Page 13 of Midnight Ash

I smile at him. He's quite an intriguing person. With his expensive suit, and looking so put together, I would never guess he'd bake a cake, let alone get nervous about letting someone try it.

"I have to get back to work," he says.

I nod, finding it hard to take my eyes away from his.

"Ash..."

"Yes?"

"Can I make up for the bad cake by buying you a coffee sometime?"

What? Is he asking me out? No way.

"Yes, he'll be free tomorrow. The market is closing early because the city is installing the Christmas lights."

I look at Nicki, wondering where the hell she came from and why she’s telling Xander I'll go out with him.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow then," Xander says, and then he's gone.

I put my hands on Nicki's shoulders and shake her.

"Why the hell did you do that?"

"Oh, come on, he was like a puppy wagging his tail, waiting for your approval."

"No, he wasn't," I say, totally aware of the high pitch my voice is suddenly taking on.

Nicki rolls her eyes. I love her and all, but now I just want to shake her so hard.

She blows me a kiss and goes back to her stall to start packing up for the day. I stay where I am, staring into the distance and feeling mildly panicked.

A whistle from the market warden reminds me it's time to pack up, and I remember my work for the day is far from over.

Neither Victoria or the girls are home by the time I park The Duchess in my usual spot, so I unload my empty crates and take them to the barn. I'll load up later for the market tomorrow. I know I won't need as much because we're only doing a half day.

The thought takes me back to my impending coffee date with Xander, and my heartbeat picks up a little.

"No, it's not a date. He's just sorry he messed up the recipe, that's all," I say to no one.

I hear a commotion outside as I'm lining up the crates and step out to see what's going on.

Bob, Dell, Artie, Mo, and Peter, the farmhands, all stand like they're about to rip each other's heads off.

"What's going on guys?"

They look at me, and I can tell that whatever was causing the disagreement between them is about to hit me hard.

"We're on a strike," Bob says.

"No, we're not, but we're going to walk out," Artie says.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake, you dipshits. Do you not have any loyalty?" Peter shouts back at them.

I raise my hands. "Guys, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that the paycheck for last month bounced and I have a family to feed. I'm outta here," Mo says, putting down his apple picking basket. Dell follows him.

This is what we’re doing tonight, apple picking. We've run out of apples to sell, and the ones on the trees are ripening fast.