knows how many shades of white are glaring at me. Think calm thoughts. The beach. We haven’t chosen a honeymoon. No, not the beach. Think of Jack. Yes, Jack. He is my go-to comfort zone. I’m good with him. I take in another deep breath. There, good. I’m okay.

I glance back at all the dresses. They are animated in my mind. Like they’re all saying pick me, choose me. I’m the right one. Say YES to this dress! It’s almost like I’m on The Bachelorette the way these dresses are throwing themselves at me. Showing off all their sequins and sparkles, hints of glitter there, and don’t even get me started on the lace. It’s all too much. I need to find a chair. To the right of my pile of dresses is an empty chair and I slide into it.

Why do I do this to myself? I’ve made plenty of great decisions in my life. I didn’t get to where I am at Calstone Corp with anyone else’s assistance. I deliberately slow my breathing. Probably just a little wedding jitters. I bet if Jack were with me he would squeeze my hand and with the mere essence of his hand over mine I would be calm and comforted. Yes.

My phone buzzes almost as if on cue from inside my purse. Before I even see the caller ID, I’m sure it’s Jack. My cheeks warm.

“Hello, Ms. Soon-to-be-Walker, what are you doing? Better yet what are you wearing?” Jack’s voice sends little fireworks over my neck and onto my shoulders.

“I’m wearing the same thing I was the last time you saw me.”

“I thought you were going dress shopping?”

I laugh. “I am.”

“How many dresses have you tried on?”

My stomach clenches. “None,” I say almost like a question.

“Are you feeling okay?”

I pat down my jeans. “Yes, I’m fine. We’re waiting on getting a fitting room.” I breathe out slowly.

“Is there a long line or something?”

“No, we—” I laugh. “Actually, Brianna is hunting down someone right now.”

“All right, well if you have to wait much longer maybe you should find a different store.”

“No way. I have a pile of dresses here. I can’t just abandon them. I’ll see you for dinner, okay?” I glance up and see Brianna approaching.

“Yes, be prepared to have all your taste buds awakened.”

I let out a giggle. “That sounds like a promise.”

“It is. See you soon.”

Brianna halts in front of me with a big smile. My eyes leave her face and eye the two flutes in her hands. I let out a giggle and hop up. Yes. She found the champagne. One of the reasons we had checked off this spot was the assurance of champagne-assisted dress shopping. What could be better than liquid bubbles while feeling all bubbly inside?

Our glasses clink. “Congrats, Lauren, I’m so excited for you.”

My chest tightens. “Aww, thank you, Bri.” We reach in for a hug and a bit of champagne sloshes out of the glass. I gasp.

Whoosh, nothing on the dresses.

A throat clearing breaks my wave of relief. “Excuse me.”

“Lauren, this is Mariska. She is going to be your assistant today.” Brianna nods and takes a sip of her champagne.

“Hi.” I glance at Brianna. I thought she had wanted to be my one and only assistant. Ha! She has been making several comments, fishing for details about when I was going to ask someone to be my maid or matron of honor. I don’t want to deal with this issue yet. My shoulders slump and my stomach rips into shreds thinking about choosing between my best friend, Brianna, who I have known since freshman year of college, and my one and only sister, Megan, who asked me to be her maid of honor.

Megan is also forcing the question and has brought up the fact that she is probably more organized than Brianna (though I’m not sure this is actually true as Brianna is a very organized and successful real estate guru). But she did point out that Brianna has never planned a wedding, whereas Megan has so she has that on her, but then again Megan asked me to be her maid of honor and I had no wedding planning experience either, so we are back at square one. I know I can’t do the whole “I have a matron and a maid of honor” because neither one of them would go for that, nor do I really want to do it. I need to choose. But who? They both mean so much to me and in such different ways.

I take a sip of the perfect celebration solution. The bubbles from the champagne pop around inside my mouth and slide down my throat. That definitely wakes me up. Mmm, this is tasty. I’m ready to find my dress.

“So vat kind of dress are you wanting? Mermaid? Sweetheart? Princess?” Mariska is staring at me like she has me figured out before I tell her.

“I’m not sure. We’ve got this stack here to begin with.” I nod in the direction of the pile of dresses.

“Okay, I see.” Mariska lifts the dresses off the chair as if I’ve laid them on pile of dirt and marches towards a dressing room.

“So who was that on the phone? Megan?” Brianna tosses her hair over her shoulder.

“No, it was Jack.” My cheeks heat. I almost want to skip this whole dress-shopping event and just be with him. Except, I’m on a mission. A mission from Venus… I am woman, hear me roar and see me find the perfect dress. I laugh. Despite my confidence, I am a bit worried that I won’t find the right one. Or worse—that I’ll pick the wrong shade of white and I’ll look horrible in all my wedding photos and everyone will say, “Such a lovely wedding…what happened with your photographer? They didn’t seem to catch you in the right lighting.” But everyone else will look great because they are in the right shade for their skin tone. I shudder.

“Hey, are you okay? You’re not freaking about this, are you?”

“No.” I glance to the side and then back to Brianna. “Maybe a little. I don’t want to pick the wrong dress.”

“Ah hello, who are you with? Do you think I would let you be in anything other than the perfect wedding dress?” She shakes her head as if she is able to shake off all of my worries.

“I know. But there are so many dresses.” My eyes strain as I gaze at the rows.

“Hey, it’s okay. Mariska is a gold star employee per her badge.” Brianna winks at me. “And besides, you don’t have to decide on your dress today. This is just the first trial run.”

I nod. Trial run… I don’t like the sound of that when picturing my wedding in any regards.

“Follow me.” Mariska is motioning with her hand for me to follow her down the corridor of fitting rooms to begin the first round of me and wedding dresses. I’m worried. I’ve never tried on a wedding dress before. I guess this is a good thing. But I’m nervous. What if I look horrible in all shades of white? Or what if I pick a dress that is horrible for my figure? I swallow hard and enter the dressing room.

“Okay, go ahead and undress.”

My eyes bulge. I glance at the door to give Mariska her cue to give me privacy. She doesn’t move.

“Um, I think I can handle the first round on my own.”

“This is your first time, yes?”

“Yes.”

“You cannot put on a wedding dress on your own. You need help getting it on and taking it off. This is the purpose of the wedding dress. It is a partnership.” She nods at me to begin removing my clothes. I take off my jeans and my blouse. Mariska has her back turned to me as she unfastens the first dress from the hanger and prepares it on her arms to bring over my head.

“Ready?”

“Yes.” I hide my laughter at her using Jack’s favorite word. He has been using “ready” to progressively move our relationship forward and here I am in a bridal shop and it’s the one word the consultant is asking me.

The white chiffon mixed with a pearly brocade slides over my head. I stick my hands in through the armholes and Mariska buttons up the back. I stare at myself in the mirror. I look so different in this dress. Like a bride.

I’m going to be a bride. My chest splinters into a zillion different emotions.

