It wasn’t easy getting the color “Tuscany” in icing, but by damn, I did it.
And I wasn’t surprised by Jacob’s declaration. Once he was tasting, he didn’t hesitate to get into it.
They’d given me their ideas, and I’d pulled out all the stops to give them a baking experience the likes they’d never had before, nor would again (until their wedding).
“We can’t have six tiers, honey,” Alexis said to Jacob.
“Actually, you can,” I gently contradicted her. “Say, a smaller three-tiered cake with wings of other flavors. Or however many tiers you want, but I do cupcake towers with other flavors. We can make whatever you want work if you want them all.”
“That’s asking you to do a lot,” Alexis replied.
“I kinda like you both,” I pointed out.
Jacob grunted.
Alexis’s eyes got wet.
“Okay, look at it this way,” I urged so she wouldn’t cry during this joyous occasion. “You say you’re gonna have at least a hundred, maybe a hundred and fifty guests, right?”
Alexis nodded.
Jacob grunted again.
Her movement was happy, expectant.
His noise was not.
This was because they both wanted a smaller affair.
The problem with that was, they were such good people, they had too many friends who loved them, so whittling down the invite list was proving impossible.
Nevertheless, Alexis was overall excited about being married to her man.
And Jacob obviously wanted that too, though he didn’t necessarily want to do it hosting a hundred and fifty people.
I forged ahead. “So that’s a hundred to a hundred and fifty people who all have birthdays, anniversaries. They’re gonna have babies. They’re gonna get married. And they’re gonna want to know who made Alexis and Jacob’s cake. Think of it as you letting me advertise at your wedding.”
“That’s a stretch,” Alexis said.
“But it isn’t untrue,” I returned.
Jacob was studying me with warmth in his gaze that was part yummy cake overload, of course, but mostly, it was that he liked how I was trying to give his woman everything she wanted.
Alexis was mumbling, “I love cupcake towers. And if we have those, people can just grab them and not have to wait for a slice of cake.”
The door opened.
We all looked that way and saw Gabe stride in.
He’d been giving us space for this occasion while he went out to hang with the guys.
“Yo,” Gabe greeted us, did a chin jut Alexis and Jacob’s way, then came to me and gave me a lip brush.
My heart fluttered and settled at him being home (and the lip brush).
He looked down at the cupcakes. “Sorry, thought I gave you enough time.”
“You did,” I said. “We’re doing the base cake in chocolate and peanut butter, the middle tier in Chantilly cream, raspberry and vanilla, and the top cake that’s saved for the first anniversary is chocolate with salted caramel frosting filling. With three cupcake towers of the rest of the flavors. Right?” I asked Jacob and Alexis.
