Free Knead: Contemporary Romance (Creamy's Bakery Book 1) by Aspen Drake

here.”
    “I know. That’s why I come bearing gifts.” I hand him the box.
    Gordon lifts the corner of the lid and takes a whiff. “All is forgiven. You guys want a table?”
    “If you can spare one.” I take a look around the crowded room.
    “Of course, of course.” He ushers us to an empty table with a reserved card on top. “It was waiting for you, my friend.”
    “Thanks, Gordon.”
    “Wow!” Aaron whispers as soon as Gordon is out of earshot. “You must be really important.”
    I laugh out loud. “No, his wife just has a sweet tooth.”
    “So what's good here?” Aaron opens the menu and starts going through it.
    “Pastrami,” the server and I say at the same time.
    He’s standing beside us with a notepad in his hand. “We have the best Reuben in the state.”
    “I second that.” I nod and flip the menu closed. “I'll take a Reuben.”
    “That sounds good. I'll have that too,” Aaron says.
    “And bring me a glass of Lucifer, please.”
    “Sure thing.” The man turns to Aaron and bites his lip.
“What about you, boss?”
    Aaron’s eyes go wide and his ears turn pink at the tips. “Just a Coke, please.”
    “Coke it is.” The man winks and walks away with Aaron's eyes glued to his ass.
    “Looks like the happy times are already starting.” I hold back a laugh at Aaron’s embarrassment.
    He quickly averts his gaze but not before a half smile adorns his face. “What? He has to wink like that. It’s his job.”
    “He didn't wink at me.” I give Aaron a pointed look.
    “Whatever.” The grin covering his face is no longer in disguise. “So what about you? You're supposed to be looking for your happy too. See anything interesting in here?”
    I resist rolling my eyes as I glance around the room. There are plenty of beautiful women, there’s never a shortage of them in this town, but I find myself comparing them to Beth. It’s not so much that she's more beautiful or taller or thinner or more refined than anyone in here. But these women seem to be missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but none of them stand out to me as someone I want to get to know. No one here compares to Beth.
    “Not in here.” The server flirts more openly with Aaron when he delivers our drinks and food. We make small talk while we eat and after my second beer, I make a decision.
    Even though she basically shut me down yesterday, I want Beth to know I'm thinking about her. I pull out my phone and thumb out a quick text.
    Happy  Friday.  Hope you're having a good one.
    -Mason
    I would like to think she saved my contact information in her phone, but I don't want to risk getting the “who is this?” text back if she didn't. Saving myself the risk of humiliation, I signed my name.
    Just like my grandma does.
    Almost a minute goes by before I get a response that makes my stomach drop.
    I can't talk. Please don't reply back. He'll be pissed if he sees this.
    What the fuck?
    Did I just get her in trouble?
    “What's wrong?” Aaron asks.
    I shake my head as I stare at my phone. “I don't know. I sent a text to say hi to a friend, and I think she's mad at me.”

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Fourteen
    Beth
     
    I don't know if JR fell asleep in there, but I'm washing dishes when I hear my phone beep. I pull it from my purse and see a text from Mason.
    Shit .
    My head shoots up to see if JR is standing there watching me. Thankfully, he's not, but if he finds out who Mason is or that he's interested in me, who knows what he'll do to either of us.
    I just get the messages deleted when JR's hand lands on my shoulder. “What are you doing, baby?”
    I jump almost out of my skin and my heart is pounding. “Just checking my phone. Nothing important.”
    “Anything interesting?” he says.
    Looking down, I see the top message is from Amy asking if I am coming down this weekend. I haven't responded to her yet because I don't know what will happen after  tonight,  but I wave the phone in JR's general direction.