Page 45 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes

The bagel-trepreneur had most definitely not come straight from her cafe.

With her usual flip-flops, Daisy wore fitted, darkwash jeans looped by a stylish gold and black leather belt.

A peek of her tanned, belly-ringed navel showed thanks to the creamy white crop top she wore, and the look was tied together by her chic black blazer jacket.

Her hair was styled and textured with pomade, with the long half pinned behind her ear, aside from a few wind-plucked locks.

Candace was so distracted taking the woman in that she nearly toppled on the uneven sand.

“Don’t trip at the finish line, Perry! You finally made it. I was starting to think I needed to go fight that Janice-woman.”

“I–” Candace cut herself off as she regained her footing, needing a moment to speak around her suddenly thick tongue. “Please don’t. She has park security on speed dial. What is this place? It’s so peaceful.”

Daisy’s smirk turned wistful with a glance around.

“This is Higbee Point, one of Wonderwood’s lesser-known beaches.”

“That’s an understatement. We’re the only ones here!”

“People tend to give this place a wide berth. A couple of those bungalows down the way were speakeasies back during prohibition, and this point has never really lost its seedy reputation. It’s also a horseshoe crab nesting ground, so it’s an important habitat for them.”

“Is that right…”

The latter point was fairly apparent, as the gull-eaten carapaces dotted the beach here and there like macabre rocks.

Horace has it good compared to her relatives, she thought.

“For me,” Daisy went on, “it’s my favorite spot on the whole island. I’ve wanted to bring you here for a while.”

In a small voice that scarcely sounded like her own, hitched and breathy, Candace could not help voicing her disbelief.

“You have?”

“Yeah. Longer than I realized, I think. Here.”

Reaching out, Daisy offered Candace a multi-colored bouquet of flowers to match the one she found at the trailhead. Magenta and yellow, white and orange, pink and red, they were arranged in a familiar sunset color scheme.

The lace-tied plants felt like a 50–lb weight in Candace’s hands. She did not— could not— resist as Daisy guided her to sit across from her on the blanket.

“C’mon,” Daisy insisted. Like a food magician, she began to pull a ridiculous amount of edibles from the basket. “Let’s dig in. I know Candace Perry needs more than some sad jambalaya to get her through the day. Try this.”

Candace’s mouth, which had popped open to protest, was filled by Daisy with a pimento spread-covered cracker. It was delicious, like everything else the woman made. Next thing she knew, she had eaten another, and a juicy green grape followed. The fizzy champagne Daisy handed her washed it all down.

While she chewed gourmet crostini, Candace chanced a glance at Daisy. The woman was cattish as usual, all grins and swagger, but there was something else, too. There was a gravity when their eyes met, unnamed but so very tangible, it was silly to ignore.

Candace choked. She turned away to get herself under control, her vision trained on something, anything, else. Meanwhile, Daisy dropped a bomb that sent her sputtering even harder.

“Bagel Bombs! made its target revenue.”

“What?!” Once she managed to even out her breathing, she demanded, “When?”

With her attention on the mini empanada she was selecting, Daisy shrugged.

“When some woman decided to make a crazy gamble and devote all her effort to saving it. But, technically, two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Daisy did not answer right away. She finished chewing and took a drought from her champagne. Simply, she deadpanned, “I am now.”

Candace’s stomach twisted. In her head, she had known they were close. However, she never had access to accounts and relied on Daisy for raw numbers. Why would she hide something so important ?

Guilt and shame doused the thrill she felt at reaching their hard-fought goal.

She needed to tell Daisy about what she learned in the meeting with the Solid Rock Group.

But how could she explain it if she barely knew the details herself?

She had not been able to find anything about the land sale from Daisy’s parents, or dirt that would stop her uncle from tearing the whole place down. She failed.

Unable to hold back any longer, Candace burst.

“Your parents used to own Bagel Bombs!. Not just the cafe, but the whole place, land, building, and all. I don’t know how, but my uncle used some kind of shady tactic to buy it from them for next to nothing right before their accident.

He has demolition permits for the whole block and the new building plans ready. ”

“Huh.”

Daisy looked thoughtful as she chewed on a celery stick, with an elbow poised on her upturned knee. She took another sip of champagne, then fished her colorful bottle from the basket.

She offered it to Candace. “I brought water, too, if you want it.”