“How do you feel?” Mariska cocks her head to the right and inspects my face.

“I’m, like, exploding with emotions. I don’t even know which one to go with.”

“Yes, you do. It’s all right here.” She touches my chest over my heart. “And here.” With her other hand she taps my forehead. “Make the two merge.” She nods.

“I want to. I’m just nervous.” I bite my lip.

“Everyone is nervous. You love him, yes?”

“Yes,” I say faster than would seem possible. There is no doubt about my love. I love Jack. I do want to marry him. I’m just nervous about everything that comes along with a marriage including the preceding events: the wedding and the planning. I want it all to be perfect. I don’t want to fail just as our new lives together are joining.

“Then you are going to be fine. Come, let’s show your friend.” Mariska opens the door and Brianna is on her phone in one hand, the champagne flute in her other. She turns around and our eyes meet. Her jaw drops open and she tosses her phone in her purse and rushes towards me.

“Lauren, you look gorgeous. Is this the one?” She gasps.

I laugh. “It’s the first one.”

We both laugh again. “But it’s so gorgeous. You’re so gorgeous. How could you even want to try on anything else after this one?” She shakes her hair over her shoulder.

I roll my eyes. “Are you trying to shirk your duties and only have to partake in one fitting?” I study her face.

“Whoa, wait a minute, my duties? Are you assigning titles?”

I slump my shoulders. “Duties as in my best friend. No I haven’t assigned any titles…yet.”

“Oh, I see. Well no I’m not trying to shirk my best-friend responsibilities. I would never do that. But I do love this dress on you. Let me get a pic.” She digs back in her purse and drags out her cell phone. I’m not huge on photos but this is one moment I do want to preserve. My favorite first wedding dress experience. The first dress I tried on in hopes of finding the perfect dress for my perfect wedding… I laugh. I’m not my sister, Megan… Perfect isn’t exactly an adjective used describe me. But I want it to be. I want this to be right. To be perfect. I want to be perfect for Jack, so that we will be equal. I need him to think and know that I’m bringing as much to the altar as he is. I swallow and smile. I want this pic to look nice, not worrisome like some vintage nineteenth-century forced portrait.

Brianna snaps who knows how many photos of me and the dress. Is it the dress though? I’m seeing only one shade of white. But is this the right shade for me? Will Jack see me in this dress and want to say I do?

My chest tightens. I need to get out of this dress. “Let’s try another one.” I glance at Mariska.

She nods and leads me back to the dressing room. She helps unfasten the dress and lifts it over my head. I suppose she is right. It would be rather difficult to put on and take off a dress of this magnitude alone. I imagine Jack taking off my dress on our wedding night. My stomach tingles. In some ways I do wish we could skip over some things and just get to the marriage part. But I do want to make the special memories and have the pictures to prove they happened. I want to be able to show my children and grandchildren my wedding. Our wedding.

I open the door and peek out at Brianna; her eyes are focused on her phone. She must sense me watching.

“I’m plugging in the dates on my phone. What was it again?” Brianna strides towards me with her phone in hand.

“October twenty-second.” I clear my throat.

“It really is National Nut Day.” Brianna glances up at me. “You can’t be serious.” She tsks.

I roll my eyes. “I am and I like it. It was Jack’s idea.” Finally, after months of pleading for us to set the date, over the Fourth of July under the glow of a million stars and a gorgeous firework display, Jack suggested we get married on National Nut Day. He said he had been going pecans about me since we met the day before Thanksgiving and it only made sense to wed on this date. I happily obliged, as I’m honestly nuts about him as well. Even though it’s been less than a year since we met, it seemed to take forever to set a date. A date? I still don’t understand entirely why Jack was so reluctant to commit to a number. Being engaged was his idea but when it came to me asking about a date he was always so distant and closed off. I shake my head. That’s over. We are on the same page now. He’s not going to keep anything from me anymore. He promised.

Brianna follows me. “Obviously, because he is freaking nuts… This makes no sense. And don’t even think for one second that I will wear brown to resemble a nut for your wedding. I know how your mom is with the theme outfits and I will not participate.” She tosses her long dark hair over her shoulder.

I roll my eyes. “Got it.” Although, I think it would be hilarious to see what kind of costume my mom could come up with for my bridesmaids, I’m sure it would be nut related. I can imagine the skirts opening up as they walk like a shell and maybe some leaves on their sleeves. I shudder. That is truly a vision that I do not want to become a reality.

After trying on ten different dresses I am ten seconds away from not caring anymore about styles. I decide to call it quits for the day and head home. I’m not sure if the first dress I tried on is the one. It’s very possible. But how do you really know? Is finding a dress kind of like finding a husband? You’re sure but yet there is a small piece of you that wonders if you are making the right decision? Jack is the one for me…but I do worry about whether or not I’m making the right decision. I laugh. That is an absurd thought. This is the best decision of my life. Saying yes to Jack is one hundred percent solid; it’s in no way, no how a bad idea. Everything about him is amazing. He makes me laugh. He makes me swoon and he makes me scream for the right reasons. My insides squeeze together. It’s like my heart is going to burst open at the idea of Jack. He is so sexy. His voice alone sends me over the edge.

Despite all of this a little tiny voice says: Are you sure, Lauren? We haven’t even known each other for a year and he has moved mountains to be with me. And that’s when the other voice pops up and bops that one on the head. Hello. Do we need a sound check? This is love. I would be a fool not to recognize it. And I am no fool. I graduated summa cum laude after all. This does stand for something. Those aren’t just passed out like a ribbon for showing up. They take effort. And I’m a manager of my own team. Again, proof of my abilities. All of this should be a further acknowledgement that when I see something I want, I get it. Like Jack. I’ve got him and he’s got me…for eternity. That’s what we have together. The idea of time and aging with Jack doesn’t freak me out—it warms my heart.

His architecture firm is slowly building here and he hired extra staff to take care of Vintage Estates—his family business back in Texas. It’s how we met. My grandmother has an apartment at Vintage Estates. It’s a nice retirement community in Georgetown. She basically set us up, literally and figuratively. All in the name of pecans. I will never forget the day I was in dire need of an extra two ounces of nuts and Jack came to my rescue.

I take in a deep breath and turn the ignition off in my car. Jack has semi-moved into my townhouse in Baltimore. He has his own house in Texas. He wants us to get a bigger house together once we are married. But I don’t see why we need it at this point. My house is plenty big enough for us. What more could we need when we have each other? We both have our careers and I have a very comfy bed. And—even better—Jack is a part of a wine of the month club so we have an endless supply. Which again begs the question of why we would need anything more than this? Shelter, love, and wine. I’m sure Shakespeare must have said something about that. If not, he should have.

I reach for the doorknob and Jack pulls it open. He never ceases to surprise me. He’s wearing a buttoned-down green plaid shirt and khaki shorts. Jack’s blue eyes light up like a candle that’s being lit for the very first time. He leans in and kisses me like he hasn’t seen me in a month. His arms are reaching behind me and pulling me into the house. The door shuts and his hands are running all over my body.

