“I think I always knew. Just wasn’t ready to believe it.”
“Okay.What’stheemergency?”
“Here, hold Mazie for me?”
Spencer hands over the smiling bundle of joy that I have oh so missed. “Hey, Mazie girl. What has your daddy all in a panic? Is he going crazy?”
“Hey, we are not daddies yet. Don’t jinx us.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s gonna happen.”
Across the street from Dragonfly, we stand in front of 24hr Photo. Not that they’re ever open twenty four hours.
Spencer pulls out a set of keys. “Ah, where did you get the keys?”
“I know people,” he says, pulling open the door and ushering me in.
“Well, that’s not sketchy at all, is it Mazie?” She gives a little squawk as I pretend to snack on her cheeks.
“Maybe I should have fed you before we came. When we’re done, lunch is on me. Now, can you please stop eating my baby?”
I hand her back over to Spencer. “Fine. Now, why are we here?”
“Umm, because if you’re going to start supplying DragonFly with fresh baked goods, you’re going to need a location for your bakery.”
“What?” I ask, questions clearly written on my face. “But this isn’t for sale. Trust me, I have been watching the listings. Plus, I have yet to agree to baking for DragonFly.” I try to keep the smile in, but it’s no use. I fail spectacularly.
Spencer just winks, and I’m pretty sure Mazie did, too.Maybe sheisa baby spy.
“Well, when the Johnsons retired, their daughter took things over. She’s a photographer and decided she would rather work out of her home so…”
“They’re selling?” I gasp. Oh, my God. I look around. The front lobby is nice, even if it could use a new layer of paint.
I turn and look out the giant front window that looks directly across at… Ink Me.
I don’t… this location… it’s perfect and no, not because it’s across the street from Ink Me, but the view surely helps.
Getting a location on Main Street is difficult. No one sells. If, by some miracle, they do, the location is usually snatched up before it’s even listed.
“Yes, they are. As soon as I heard, I called Abigail down at the realtor’s office and asked for the key.” He smirks, like he’s really proud of himself. I’ll give him credit.
“Come on, let’s check out the back.”
We push through the double doors behind the counter. “There’s still film developing equipment back here, but if you knock down one of these walls, you could have a really good-sized kitchen, which would be ideal for baking.”
He’s right. I look around the space, imagining it like one of Jasper’s blank canvases. One wall could be lined with ovens, as I’ll need a few. Right in the center can be a big workstation. I peek my head through the door in the back of the room to find a small darkroom, which would be a perfect place for a giant walk-in refrigerator.
I start seeing the possibilities.
“Well, Mazie, it looks like your daddy isn’t so crazy after all.”
Thismorningwasatad chaotic. We got interrupted taking advantage of a little morning wood action, and now I’ve suffered with a half chub ever since.
Spencer kept calling until Olly finally answered. He even tried my phone a few times. Lord knows how he knew. He said it was an emergency and Olly had to meet him over on Main Street right away. Olly didn’t seem all that worried, so I’m chalking it up to Spencer being Spencer… dramatic.
Since I don’t work until this afternoon, I took my time getting ready. After spending far too long scrubbing paint off my body, you’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now. Pretty sure I haven’t.
Just as I was getting out of the shower, Marcus called. He refused to tell me anything, instead insisting on me meeting him and Jacob for lunch. He was bringing reinforcements.I wanna barf.
