“Nooo! Don’t destroy myhardwork,” Hamilton wailed.
Mathlin cringed. But he straightened up and began to read the contract for real.
To Hamilton’s credit, the terms were easy to understand—simple and straight to the point. Titan would pay Mathlin a respectable wage, and provide food and board for the entire time he was employed.
Mathlin grabbed a pen and signed it.
“You’re happy with the terms?” Titan asked hopefully.
Mathlin nodded. “I think I’ll enjoy working here.”
A bright smile lit up Titan’s face. “I’m glad. Welcome to Twin Buns, Math.”
“Thanks.” Mathlin smiled back and looked around. “I guess we’re now truly inside a Twin Buns.”
Titan froze. And groaned. “Hamilton, please take this down before a customer shows up. I’ve tried to spread the news that Twin Buns is temporarily closed, but there might be some people who haven’t received the memo. Please don’t let them walk into my bakery while it looks like the inside of an ass.”
“I’ll look for a victim right now,” Hamilton said gleefully. “We’ll see how long it takes for them to make the connection. Maybe I should add some white silly string to the curtains.”
Titan cringed. “Ham.”
“Tit,” Hamilton answered.
“Don’t wreck my reputation!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make your reputation rock-hard,” Hamilton said. “It’ll fit into the pink insides of Twin Buns.”
Titan looked pained. To save him from it, Mathlin asked a question.
“Why did you call your bakery Twin Buns? Do you sell butt-shaped buns?”
“I haven’t baked anything questionable, actually,” Titan said slowly. “I just thought it would be a hilarious name. Memorable. Fun. After my previous job, I just wanted to do something I didn’t have to think too hard about. But the joke’s on me—running your own business is the opposite of relaxing.”
“What was your previous job—”
Mathlin was interrupted by the door chime jangling. Titan’s head snapped toward the noise; his forehead furrowed.
“Hello?” a stranger called.
“Fuck,” Titan muttered. Then he looked down at Jannie, who hadfallen asleep on his chest.“Math, could you hold Jannie for a bit? I have to deal with this.”
“Of course.” Mathlin scrambled over to the couch, gently scooping his daughter into his arms. Jannie scrunched her face and made an unhappy sound, but stayed asleep.
Titan gingerly got to his feet and strode through the bakery; Mathlin followed cautiously behind.
A wizened old man stood in the retail area, glancing around in dismay. “Titan, boy. I thought Everdin was making things up, but it’s true. You fought the slime monster and it broke your arm in three places. Did you really knock up four omegas?”
Mathlin gaped. “What?”
Next to him, Titan sighed. “No. Mr. Abercrombie. Mrs. Everdin must’ve heard wrongly. I got into a car accident while saving—Mathlin last night. No one was knocked up. Mathlin is helping me with everything while I recover, though.”
Abercrombie’s eyes drifted over to Mathlin, then Jannie. “Ah yes, she mentioned the red-headed stepchild.”
“Jannie isn’t a stepchild!” Mathlin cried. “She’s mine!”
“And mine,” Titan said, leaning into Mathlin. He was a warm, solid line against Mathlin’s side. “Sorry, Math. I would hug you, but I can’t right now.”
Whether that hug would be for show or comfort, Mathlin didn’t know. But it sounded really good.