“I hope you found a dress because I don’t want to have another long Saturday without you.” Jack breathes into my ear and my scalp is tingling all over. I meet each of his kisses with my own. My tongue finds his and we engage in a long sensual samba of sensations.

“Is this what you meant about taste buds?” I tug on his lip.

Jack pulls back. “No, but I like your way of thinking.” He guides me to the kitchen where several cakes are sitting on the counters.

I jerk my head back. “I see you’ve been baking?”

“Yes, although I had to do quite a bit of shopping first. The only pan you own is for pies.” Jack chortles. “Was the apple pie the only thing you’ve ever baked here?”

I blink my eyelashes, realization hitting me. Shiat. He has found my stash!

I don’t bake—despite my grandmother asking me to make our family’s pecan pie over Thanksgiving in Texas and then over the summer insisting I enter an apple pie contest. But that sums up my baking experience. Well, I did make Jack a special red velvet cake over Christmas too, but that was in his house and I borrowed my mom’s baking dishes.

I swallow hard and stride to the oven. It’s empty. Of course it is. It would have to be if Jack had been baking. I turn around and meet his cool blues.

“Are you looking for these?” Jack holds up one of my snow globes. My eyes practically fall from my head. I want to dive into the globe and let the gelatinous water and snowflakes cover me, completely buried, hidden from this moment.

I twist my lips from side to side, trying to find something to say. Anything. Obviously he knows the forty something snow globes are mine. But how to explain them and why they are in my oven? I let out a deep breath.

Jack shakes the little globe and inspects the label. “Rome.” He nods. “Interesting, but I’m not sure when Rome has seen any snow?” He laughs.

I let out a small laugh, not because I think what he’s said is funny—maybe in another moment but not this one. The tiny giggle is my attempt at breathing. I’m more embarrassed than I could ever be in front of him.

Jack leans back and grabs another one. “Ah, now see the snow makes sense in this one: Innsbruck!” He places it back down and gestures to the globes. “Have you been to all of these places?”

I swallow. “Some of them.”

Jack’s eyebrows furrow. “Were the others gifts to you from other people’s trips?”

My lips flatline. Beep beep beeeeeeeeep. The flame against my cheeks is so hot, it’s like I’m at an erupting volcano and no one warned me. Instead I’m stuck, sinking like I’m in quicksand, not knowing how to explain this.

“No.”

Jack raises an eyebrow at me. “No?”

“No.” I shake my head as if it’s added confirmation of what I’m saying.

“Then why do you have them?”

My shoulders lift up past my ears, as if they want to sprout wings and flap me out of this kitchen and this horribly embarrassing moment.

I let out a deep breath. “I buy them at yard sales and eBay… It’s just a collection.” I shrug my shoulders. There, I said it. No big deal. I’m sure we can move on from this moment.

“You buy snow globes of places you haven’t been yet and store them in your oven?” Jack runs his hand through his hair.

Damn. Now I seem like a crazy cat lady or something.

“I didn’t want them collecting dust all over my place. And since I don’t use the oven that much it seemed like a good spot. When I’m feeling down I peek at them in the oven and see all the possibilities.” I swallow. No one knows about my snow globes. No one. Not even Brianna. This is my secret that Jack now knows. I’m a ball of emotions and my insecurities are about to roll onto the floor and say, “Yes, I’m weird… Am I too weird for you?”

Jack smiles, pulls me into his arms and kisses my head. “I love you.”

My head tingles and a little rush of warmth flows down my neck and over my shoulders, making its way to my heart. He doesn’t care about my wacky collection. Can this be true? God, I love this man. He is so much more than I could have ever dreamed up in my mind. And my mind is a vast place full of all sorts of wild ideas and images. But Jack isn’t an image. He’s real. He’s going to be my husband. Wow. I take a step back and grip the counter. I don’t want to faint in the kitchen with the mere concept of how great Jack is. Especially given he is standing in front of me.

Jack flashes me a full-teeth grin. “Now that we’ve gotten your secret collection out of the way, which one do you want to try first? Let me guess—the fresh strawberries and sponge cake?”

I flutter my eyelashes. I’m not sure. “How about the white cake with raspberry crème and a drizzle from the red dish…mmm…oh and maybe a few drops of the chocolate fudge?”

Jack nods. “Good, start off simple.”

I roll my eyes while he cuts a slice of the white cake and covers it with the raspberry frosting, red glaze, and then drizzles the chocolate over the top in a zigzag motion. He takes a piece with a fork and offers it to me. The cake is fluffy and sweet and incredibly delicious. I want to say yes, this is the cake, but like the dress there are several more options to choose from on the counter and I can’t immediately fall in love with this one…or can I?

And I don’t want to end this sampling moment. Just like the dresses, which were fun to try on. So many possibilities. So many choices. I don’t want to peak too soon on the cake. It’s got to rise slowly and have the exact amount of bounce to it when it comes out of the oven. The cake is like the dress, each one has to be made with the right ingredients or fabric, sewn together with precision or mixed with care and then finalized in the oven or over me. Yes. I want to take my time with each one. I’ve got to find the perfect dress and cake. This is important. Just like Jack—he is so important. I owe it to both of us to be patient.

“Well?”

“It’s really good.” I take another bite. “Like it’s so good I almost don’t even want to try the others.” I let out a small laugh. “Is that bad?”

“No, it’s not bad. It shows you know what you want and you aren’t indecisive. I love it. And everything else about you. But since we have all this cake I think we need to eat it…yes?” Jack cocks his head to the right.

“Yes, I think it’s important for us to keep going and taste all of them. But there is no way I can eat all of that cake. Let me just sample each of them or I won’t be able to fit into any wedding dress, period.” I eye the cake and already feel the pounds attaching to my hips. “That’s enough to feed, like, ten pregnant women.”

“More reason to eat up. Once you’re pregnant you might lose your appetite for cake. Enjoy it now.” Jack wiggles his eyebrows at me while he takes another bite.

“Well that will not be happening anytime soon, so I’ve got plenty of time to enjoy cake.” I pop another piece in my mouth and melt at how good it is. I’m in heaven until I see Jack’s frown. “What?”

“When you say ‘not anytime soon’, what does that mean?” He sounds a little hurt almost.

“Well, just not anytime soon. We’re not even married yet.”

“Yes, but I figured as soon as we were, we could start trying.”

My eyes bulge. The wedding is only three months away. If we had a honeymoon baby I’d be delivering this time next year. I’m so not ready for that! “Jack, I’m not ready to be pregnant. I’ve been a manager for a less than a year; I’ve still got ground to cover in my career.” I place my fork on the plate.

Jack’s eyebrows wrinkle. “But what about our babies that are ready to be born?”

