“Shiloh, I…” He trailed off.
“You don’t need to say anything,” I whispered.
We went back inside, and as the door closed behind us, I felt as though something significant had shifted.
* * *
Teddy was tryingto kill me. There was no other explanation for the invitations to share dinner every evening with drawn out make-out sessions that left both of us with a raging case of blue balls as dessert. Over the past week, we’d fallen into a routine that was driving me insane.
I dropped a mixing bowl onto the counter harder than intended, bringing Lacey rushing into the kitchen. Upon seeing that there hadn’t been some sort of catastrophe, she scowled at me. “What gives?”
“What now?” I asked. Playing dumb was something I was getting good at.
“You should be floating through the kitchen on a cloud of meringue at this point.” She flitted around the kitchen dramatically. “A man who’s getting laid most definitely shouldn’t be slamming shit around.”
“Well, when you see a man who’s getting laid, let me know how he acts.” I felt my cheeks flush at the admission. Besides, it wasn’t only the lack of sex that had me in a foul mood today. Maybe it was part of small-town life I simply needed to get used to but hearing people casually discussing my relationship as if I wasn’t there sucked.
Mayor Thompson and some of his friends were here for their weekly Bible study. Honestly, I wasn’t sure why they patronize my business given their thoughts and feelings about “people like me.”
Today, Teddy had been the topic of their bullshit as Lacey grabbed their pastries. She knew enough to have me on the coffee stations so I couldn’t let my filter slip and tell them exactly what I thought. That was truly for the best today because they had plenty to say about him spending time with someone so much younger than him, as if I wasn’t in the same room.
“You’ve spent every night at his or him visiting you. How can you tell me you guys haven’t done anything?” It almost seemed as if she didn’t believe me.
“Because not everything is about sex?”
“Yeah, okay. The sexual tension when he comes in on his lunch break is enough to get me all hot and bothered. Just because there’s more to life than sex doesn’t mean you have to be a monk. Embrace all the shades between black and white,” she teased. Here eyes widened and she audibly gasped. “You’re not...”
“Don’t even say it, Lacey,” I warned her. “Just because I haven’t had sex with Teddy yet doesn’t mean I’ve never had sex.”
As sexually frustrated as I was, therewassomething to be said about getting to know one another better rather than rushed orgasms with someone who would never be anything more than a hook-up. Not that there had been many of those, but this felt different.
“Just get it over with already,” she groaned as she packed the last of her boxed lunches. “At least then you’ll know if the two of you are even compatible in bed. It’d be a damned shame to do this whole getting to know you thing only to find out the sex sucks.”
There was almost no chance of that happening. And sex with Teddy most definitely wasn’t something I’d do just to check it off some imaginary to-do list.
“I’ll see what I can do to make that happen,” I quipped to get her off my back. “But you’re not getting any details when it does.”
“You’re no fun.”
“That’s me, Captain Buzzkill.” I followed her to the front, sliding the second tote of lunches into the fridge behind the counter.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the mayor and his minions stood to leave. They’d be out of here before the lunch rush started, and I could take out the rest of my frustration on the dough I’d knead and form before putting in the cooler overnight.
“Shiloh, it’s a nice place you have here,” Mayor Thompson said as he tossed his garbage into the can. “I’m sure you’ll keep in mind that we have restrictions on what you’re allowed to use for decorations as we move into the warmer months.”
I couldn’t be certain, but his words sure sounded like a threat. But it would do no good to work from assumptions, so I let it go.
“Thank you, Mayor. I’ll definitely refer to the guidelines the same as I did last spring and summer,” I responded, making clear to him that I knew damned well what was and wasn’t allowed. Before he could say anything else, I turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
I might have had the last word but the bad taste lingered in my mouth long after he was gone.
11
TEDDY
As I walked upto the bakery, my stomach fluttered with a mix of excitement and nerves. Today had been a long day, but knowing I’d see Shiloh at the end made it all worth it. Storms had cut my work short for the day, and after puttering in the workshop trying to take my mind off Shiloh, I decided there was no point in playing it cool and gave into the urge to visit him at work. I was glad the remodel was done but I hadn’t realized just how much I’d come to enjoy seeing him throughout the day.
The warm glow from the windows beckoned as I approached, and I couldn’t help but smile as I entered. The sweet scent of vanilla and yeast enveloped me like a warm embrace, instantly putting me at ease.
