Always Room for Cupcakes (Cupcakes 1)

I dropped my unseen hand slowly, taking in the scene before me.

Jason leaned down to whisper something in the raven-haired woman’s ear. Whatever it was caused him to smile, and I watched as he put his hand on her back and began rubbing in slow circles.

My stomach clenched painfully and my eyes watered, even as I prayed I wasn’t really seeing what I was seeing. Maybe I was having a mild stroke, which brought on visions…

Still, I instinctively pulled my phone out of my clutch and pressed the camera button.

I turned and brought the phone up, flipping the screen as I readied the camera for another fake selfie. When the camera came into focus and I snapped a shot of Jason leaning down to kiss the mystery woman, catching both of their profiles in the shot, I wasn’t even aware of the tears running down my face.

The busty blonde and Hector forgotten, I left my still-full martini glass and fled the Tapas bar.

I cried all the way home, wondering how I was going to break the news to my best friend that her husband was a cheating bastard.

“I don’t care if you had a heart attack and needed an ambulance, when I give you a job and tell you to get me pictures, I want you to get me those fucking pictures no matter what!”

I was holding my cell up to my ear, mouth open in shock, while Moose screamed his head off through the phone. I’d never heard Moose angry before, and he’d never talked to me like that before.

Of course, I’d never

left a job without getting my shots, after seeing my best friend’s husband with another woman before either.

I’d thought Moose would be upset, but understanding, when I told him I’d left the Tapas bar last night without getting the evidence he needed.

That was not the case.

“If you don’t get your shit together and get me those shots today, I’ll find someone else who can … and you can forget about me doubling your pay.”

Moose hung up before I could even get a word in edgewise, and I felt my already heavy heart fall even further into the pit of my stomach.

I didn’t want to lose my job. And I didn’t want to do what I was about to do either…

I took a deep breath, and tried to keep the tears that had been flowing all night at bay, as I opened the door to Amy May’s bakery and walked toward her office.

I knew she’d be in there, as she was every morning, looking over numbers, checking the schedule, and jotting down new recipe ideas. And I fought the urge to turn tail and run, instead forcing myself to take each step closer to ruining Amy May’s life.

I rapped on the door, and when Amy May called, “Come in,” I entered her domain and gave her a shaky smile.

Amy May noticed my demeanor right off and swiveled in her chair.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can I sit?” I asked, pointing helplessly to the chair next to her desk.

“Of course,” she replied, giving me a onceover, as if to make sure I wasn’t physically injured. “What’s going on?”

I sat down, clutching my purse in my lap, my cell phone in my hand, and said, “Amy May, I have something to tell you…”

My heart lodged in my throat, causing me to pause.

“Are you sick? Is something wrong with the kids?” she asked, sensing it was something major.

“No,” I assured her with a shake of my head. “It’s nothing like that. It has to do with Jason.”

Amy May’s hand came to her heart and she asked, “Is he okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine,” I replied, letting go of my purse to reach my hand out and clasp hers. “I’m just going to say this quick … Rip the Band-Aid off, so to speak…”

She watched with wide eyes as I picked up my phone and found the picture I was looking for. I kept it toward me, then turned it and explained, “I saw Jason with another woman last night, at the Tapas bar in The Heights … I’m so sorry, Amy May.”