I roll my eyes. “They need to listen to their mama and wait.”

Jack laughs. “Fine, but I reserve the right to open this discussion again at another time.” He looks at me expectantly.

I nod. Of course we can talk about children. We both want them; I’m just not ready to have them yet.

He nods back and smiles at me. “Okay, so back to this cake…”

“Jack, seriously, I have to fit into a wedding dress!”

“I’m sure we can figure out a way to burn some extra calories.” Jack offers me a bite from his fork. I open my mouth and the fluffy sweet cake mixed in with the vanilla frosting is amazing. Almost too good, just like Jack. He is almost too good. Almost.

My cheeks warm. “What do you have in mind?”

Jack pulls me in close and kisses me hard. His lips press against mine as if he is answering my question but with more intensity than I could have imagined. He lifts me off my feet and carries me out of the kitchen and into my bedroom. Our bedroom. My chest tightens. I’ve never shared a bedroom with anyone. Even in college, my room was in a suite. Brianna and I shared a bathroom but had separate small rooms. Jack lays me down on the bed.

“What’s wrong?” He traces my face with his thumb.

“Nothing.” I reach for the back of his head to pull him closer to me.

“Lauren, what are you thinking about?” He runs his fingers through my hair. “Tell me.”

I glance at the sheets. The sheets that I picked out on my own. Everything in this room is representative of me. “I think we should buy new sheets together.” I want there to be more of Jack in my house so it seems more like our house. I want him to be comfortable here and know it’s our place.

Jack squints. “Is there something wrong with these sheets?”

I laugh. “No, they’re fine. I like them. But I just feel like maybe…well not maybe, but I think we should buy some together so my place…will seem more like our place.”

“This is your place and it’s only temporary that we’ll be living here together.” Jack kisses my neck.

“Wait, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we won’t be living here that long.” He trails his lips along my neckline and up to my face.

“Why wouldn’t we live here? It’s a great location and I love it.” I shake my head.

“I love it too. But we need a bigger place. This is nice for a single woman, but you aren’t going to be single for much longer.” Jack’s lips meet mine and I fall into a place of love as our tongues move together. He runs his hands all over my body as he peels off each item of my clothing. My heart is racing. I love being with him and can’t focus on this conversation right now. All I’m seeing is sparkles of pleasure and my mind is moving towards a place where thoughts are not possible.

Chapter Two

It’s the middle of July and despite the air conditioning I’m sweating like I’m back in Texas outside in the heat. The letter on my desk is one I wasn’t expecting. Hallie Brooks has resigned. Now, I have to find another person for my team. This wouldn’t be so bad except I’ve got an email on my computer screen that makes this situation even worse. Trent has been promoted and given his own team. Trent. I roll my eyes. I just hired him in January and six months later he is managing his own team? How does that make sense? This seems too fast, considering. Why did this happen?

Back in December, I got the biggest promotion of my life thus far—given that I hope I haven’t peaked too soon. And I was assigned the task of finding and hiring my own team. And one of those new teammates happened to be Trent. He seemed to hold lots of promise at first and then his true character began to show, and it was uncomfortable and danced along the lines of sexual harassment. Harassment that I never reported. I just tried to handle it on my own and hoped it would go away. But it hasn’t and now I’m being dealt another bad hand. How many times can I fold?

Now, I’ve lost two people from my team and Trent will be competing against me in every aspect of my job. I swallow hard. I don’t understand why Javier wouldn’t consult with me before promoting Trent. I know he’s the boss but shouldn’t he have considered my thoughts on taking someone from my team? I blow air up over my face. Little beads of sweat are popping up along my hairline. I can’t show how stressed I am. I’ve got to remain calm and turn this ship around. I think I’m going to need to get a fan for my office. That will help my temperature out, but this situation…

My chest tightens. Good grief, not again. Simmer down. Push it down. Handle this. Deep breaths. It’s okay. I can get through this. I’ve been through worse. This is a drop in the ocean. The ocean. Focus on the ocean. Yes the cool water. Its waves. I can do this. The waves are smooth and soft on my skin. I’ve got to push past them and get to the shore.

I need to figure something out and fast. Trent works faster than anyone I’ve ever known. I’m sure he already has his team figured out and I need to replace two members of my own. I shake my head.

I still have the stack of candidates from January when I picked the first round of people for my team. Maybe there are some winners in this pile. I flip through them. Leena’s résumé stands out at me. Absolutely not. Not after the way she acted last time I didn’t hire her. I do not want her on my team, under any circumstances.

Brett Barron, he could be a contender. I take his résumé and stats and put them aside. I get through the whole pile with only his papers in my “contenders” stack. I press my lips together. This isn’t good. There must be some new candidates to choose from. I dial the only number that might provide some answers.

“Hey, Javier.”

“Hello, Lauren, I assume you got the email about Trent?”

I sigh. “Yes, I did. I wish you would have spoken with me first, however.”

“Yes, well you were on vacation and we needed to move on this. Trent threatened to leave if we didn’t promote him and we really didn’t want to lose him.”

I nod. “I see. All right, do you happen to have any new candidates since January that you would recommend for my team?”

“Yes, you’ll have to get them from Trent.”

I roll my eyes. “Great, thank you.”

I should have known Trent would pull something like this. He always seemed so shady and that was before he cornered me in the elevator and tried to kiss me. I toss my hair over my shoulder. I wish I could toss him off a bridge. Ha! Not really hurt him but just kind of kick him off my island or something. I exit my office and head towards Trent’s cubicle. Which is empty, of course. The desk is barren of any personal items and the computer is missing. I tap the laminate with my finger. Great.

“Trent has an office now. You know, since he has the same position as you.” Leena is peeking her shiny auburn hair over her cubicle wall and staring at me with her red lips pulled up higher than would seem possible. I get it—she’s happy.

“Right.” I nod and exit the cubicle area. Trent is standing in the doorway next to my office watching me. His eyes darken as I get closer.

“Hi, Trent, congratulations.” I do my best to smile. Even though every centimeter of my lips is protesting.

“Thanks, Lauren, it came as such a surprise.” His eyes twinkle with such cynicism I can hardly stop myself from rolling my own eyes. A surprise.

“So I’ve heard. Hey listen, since you are no longer on my team—”

“And Hallie’s gone too now.” Trent makes a hissing sound with his teeth.

“Yes, anyways, I need the candidate list. Are you finished with it?” I press my lips together.

“Sure, come on into my office.” He opens the door for me and makes his way around to his desk and sits down.

I’m not going to sit down. I just need the list and I’m out of this toxic room.

“Hey, have a seat. Tell me about your vacation. Did you finally choose a wedding date? Or did you decide to call things off?” He cocks his head to the right.

I sigh. “Trent, do you have the list?” I tap my foot against the floor.

“Yes, but what’s the rush? Come on, sit down, talk to me. We’re both managers now. You don’t have to worry about not being on the same level anymore.” He stands up and closes his office door.

