Page 10 of Unmoored: How to Fail at Hating the Boss

Before I open the door to the mostly empty Four and Twenty bakery, I spy the owner, Evelyn, and her girlfriend behind the counter. They’re standing close and gazing at each other, sharing small kisses as they talk and smile and laugh about something.

The sweetness of the two of them makes me ache, and I feel like a perv watching them through the window. When I open the door, they look over and smile, Evelyn greeting me by name.

“Hey, Quincy, right? The usual?”

“Actually, I have something special that I wonder if you might be able to whip up by tomorrow. I’m looking for a flag cake?”

Evelyn smirks and gestures toward the refrigerated display case on the far wall. “I believe those are what you’re looking for?”

I turn to see at least a dozen flag cakes on display with red, white and blue icing.

“I get at least a dozen requests every summer, so I thought I’d go ahead and make a dozen or so,” Evelyn says.

Turning back to Evelyn, I tell her specifically what I’m looking for, hoping it doesn’t sound too demanding. “Those are great, but what I really want is the kind with strawberry stripes and blueberries and icing for the stars. You know what I mean?”

Evelyn nods. “Unfortunately, I don’t make those in advance. The berries tend to bleed all over, and it ends up looking like a complete mess, even if you refrigerate it overnight. What time is the party?” Evelyn asks.

I wince, “I was hoping to have the cake right after the boat race tomorrow. Really, I don’t mind if it looks a little messy.”

Evelyn shakes her head. “Sorry. I can’t put that out there. Wouldn’t be up to my standards.”

I tell her I understand, and I’m about to tell her to box up one of the pre-made flag cakes when a blast of humid air wafts across my bare legs.

“Quincy.”

I turn to see Reef walking in the door, all brawn and golden, totally out of place in the pastel interior of the bakery. The tiny hairs on my forearms stand at attention at the sight of him.

“Hey…boss,” I croak, sounding weak and wilting. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Why did I ask that? He has every right to be here as much as I do? How is that my business?

“Just had some dinner and I’m grabbing dessert.”

Dessert. I stare at him. I don’t picture Reef as a dessert guy. But I bet he’s super into the other kind of dessert that is a euphemism for something else. At the thought of it, I have to cross my legs.

He notices.

And he stares right at my legs. His face looks weirdly soft. Me? I suddenly feel like taking up speed running as a hobby.Speed running out of this bakery, down the block, out into the hills, and straight into a cave, never to be seen again.

Reef’s expression hardens again as Evelyn pipes up. “Decided on your flag cake yet?”

“Flag cake?” Reef looks at me quizzically.

I smile. “Yep. For the afterparty.”

Those slightly wild eyebrows draw together. “What afterparty?”

I lower my chin and stare up at him. “It’s the Fourth of July. You can’t be serious.”

“Most people who work for me would say I’m serious all the time.”

This makes me snort. “Come on. Lighten up. Don’t tell me you don’t let your employees have fun some of the time.”

His silence tells me everything I need to know. He doesn’t do office parties. Even though this technically isn’t a typical office atmosphere.

“You want an afterparty, we can have an afterparty.”

“Problem is, I want a flag cake with fruit, not just icing. Evelyn won’t do it because she says the berries bleed if left in the fridge overnight.”