Free Playing With You by Cheyenne McCray Page B

own a bakery?” Deena’s snippy tone caused Ricki to blink. “I’m sorry.” Deena sighed. “You’re so happy here and working for you would be fun. I’m just frustrated with job hunting, and working with a friend would be great.”
    Ricki didn’t remember telling Deena she’d been a paralegal, but she nodded. “It is nice having a job or career where you enjoy the people you work with.”
    The front door opened, bells jangling with merry abandon as an unfamiliar couple walked through the door.
    “Excuse me.” Ricki smiled at Deena before she moved along the cases to where the man and woman were looking over the pastries. “Welcome to Sweet Things. Are you looking for something in particular?” Ricki asked.
    “We want to see what you have,” the woman said. “It all looks so good.”
    While Ricki’s customers browsed the bakery items, Deena stood with her arms folded across her chest, almost like she was impatient. Ricki was certain that wasn’t the case. Deena was just waiting to see if Ricki had more time to talk.
    More customers came through the door and soon there were enough people in the shop that Ricki knew they’d be busy for a while. She called Lettie up to the front to help. Lettie had been icing cookies in the kitchen for a bridge club. One of the members would be picking them up later in the day.
    When it looked like Ricki wasn’t going to be able to spend time talking with her, Deena sat in a chair at the table where she’d set her purse and proceeded to eat her cookies and drink her tea.
    At times Ricki thought she could feel Deena’s stare, but when she looked at the woman, she seemed to be intent on eating or was looking through the window at the street.
    The lunch rush started and soon all of the tables were filled until there wasn’t enough room for anyone else to sit, and yet Deena stayed. Ricki glanced at her watch. Deena had been there for nearly two hours.
    She must be really lonely, Ricki thought, and felt bad for her friend.
    Eventually everything slowed until Deena was the only one in the shop. She got up and tossed the bag and cup, hitched her purse strap over her shoulder, then went up to the case. “You sure get busy here.”
    Ricki’s feet were already aching from the busy day but she smiled. “I’m truly blessed. I couldn’t ask for a better career.”
    “You’re incredibly good, that’s what you are,” Deena said with enthusiasm. “Those cookies were amazing.”
    “Lettie baked and frosted them.” Ricki gestured to the case. “She makes all of the cookies. She’s fantastic at it.”
    “Oh.” By Deena’s expression it seemed as if she was disappointed to learn that Ricki wasn’t the one who’d made them, but her smile didn’t leave her face. “When do you close up shop?”
    “Five-thirty.” Ricki glanced at her watch again before meeting Deena’s eyes. “I need to get in back while we don’t have any customers. I have a specialty birthday cake to finish icing. I’ll meet you at Nectars, after I run home to take care of a few things.”
    Deena nodded and looked reluctant to leave, but she adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “Would you mind picking me up?”
    “Not at all,” Ricki said. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
    “See you then,” Deena said before turning to walk out the front door. The bells jingled as she opened then closed it behind her.
    Ricki watched Deena for a moment. Her friend was clearly lonely. Ricki understood making a fresh start in a new town and how stressful it could be.
    The thought of stress made Ricki wonder if she’d remembered to take her pill that morning. She thought she had.
    She thought about how important her friend, Greta, had been when Ricki was feeling isolated in a new town before the bakery was quite up and running. For a while she’d been depressed, wondering if she’d made the right decision in moving and buying the bakery.
    Maybe she’d be able to introduce Deena to more people around