Trent’s hand is on the small of my back as if he is trying to guide me to the chair. I take a step towards his desk.

“Trent, I don’t have time to talk. Please just give me the list.”

“All right, let me see if I can find it.” He opens up his desk drawers and begins sifting through papers. “So, I’m taking by your demeanor that you and Jack broke up?”

I roll my eyes. “No, we did not break up. Seriously, Trent, you have to stop this.”

“Stop what? I’m just a concerned co-worker—is there a problem with that?” He raises an eyebrow at me.

“Do you have the list?” I’m about to leave and just go up and down the cubicles and see if I can spot new people on my own. Our floor is not that big—maybe fifty or more rows. I should be able to run the whole floor before noon.

“Yes, Lauren. You seem really on edge. You’re not worried about competing against me, are you?” He winks at me.

“Oh come on, Trent. I’m not worried about you being a new manager or competing against you. My love life is great. The only thing I need from you is the list. Now do you have it or not?” I glare at him.

His mouth turns into a full-on smirk. “Well just between you and me, I plan on taking over Javier’s position next. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure I keep you on the payroll when I hire on the next group of managers. I’ll be bringing in some of my old co-workers from Masters and Schmitt.” He hands me a stack of papers that have been sitting on his desk the entire time.

I shake my head. “I’m not worried and if you think you can take Javier’s position, then you must really have your head in the clouds.” I grab on to the doorknob.

“Really, Lauren? I got in this position, didn’t I?” His hand is on mine. “You might want to change how you think and talk to me. I would if I were you. Pretty soon, I’ll be your boss.”

I jerk my hand off the knob and march out into the hallway. There is no way Trent could ever be my boss. He hasn’t worked here that long. My chest is so tight it’s like it is going to explode. I close the door to my office and lean my head against the laminated wood. This is not good. I’ve got to hire two new people for my team and figure out a way to let Javier know about Trent’s plan without sounding like a paranoid insecure wreck. I need to grab some coffee and tackle this—and not the kind from our break room. This requires Starbucks. I head down the corridor to the elevator.

The elevator is shiny and bright full of promises for a ride to success and yet I can only imagine the opposite of that. I haven’t felt this down about Calstone since I began working here several years ago and now I’m a manager and my aspirations are plummeting. So much has changed since that day. I’ve got to change my attitude and really get things righted on this track with my team… Can I even call it that? There are only three people on it now and I used to have five. I should be adding people, not having them leave in droves.

In my determination to get to the elevator, I barely miss running into Elaine.

“Whoa, what’s the rush?” She grabs on to my elbows.

“Sorry about that, I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I try to push past her but she doesn’t release me from her solid grip.

“Yeah…” She shakes her head. “How are you dealing with losing so many members? What’s your game plan?” Elaine’s eyes zoom in on my face as if she is truly concerned.

“Well, I’ll be adding new ones…excuse me.” I eye her hands with a glare that is not exactly full of friendly vibes. I do not have time for this. I have got to get new team members lined up and quickly. I use as much force as I can without seeming physically aggressive and push past Elaine. I’m sure she is saying “I told you so” in her head. After all, back in January she had an entirely different idea about who should be on my team and why. But that was seven months ago and no matter what it is still my team. I’ve just got to increase the head count. No big deal.

Later I slide into my office chair, complete with much-needed coffee, and power up my computer. As soon as my screen illuminates I see that I’ve got an IM from Trent.

Hey there, I hope there are no hard feelings between the two of us.

My eyes cannot roll back in my head far enough. The nerve of this guy. Hard feelings. There are no feelings…except regret for ever hiring him. He has been trouble since day one. I should have realized it. But as the saying goes…hindsight is twenty-twenty and in this case twenty-zero. As in adding him to my team brought me zero benefits. Argh.

I minimize my IM. I’m going to let that sit and pretend that I didn’t see it. I really don’t care. My number one concern is adding more people to my team and getting our total numbers up. I cannot be on Javier’s no bueno list, as he calls it. There is no need to have taken Spanish in college to get the gist of what that means.

I scan over the résumé list again. Slim pickings…but I’m going to have to work with the hand I’ve been dealt. I can do this. I can find a good group. I’m confident. A name sticks out at me, Marcus Scalia. I nod. I remember hearing good things about him. I send him an IM and flip through the stack once more. Bethany Carlson. Yes, she will be the perfect candidate for my team. I don’t know why I didn’t see her résumé before. Nonetheless, I send her an IM as well and download their sales reports. I pull up the calendar app and send a meeting invite to my current team. I’m ninety percent sure that Marcus and Bethany will be joining but I’ll wait until after we chat to make sure they are right for the team.

A message alert flickers on the bottom of my screen. I roll my eyes. Please tell me, it’s not Trent again. I click on the box. It’s not Trent.

Do you have new people on your team or do we need to have a meeting with Elaine?

My stomach clenches tight and for once I don’t have the feeling of nausea. I respond to Javier.

About to interview two candidates. I think I’ve found the perfect ones. Will update you at noon.

Good to hear. Let’s discuss over lunch.

Sounds great.

I let out a deep sigh that is interrupted by a tap on my door. On the other side is Bethany.

“Hey, Bethany, nice to officially meet you.” We shake hands and both sit down.

“So, I need to hire a few more people for my team and I think you show signs of real potential. Can you tell me what one of your strongest characteristics is?”

Bethany runs a hand through her light blonde hair and nods. “Yes, wow, um I’d love to join your team. I would say my strongest attribute is my customer retention rate.” The sides of her mouth pull up and she glances at the ground for a mere second. “It’s ninety-nine percent, by the way.”

I raise an eyebrow and scan the paper in front of me with her numbers. “True indeed. Well, that is very impressive.” I nod. “Tell me where you see yourself in five years?” I hate to ask these standard interview questions but I have to ask something.

“I’m in this office, in your role and you are above me managing managers.” The glimmer in her eyes couldn’t be more pure and true. I can’t help but agree with her five-year approach.

“Nice, I like your five-year goal. Thanks for meeting with me.” We shake hands and she stands up to leave. “By the way, I’ll be sending you a meeting request, to discuss our team’s goals for this week.”

Her eyes light up. “Thank you, I look forward to receiving it.” Bethany closes the door behind her and I check the clock. I’ve got thirty minutes before my meeting with Marcus. My Starbucks coffee buzz is wearing off and I’m in need of another caffeine fix. I am in a better state here at the office. I don’t seem so frail and like I’m going to be sick. What was that all about? Am I just having anxiety issues about Jack? What does that mean? Should I be concerned? I shake my head and exit my office. I need some coffee. I’m making progress and coffee will only accelerate my speed. I’ve got to get on track and get to where I was before the Fourth of July when I had my team intact. Maybe this change of staff is a good thing. Maybe, after our meeting, things will be better than they had been before. I roll my eyes. I can only hope for such good luck. I shake my head. No. It’s not good luck. Hard work is what makes things happen.

