Page 37 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes

“Well,” Candace admitted, “he sent his lackey to try and scare me a little while back. And he’s been calling… threatening in his own, roundabout way by exerting pressure he knew I couldn’t refuse.”

The echoes of disbelief, including Daisy’s unfiltered curses, made her flinch.

“Why didn’t you say anything? You should have told me.”

Daisy hated the whine in her voice. She knew the real issue was that Candace omitted an important piece of information. Instead, Daisy was hurt by the fact that she had not come to her for support.

Candace murmured, “I know. I was stupid.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. You don’t have to deal with these assholes alone.”

Daisy’s instinct was to reach out to Candace’s hunched figure.

She chickened out when she remembered their audience and turned the motion into a weird, wiggling gesture as if she were swatting a bug.

Thankfully, Candace’s attention was on her plate.

It seemed like she might descend into another self-deprecating spiral.

Instead, she took a page out of Daisy’s book and let loose some anger.

“I hate him. I hate that I’m related to him, that I look like any version of him, and that when people think of me, he’s in their head, too.

That ugly smile when he knows he’s lying.

The way he pretends to be all about family, when it’s really about controlling people’s perception of him because he has a massive inferiority complex.

He’s the fucking worst. A cruel, entitled grifter who has stolen or cheated to get ahead, no matter who he had to hurt. ”

There was silence following Candace’s rant. Only the sounds of nature, the cicadas and grasshoppers, along with croaker frogs who lived in the nearby bay reeds, filled the air. Until Rio asked another question.

“I mean… Are there receipts?”

“What?” Candace was confused, but Daisy knew exactly where Rio was going. They always did say that they played rogues in their Dungeons and Dragons sessions.

“We’re bagel people, not blackmailers,” Daisy answered. “He’s not going to have a manila envelope labeled ‘crimes’ lying around.”

Candace made a thoughtful hum as she munched on a bean sprout that had escaped her sandwich. “Maybe nothing that blatant, but… Demi, do you remember those ancient computers we nearly ruined downloading music off Limewire ?”

The other woman snorted. “I remember a lot of virus-filled porn. But yeah. Why?”

“The pier office is still using them. My uncle hates technology and has always insisted on paper records. His secretary even prints out his emails. It’s possible there’s some kind of paper trail…

The problem is knowing what to look for.

It’ll have to be something big, enough to make him back off for good without leaving him room to retaliate. ”

“So, what…?” Daisy asked with bewilderment that was undercut by a very sexy mental image of Candace in a skin-tight spy suit, “You’d be my double agent or something?”

“I suppose you could say that. It’s a long shot, but I don’t know what else we could do. Either I find some real, bottom-of-the-bog muck, or…”

Or, Daisy’s thoughts filled in the blank, they were finished.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Demi theorized hesitantly, like she was poking at a bruise. “Candace, if you’re a part of this major pier expansion, it could set your career back on track. You might even be able to move back to New York. Isn’t that why you came to Wonderwood in the first place ?

“And Daisy, if Peter Perry follows through on his eviction threat, my theia has a lawyer who would be happy to represent you. She’ll make sure you get a fair payout, and then you can set up shop somewhere else.

Sue him for libel if he goes after your brand.

No harm, no foul, you can both move on with your lives. Right?”

“No,” Daisy decided without a second thought.

“‘No?’”

“Nope. Not good enough.” Daisy took in a deep breath of the dewy nighttime air. To Candace, she deadpanned, “This is your fault.”

“W-what?”

“I think you’ve rubbed off on me, and I’ve gotten greedy. I don’t care if we can get what we originally wanted. It’s not enough if it means my partner gets taken away.”

“Daisy…”

Candace bit her lip and tried to hide her watery gaze. She was so adorable that Daisy could not help going on.

“We’ve had to play that jabroni’s game this whole time, so let’s change the rules and take him down. If you’re in, I am too. Okay?”

“Yes. All in.”

It was hard to say what Candace was thinking.

She looked like she was holding her breath, holding back what she felt or wanted to say.

Yet, the smile that curved her lips was pure mischievous joy.

Leaning forward, she propped her elbows on her knees with her chin atop her folded fingers.

The insecurity that filled her eyes gave way to determination as her business side took over.

“That being said, we’re going to have to play this smart. Let’s talk details…”

From there, the group discussed the nitty-gritty of their plan.

Candace would start working at the pier on Monday.

She would do whatever her uncle asked and fit in as best she could, while using her access to find the dirt they needed.

No more shifts at Bagel Bombs!, grocery store trips, or baking help .

At the end of the day, it had to look like the # BagelBabes ‘broke up.’

