Cupcakes and Christmas - R.J. Scott Page 0,14

stripped off my coat, gloves, scarf, beanie, and boots then slumped into the chair in the corner. I’d made it very clear to Justin that I was getting divorced. I’d even thrown in the fact that I didn’t have a partner right now, although maybe I should add it to our next conversation and make it clearer.

He was just as sexy in person as he was online. Gorgeous with all that blond spiky hair and those startling blue eyes. I could fall into those eyes and never come out again. The times I stared at his photos, lost in thought, and wondered if maybe he was in a position like mine, on his own, ready to move on from something huge and wanting to kiss. Maybe end up in bed. Or both. Talking about what happened with Marc was enough to make my chest tighten, but I was here to forget about Marc, or as Adam said in his usual bossy-twin way that I should come to terms with my life.

Coming to terms with my life might sound dramatic, but I was free now. I would sign the papers, I had to. I didn’t want Marc back, so why was I even hesitating? I pulled them out and laid them one by one on the counter.

Two days ago, they’d arrived at my apartment that’s over the shop. He’d signed his part, and why wouldn’t he. I’d agreed to everything he asked, and it had left me poorer for it. He was something I could draw a line under. Finding out he was cheating on me wasn’t the hardest part, which went a long way to speaking about our relationship. He’d tried to talk to me, even suggested we give things another go if I would only be more amenable to an open relationship.

Fuck that noise.

It was the fact that my husband had put 3B at risk and hurt the relationship I had with my dad. My dad had been the one to explain just how much money had gone missing from his dealership. I hadn’t believed him and went on the defensive immediately. Of course, my husband couldn’t be the one stealing from family. He wouldn’t put my dad’s company in jeopardy. I had to trust him. I had to believe Marc, and in doing so my dad was left out in the cold. I’d refused to talk to Dad for weeks, and in that time my life had been miserable. We were a close family, and I was choosing Marc over them. I’d ended up ashamed that I’d let Marc into my life and let him destroy everything. Dad and I were okay now, but there was an indelible mark left by what I’d done.

Then of course, I found him in bed with our supplier. Our bed. How freaking cliché was that? It was as though he wanted me to know what he was doing, and then I realized how much damage I’d done. With the papers in front of me, I sent a quick text to Mom. I love you both xxx. Her reply was instant. We love you too. Good luck in the competition. xxxx

I needed to check in with my sister. Lacey was my right hand woman at 3B and was also running the small coffee shop attached to our kitchen, so I called her next.

“Hey,” I began but didn’t get another word in as she second guessed every question I had.

“The Settler wedding cakes are done, all three of them. Tony is out delivering, and we had two more orders for your ivory cupcake wedding layout, January and July. I can handle that. Three emails overnight asking for interviews now that you’re back on the show. I declined two, they aren’t going to help our profile, but the third one is a follow up from U.S. Baker magazine. They want to negotiate a ‘day in the life of a star baker’ and follow you around here.”

“I’m not sure that—”

“When they said it was dependent on where you reached in this competition, I suggested that we revisit after Christmas as you are very busy with media availability. So yes, I lied, but they don’t know that and fuck them with their provisos regarding the show.”

“Okay, I—”

“Oven four wasn’t baking evenly, but I called on the oven guys to come straight over. I flirted so hard I got us a twenty-five percent discount, and they fixed the issue. Although one of them played for your team, and