Page 24 of Tuxedos and Tinsel

“I don’t know, either. But Idoknow that I’m not going to lie down and let them run roughshod all over me.” She was trying to remain positive but knew she faced an uphill battle.

“I hear you. Anyway, how are things with Ian?”

“Okay, I guess,” Maya said nonchalantly. But Rhonda could read her like a book.

Rhonda studied Maya, then brought her hands to her mouth. “Oh, my God. You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”

She dropped her head and heaved a deep sigh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Does he know?”

Her head snapped up. “Of course not. What we have will be over at the end of the month. He doesn’t want anything past that and neither do I.”

“Are you sure? I know you were hurt before, but—”

“Nobuts. This was nothing more than a holiday fling, and that’s all it will be.”

“What about him? Are you certain he doesn’t want more?”

Her mind went back to their last encounter. No, she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to take a chance. “It doesn’t matter.” Maya closed the hutch. “I’d better get going. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. I’ll lock up...after I get my cake, that is.”

She chuckled and the two women embraced. “Bye, crazy woman.”

“Bye, and you need to think twice about shutting Ian down cold. From what you’ve told me, he sounds like a nice guy.”

“Whatever,” she mumbled, rolling her eyes and getting into the car. Yeah, he was a nice guy, and so much more than what she had been expecting when she met him a month ago.

Ian called on Sunday and wanted to come over. She knew there would be no way to hide her feelings, so she let it go to voice mail. By the next morning, Maya still had no clue how to deal with her feelings. Every moment they had spent together played over and over in her mind, particularly the last time. Something had changed between them—from the possessive way he’d held her to the way he’d tenderly washed her body when they had showered—and the shift was palpable.Stop thinking about him! You have more important things to focus on...like saving your business.

Forcing her mind back to the task in front of her, she filled gift-box molds with melted chocolate and placed them on a shelf in the walk-in freezer. The boxes would be decorated with FDA-approved, food-grade edible luster dust and pearls, and filled with chocolate truffles for wedding shower gifts. Next, she made dough for cinnamon rolls. The shop would open in two hours, and the rolls were her bestselling product in the morning.

“So, I’m wondering, will the dough still rise if you keep beating it like that?” Rhonda’s amused voice asked from the doorway.

Maya’s hands froze. She glanced down and realized that she had been brutally attacking the dough. She began again, this time kneading the dough with a little less force.

“Are you worried about the meeting this afternoon or Ian?”

“A little of both, I guess.”

“Ian is easy. See where the relationship goes.” Rhonda came and placed her arm around Maya’s shoulder. “I wish I could assure you we’re going to come out winners this afternoon, but I’m worried, too. Last night, I did a little more research on eminent domain and I don’t think they have a case.”

“Maybe, but if the city sees a way to make big money, they won’t care.” She placed the dough in a bowl to rise and washed her hands. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Four o’clock will be here soon enough.”

“You’re right. I would offer to help you bake, but...” She laughed. “How about I put the truffles in the chocolate boxes and package them? You’d think I had learned something after all these years of hanging around you, but hey...we all have our talents.”

“Yeah, well,” Maya said with a shrug. “I’ll take any help I can get. Thanks.”

The women worked steadily until opening time. After the morning rush, Maya took a quick breather before prepping for her next event. She was so focused it took her a moment to realize her cell was ringing. She wiped her hands on a towel and hurried across the kitchen to catch it.

“Hey, baby,” Ian said when she answered. “How’s your day going?”

“Hey. Busy. Really busy.” She hadn’t looked at the display before answering.

“More catering jobs?”

“Yeah. I have two this week.”