Lord of Rain (The Dragon Demigods #5) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,52

the other day. That’s a half-eaten eclair on her plate right now. My mouth drops open for a moment. I feel like I’ve been cheated on. Buns just lost another customer. My heart is sinking rapidly. I want to run out. I need to face up to reality. I must!

What else? Keep asking yourself that question until you have all the answers.

Bolt’s advice was accurate. I can do this! I pull my hat more firmly over my forehead, hoping to hide my face. I’m thankful for the big glasses. I’m undercover, so I leave them on despite being indoors. It’s really sunny in here, so I’ll get away with it. No one seems to take note of me, but you can’t be too careful. There’s a small queue at the counter. Three ladies buzz around, taking and making orders. At Buns, we’re down to one…my mom. We no longer have part timers helping out on the weekends. We’re not busy enough. This place is hopping.

There are fresh loaves lining the back shelves. Not just the regular kind, either. I see sourdough, ciabatta, seed loaf, French loaf, rye, as well as the ones we stock. A couple of the shelves are empty. Sold out, perhaps? I’ve been trying to get my father to expand our offering, but he won’t budge.

I see a whole array of pastries and cupcakes. They offer a larger selection of those too. I’m impressed. I don’t want to admit it, even to myself, but I’m hugely impressed. Everything looks fantastic. We assumed that the quality would be greatly compromised, but I think we may have been wrong.

Then I see them. I feel this pang inside. Already prepared sandwiches and croissants. They look amazing. There are various fillings, from pastrami to tuna. I’m getting hungry just looking at them…looking at everything. My heart is sinking like a rock. Bolt was right. It’s a good thing I’m here. On the other hand, I’m feeling disheartened.

It’s finally my turn. “Good morning, Ma’am. Welcome to Sweet Things, what can I get you today?”

“What do you recommend, Angel? Is your name really Angel?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” She beams. “My mama is a serious Christian, and she said that when she looked at my little face after I was born, I made her think of an angel. The name stuck.”

“I like it.”

“Thank you!” More beaming. “What do you feel like this morning? Something sweet or savory?”

“Both. I think I’ll go with a pastrami sandwich on seed loaf. Um…which of your pastries sells the most?”

“It’s not a pastry, per se, but our pies sell really well. The Key Lime is a big favorite. Chocolate follows a close second. I like them both.”

“Okay, I’ll have a slice of the Key Lime, one of the giant chocolate chip cookies, and maybe a cupcake.”

“Hungry?” she laughs.

“Yes, I’ll take some home for later. It’s my cheat day.” I feel bad lying. “Although, every day is a cheat day when it comes to me.” More along the lines of the truth.

She laughs some more. I like her so much. She makes me want to come back. Argh!! “Let me know which of the cupcakes catches your eye,” she says to me. I watch her pack everything up while I peruse the cupcake display. They have two flavors we don’t have, namely Pink Lemonade and Cinnamon Toast. I ask for the first one. I think our selection is better, but not by much. We also put more frosting on ours. That makes me think of Bolt and the whole ‘shirt ruining’ incident, which still makes me blush. I can’t help it.

The rest of the day went well yesterday. I went for a full body massage but fell asleep on the table. I woke up with drool all over my face. I did feel much better afterward. Bolt and I didn’t talk much. I was there for the afternoon meeting. I took notes. He gave me more typing for the flight home. He was so busy that he waved Lilian away when she tried to offer him an early dinner. I ate. Of course I did. I’m not one for turning down good food, and it was delicious. I also drank plenty of water. Couldn’t get enough of the stuff. I wonder why. Again, my face feels hot at the thought.

Overall, Bolt seemed fine, but…he didn’t seem the same as before. A lot colder. I don’t blame him. He’s probably afraid I’ll jump him again. I can be thankful that I have such