Free Glazed by Ranae Rose Page B

do,” she said, blinking as she met his eyes.
     
    “You do?”
     
    She nodded, staring down at the table now. “It was me.”
     
    “You took this photo?” He leaned forward to stare at it, as if the battered printout would back her up if it were true.
     
    She nodded again. “I snapped it with my cell phone that night. It was an automatic reaction, I guess. I didn’t know who you were, and I never thought I’d actually meet you.”
     
    He was still gaping at the photo when the obvious next question dawned on him. “Did you make copies, then?”
     
    She shook her head violently, sending locks of dark hair cascading over her shoulders. “No, of course not.” She looked away from him again. “But I did text the picture to my best friend that night.”
     
    His mind was filled suddenly with images of his butt zooming around town via cyberspace, ricocheting off satellites and into the hands of Blue Mills’ female population. “You texted it?”
     
    “I thought it was amusing, at the time,” she said in an apologetic tone. “Until now I had no idea she’d sent it to anyone else. I’m so sorry.”
     
    He straightened, snatching the photo from the tabletop and wadding it back up before he shoved it back into the safety of his pocket. “No, it’s my fault for running around like that.”
     
    The waiter appeared, lowering their meals onto the table. When he left, Kelly shot a glance across her plate of pasta at Derek. “I really am sorry. But at least it’s a flattering picture.”
     
    ****
     
    “So this is where the magic happens,” Kelly said, following Derek through the Blue Mills Donut House’s back door.
     
    He laughed. “I wouldn’t exactly call it magic. I can’t believe you wanted to come with me.”
     
    She shrugged. “I’ve been wanting to see the inside of this place.” Derek had taken her to his condo after their dinner at Sorrento the night before, and she’d spent the night. When he’d risen before dawn to leave for the donut shop, she’d declined his generous offer to stay behind and continue sleeping, as tempting as it had been after such a tiring night. In the past, vague dieting aspirations had caused her to avoid the Blue Mills Donut House and its sweet temptations. This was the first peek she’d ever had at the inside of the store.
     
    “I’m glad you came,” he said, bending to kiss her.
     
    She watched as he donned an apron and busied himself in front of a large industrial mixer, tossing in carefully measured quantities of raw ingredients. “Do you always open by yourself?”
     
    “I usually get here about half an hour before my employees.”
     
    “How many do you have?”
     
    “Just three. Jason – he’s my assistant manager I told you about – is my only full-time employee. The other two put in about twenty-five hours a week.”
     
    The mechanical mixer roared to life as she lost herself in a brief fantasy of hiring employees for her future café. Now that she’d been approved for a business loan, her plans seemed more real than ever. When would Joan call her with news on the offer she’d made on the building? Today? The thought made her stomach flutter and her heart skip a beat. She hoped the seller wouldn’t reject her offer, as paying the asking price would leave her a little short on money for the equipment she’d need. Joan had seemed sure the seller would go lower, eager as they were to sell. Of course, that didn’t stop Kelly from worrying.
     
    “What’s in here?” she asked when the mixer hummed to a halt, eager to find some way to distract herself from wondering endlessly over when her phone would ring with news.
     
    “That’s just the fridge,” he said, casting a cursory glance at the shining steel door. He stepped up beside her and pulled it open, releasing a puff of chilly air. She offered to help him when he stepped inside and began pulling items from their shelves, and he handed her a large carton of cream.
     
    Soon, he