After I got off the phone with Eric, and filling in all the lunch orders for the time being. I was prepping for the night rush, I still had Jess's number in my back pocket of my jeans.
To be honest, I was too nervous to call her for fearing I'd fuck it up, but I know I would have to do it sooner or later. So after I put the doughnuts in the oven, I grab my cell phone out of my right pants pocket and dialed the number.
It rang 3 times before, a polite voice answered the phone,
"Good Afternoon, Leisure design company. This is Janice, May I help you."
Must be the receptionist or an assistant for her, so I told her,
"Umm.... Hello, could you connect me to Jessica Sandford's office, please and thank you."
I heard silence for a short bit, then heard the receptionist say,
"Yes sir, one moment, I'll have to transfer you. May I ask who is calling for Miss. Standford?"
"Ummm... Yeah, Just tell her it's Andrew Langley. Thank you."
I hear the familiar click of being transferred to another phone, and then I hear ringing. On the third ring I heard Jessica's voice come through,
"Hello, this is Jessica Standford. May I help you?"
I took a deep breath and said into the phone,
"Hey Jess, it's Andy. I'm sorry to bother you if your busy, I was just calling to let you know where to meet me for coffee on Friday. That is if you still want to meet."
I heard her time switch from business to a excited time and she said to me,
"Hey Andy, you caught me at a good time.
I had just got back from lunch, and I would still love to grab coffee with you.
And I'd also like to know what you have been doing for the last 12 years."
It made me happy, that she was excited to see me. I couldn't wait to tell her that we would be meeting Eric as well but it would be a surprise for him, so I said to her,
"Hey you don't mind seeing Eric again, cause this is something we do on the weekend's.
We get together hang out at my bakery when it's closed and we then just hang around the city park.
I know Eric would love to see you, he missed you after we broke up."
I kind of face palmed myself in my head for bringing up our break up, but I was being honest after Jess and I broke up. Eric really missed hanging with Jess, I mean he was still there for me through my time of need.
But I knew that he really liked her, I mean I had maybe one or two girlfriends before hand, but they never got along with Eric. Even when he was being friendly with them, they just never got along.
Jessica was the only one who not only got along with him but, understood him like I did. I hear Jessica tell me,
"Oh my God, I can't wait to see him. How has he been by the way? I haven't seen him since graduation. That would be a nice surprise to see him again."
I told her about how he became an architect, after he graduated college in New York and is a very popular in the building world. I also told her that his is still wears a gothic style, but only on the weekend's when we meet.
She laughs and then asks me some questions about me, like an I married or do I have kids.
I told her no and that I was still single, and that with my career at the time as a pastry chef, I just didn't have the time to date. There just wasn't time for dating, so I've just been focusing on work for the time being.
I feel her be sympathetic toward me, telling me the same that, with her fashion designer job and her traveling all over the country.
She doesn't really have time to date or anything, I mean she gets together with her friend Clara for drinks and maybe the occasional blind date, that she would take her on but no one she is dating.
I sorta felt bad for her, for someone as beautiful as her I expected her to find a nice guy to settle down with or at least dating some movie star or something.
We talk for an hour about our families, I told her about my mother passing away of cancer, while I was in college and my father living in Florida near my brother Robert and his wife.
While she told me about her mother passing away of natural causes and her father living in Oregon, traveling across the US in a RV. I though that was cool, when the oven beeps to let me know the doughnuts are ready. I tell her I have to get ready for the night rush, and that I'll see her this weekend.
We sat goodbye and hang up the phone, I get the doughnuts and pastries out of the oven. I glaze and decorate my sweet treats and put them on trays, so I can put them in the display case.
I then make fresh coffee and clean the café area of my bakery, once everything is clean and ready to go, I head back across the counter and get ready for the flood of people.
Who come to buy their late night treats and coffee, I make a decent profit tonight as I had 5 call in orders for two birthday cakes that were to be picked up tomorrow morning, one order for a dozen cupcakes for a funeral, and two different wedding cake orders that were to be picked up tomorrow afternoon.
After serving the late night crowd, I started making the wedding cake orders. The theme for the first wedding cake was a three tier space themed cake, and a five tier blue flower wedding cake.
After I spent the rest of my closing time, putting the finishing touches on the cakes. I clean the kitchen and place up, and once I counted my till, I do a once around to make sure everything is clean and the place was empty before locking up.
I cut off the lights and lock the front entrance of my bakery, and leave out the backdoor and lock up that door as well. I make my way to my Harley Davidson motorcycle, get on it and make the 40 minuet ride to my Brooklyn apartment, as I park my bike in front of my complex.
I walk into the front area to grab my mail, which consisted of bills for the bakery, a post card from my dad, and my investment information for my bakery. I head up to the third floor and walk to the end of the hall to the last door on the right, I put my key in and unlock my door.
I'm greeted by my white and black calico cat Grimm, I adopted him a couple years ago. He was a stray I would always see outside of the building begging for food, so last year, during one cold winter.
I brought him in to keep him warm and he has just stayed with me ever since, I scratch behind his left ear and go to feed him some kibble in his round metal bowl, and get me something to eat. I open the fridge and take out ingredients for a light chicken pasta dish.
After my food was made, Grimm and I had dinner, then I sat in my chair with him on my lap and watched some late night crime Tv before bed. Once I had my fill of Tv, I gently woke Grimm up so I could get ready for bed.
I take a quick shower, and change into so plaid sleep pants. While Grimm waits patently for me to come to bed, so he can curl up and go back to sleep. I crawl under the covers while my cat curls up against my side, and with my day finally ending.
My thoughts are of seeing Jessica, and the hopes that she and I can maybe find the love we lost all those years ago.