I pick up the coffee pot and pour some into my mug. My cup is a recent present from my mom. She is always giving me various coffee mugs and other paraphernalia. This one says: “I’m about to say I Do” and has a picture of a bride who is trying to check out at a grocery store or something. I’m not sure what the point of this mug is other than my mom wants me to focus on planning my wedding and by using this cup at work perhaps I will be more inclined to do so?

I exit the break room and barely miss spilling my coffee over my blouse.

“Whoa, Lauren, are you okay?” Trent grabs my elbows and if it weren’t for my hot coffee, I would totally jerk my entire body away. But as it stands I can’t.

“Yes, I’m fine. Excuse me.” I cast my eyes on his hands to let him know to release me from his grip.

“Lauren, could we get lunch today? I’d like to talk about something. Maybe we could team up and be successful together.” His dark eyes warm over. They are filled with arrogance and a bit of sincerity. Yet, he is not to be trusted.

“I can’t. Excuse me.” I jut out my chin and motion for him to release me.

Trent takes a step back but his eyes don’t change. I move past him and down the hall. I internally kick myself for not nipping this situation in the bud long ago. But now things have gone on to a point where I feel as if I am partially to blame for not reporting it sooner. I don’t want to sound like I’m a part of the idea of victim-blaming and being okay with it. But maybe if I had reported something with the initial red flag? I shake my head. No. There wasn’t enough to report and now it’s still such a gray area. It makes me uncomfortable but…would anything actually be done if I were to report anything? And now, given my team’s ranking, would they even care knowing that Trent’s team is super successful? This isn’t my first rodeo. I know where most corporations fall in regards to which concerns to consider and which ones to swipe under the carpet, and right now I’m a crumb at Calstone Corp. I’ve got to pull up my team’s rankings in order to be of higher importance for several reasons.

I make it back to my office and take a sip of my coffee. Mmm… My IM pops up and it’s a message from Marcus.

Is it okay to drop by now?

Yes, please. I respond.

I sift through the résumés, find his, and download his most recent numbers to prepare myself for our meeting. He will arrive at any minute. I take another sip of the coffee—I really do need the caffeine. But I don’t want coffee breath during my interview with Marcus. I dive into my purse on the hunt for a spare mint. My fingers run over the metal of my vibrating phone. It’s Jack.

I can’t talk to him now. I don’t want to be in the middle of a conversation with him when Marcus arrives. I send his call to voicemail. A text pops up.

Really?

I can’t help but laugh. I text back. About to have a meeting, I’ll call back soon. Xs

I’ll take those Xs in person…thanks.

My cheeks warm. A piece of something white wrapped in plastic catches my eye. The mint is a bit crusty but it will have to do. I pop the mint in my mouth as a knock sounds on my door. I hop up and open it to find Trent. I can’t roll my eyes any farther back into my head. Why is he here?

“Hey, I wanted to see if you needed any help finding new candidates? I ran the numbers of several different employees prior to making my own team and—”

“Thanks, Trent, I think I’ve found my two.”

Marcus approaches us from the corridor and I can’t help but grin widely at the perfect timing. I like him already.

“Hi, Lauren, are you still available?” He eyes me and then Trent. The two men are about equal stature—Trent resembling Henry Cavill (unfortunately) and Marcus a version of Tom Hardy… I sigh. Not that I’m interested at all…but I can appreciate the idea of attractiveness in people. I swallow.

“Yes, thanks for coming so quickly, Marcus. If you’ll excuse us, Trent.” I barely let my eyes meet his before retreating to my desk. I assume that Marcus will follow without hesitation. What I don’t assume is that Trent will enter my office as well.

“Do you want me to sit in on the interview? I haven’t had a chance to meet with Marcus yet.”

I let out a laugh. “Trent, you already have a team.” I raise an eyebrow.

Marcus’s eyebrows furrow.

“Right, I just thought it might make sense if we both interviewed him simultaneously.”

“Hmm…I’m not sure why that would make sense.”

“Well, just in case if…you know.” Trent nods at me as if I’m supposed to know what he is referencing.

“I don’t know, Trent. And if you would—”

“Exactly, you don’t know…which is why it would probably be best if I sat in for this.”

I blink to make sure I’m not having some sort of weird daymare. No, this is real. Trent is trying to hijack my meeting and interview with Marcus and for what purpose? I don’t know.

“Trent, if you would like to interview Marcus on your own time, that’s up to you. But I’d prefer if you would excuse yourself.”

“Really? I don’t think that’s what you really want.” Trent runs his finger and thumb along his jaw and sits down at the chair in front of my desk. I can’t believe he is physically situating himself in my office and refusing to leave. This is downright ridiculous.

Marcus jerks his jaw for a slight second. If I hadn’t been watching I would have missed it. He then sits down next to Trent. Great. It feels like two against one. Fine.

“Okay, well, let’s see, Marcus, I have your résumé pulled up here. Can you tell me what you would say is your best asset to Calstone Corp?”

“Oooh, Lauren, really? That’s your first question?” Trent shakes his head at me.

My eyes immediately dart to his and I wish I had the power to bolt him out of my office with one look like Bonnie in The Vampire Diaries. But alas, there is no witchcraft here. Just plain madness in the form of Trent and whatever the hell is going on in that whacked-out brain of his.

Marcus speaks up. “I’m good at grabbing new clients from the lines. People who are calling in with issues, I turn into big clients. That’s my number one selling point.” He puckers his lips to the side and nods.

This is a great skill to have. I find myself nodding in unison. I open my mouth to speak and before a sound can formulate, I hear Trent’s remarks—and they are not ones that I fancy.

“Grabbing, so you steal other team members’ clients? Are you a poacher?” Trent laces his hands together and pops his knuckles.

Marcus looks indignant. “No, I take problems and turn them into sales. These are people who show up in my queue.” He jerks his head back and shakes it as if he is also trying to shake off the idea of being in a weird B movie or something. He’s not the only one… I wish I could tell him.

But I definitely have to say something in defiance of Trent. Not only has he completely hijacked my meeting but he’s belittling me in front of a colleague too. This has got to stop. “Well I think that’s a great quality, Marcus. I can certainly use that kind of ingenuity on my team.” I smile at him and he nods his head, smiling back in agreement.

“Right, well…what do you think, Lauren? Any more questions?” Trent pops his neck from side to side. I wish I could pop him out of my office. This display of machismo is ridiculous beyond belief, but then again, so is almost everything about him.

“I’ve heard everything I need to hear. Thanks for stopping by, Marcus. I’ll be sending you a team meeting invite for this afternoon. Please be on the lookout for it.” I stand and offer my hand.

Marcus shakes my hand with the right amount of pressure and the sides of his mouth pull up into the perfect grin. Not arrogance or overconfidence, not a false sense of happiness. He seems genuinely excited to be joining my team. Trent stays in his seat and Marcus exits my office and unfortunately closes the door. Leaving me alone with Trent.