Candace gaped. “Daisy, don’t you get what I’m saying?

It should be yours! Instead, because of that monster I’m related to, you’re going to get kicked out.

Now that he’s secured the funding he needs for the project, there’s nothing stopping him from evicting you.

You might get some settlement cash if you took him to court, but that’s it. ”

The breath Daisy let loose was carried away by the persistent wind. Nodding, she concluded, “Bummer. We gave it a good fight, though.”

Candace could not believe how nonchalant Daisy sounded.

Bummer?!

Like she had no care in the world, the woman continued to munch on her meticulously prepared picnic.

“How can you be so calm? It was pointless. Everything we worked for, all of it, was for nothing! ”

Mid-bite, Daisy paused. She looked at Candace heavily, and, even full of food, her voice had just as much weight.

“Do you believe that?”

“But… Saving Bagel Bombs! is what this whole partnership was about.”

Daisy swallowed. Her lips curled into something that was not a smile. Even so, the expression’s warmth sent a sirocco coursing through Candace.

“Was that really all it was?”

“I… It was…”

“Aren’t you the one who told me my life didn’t have to revolve around bagels?” While Candace continued sputtering for a response, Daisy revealed, “I’ve been looking into classes.”

“Classes?!”

Candace felt like a parrot, squawk-repeating what she heard. Yet, she was on an emotional roller-coaster, clinging for life, and could do little else.

For the first time that evening, Daisy fidgeted with apparent bashfulness.

“Yeah. I’m still not sure what exactly I want to do, but I was thinking about a trade.

I enjoyed working on the renovations for Bagel Bombs!

It was like a practical art application, if that makes any sense.

Rio was helping me look into the certification programs and apprenticeships the local county college offers. ”

Grinning, Candace’s thrill for Daisy outshone her own tumultuous feelings. She praised, “That’s an amazing idea! Good, reliable contractors are always in demand. You could be Wonderwood’s top handyperson.”

“We’ll see. If I keep myself open, there are a lot of possibilities. You showed me that. So, don’t stress about the rest, okay?”

“How can I not? Aren’t you angry with me? That property is worth millions. You should be set for life, not struggling like you have been all these years. My uncle—”

With more exasperation than edge, Daisy cut in. “Stop talking about your damn uncle. Last I checked, you’re not him. Now, for the love of Jeebus, eat some more, or I’m gonna start to take it personally.”

Candace could not breathe. Here she was, bearing the truth of their dire situation, and the person affected most… the one who should be furious with her beyond measure… was cracking deep-cut Simpsons jokes. Blinking, with fresh eyes, Candace took in the scene around her.

In a murmur, she asked, “Daisy… Why did you bring me here? What is all this?”

The look Daisy gave her before answering was long and pointed.

“Don’t be Candy, Candace. Not with me. You know exactly what this is.”

The sun had dipped beneath the horizon. While the world at large muted, their little plot of beach stayed lit by lantern light.

The rhythmic waves played their ocean song, accompanied by the wind’s whistle.

This patch of sand, the blanket they sat on, was its own island separate from time, space, and reality.

And Daisy wanted to be here with her.

Candace cried. Like that very first day she returned to Wonderwood and made a fool of herself in front of Bagel Bombs!, a torrent descended her cheeks. Ugly and uncontrolled, the emotions she tried so hard to bury burst free.

Although Daisy stayed where she was, her features knitted with concern.

“I’m difficult,” Candace blubbered. “And when I get an idea, I steamroll. I have self-esteem issues, and I need constant validation. I’m materialistic and greedy. Nothing would be easy with me. I might mess up even worse than before.”

For an extended beat, neither woman spoke. Candace’s tears continued to fall, and Daisy continued to observe her. When Daisy did talk, the flatness of her voice was undercut by her nervous smile.

“Are you about done? I know what I’m getting into by now. It’s a relationship, not a warning label. Do you wanna be my girlfriend or not? ”

Girlfriend.

That word launched a javelin from the moon straight through Candace’s heart. “Yes” left her mouth before she had even finished processing the question. She wanted to be Daisy’s partner, and girlfriend, and so many more things she could scarcely name them all.

How could she lie about such an intrinsic truth any longer?

“I want that. I really, really want that.”

Daisy’s mouth moved into a full, goofy grin.

“Well, Candace Perry gets what she wants, right? And what about me? Can’t I get what I want, too?”

