I laughed."This is just a space where I can fulfill some orders.I'm not officially open for business."
Mrs.Sweeney looked around."Well, why not?Won't the mayor let you sell from here?"
I frowned."I hadn't thought about selling like I do at my store."
"There's a lot of people who miss the bakery and you.You should set up a table out there and sell some things."
"I don't know.I'd have to talk to Eve about that."I'd sold items from a table before and used a payment service on my phone, so that part would be easy.
"You don't need anything fancy," Mrs.Sweeney said.
"Do you think that people would come here to buy pastries?I don't really have a space for them to sit and socialize."
"You haven't lost any customers, just your shop."
"That's a really good idea, Mrs.Sweeney.I don't have anything for you today but if you come back tomorrow, I'll have a few things ready."
"That's wonderful.I'm so glad you're back."She slipped out again, and I was excited about the idea of selling.
Could I set up a table outside the kitchen and offer a few items?Could I call Jill and see if she'd be willing to work?I'd have limited hours and need to fulfill the online orders.I could do it.As long as it was okay with Eve.
I turned on music and sang along to the lyrics while I baked cupcakes.Things were looking up, and it had nothing to do with the man I roomed with.He'd all but disappeared.But I was focused on making the best of a bad situation.
So far, I'd found a kitchen and possibly a place to sell my products both online and in person.Maybe this disruption wasn't going to be the end of my business after all.Not only would I come back stronger than ever, I'd prove to myself that I was resilient.I could handle whatever came my way.
If word got around that I was here, it could be a bakery of sorts.At least a take-out option for people.This was better than I imagined.
I'd imagined that I was building a little empire, something that could support me and any family I chose to create.That maybe I'd have something to give one of my children one day or at least a business they could sell when I wanted to retire.I’d created something special here, and nothing would stop me.
Chapter8
Morgan
I'd managed to work late every night this week and avoid my new roommate.But I couldn't stop thinking about her.
I didn't come home to the smell of baked goods or even a cooked dinner.In fact, the kitchen looked unused.I saw the occasional coffee mug or remnants of eggs in a pot.I thought she'd bake in the kitchen when she wasn't at the town hall, but she wasn't.
Maybe I hadn't made her feel welcome.That was a hard thing to do when I never saw her.I wanted to get these jobs done, and I wanted to avoid the temptation that Reina represented.But at the same time, was I fulfilling the promise I made to Tom if I ignored her?
If Tom knew how much I wanted his sister, he'd tell me to move out and let her have the house.This was for the best.
I was flipping through mail on Friday night when a door upstairs opened, and I heard footsteps on the steps.It was too late to hide, and I couldn't escape to my room without running into her.I was caught.
She came into the kitchen in a short black dress, with heavier makeup on her face than I'd seen her wear before and her hair in a sleek ponytail.But my gaze snagged to her red lips.I wondered how those would look wrapped around my dick.
"Morgan?"
I forced myself to meet her gaze."Hey."
She smiled, and my gaze lingered on her lips.
"I'm going out.Sorry we keep missing each other."
It was intentional and it was entirely my fault, but I wasn't going to tell her that."I've been working late.What have you been up to?"
Her entire face lit up."I've been baking in the new kitchen, and one of my regulars, Mrs.Sweeney, came to visit.She told me I should sell right out of town hall, so I started making some items every morning for my usual crowd, and I put a sign outside on the sidewalk."
"Eve doesn't mind?"I'd missed a lot.Reina didn't need my help; she was thriving on her own.Soon, she'd tell me that she found a new place to live, and she'd be gone.Panic set in.What if I never got another chance to be this close to her?