I hesitate for a second and then decide it’s best to hash it out with him and get him on the right track for good.

I slide into my seat and glance at the stacks of papers in front of me. They are proof of my existence in this office, in this company prior to Trent. I’m making a name for myself and I don’t need him to take cuts and slices of it along the way. This has to end.

“Trent, I want to be clear about something right here and now.” I need to say this and be heard. Loud and clear. No missed signals, no interruptions. Or interferences. “I do not want you to ever be a part of any meeting or discussion unless I personally ask you. And by personally I mean that the words: Trent, I would like xyz will come out of my mouth. Otherwise, there are no mixed signals or quandaries for you to figure out. If I don’t ask then it’s a no.” I take a deep breath. “Are we understood?” Yes, this is a moment in my career that I will look back on and give myself a virtual high five. I’m sure of it.

Trent stands up and nods. Wow, I’m so surprised. I thought for sure that he would argue or say something to negate my words and, most importantly, I thought he would ignore all of it and say something dismissive about me. But nothing. Just a simple nod and then he was gone.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Maybe this is a good sign? I hope. But knowing Trent, probably not.

Chapter Three

My drive home from work is long; Friday traffic is always such a drag. I’m in the mood for some good tunes but I just can’t shake the bad office mojo. Since the disaster meeting with Marcus, Trent has stayed away from me all week. Which has been great. But his numbers have been amazing and everyone on our floor is noticing it, including Javier. I definitely can’t say anything to our Human Resources department about him now because there will be some sort of insinuation that I have an issue with Trent’s promotion or something along those lines. I shake my head. The sound of my cell comes over my speakers. I click the answer button my steering wheel.

“Hey, honey, how are you?” my mom asks.

“Good, Mom. Real good,” I lie.

“So, have you and Jack had time to figure out a theme?”

I roll my eyes. My mother loves themes and decorating, going all out on any holiday. She wants me and Jack to decide on a theme for our wedding so that she can go overboard with decorations and attire. This is not exactly how I envisioned my wedding and though I love my mother with all my heart, I don’t want my wedding to be a blown-out-of-proportion theme extravaganza. Sure I want there to be symmetry and color coordination with the décor but not any extreme overindulgence in decorations. I’d like a more refined classic look and I’m sure whatever my mom has planned consists of flashing lights and feathers.

I sigh. “No, we haven’t. I’m not sure that we really want a defined theme.”

My mother gasps. “What? Lauren, you have to have a theme.”

“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t think we do. I think we can just have something kind of, you know, toned down.”

“I see.” The silence is painful. I don’t want to hurt her feelings and I know she only wants to help but I—we—don’t really want the same thing that my mom does and it’s our wedding after all.

“Mom? I’m sure we can figure some way to incorporate something.”

“All right, well just let me know. I’m ready to help and I’m putting off all my other planning so that I can be ready for whatever you decide.”

“Please don’t put anything on hold. I’m sure whatever we come up with won’t need too much time to set up.”

“I see.”

My chest tightens. Why can’t she really see? It’s our wedding…not everyone wants to have flags and banners and glitter all over the dance floor. My speakers beep.

“Mom, Jack’s calling.”

“All right, honey. I’ll talk to you later.”

I click the button to accept Jack’s call. “Where are you?”

I glance at the street sign. “Still on Fifth Street. I haven’t even made it to the beltway yet.” I slump my shoulders.

“Take the next right and meet me at Sunset Pier.”

“Okay, I thought we were having dinner in tonight?” I steer my car over to the right lane. The other drivers don’t seem willing to oblige my turn signal or give me enough space to squeeze in. I merge anyway and give a big thank you wave as if they intended to let me in. Ha!

“I changed my mind. I’ve got a spot saved for you out front.”

“Great, I’ll see you in a minute.” I disconnect the line.

I do love Sunset Pier. It is truly one of the most romantic restaurants in Baltimore, but I was looking forward to getting out of my beige skirt suit and pumps. These heels are killer black stilettos but I’m ready to step out of them and into something comfy. Normally, I would dress a little more casual on Friday, but at the moment I can’t downplay anything at work. I have to dress and act the part of a power player. Especially if I’m going to compete with Trent and his new team. They are all doing impressively well, whereas my team is taking time to find its feet. I’m going to have to have a major meeting on Monday and come up with a few strategies to bring up our numbers and get on top. If I’m going to keep Trent from his next promotion I’ll have to make sure that my numbers are always higher than his and right now they are not.

I sigh and take a left and immediately my spirits lift. Jack is standing in a parking space in front of the restaurant. My stomach does a tiny dance of excitement. I steer my car into the spot and hop out.

Jack wraps his arms around me and squeezes my body into his. “It seems like I haven’t seen you in days not hours.” His lips meet mine and tingles trail down my arms.

“It’s good to see you too.” I flitter my eyelashes. “Really good…it’s been a day.”

“Did something happen?” Jack’s hands grip my arms as he stares down into my eyes.

I shake my head. “Not anything particular.” I roll my eyes. “You know, just office stuff.”

Jack nods. “Office stuff. Is that code for Trent?” He cocks his head and tips my chin up to him so that I can’t look away.

“Well, you know he got the promotion…he’s just being…well, Trent.” I shake my head. “Come on, let’s go eat.” I turn towards the restaurant.

Jack pulls me back into him. “Lauren, if he’s causing problems we need to talk about it.”

“He’s just being himself. You know. And his team’s doing really well, but a bit of competition never hurt. Let’s go, come on.” I nod my head towards the restaurant door.

Jack purses his mouth to the side as if he is thinking about saying something. But instead he guides me in past the doors of Sunset Pier. The restaurant is filled with white lines and topped with the glow of individual candles.

The host leads us to the back patio and we sit down. The place is packed. It’s a very popular restaurant and on Friday nights they set up a salsa dance floor. My eyes widen. Jack is going to want to dance. I just know it.

“Can you put off the wedding dress hunt for tomorrow?” Jack squeezes my hand.

“I suppose I could reschedule it. Why?” I pick up my wineglass.

“I want to take you somewhere.” Jack’s ocean blues sparkle at me like he can’t wait to fill me in on a big secret.

“Okay, let me text Brianna.” I pull out my cell and there is a text message from Trent.

Do you want to meet for drinks and we can discuss your team’s numbers and maybe a way I can help?

My eyes strain from reading it. He is really ridiculous. I can’t bel— Well actually I can. Why doesn’t he just leave me alone? I’m sure whatever his plan is involves a way for him to look better and get him one step closer to his next promotion. I have no intention of responding to his text or offer so I delete it.

I type a quick message to Brianna.

Jack wants to take me somewhere tomorrow, so can we reschedule the hunt?

