Once Henry left, I sat in front of the computer screen and let out a giant exhale, my entire body nearly collapsing inon itself as I hunched my shoulders and took on a shrimp pose. Henry was the new owner of Hearthstone. It was a bakery that had been on the market for a while. It wasn’t open yet, but I could already see myself going in there every single day just to ordersomethingand see him.
Wendy, the manager of the community center, knocked on the glass. “Hey, doll,” she said. “I’m going to need to jump on there if you’ve finished.”
Pushing myself out of the crusty crouched positioned I’d gotten myself into, I saved the document. “Yeah, yeah, just waiting on a couple more confirmations, but I’ll get the rest of that filled in and chased up tomorrow.”
“I saw the cupcakes in the kitchen,” she said, letting out a moan with a hand to her chest. “Divine. In a word, divine. Was that the new baker I just saw leaving as well? You know, if I were ten years younger, and single, I’d be chasing after him.”
“He’s a real treat,” I said. “I’m gonna head off, unless you need me to stick around?”
“Oh no, you head off. I’ll see you later.”
I needed to work some of the energy off, but before that, I went to the restroom and looked at myself in the mirror. The single streak of color in the front of my hair was purple. It was only temporary coloring that rinsed out within three washes, so I got to change it out most weeks. Splashing a little water onto my face, it was like a slap, refreshing me and forcing my mind to think.
Specifically, I thought about Henry being nice because he was new, and I was connected in this town. Of course he wanted to talk; he probably had so many questions.
Collecting my backpack from the small cubby room for staff, I checked the return dates on the picture books from the library. My bag was also filled with my collectable teddies. Theywere my comfort items, and I needed easy access at all times, especiallynow,with the high stress of event organizing.
I rode my bicycle to the library a couple of streets away. I was a part-time assistant there, and although my shift wasn’t until tomorrow, I was there almost every day for personal reasons. Today, I needed a new picture book for my evening bedtime story and tea party, both of which I currently hosted for myself... alone.
One day I’d have a Daddy to read to me and host tea parties for me—maybe someone who could make tiny sandwiches and cakes. Andmaybethat someone was already in town, but I couldn’t get carried away with my growing crush.
2. HENRY
Maybe I was coming on too strong, or too soft. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. I thought we’d clicked the first time we met, but he was being avoidant. I couldn’t blame him, though. I was new to town, he didn’t know me, and that’s exactly why I wanted to spend some time together, so we could get to know each other.
So far, I knew Leo worked two jobs, he had no known allergies, he loved a slogan T-shirt, and he had a teddy bear keyring on his keys—or maybe it was on the loop of his jeans. I was usually super observant, but something about him made my hands get clammy and my brain just spew out the wildest things.
The bakery consumed most of my time, getting it ready for the big opening in two weeks, right before the festival. But Leo consumed my thoughts—his smile, his work ethic, and of course, his love for all things sweet.
He didn’t call or text that day, or night. It wasn’t until I was covered in paint that my phone decided to buzz with a text from him. In a mask and goggles, my phone wouldn’t unlock, and my fingers were covered in white gloss, so I couldn’t grab it either.
There was no winning in the moment—either get paint on my phone, or don’t answer and let Leo think I was ignoring him. Although, what was he really going to think in the five minutes it would take me to clean off the paint and get to my phone to call him back.
Not much, actually, because in the next moment, there was a knock at the door. There were old newspapers up against the glass, but as I approached the front door, I could see through a slit in the papers to Leo outside.
“I’m covered in paint,” I said from behind the door.
“Oh, well, I was just wanting to take you up on your offer,” he said. “About helping you figure out the taste of Pineberry, and also something that’s true to you.”
“Give me a minute, I just need to clean my hands off.” I should really have been wearing gloves, but in the heat, I’d taken them off after five minutes because the insides were covered in sweat.
Once I’d got some of the paint off, or dried it down to my skin, I went to the door where Leo was still waiting patiently. I’d seen myself in the bathroom mirror—not really fit for public consumption in my tank top and sweatpants combo—buthewas here, and I wasn’t going to send him away.
Leo stood in the doorway with a huge grin. “I did not expect you to be all...you know, messy.” His eyes traveled up and down, lingering from my arms where the paint had dried to my hair. “I can help if you want. I’ve painted a lot of the walls in the community center.”
I shook my head. “I couldn’t have you doing this, it’s messy work,” I said.
“Then why open the door at all?”
“Okay, well, maybe I do need a little help, but you can’t really get paint on those clothes,” I said, seeing the nice denim jean shorts and T-shirt he wore, again, with the small teddy hanging from the loop in his jeans.
He swung his backpack off his shoulder. “I was actually going to head out on a run, so I have a change of clothes I don’t mind getting dirty.”
I never truly believed in fate, but everything since the moment I arrived in Pineberry Falls felt like the hand of fate had been working in my favor. “Then I won’t stop you,” I told him. “If you wanna change in the restroom. I’ll get you a pair of goggles and a mask. You don’t want to be inhaling all these fumes.”
“It’s really warm in here. Do you have something in the oven?”
A laugh escaped me. “Oh no, I’m still waiting on the air conditioner to be delivered. But I’ve opened some windows in the back in hopes it’ll cool the place.”
