I Only Have Pies for You (Pumpkin Spice Life 1)

He cleared his throat. “Well, I’ve said my piece. We can drop it now.”

“You sure?” She arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah. How about you? Are we okay?”

“We’re good. I’m glad you told me how you felt. I wouldn’t have known otherwise, and things could’ve gotten messy. Emotions have a way of seeping out and spilling into everyday life, whether we wish them too or not.” She smiled brightly. “Enough of that. Break this whole Charity Date auction down to me. I’ve only seen it done in movies.”

He snickered. “I’ll fill you in as long as you make me a deal.”

“I’m listening.”

“You bid on me, and I’ll bid on you.”

“Are you asking me to save you for once, hero?” she teased.

“Yeah, I am.” He nodded emphatically.

She laughed. “All right. I think I can handle that.”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. You get up on stage in your finest duds, and the bidding war begins. It’s all done in fun, so you don’t need to be nervous. After the bill is settled you exchange information with the person who wins and set up a date. It can be as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee, a lunch, or a romantic dinner. It’s up to the two of you to find out what makes you comfortable.”

“That sounds fair enough.” She nodded, feeling less apprehensive. They had a plan in place, and in the event that they lost the bids, she had plenty of control over the situation. “Tell me where you’re going to take me for our date.” She smiled.

“Do you like Italian?”

“I love it,” she said, happy to move on from the tension.

“Then I’d say it’s past time we visit Salvatore’s.”

“But what will people think?” she whispered.

“That I’m a lucky son of a gun who knows how to treat a lady right.”

“Aha. Cocky I see.”

“Confident,” he corrected her.

“Tomato, tamato.” She waved him off with her hand.

“How did things go the rest of this week with the bakery?” he asked, genuinely interested.

“After the grand opening, things trailed off drastically. I saw a pick up this afternoon with the free pairings though.”

Alaric frowned. “I’m surprised. I’ve heard nothing but good things, my mother included.”

She shook her head. “It hasn’t translated into sales. It’s still early, but I’m worried. Part of me is hoping my participation in the auction will give me more townie status.”

“It should.”

“Speaking of the auction, I hate to cut this short, but I have to go shopping for something appropriate to wear. I haven’t had a chance to do that this week.”

“Just for reference, my favorite color is red.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, hero.” She smirked as she rose, grabbing her purse.

“I’ll take care of the trash. I’m going to enjoy a few more moments of solitude.”

“Poor baby.” She patted his cheek, putting a little extra sway as she walked out, feeling his gaze burning holes into her back.