Oh…he does? Does he? ;)

I squint my eyes. Does she know where Jack wants to take me? I toss my phone in my purse and take a long sip of my wine. I want to drift away right now. The woodsy notes of the Cabernet glide down my throat and I take in the sights. Jack.

His soft blond hair is parted to the side and I want to reach for him and run my fingers through it. I wish we were at my house so we could be nuzzled up together in bed and not so far apart at this restaurant.

“What’s on your mind?” Jack squeezes my thigh under the table. I’ll never forget the first time he did that at Vintage Estates on Thanksgiving. All of my grandmother’s friends were around us.

“You.” I sip my wine.

“You’re always on my mind too, Lauren. I never would have thought a year ago that I’d be sitting in a restaurant in Baltimore on a Friday night across from the most gorgeous woman to ever cross my path.” His eyes flicker at me with a hunger that I want to feed. Can’t we just skip the meal and head home?

“One would think that if you were so interested you might have been a little more forthcoming with sharing your pecans.” I toss my hair over my shoulder.

“I couldn’t simply hand over the pecans. Life isn’t about taking the first opportunity. Sometimes things have to build and progress.” Jack takes a sip of his wine.

“Maybe, but we’re talking about pecans. Or are we?”

Jack shrugs. “Now that we have a date and you’re on the hunt for a dress, we need to figure out a few more things.”

“Right, like where are we going to get married?”

“I think it would probably be easier for your family if our wedding was in Texas?” Jack trails his index finger along my arm. Goose bumps pop up all the way to my neck. The slightest of touches from him have such a strong effect on my body.

“But is that what you want?”

“It’s fine by me. My Aunt Minnie is only a few hours away from Austin.”

I let out a sigh. “True and telling my mom we have a location will get her off my back a little bit. She really wants to us to have a theme…but I’d rather have something simple and classic.”

Jack nods. “I agree.” He takes my hand and kisses each one of my fingertips. “We need to decide on the cake.”

It’s almost as if warm chocolate is running over my body and I’m in a fancy bath of melting fudge. “Jack…you can’t send me over here…I don’t think the restaurant owners would appreciate it if I hopped into your lap right now.”

Jack laughs. “Maybe not. But I would.”

“I bet you would.” I retract my hand and drink my wine.

“Cake. What’s it going to be?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Why don’t we go to one of those fancy bakeries and taste a bunch?”

“Okay. Just for tasting though as I want to bake our wedding cake.”

I jerk my head back. “You want to bake our wedding cake?” I shake my head. “I don’t know, I think we should leave that to the professionals.”

Jack’s face lights up. “Are you forgetting that I’m an award-winning pie maker?”

I roll my eyes. “No and technically I am also an award-winning pie baker.”

“Lauren, second place isn’t the same as first.” He shrugs his shoulders.

“You are so ridiculous.” I roll my eyes. Over the Fourth of July my grandmother insisted that I enter an apple pie baking contest, as she had always won pie baking contests and she thought it was time I took up the mantle. Per her request, I did. Surprisingly, Jack also entered at the last minute and won. I’m still a bit shocked by that. Not that he isn’t a great baker. We made pecan pies together over Thanksgiving and a red velvet cake over Christmas, but our own wedding cake?

“I’m ridiculously in love with you and I want us to bake our wedding cake together.” He takes a swallow of his wine.

My cheeks heat up. No matter how many times Jack tells me he loves me it never ceases to make me want to throw my body on a fainting chair and just float around taking in his words, swooning. His love. He is my everything. Sitting here with him has swiped away all the negativity of my workweek. It’s so great to be with someone who can magically make everything better just by being present.

“I don’t know…don’t you think we should just hire someone?”

“No, I want to bake it with you. I want to find the perfect wedding cake recipe and I want each whip of the batter and each layer of frosting to be with you.”

I take a deep breath. “Wow, how could a girl turn that kind of offer down?”

“You can’t. Think about how much fun we’ll have deciding on the perfect cake and the right frosting.” Jack squeezes my hand. Vibrations of love spread up my arm and I can’t believe I’m in this moment of wonderfulness. How did I get here? To this point of having this amazing guy who wants to bake our wedding cake? Together. I blink my eyes. Yup, this is real.

“Okay, let’s do it.” I nod my head. Jack leans in and kisses my lips and I don’t care for this small moment that we are in a restaurant and not alone. Our kisses trail on for a second too long before we settle back and focus on the meal. Followed afterwards by dessert back at my—our—house.

***

Jack seems to be asleep and I’m wide awake. Visions of office issues and now cake baking are crumbling over in my mind and piling up into a huge ball of fear. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to tackle any of them. I climb out of bed and tiptoe to the living room. Our wine from earlier is still out. I pick up a glass not sure if it was Jack’s or mine but it honestly doesn’t matter. We are living together, we kiss…it’s probably okay if we share a glass. I flip on the TV and find the Food Network. I want to watch mindless entertainment with no drama. Pure comfort. I settle into the couch and listen as the host delivers a great speech about the fluffiness of cake and how you want to make sure to beat it to the speed and time listed in the instructions or else it will be a flop.

The blender begins to go again and the host is trying to speak over it. I take a swig of my wine and sense I’m being watched. I glance in the doorway of my bedroom and Jack is leaning against the frame.

“Hey.”

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Jack makes his way towards me and sits down.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

His eyebrows furrow. “Is something on your mind?”

I let out a small laugh. “Not really, I just wanted to watch—”

“Wow, Lauren, I didn’t think you would take the cake baking so seriously. You don’t have to cram and study cake baking. We’re going to do this together.” He grabs my hands and kisses my fingertips and I’m being swiped away from reality. The reality is that I wasn’t studying cake baking, but rather just being a vegetable. There is no way I can tell Jack that, not now, not in this moment. I let him kiss me back to bed and enjoy this moment of naivety.

Chapter Four

Jack has been silent during the entire ride. It’s like he has been deep in thought—about what? I have no idea. After breakfast, he asked if I was ready to see his surprise. Of course I said yes and now here we sit silently in his car. It’s only been fifteen minutes but still…that’s a lot of silence. And I can’t help but worry. Surprises are usually a good thing but Jack has had his fair share of “didn’t want to tell you till I had things worked out on my own” moments. This was an issue for us before. This hang-up of his—or ours, rather. He kept things to himself. Important things. Like that he was planning on moving here and that he was going to sell his architecture firm in order to save Vintage Estates. All of which seems so long ago. Fortunately, his Aunt Minnie delivered a huge deposit to save Vintage Estates and he did move here. Both were nice surprises. But I was so in the dark in those moments. I wasn’t privy to his thought process or his grief. All of those things were kept from me. Jack wanted to shelter me from the possible bad and didn’t trust in me or our relationship enough to survive a failure. I can’t help but worry. I fiddle with my purse strap. I don’t want to be in another situation where I’m in the dark. I bite my inner cheek. Jack’s eyes were twinkling when he asked me to cancel my wedding dress shopping. So this has to be for something good.