Again, in a slow concession, Candace said, “Yes.”

That one word was all it took to break the final barrier between them.

The moment her lips completed it, Daisy’s were on them like the waves crashing on the shore.

Fierce and fast, decades of desire spilled over.

The figure that pushed her to the blanket and arched over her was almost unrecognizable.

One hand raised Candace’s overhead, while the other held her jaw, firmly but with near-possessive care. Heat and friction built as their bodies melded into place.

Pulling.

Grinding.

Pressing.

They moved in chaotic tandem in a desperate bid to feel.

Pleasure flooded Candace as Daisy’s thigh nestled between her legs. She gasped into the mouth locked on her own. The sound was muted by the tongue that found its way inside, seeking soft sighs and moans made by measured ministrations.

Fizzy champagne, along with the lingering trace of earthy taste from a smoked joint, teased Candace’s taste buds. She was taken by the bittersweetness, made ravenous as the smell and taste worked in delicious dichotomy to overwhelm her senses.

The hand that gripped her jaw trended down.

From Candace’s neck, sweeping through the valley of her sensitive collar bones into the slit between her dress, Daisy’s touch staked her claim.

With searing softness, it slid up and over Candace’s breast to curl around her side and back.

There, her palm splayed wide, drawing them even closer.

When they parted for breath, Daisy’s dark, succubus-stare bore into Candace like hot coals. So hot. There was no doubt of what she wanted or that she intended to follow through.

The realization of where things were going hit Candace hard. She’d been expecting anger, even an end to their partnership. This was… not that. The tempest that churned inside of her broke, and so did she.

Once again, Candace’s emotions poured out in tangible form.

The mood flipped in an instant. Daisy let go and sat back on her heels, fretting as if she were the problem.

“Fuck… I came on too strong, didn’t I?”

Candace shook her head even as her outpour said otherwise. She got up and mirrored Daisy’s position.

“No, it’s not that! These are happy tears, I promise. I’m sorry. I can’t seem to keep it together when I’m with you.”

“I love that you can be yourself around me,” Daisy told her. “When you lose control, when you eat a whole mountain of bagel bombs or wear so-called trashy clothes, I’m glad I get to see you. So don’t apologize for that, or anything else. I don’t want there to be any more regrets between us.”

As she spoke, Daisy inched forward. This time, her kiss was far more chaste; a peck before she went to look for something inside the basket.

“You’re a foodie Mary Poppins,” Candace said through a sniffled giggle. “What else could you possibly have in there?”

“Plenty. I’m pretty sure the way to your heart is through your stomach, so I came prepared. And I wasn’t going to come without a couple of these.”

As Daisy passed her a bagel bomb, Candace knew without asking which flavor it was. She took in a shaky breath and squinted away more tears. Ripples of memory from that summer's day drifted between them .

“You come off cool and collected, but you really are sweet, Daisy DeMarco.”

“This is a taste. Just wait until you’ve had a whole bite.”

It was a corny line, said with humor. Even so, the promise made Candace lick her lips.

Eating her own bagel bomb, Daisy’s face shifted from contentment to annoyance. Her hand went to her blazer pocket. Inside, her phone’s insistent vibration could be heard over the sea sounds.

Candace asked, “Who is it?”

“If they’re not you, they don’t matter.”

“It could be important!”

“If it is, they’ll call back.”

They did, and it was, unfortunately, very important. The new oven at Bagel Bombs! was sending out an error code and needed to be reset, but Tina did not know how.

Candace could hear Tina apologize over and over to Daisy in between apologies the girl shouted at, presumably, a line of waiting customers. Although she kept it from her responses, Daisy’s disappointment was plain. They packed up the picnic in record time and hightailed it back to Candace’s car.

In an unspoken bit of growth, Daisy settled into the car's passenger seat with ease despite her anxieties. The woman’s renewed artistic passion and her drive for progress were incredible to witness.

Bagel Bombs! might be forced to close, but Daisy had grown beyond needing to build her life around that place.

Daisy had learned to live for Daisy, and Candace was so proud. It was difficult not to stare at her adorably pouting girlfriend and pay attention to the road.

For her part, Candace was sad to leave the intimate picnic. Yet, she bounced with excitement over what could come next. The night was young, and she was about to show the woman she loved off to the whole world.