“Thank you, Claire.”
I nod. “You’re welcome. By the way, why isn’t Joel here? Is he coming?”
I glance at the door.
“No,” Natalie answers.
I give her a puzzled look. “Why not?”
“Because I’m the cake expert. Or so he says.”
“But it’s his cake too.”
“Also, he said he doesn’t mind whatever I choose. If I like it, he’ll like it.”
“Bull,” I say. “He just didn’t want to come here, did he? Let me guess. Either he can’t tear himself away from work or there’s a video game he wants to catch up on.”
Natalie grins. “You know your brother so well.”
I’m about to ask her which one Joel used as an excuse, but a woman wearing a red apron appears carrying a tea sandwich tray. Instead of tea sandwiches, though, each level is decked with miniature cakes.
She sets down the tray on the table in front of us.
“Please try each one and decide which you like best. I’ll check back with you after a few minutes.”
Natalie nods. “Okay.”
After the woman leaves, she starts with the tasting, urging me to do the same. I don’t think I can take a mouthful out of all of them, so I only taste the ones I know I’ll like—raspberry swirl, carrot, apple spice, vanilla almond, red velvet, lemon, and strawberries and cream.
“So, what do you like best?” Natalie asks me when I’m done.
“The raspberry swirl,” I answer. “Although the strawberries and cream tastes good, too.”
“I know. So do the chocolatey ones. They all have just the right level of sweetness. And the banana is just nostalgic for me. And the carrot seems healthy. And the lemon isn’t too tart.” She lets out a sigh. “They’re just… all good.”
Which means she doesn’t know what to pick. And I can tell it’s starting to make her anxious.
“Hey.” I place my hand on her shoulder. “Just take a deep breath. This is the fun and easy part, remember?”
“I thought it would be. But now… I don’t know. I don’t know which one I like best. I don’t know which one Joel will like best. Or the guests. What if I pick a cake no one likes?”
“Nonsense. You said it yourself: All the cakes are good.”
Natalie shakes her head. “But I still don’t know which one I should pick.”
I know the feeling. I may never have had to choose a wedding cake, but I remember one time that I was asked to make a dish, any dish I wanted, and I just couldn’t come up with one. How did I get out of that situation again? Oh, right. I cooked three different dishes and tied them all together.
“How about you choose three different flavors and not just one?” I suggest. “Maybe the baker can make a cake with three tiers and each tier can have a different flavor.”
That succeeds in getting rid of some of the wrinkles on Natalie’s forehead.
“You think?”
I nod. “I think so.”
She smiles but then lets out another sigh. “I still don’t know which ones to pick, though.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “Take your time. Taste them all again if you like.”
Natalie just touches her chin as she stares at the cakes.
“Do you want me to call Joel?” I ask her. “He really should be here, you know.”
“Aha!” Natalie exclaims as she raises her finger. “I’ve got an idea.”
“What?”
“How about you put a blindfold on me, line up all the cakes in a row in random order, and then I’ll point to three?”
Is she serious?
I give her a look of disbelief. “You want to leave the choice of your wedding cake to fate?”
Natalie shrugs. “Fate brought Joel and me together. Fate can do this.”
I sigh. “Fine.”
At least Natalie doesn’t seem stressed anymore. In fact, she looks excited for the first time since we got here.
“Oh, and don’t tell me what flavors I chose,” she adds. “Tell the baker, but don’t tell me. That way, even I will be surprised when I find out what they are on my wedding day.”
“Okay.”
Aren’t there already going to be enough surprises for her on her wedding day? Well, at least this will be a pleasant one. Or so I hope.
She hands me her handkerchief. “Here. Use this to blindfold me.”
“Okay.”
I roll the handkerchief and tie it over her eyes. She rubs her hands together and claps them.
“Now, this is fun.”
I guess it kind of is. There’s a thrill in not knowing what exactly is in store.
A thrill.
My lips curve into a grin as an idea pops into my head.
Oh, tonight is going to be a thrill, alright.
~
“What is this?” Ryker asks me as I slip the mask I bought over his eyes moments after he comes through the door of my apartment.
“A blindfold,” I give him the obvious answer.
“And I’m being blindfolded because…?”
“Because we’re going to have a taste test. And by we, I mean you.”