Eventually, when she had more employees, that might be an option.And if things kept going the way they were, she might be able to look for more employees sooner rather than later, which would be wonderful.She was just hesitant to rely on the viral videos to keep foot traffic coming in.It would help if they went for a little bit without another viral video, and she could see what regular foot traffic and income looked like.
She and Alexis got to work, heating the ovens and getting started on the various doughs.Ashley came in a couple hours later to prep the front and open things up.Though she put on her usual smile, Audrey could tell she was worried.The FBI thing must have thrown her as much as it had the Black Fox team.
“Hey A-Team,” Ashley said, hanging up her coat and grabbing an apron.“All quiet on the bakery front?”
“Thankfully, yes.”Audrey had checked the doors and the cameras.Nothing of note was going on.
It was a busy but uneventful day, to her relief.Plenty of customers and quite a few of Black Fox’s team stopped in throughout the day to check on her.None of them was Mason, to her disappointment, but she still felt protected.Not just the team, either.
Almost as soon as they opened, Jennifer came in to get a muffin and an order for the office.Cassidy joined David for a quick trip after lunch, and they did not bring Grandma with them.Apparently, she was having lunch with Mick, and it was ‘running late’.The way David said the words, he feared what they meant but also didn’t want to think about it too hard.Naomi and Yasmine came in mid-afternoon to pick up an order to bring to a special finances class Yasmine was doing for Naomi’s shelter.
She felt incredibly supported, which she appreciated.She didn’t think it all had to do with Mason, either.
Yasmine definitely hadn’t stopped by for Mason’s sake.
Some guilt still lingered when it came to Yasmine, but Audrey was trying not to let it affect things.If Yasmine could be friends with Audrey, then surely, she could get past her own guilt to be friends with Yasmine.
By the afternoon, she was feeling pretty good overall.Still a little sore from the night before, but in a good way.Still wishing her parents could be different but happy she had family and a support system here.Still not sure how things would be with her bakery in a few months but feeling like she was on the road to success.
It was good.
Which was why she was humming under her breath when she stepped out of the back of the bakery with the giant trash bag.Even taking out the trash felt like a good task.Because it washertrash fromherbakery.
And maybe she wasn’t really paying attention because she was feeling so happy about Mason, and her new friends, and her bakery, which was why she didn’t see the man standing on the other side of the dumpster until she was practically right beside him.
Freezing in place, she stared at him, so shocked that she didn’t notice the gun until it was pointing at her face.
“Don’t scream,” he growled.
Mason
“Hey, Zeus, can I talk to you?”Mason asked, ambling up to the other man in the hallway where he was standing just outside of Lincoln’s office, looking over some folders he was holding.He had just finished a meeting with Lincoln, Mason knew, which was why he’d chosen to come talk to him now where he could catch him.
Since he hadn’t been able to on the fly, more casually, he’d decided to seek the other man out for a more official invitation to a discussion.
The bald man looked up, his gaze stoic and unbothered as always.He closed the folder.
“Sure.”
“My office?”Mason gestured, and Zeus shrugged, falling into step beside him.
He was not a man who was uncomfortable with silence.A lot of the time, just not saying anything could push someone to talk, but not Zeus.He was nonchalant for the entire walk, all the way until he was seated in the chair across from Mason’s, giving the office a quick once-over before focusing on Mason and waiting.
Got it.If Mason wanted to talk, he was going to have to kick it off.
Leaning forward on his elbows, Mason cleared his throat.
“I wanted to check in with how you think you’re adjusting to your new position,” he said.“I know it’s been a bit of a rough start.”
Zeus shrugged.
“It’s been fine.”
Mason raised his eyebrows, but Zeus didn’t expound upon that.
“You think it’s been fine even though Drew revealed that Noelle was cheating on you in a meeting?And it’s been clear there have been some trust issues with the team.”
“I’m glad I found out.”Zeus shrugged again.“And I knew there might be issues.I’ll do my job, regardless.”
