Page 75 of Grounding the Baker
“Don’t say that in front of your teachers.”
“Billy called the teacher the C-word the other day, so I’ve heard worse.”
Gerard snorted, and Austin glared at him.
“You definitely can’t say that word.”
“Uncle Tony says it a lot.”
Austin grumbled. She wasn’t wrong. Tony had no filter, even in front of his daughter. When she’drepeated the word at four years old, Austin had been mortified. What had Ellie done? Pissed herself laughing for half an hour. Wasn’t it women who were supposed to hate that word?
“How about we get Uncle Kevin to make you a dessert to have upstairs,” said Gerard.
Maisie squealed. Between Kevin and Liam, his daughter would have a sugar addiction in no time, but she didn’t have it every day, and he wouldn’t be one of those parents who denied his child one of the few pleasurable things in life. He could teach her moderation, he just couldn’t practice it himself, especially with Liam’s muffins. He snorted at where his brain went. Gerard gave him an amused smirk, as if he could read his mind.
He gave Maisie a hug before she left with Gerard, and Austin made his way into the bar area to wait for Michael. Callum was working behind the bar.
“A man of many talents, I see,” said Austin.
“Hi Austin, what can I get you?”
“Just a Diet Coke, please.”
Callum went off to make his drink, and Austin wondered if Liam had talked to him yet about doing more hours at the bakery.
Callum is working behind the bar tonight xxx
Liam
I offered him more hours, and he wants to stay working there as well. Something to do with his music xxx
Liam
Don’t get too drunk with Michael. I plan to go for a ride later! xxx
Austin felt his cock swelling, so he replied with a fewaubergine emojis– because he was a forty-year-old teenager– and pocketed his phone as Callum put his drink in front of him.
“How’s the music going, Callum?” he asked, tapping his card to pay for the drink.
“I’m writing a lot of stuff, but most of the performing is online.”
Austin had seen some of his videos. The young man was incredibly talented with a guitar, and had a phenomenal voice.
“Would your brother not let you perform in his pub?”
“I don’t need any help from my brothers.”
Austin said nothing more on what was clearly a sore point. He only knew snippets from Liam, but Callum was the only one of his brothers who hadn’t gone to university. They all owned businesses in Roseville, but Callum was only twenty, he had years to figure things out. Austin was an only child, so he had no idea what it was like to have older siblings, but given there was twenty years between Dominic– the eldest– and Callum, and all the others were in their thirties, it would probably feel like having extra parents.
“Maybe Gerard and Kevin would let you play here.”
“You think?”
“Can’t hurt to ask. They’ve had performers here before.”
“I didn’t know that. I’ll ask them. Thanks, Austin. Oh... hello, Michael.”
Austin turned to see his friend looking like he’d had a day of it.
