Page 40 of I’d Be Honored

Oh no. The cake tasting.

ELEVEN

HAYLEY HAD WALKED HER LAST POTENTIAL client the entire way to the front door that evening, thanking the couple earnestly before locking up the building behind them. If she could’ve had just ten more minutes with them, she was positive she would have secured an offer. But it was already a quarter after six, and Hayley had promised Gemma that she’d make it into Manhattan by seven.

So she begrudgingly said goodbye to them with the promise of following up the next day, and had begun to work her way up through the floors of condos, flicking off lights and straightening chairs as she went.

Hayley nearly jumped out of her skin when she discovered a straggler lingering inside the top-floor penthouse, lost in thought and framed by the sprawl of the Manhattan skyline.

Then she realized the woman was Maddie, and now there they were, sitting side by side in the backseat of a grimy taxi.

Hayley spotted a mysterious stain on the seat and wrinkled her nose, chancing a glance toward Maddie, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since buckling her seatbelt. Her face looked serene, once again lost in her own thoughts as she watched the city blur by her window.

Hayley forced her gaze away, resisting the urge to stare at the way warmth seemed to radiate from beneath Maddie’s skin.

They pulled up to the bakery exactly fourteen minutes late, and Hayley grimaced as she held the door open for Maddie.

Inside the shop, Hayley caught the slow, asymmetrical tug at the corner of Gemma’s mouth and knew that her best friend was already connecting the dots.

At least she doesn’t look too angry, Hayley thought in relief.

Caitlin, thankfully, appeared too occupied with the task at hand to question, or apparently even notice, their joint late arrival.

The wedding was only thirteen weeks away, and the to-do list still felt miles long. Appointments for rings, seating charts, and flower arrangements loomed ahead of Hayley, but that night’s task was one that she was more than happy to help the brides with—cake selection.

Just as Gemma opened her mouth to speak, a white-haired woman in a crisp chef’s coat emerged from the back, balancing two long porcelain platters in her hands. She set them down on the table before them with a flourish, spreading her arms wide and smiling. In front of them sat six thick, oversized slices of cake that smelled of sugar and pure heaven.

The pastry chef pointed to each slice in turn with practiced grandeur, detailing their flavor profiles. There was, in order, a classic vanilla sponge cake with thick buttercream icing, a lemon chiffon topped with blackberry jam, a chocolate mousse with a hint of espresso, a carrot cake layered with whipped vanilla frosting, a red velvet ganache topped with sweet cream cheese, and an Earl Grey shortcake drizzled with white chocolate.

Hayley listened intently, her mouth already watering at the sight. Next to her at the table, Gemma caught her expression and suppressed a smile. Few people were aware of Hayley’s severe sweet tooth, but Gemma knew her better than anyone.

Hayley barely waited for the woman to disappear back into the kitchen before grabbing a fork and diving into the vanilla sponge cake. The others laughed and followed suit, all four groaning in delight from the first bite.

“So, Hayley, what do you think?” Gemma asked, keeping her eyes fixed on her plate. “I’ll always be partial to carrot cake, but do you think we should do the vanilla sponge?”

“I don’t know, Gemma.” Hayley eyed Gemma suspiciously, chewing her bite slowly. “I haven’t tasted the others yet.”

“But it’s good, right?” Gemma pressed, shooting a meaningful look toward Maddie. “I mean, without even trying the others.”

Hayley followed her best friend’s loaded gaze and noticed the bruised teeth mark on the curve of Maddie’s neck.

Ah. They weren’t talking about cake.

“Of course it’s good.” Hayley’s voice dropped an octave as she reached for the chocolate mousse. “But why would you commit without tasting every flavor?”

“Mhmm,” Caitlin hummed in agreement, oblivious to the subtext of their conversation and lost in a bite of carrot cake. “This is incredible.”

Gemma smiled lovingly at Caitlin before turning back to Hayley.

“Well, it looks to me like you’ve already found a sweet, moist—”

“Gemma,” Hayley said brusquely, clearing her throat. “Would you show me where the restroom is?”

Without waiting for an answer, Hayley gripped Gemma’s arm and hauled her toward the only other door in the small bakery.

Inside the cramped one-person bathroom, Hayley crossed her arms and leaned her back against the door. “Are you seriously doing this right now?”

“You had sex with her!” The pitch of Gemma’s voice made her wince.