that includes you emptying my bank account, cheating on me, and leaving me without so much as a Post-it. Forgive me if I’m not willing to fall at your feet anymore.”
“Sweetie, you can’t honestly believe that I’m—”
“It’s fine. I don’t know what possessed me to make the date with you in the first place because, the truth is, I moved on a long time ago. And, honestly, you standing me up was pretty much the best thing
ever
.”
Steve blinked a few times; she knew he was trying to process what was definitely the strongest statement she’d ever made to him.
Violet retreated, refusing to make a scene as she held her back straight and kept her smile pleasant. “Take care of yourself, Steve.”
Steve’s eyebrows were back in the knitted position; he clearly couldn’t understand what she’d said and the fact that she was backing up in preparation to leave. “But maybe this weekend … ?”
“I’m seeing someone else,” she replied gleefully. “So, have a safe trip back to the Bronx.”
And with that, she walked away; she was about as proud of herself as she’d been when she walked into Wynne’s Kitchen with nothing but the determination of a warrior and came out with the job she wasn’t entirely qualified for. After all these years, she finally saw Steve for what he was: an opportunist who used people and things for what he needed and moved on when they no longer served a purpose. She didn’t know what he wanted with her now, and she didn’t care.
Let him find some other doe-eyed, gullible twenty-something to fall for his nonsense.
I’m not that girl
.
• • •
Violet walked through her door at 5:45 p.m., her arms laden with bags from Michael’s, her favorite place to shop for baking supplies. Her landline was ringing. She let the door slam loudly as she tossed her bags onto the couch before throwing herself into the bedroom and picking up her cordless.
“Hello?”
Ben’s voice was sort of awkward but, somehow, still sexy. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait.”
Violet sat on the bed. “I’m so glad you thought of my landline, then. My battery died on the way home.”
“So you’re saying my impatience is actually well-timed?”
“I’d say it’s timed perfectly.”
“Good, because I was wondering what you had planned this evening,” he replied, a hint of that charming smile apparent in his voice.
“Buttercream. I’m making a cake for a friend who’s picking it up the day after tomorrow. I figured getting a head start on the icing might be a good idea.”
“Well, I looked at your schedule and noticed you were off tomorrow.”
“That’s right,” she answered. “It’s baking day.”
“Well, thanks to a last-minute request, I’ve had to switch days with one of the managers. So, I’m off tomorrow, too. I was wondering, would you like some company?”
“If you can handle me baking in a tank top, apron, and a pair of boy shorts, I would love some company.”
“Your choice of uniform concerns me,” he replied, invoking a laugh from her. “And I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you.”
“You’ve got a one-track mind, mister,” she teased.
“Not true. And to prove it, I’d like to pick you up and take you to a movie, maybe have some dinner. Think you can spare a couple of hours tonight around nine?”
“Make it nine thirty and I’m yours,” she answered as she organized her stand mixer, butter, and powdered sugar. “This shouldn’t take me more than a half hour, and I’ll still have time to shower.”
Ben was silent for a moment. She waited for him to speak, even pulling the handset back and giving it a “Well?” look before putting it back to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Okay, you’re right,” Ben admitted. “I have a one-track mind, and let’s just leave it at that. I’ll pick you up in a couple of hours.”
Violet tilted her head back and laughed.
• • •
They didn’t get out of the movie theater on West
“Sweetie, you can’t honestly believe that I’m—”
“It’s fine. I don’t know what possessed me to make the date with you in the first place because, the truth is, I moved on a long time ago. And, honestly, you standing me up was pretty much the best thing
ever
.”
Steve blinked a few times; she knew he was trying to process what was definitely the strongest statement she’d ever made to him.
Violet retreated, refusing to make a scene as she held her back straight and kept her smile pleasant. “Take care of yourself, Steve.”
Steve’s eyebrows were back in the knitted position; he clearly couldn’t understand what she’d said and the fact that she was backing up in preparation to leave. “But maybe this weekend … ?”
“I’m seeing someone else,” she replied gleefully. “So, have a safe trip back to the Bronx.”
And with that, she walked away; she was about as proud of herself as she’d been when she walked into Wynne’s Kitchen with nothing but the determination of a warrior and came out with the job she wasn’t entirely qualified for. After all these years, she finally saw Steve for what he was: an opportunist who used people and things for what he needed and moved on when they no longer served a purpose. She didn’t know what he wanted with her now, and she didn’t care.
Let him find some other doe-eyed, gullible twenty-something to fall for his nonsense.
I’m not that girl
.
• • •
Violet walked through her door at 5:45 p.m., her arms laden with bags from Michael’s, her favorite place to shop for baking supplies. Her landline was ringing. She let the door slam loudly as she tossed her bags onto the couch before throwing herself into the bedroom and picking up her cordless.
“Hello?”
Ben’s voice was sort of awkward but, somehow, still sexy. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait.”
Violet sat on the bed. “I’m so glad you thought of my landline, then. My battery died on the way home.”
“So you’re saying my impatience is actually well-timed?”
“I’d say it’s timed perfectly.”
“Good, because I was wondering what you had planned this evening,” he replied, a hint of that charming smile apparent in his voice.
“Buttercream. I’m making a cake for a friend who’s picking it up the day after tomorrow. I figured getting a head start on the icing might be a good idea.”
“Well, I looked at your schedule and noticed you were off tomorrow.”
“That’s right,” she answered. “It’s baking day.”
“Well, thanks to a last-minute request, I’ve had to switch days with one of the managers. So, I’m off tomorrow, too. I was wondering, would you like some company?”
“If you can handle me baking in a tank top, apron, and a pair of boy shorts, I would love some company.”
“Your choice of uniform concerns me,” he replied, invoking a laugh from her. “And I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you.”
“You’ve got a one-track mind, mister,” she teased.
“Not true. And to prove it, I’d like to pick you up and take you to a movie, maybe have some dinner. Think you can spare a couple of hours tonight around nine?”
“Make it nine thirty and I’m yours,” she answered as she organized her stand mixer, butter, and powdered sugar. “This shouldn’t take me more than a half hour, and I’ll still have time to shower.”
Ben was silent for a moment. She waited for him to speak, even pulling the handset back and giving it a “Well?” look before putting it back to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Okay, you’re right,” Ben admitted. “I have a one-track mind, and let’s just leave it at that. I’ll pick you up in a couple of hours.”
Violet tilted her head back and laughed.
• • •
They didn’t get out of the movie theater on West
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