June watched Molly enter the bakery once again. She felt like such a coward for getting Molly to deliver her apology instead of doing it herself. Seeing Trey for the first time since graduation had ruined the cool control she kept as a front.
"Well?" she asked, wringing her hands together.
"He thanked you and didn't see the need for you to apologize."
"Oh, okay, that's good." Leaving Molly to handle the front of the shop, June went and finished the afternoon baking. Several businesses in the surrounding area had started phoning up asking for bulk orders to be delivered for lunch. With how many companies were calling, June knew it was only a matter of time before she started looking for a lunchtime driver to deliver all the orders.
Alone with her baking, June allowed her mind to wander to the morning when Trey entered her little world and turned it upside down. He was a lot bigger than she remembered. His muscles filled out the tight shirt he wore, and he was tanned. How the fuck was he tanned in the middle of November? Ink covered both of his arms, and she'd seen one on the side of his neck as well. Talk about wearing your work, Trey looked like a walking, talking advertisement for Get Inked. When he was walking away she thought she saw the name on the back of his neck. She couldn't be sure without her glasses.
What really pissed her off was the answering pulse of arousal his presence had made inside her.
How could she respond sexually to a man who'd bullied her?
Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, June concentrated on baking. This was her baby, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her from making it a success. At around two in the afternoon, Molly pulled her out of her baking.
"I've got to go and pick Sasha up," Molly said. "Is it okay if I leave early?"
"Sure, what's the problem?"
"Her teacher just phoned. She's been fighting again. I don't know what to say to her anymore."
"I'm here if you need me." June offered her friend as much support as she could. There was nothing else she could do for Molly. Sasha was a sweet kid, but she kept getting bullied. June tried talking to her, but nothing ever got through.
Finishing up the baking, she headed around the front to deal with the rest of the day's customers.
By three she was tired but continued to deal with the high-school rush and then onto four. A lot of the locals tried to talk to her as she worked. She listened to them talk, laughing and smiling in all the right places. At five, her mother stopped by to grab several different kinds of breads. She was hosting a dinner party, which June was invited to.
Again she declined the invitation. Four-thirty rolled on by, and June was ready to call it a night. She started packing everything around the back away. It was Friday, and she had one more day before it was a full day off.
The shop bell jingled, and she was about ready to rip the damn thing off. It had been a long day, and all she wanted to do was go upstairs to her home, have a long relaxing bath and settle down for the night to read a good book.
Pushing her glasses up her nose, June looked up to see Trey, Max, and Dale entering her shop.
Memories assailed her all at the same time of these three men taking it in equal turns to tease her.
It's all in the past. It's all in the past.
"June, it's great to see you," Max said, smiling.
She didn't smile back. Trey stayed in the back, looking
over his friends' shoulders at her.
Tearing her gaze away from him, she turned her attention to his two friends.
"What can I get you?" she asked.
"You're looking mighty fine," Max said.
She saw Dale was busy looking at the displays of
biscuits and treats that were still available. "Where's Molly?" Dale asked.
"Molly got called away on an emergency."
"Is she okay?"
"As far as I know."
Dale gave his order, and she went about getting it for
him. All the time she was aware of Trey's stare. Why was he intent of making her nervous?
"So, you're a kick-ass baker, and Trey here is a kick- ass tattooist. Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?" Max asked.
His attention was starting to grate on her nerves. Why couldn't he back off?
"Why does it matter?" Putting hands on her hips, she stared between the two, waiting for an answer.
"Well, if you would like a tattoo, I'd be more than happy to make an appointment with you."
She wrinkled her nose. "No, thanks."
"Come on, one little tattoo."
Checking out the clock on the left wall she saw they
had ten minutes before she needed to kick them out. "Can you order? I'll be shutting soon."
Trey stepped forward, pointing out what he wanted. "What are you doing tonight?" Max asked.
"Max, stop it." Trey took the food from her and gave
her some money. She quickly rang up the purchases before handing Trey back his change.
"What are you doing tonight?" Max asked once again.
"Why?" She stared at the last man, wishing he'd stop hassling her. This was the first time he'd entered her bakery, and she hoped it was the last. Max was a pig, even more so
than Trey and Dale. All three men had a reputation with the ladies. She listened to the women speak and wished more often than not that she could burn her ears off.
"Do you want to go for a drink with me?" Max smiled at her, obviously expecting her to be excited about it.
"No."
She shut him down, moving from behind the counter to go for the door. Their time was up, and she wanted to go home.
"No?"
"That's right. I don't want to go for a drink or to have anything to do with you." Opening the door she pointed at each of them to leave. "Your time is up."
"You're seriously turning me down for a drink?"
"I've got nothing to say to you, so why would I want a drink? To reminisce on old times?" June chuckled. "It's a good joke, but I don't want a drink with you or anything else."
"I didn't order anything," Max said. "I'm a willing, paying customer."
"You're a pain in the ass, and you were too busy trying to flirt to order. I want to go home."
"Do you know how many women would jump at the chance to have a drink with me?" he asked, shouting at her.
"Lucky them. I'm not about to join that club."
"I've got something interesting I can do with my tongue."
Trey slapped Max over the head.
"I'm happy not to know."
She closed the door behind them, waved and dropped
the blind. Had she seriously just been asked out by Max? No, she wasn't even going to let herself think about it.