happiness.
At one point
he’d started to wonder when he’d become a woman, that he enjoyed lying there
talking with her just as much as anything else they did. Then again, Nina was
all woman, and she evidently had no interest in talking to him at all. She was
all about the sex.
“About what?”
Ashley asked, her tone more curious than insistent.
“Nothing really.
Small talk. We kept it pretty light.”
“Sounds like you
really don’t know much about each other at all.”
“Maybe not the
details, but we’ve spent enough time together that I feel like I know her, who
she is deep down. And I think she knows me. When it comes to everything else,
yeah, I’d like a chance to get to know all that. That’s why I asked her out. So
we can talk about…everything.”
“Hmmm…” Ashley
said again. The sound wasn’t exactly encouraging. He was starting to really
hate it. “I guess the reason I’m asking is, if you knew her better, maybe you’d
know what you’re up against.”
“What do you
mean?”
She sighed.
“Look, I’ve known Nina since college.” A small smile touched her lips, and he
could see her remembering. “I never thought I’d have to fight anyone for time
with the oven in the little kitchen in our freshman dorm, but there she was.
It’s actually how we first bonded. I was a little homesick and wanted to do
something to make myself feel better, only to find somebody else already baking
something that smelled amazing. Nobody else we knew was interested in baking—at
least nothing that didn’t come from a mix.” She wrinkled her nose with
distaste. “I guess it seemed a little too domestic for most people. But it was
something we had in common. Spending time in that little kitchen, we got to
know each other and became friends. The next year we ended up getting our own
place off campus—with a much bigger kitchen of our own.
“For me, baking
was just something to do for fun, but Nina already had bigger plans. She wasn’t
one of those girls who was in school to party or meet guys—or even just to
study. We had fun, sure, but she was always working on new recipes, testing
ideas for healthier baked goods. She was a business major, and she knew what
she wanted that business to be. In college she started selling her creations to
local shops. By the time we graduated, she’d created her own little network and
already had a thriving clientele. After college she continued selling her own
stuff, but she also worked in a few bakeries and cafes to get some practical
experience and learn how to run a shop. She knew she would need that kind of
experience to get a small business loan. That was the ultimate goal, to open her
own place. Because she wanted to work for herself, be her own boss. Just like
she lives alone because she wants to. It would have been cheaper for her to get
a roommate, especially right out of college and then in the early days when we
were trying to get this place off the ground. But nope, she wanted her own
home, her own kitchen.”
“Makes sense,”
Bobby said. “Especially since she was working out of the place.”
“Yep. Nina’s
always thinking ahead and she always has a plan.” Her smile turned sheepish. “Unlike
me. After college, I had this awful corporate job I hated that I took because I
thought that was what I was supposed to do. Nina finally got tired of hearing
me complain about how much I hated it and suggested I go into business with
her. She said I might as well be doing something I love instead of something I
hated. She was right. I’m good with money, and I had enough saved by that point
to buy in and make it possible for us to get this place. It was a great idea
for both of us, and it was Nina’s. And here we are.”
I want my
life to be mine . That was what she’d told him last night. And she’d done
exactly that, made a life for herself that was entirely hers, where she was her
own boss and played by her own rules. He had to admire that. She was
At one point
he’d started to wonder when he’d become a woman, that he enjoyed lying there
talking with her just as much as anything else they did. Then again, Nina was
all woman, and she evidently had no interest in talking to him at all. She was
all about the sex.
“About what?”
Ashley asked, her tone more curious than insistent.
“Nothing really.
Small talk. We kept it pretty light.”
“Sounds like you
really don’t know much about each other at all.”
“Maybe not the
details, but we’ve spent enough time together that I feel like I know her, who
she is deep down. And I think she knows me. When it comes to everything else,
yeah, I’d like a chance to get to know all that. That’s why I asked her out. So
we can talk about…everything.”
“Hmmm…” Ashley
said again. The sound wasn’t exactly encouraging. He was starting to really
hate it. “I guess the reason I’m asking is, if you knew her better, maybe you’d
know what you’re up against.”
“What do you
mean?”
She sighed.
“Look, I’ve known Nina since college.” A small smile touched her lips, and he
could see her remembering. “I never thought I’d have to fight anyone for time
with the oven in the little kitchen in our freshman dorm, but there she was.
It’s actually how we first bonded. I was a little homesick and wanted to do
something to make myself feel better, only to find somebody else already baking
something that smelled amazing. Nobody else we knew was interested in baking—at
least nothing that didn’t come from a mix.” She wrinkled her nose with
distaste. “I guess it seemed a little too domestic for most people. But it was
something we had in common. Spending time in that little kitchen, we got to
know each other and became friends. The next year we ended up getting our own
place off campus—with a much bigger kitchen of our own.
“For me, baking
was just something to do for fun, but Nina already had bigger plans. She wasn’t
one of those girls who was in school to party or meet guys—or even just to
study. We had fun, sure, but she was always working on new recipes, testing
ideas for healthier baked goods. She was a business major, and she knew what
she wanted that business to be. In college she started selling her creations to
local shops. By the time we graduated, she’d created her own little network and
already had a thriving clientele. After college she continued selling her own
stuff, but she also worked in a few bakeries and cafes to get some practical
experience and learn how to run a shop. She knew she would need that kind of
experience to get a small business loan. That was the ultimate goal, to open her
own place. Because she wanted to work for herself, be her own boss. Just like
she lives alone because she wants to. It would have been cheaper for her to get
a roommate, especially right out of college and then in the early days when we
were trying to get this place off the ground. But nope, she wanted her own
home, her own kitchen.”
“Makes sense,”
Bobby said. “Especially since she was working out of the place.”
“Yep. Nina’s
always thinking ahead and she always has a plan.” Her smile turned sheepish. “Unlike
me. After college, I had this awful corporate job I hated that I took because I
thought that was what I was supposed to do. Nina finally got tired of hearing
me complain about how much I hated it and suggested I go into business with
her. She said I might as well be doing something I love instead of something I
hated. She was right. I’m good with money, and I had enough saved by that point
to buy in and make it possible for us to get this place. It was a great idea
for both of us, and it was Nina’s. And here we are.”
I want my
life to be mine . That was what she’d told him last night. And she’d done
exactly that, made a life for herself that was entirely hers, where she was her
own boss and played by her own rules. He had to admire that. She was
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