Free THE GIFT by Brittany Hope Page B

It was,” she said, pulling a small handful of flour from the container before her and bringing it above his head to dust it into his own hair. “Now, we’re even.”
    “No, I don’t think so,” he replied. A chase ensued as each of them picked up random ingredients and tossed them at one another. They bolted and dodged back and forth in an effort to escape whatever gooey mess the other had in mind to coat them with, finally upsetting a bowl of strawberry syrup on the side of the table. In a freak stroke of bad luck, Jagger slipped in it and felt flat on his back with a thud.
    “Oh, God! Are you okay, Jagger?” Amanda said, suddenly containing her laughter and replacing it with concern that he had hurt himself. She knelt on the floor to check on him as he lay there regaining his faculties. Before she realized it, he grabbed her and pulled her down into the sticky mess with him.
    “You’re going to have to clean this mess up, Igor!” she said playfully, slapping a handful of blackberries onto his formerly crisp white cotton shirt.
    “This was a $600 shirt,” he said without a hint of emotion.
    “ Was being the operative word. I’m sure your cleaner can get out ground-in blackberry stains,” she said, sending them both into a fit of laughter. They lay there laughing for a moment before he reached over and kissed her softly on the lips and then stood, extending his hand to pull her up from the floor.
    “Boss, I think we’re going to be here much later than we thought,” he told her with a smile.
    “Looks like it. Just so you know, you are officially out of the running for employee of the month,” she told him, watching the dust fly as she shook flour from her hair. They washed up the best as they could in the guest bathrooms and then returned to the kitchen to finish up their work and clean their messes. It was almost midnight by the time he walked her home and kissed her goodnight on the doorstep.
    “I’ll see you in the morning, Amanda. I’ll try to dress a bit more casually for the food fight next time,” he said, as she eyed the huge purple stain on the front of his shirt.
    “Please do,” she responded with a laugh before turning to go into her apartment. Inside, she ran a bubble bath and washed off the sticky, gooey mess on her skin and in her hair. All the while, she smiled into the quiet of the bathroom, still thinking about the kiss they had shared.

Chapter Eight
     
     
    The next few days were incredible. If she had thought just having Jagger in the shop, sitting in his little corner with his drink had been thrilling, it was nothing compared to how it felt to have him working by her side. She imagined that this must be how her mother had felt for years coming to work with her father and she realized that she had no reason not to ask them to fill in from time to time. Each morning, Jagger showed up in a simple t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. It was amazing how much younger he looked when not all cinched up in a business suit.
    Their love for doing this was exactly what had made it so popular all these years. She may have installed Wi-Fi, put up flat screen TVs along one side and refurnished part of it with comfy couches and chairs, but they had created an ambiance that she would be hard pressed to duplicate. The next best thing was to bring them in sometimes until maybe one day she found such a love for herself.
    Amanda hired a guy from her culinary class named Josh. He was handsome, charming and needed a little extra cash. He would be a great asset for bringing in some of the younger girls around the area. Plus, he would be a great addition for helping her with the pastries and perhaps conjuring up some new ideas. He agreed to start on Monday, so she was grateful to have that off of her plate prior to her big date with Jagger.
    Amanda was a bundle of nerves by the time Saturday arrived. She had tried on and rejected at least a dozen outfits the night before, finally settling on a simple floral