For His Taste by Karolyn James

bakery has to stay.  It’s
perfect here.”
    “What?  It has to stay?”
    “Mr. Galloway, I know how we
usually do these kinds of deals…”
    “I don’t like this.”
    “Just listen for a second,” Bobby
shouted. 
    He paused, waiting for Mr. Galloway
to hang up.  The phone line stood silent for a few seconds and then Mr.
Galloway sighed.
    “You have one minute.”
    “This bakery is the staple of the
street, and town even.  It screams for the small town feel you want.  The
robbery was a fluke, and not so much a reflection of the town but the aftermath
is.  The woman who owns the bakery opened right away again, refusing to give
up.  How can you not fall in love with that?  It’s a one story building so
there’s not much we could do with it anyway.  I say we leave it here, leave it
standing as a testament of what the town once was, what it became, and what it
will be.  Not to mention the baked goods are the best I’ve ever tasted.  I met
the woman who owns the place… and if you don’t just fall in love with her then
you have no heart.”
    “Christ Bobby, are you in love with
her?”
    Bobby froze up.  Yes, he was.  
“All I’m trying to say is that if we remove the bakery, we’re taking a good
part of the town away.  It’ll create problems.  For a lot of people.  Why not
build around the bakery, build something for the town, something really
special?”
    “Something special,” Mr. Galloway. 
“Is there money in something special ?”
    “All I can say is that I’m
following my heart here, like you told me to do when I first started working
with you.”
    Mr. Galloway laughed.  “Wow, you’re
pulling out all the stops here, aren’t you?  That bakery must really be
something special…”
    Bobby opened his mouth to reply and
saw something reflect in the glass of the front window of the bakery.  Someone
stood behind him.  For a second, he saw a man wearing all black holding a gun
out.  Then he blinked and saw it was Beth in the reflection.  He spun around to
see if something or someone was really there.
    Beth was really there.
    She looked at Bobby, half between
smiling and crying.  His heart ached knowing that he caused her to feel that
way. 
    She just stood there with her hands
at her sides.  Her eyes moved from him to the bakery and back again and again.
    “Bobby, you there?” Mr. Galloway
shouted into the phone.
    “Mr. Galloway, I’m here,” Bobby
said.  “Sir, I can’t tell you how much this bakery means.  I need you to trust
me on this.”
    “Trust you,” Mr. Galloway. 
    “I’ve never lied to you and never
would.”  Bobby stared at Beth, knowing that he was now talking to Beth and not
Mr. Galloway.  “I’m following my heart and I won’t stop.  This place is going
to stay put, as is.  Everything else will be built around it.  I apologize for
being like this but I can’t risk losing the bakery… or you…”
    “Or me?” Mr. Galloway asked. 
“Where would I go?”
    “Do you understand me?” Bobby
asked.
    “Bobby, if this is what you
think…”  Mr. Galloway sighed.  “That’s fine then.  Just get back here by Monday
so we can decide what to do next.”
    Bobby took the phone from his ear. 
He smiled.  “I love you…”
    “You love…” Mr. Galloway started to
say but Bobby disconnected the call.
    His eyes were dead set on Beth,
memorizing her beautiful features again.  He moved towards her, this time
refusing to let her go.  He wouldn’t let her go.  He couldn’t.
    “It’s staying,” Bobby said.
    “I already told you, it’s closed,”
Beth replied.
    “Well, you better open it back up. 
It’s staying.”
    “What if I refuse?”
    “Then I’ll probably get in
trouble.  Maybe even lose my job.”
    “Then I guess I better open up.”
    Beth walked to the front door and
unlocked it.  She opened the door and stood for a second then looked back to
Bobby.  He wasn’t sure if it was an invitation or not but he scrambled