“I WON’T KEEP YOU LONG, Rosaleen. I know you’re anxious to get to opening this beautiful establishment.”
“I always have time for the Granville Gazette.”
“That’s what we love to hear. Tell our readers what they have to look forward to.”
“Freshly baked goodies I learned to bake in my Grandma Rose’s kitchen along with new twists, and some of the elevated desserts I learned to make in culinary school. We’ll have seasonal favorites like pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie along with dessert and wine pairings. The first of which is free this coming Saturday.”
“You certainly aim to please,” Jennifer said as she scribbled in her note pad. “I have to ask, what drew you here?”
“I came here for a weekend getaway from the city and fell in love with the town and the people in it. The architecture called to me, and For Cake’s Sake became more than a dream once I viewed the corner spot open to rent.”
“I know Granville residents want to know ... are you single?”
She felt like a deer in headlights as she chuckled. “I am.” The lie tasted tart on her tongue. Put on the spot. She had to stick with their decision to remain under the radar while they figured out what they looked like.
“Fantastic. An eligible bachelorette who owns her own business is incredibly impressive. You must join us for the fall auction.”
“The what?” Did she just ask me to auction myself off?
“It’s an annual fundraising event here. We auction off one date, to be agreed upon between both, and lasting less than an hour. All the profits go to the United Services Organization. We have a lot of people with family who served, and they wanted to give back. We rotate causes yearly, and we are always, always, always looking for more participants.” It felt like everyone moved closer to hear her response.
“Oh. Yeah, I’d love to be a part of it.” She forced a smile.
“Wonderful! I’ll send you the email information and a sign-up sheet today.” Jennifer all but vibrated with happiness.
Rosaleen’s head spun as she was captured in the perky reporter’s web. What the hell did I just agree to?
“Tell me a bit about how you got into the baking industry,” Jennifer said, dizzying Rosaleen with the rapid switch of topics.
Blinking, Rosaleen cleared her throat. “As cliché as it sounds, I’ve always loved to bake.” Speaking about a familiar topic allowed her brain time to catch up as she gave what she hoped was a bare-bones, heartfelt story of a girl with pipe dreams turning them into reality.
“I think we have everything we need.” Jennifer smiled. “Look for the form tonight in your email.”
“Thanks, Jennifer.”
“My pleasure. Now let’s get your shop open.”
Could we please?
“On three, ladies. One. Two. Three.” Rosaleen didn’t have to fake the wide grin as she cut the pink ribbon in front of her shop. The crowd gathered around them cheered. The turnout was bigger than she’d anticipated. Hope and excitement melded together to form a tornado of emotion inside of her. All the networking and advertising paid off. Opening the front door for business and watching the group stream in and ooh and ahh over the things they saw erased the sharp memory of aching backs, swollen feet from standing too long, and sleepless nights spent worrying.
People are in my bakery. Taking in the joy and wonder on the children’s faces along with the smiles of their pare
nts filled her with warmth. Her workers were smartly dressed in white polos and pink aprons with a heart-shaped neckline, white bow, and ruffled hemline. They were the perfect mix of modern and vintage style to blend into her pastel paradise. The lyrics of “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic at the Disco echoed in her mind.
After all the preparation and sacrifice, she exhaled a long-held breath. I am living my dreams. Her mother squeezed her hand, and she moved forward to mingle with the customers and oversee her workers. As the day wore on, her anxiety spiked. Where’s hero? He was supposed to come in around noon, and it was two o’clock. That was more than a little late. It wasn’t like him to not be punctual.
Maybe he changed his mind? Still, he would’ve texted, right? In the office, she frowned down at her cell phone. No messages or missed calls. Her stomach plummeted. I knew it was too good to be true.
“Rosaleen. There’s someone out there who asked to see you. He’s cute,” Stephanie whispered.
Rosaleen shook her head. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Tucking her phone away in a drawer, she washed her hands and returned to the floor. Her mouth went dry, and she stopped, frozen stiff when the tall, tow-haired man came into view.
“Ryan?” she asked, hardly believing her eyes.
“Rosaleen.” His eyes lit up with warmth.