It took me one hour to get out of the door and about thirty-five minutes to get into the city to my main bakery. My second location stood on its own but it had less kitchen space and was an extension of this one. This location was the first and my mainbaby, as I had learned every hard lesson in it. I had cried in this kitchen countless times and even rejoiced. This kitchen was where I found the most solace and also where I found my mind after everything with Nathanial.
When I walked into my space, I set my purse and jacket in the office before telling Duke he could post up or take a seat in the main dining hall. I offered him a few pastries, which he eagerly accepted, and got to work. I needed to see what I had and what I needed. I also wanted to try out this red velvet brownie cake. The catch would be the icing and how I thickened it. I had a craving for it. It was slightly off-putting because I never craved sweets. I baked so much that I never really ate what I baked, but today I planned to do this red velvet brownie dirty if it came out the way my mind plotted the recipe.Hopefully it did.
I was deep into pulling out what I needed when my phone started ringing. I moved from the refrigerator to the counter where it was sitting and answered immediately. It was Siyah, which was to be expected seeing as how we had been texting off and on this morning. I knew she would call at some point.
“Yessss,” I answered, then went into my pocket and pulled out my AirPod case. Once I had my headphones on, I moved to the doorway to see if Lori needed any help in the front. She didn’t. Apparently she was keeping Duke’s big ass attention.
“Since when did you start getting high on your own supply?”
I was caught off guard by her question. “What?”
“You just texted me that you were making red velvet brownies because you were craving them. Since when do you eat sweets like that?”
I paused. “Um, I don’t. Must be about to get my period or something because I—” I couldn’t even finish my statement, immediately nauseous and running to the bathroom in my office. I got there just in time because my face hovered overthe toilet and the breakfast Khia had prepared before I left this morning was in the toilet within seconds.
When I finished involuntarily throwing up my guts, I sat back on the floor, closing my eyes. My body was immediately exhausted, like I had run a mile or something.
“Selah. Did you hear me? Are you alright?” My eyes popped open when I heard Siyah’s voice. Everything happened so fast I’d forgotten I was on the phone with her.
“Yeah. I just threw up my breakfast.” I was on my feet in seconds, standing at the sink. I examined myself in the mirror while I washed my hands.
“Uh, bitch.” She paused, breathing into the phone. “You got something you wanna tell me?”
Stumped, I wiped my face with a cool towelette. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you being pregnant. That’s what, hoe.”
I laughed hard as hell. “Girl, no. There is absolutely no way I’m preg—” Then it hit me. Indiri and I hadn’t used condoms since probably the second time we had sex, and even then, I didn’t know for sure. Indiri and I were reckless, really reckless, and neither of us had thought about children.
“Yep, your silence is loud. I’ll be that way with a test in a few. Calm down and don’t start that overthinking shit, Selah.”
My eyes bulged. How was she telling me not to overthink? How could I not overthink? The last thing I needed right now was a baby. My life was in the middle of the damn spin cycle, and for the life of me I didn’t know if I could survive the damn rinse.
“I mean it, Selah. Go finish baking those damn brownies. I think I want one. I’ll be there soon.” With that she hung up and I was left standing in the mirror glaring at my stomach. For the most part it was flat besides the fact that I tasted my food and had been eating well with Indiri, even though he ate like a hamster.
After I got off the phone with Siyah, I tried my hardest to focus on anything other than possibly being pregnant. I was about to start icing the brownies when Lori let me know she was going on break. That meant she needed me to cover the front until Joley came in.
I carried the pan of red velvet brownies to the front then grabbed the bowl of icing. At least while I was up front I’d somehow fill this craving of mine.
“I’m about to hit the head. Dairy didn’t sit well with my stomach today.” Duke was on his feet, moving toward the back. “You think you can lock the door until I get back?”
I looked him up and down. “Um, no. I’ll be fine until you get back.”
He gave me a once over before nodding and continuing toward the bathroom.
Duke was gone for all of thirty seconds before I heard the door open. “Welcome in,” I greeted with a delayed look up.
When I looked up, I immediately wished I had locked the damn door. My eyes rolled as I stood up straight.
“I cannot believe you hate me that much.” Nathanial stood a few feet from the cake counter.
“Funny, but I don’t hate you at all. To hate you would mean I think about you. I don’t. Why are you here?”
“I missed you, Selah. Even though to spite me you been moving foul with that nigga.”
“Nothing I’ve done is to spite you. I’ve moved on and you should too.”
“You haven’t moved on that fucking fast. Ain’t no way. I fucked up and this shit with him and you is just you tryna get back at me. Admit it.”