They would use their social media platform to sell the separation, letting people draw their own conclusions through vague posts and a distinct lack of Candace-content.

Daisy would make sure to play up her punk persona, acting like a jilted ex to anyone who directly asked about her former partner.

Rio said they were available to pick up some slack at the cafe, and Demi offered to help with the occasional inventory run or batch bake.

Things were going to get harder for Daisy once again, but this time, she was not alone.

By letting old friends further in and trusting new ones, they had a chance to take Peter Perry down—a chance Daisy would need to take if she was ever going to get closer to Candace.

It was well past midnight by the time they had their con worked out. Candace tried, and failed, to hold back a yawn. With a glance at her phone, she said, “I think we’d better call it here. I need my beauty sleep if I’m going to play super-spy.”

“Stay over.” Three pairs of wide-eyes were suddenly on Daisy like floodlights. She stammered out, “I mean, if you want. It’s not safe to drive when you’re tired.”

For a moment, it looked as if Candace might accept.

It was the last time they could share the same physical space together for the foreseeable future.

The last night they could spend as friends, or whatever their relationship was turning into.

However, with untraceable disappointment, Candace shook her head.

“Thanks, but I’ll be alright. My laptop is in my room, and I’ll need it to get started on those social media posts ASAP.”

“I’ll follow behind you just in case,” Demi offered. “It’s not too far out of my way.”

It was, Daisy knew, but she kept the comment to herself as Candace agreed to the escort.

If it meant everyone got home without getting into an accident, she could keep her jealousy in check.

At an amble, they headed out from the porch to the cars parked along the sleepy suburban street.

Demi said her goodbyes and hopped in, while Candace lingered by her driver side door.

Did she feel the same lead weight in her stomach? Daisy wondered. There was only an arm's length between them, yet the distance seemed to expand by the second. Soon, it became an impassable void.

“Well—”

“Yeah—”

They spoke at the same time, cutting each other off.

It was hard for Daisy not to laugh… at the absurdity of their situation, the bittersweetness of it all, and the cowardice that kept her from making her move.

Candace was about to put everything on the line for her, but was it out of guilt?

Or something more? If Daisy was wrong about her feelings, it would make things supremely awkward.

So, she laughed. Candace did, too, though it was more of a sigh.

Ever formal, the princess extended a slender, manicured hand. Daisy took it and pulled her into a full-body embrace. Candace squeezed back. There was too much to say, more than either of them could manage at the present moment. For now, this would have to be enough.

“See you around, Perry. Text me when you get home.”

“I will.”

Then, like she was never there at all, Candace was gone. Daisy dragged herself back to the patio and flopped into the Adirondack. A light spark and distinctly skunky smell reminded her that Rio was still hanging around, watching the whole sordid scene.

“That sure was embarrassing. Wanna talk about it?”

The old Daisy would have threatened to fire Rio. Kept boundaries and bolstered her emotional wall. Present Daisy was desperate for advice. She gestured for the joint and bogarted it for a good minute.

“I like her.”

“No! Really?!”

Rio did their best Kevin McCallister impression and slapped their palms against their cheeks.

In contrast to Daisy’s gala wear, they were dressed for comfort in baggy cargo shorts and a printed tee.

It was their day off, after all, yet here they were.

Taking the joint back, Rio managed a smirk while they took in a toke.

In an exhale, they mused aloud, “You like her. You think she likes you. But you’re afraid to shoot your shot because of how much of an ass you’ve been?”

“I… Yeah. What should I do?”

“Hm. Seems to me like you’ve gotta grind out some rep.”

“What?”

“Reputation points. Like in Stardew Valley , or some dating simulation. You were picking the worst conversation options for a while, and now you need to make up for it.”

Daisy glared. Still, stripping back the nerd veneer, the take made sense. She asked, “How?”

“Well, the normal stuff. Talk to her daily, give gifts from her favorite list, do quests… Although I guess she’s the one on the stealth mission. You outta come up with a good reward since you skimped her last time.”

Dumbfounded, Daisy wondered, “How is it you’re the one with a steady girlfriend?”

At Rio’s dual fingergun flash, they both broke down in a riot of smoky giggles. For a little while longer, they burned the night away chatting about life and love. Eventually, Daisy’s phone buzzed with a burst of texts. Rio snickered as they read over her shoulder.

Candace: I’m back!

Sorry again for everything. I’m going to do my best to make things right. Let operation Bad Candy begin!

Also… I didn’t get a chance to say it earlier, but you looked gorgeous in that dress. Goodnight, partner.

Daisy hid her face behind her hands, fighting a fierce blush. It was not fair. Whether or not Candace had romantic feelings for her, she was sure making it difficult to stop Daisy’s from growing.