Knead: Contemporary Romance (Creamy's Bakery Book 1) by Aspen Drake Page A
Authors: Aspen Drake
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have such a sad face?”
I force a smile. “I'm sorry, Cam. I don't mean to be a downer. I’m just thinking about things.”
“Thinking about what?”
Cami is a friend from cosmetology school. We don't work together, but we always try to time our continuing education classes so we can spend a week together on the company’s dime. She's been one of my closest friends for a long time. There are few people I've been completely honest with about my relationship, and Cami is one of them.
“I don't know. Hearing those women talking about how much fun the wedding is gonna be and how beautiful the flowers are…and the dress and the pictures… It just makes me wish there was a way for me to have that too someday.”
“What are you talking about?” Cami looks at me like I'm crazy. “You can totally have that.”
“I can't.” I shake my head and take a drink. “I can’t invite my aunts and uncles and cousins to a wedding where I’m marrying two men. I mean, really. Some of them are liberal, but I don't think my grandma would even survive such a thing. She gets flustered when she sees a woman breastfeeding in public.”
“Don't be so dramatic. I'm sure they would get over it. And if not, fuck ’em. Just invite your friends and people that support you guys. It doesn't have to include everybody.”
“But that's the problem. I want to include everybody. I want my dad to walk me down the aisle, and I don't think he would. He tolerates the guys, and he’s civil when they're in the same room. But he would never be okay with me marrying both of them. Oh, and let’s not forget the minor detail about it being illegal. Even if we have a ceremony, it won't be official.”
“Official, schmicial.” Cami waves her dripping straw at me. “Who cares about official? You’ve got your own medical benefits. That's all getting married is good for. If you want to change your name, you can do that on your own. Although…” She rests the sticky straw against her temple as if it’s helping her think. She must already be lit because she doesn’t seem to notice the pink drop oozing down the side of her face. “Which name would you choose?”
I laugh and wipe her cheek with my napkin. “I don’t know. I love them both. Ryland and Burgess. They’re both good names so I would be okay either way.”
“Oh, come on, Carly.” Cami leans in closer and whispers, “You must have a preference…”
Chapter Nineteen
Noah
That's how she feels? Instead of bringing her joy and filling a gap in Carly’ life, Max and I are causing her anguish. We’re forcing her to sacrifice something that means so much to her.
Following Carly to New York is probably something I'll regret for the rest of my life. But I'm glad I'm here. When I told Max I’d be busy in meetings all day and he shouldn't expect to see me at the club, he didn't have any suspicion at all. He never would have guessed I was about to hop on a plane to come check on our girl.
But there was a nagging ache in my gut that told me something was wrong. I needed to see for myself that she was okay. Coming here was purely instinct. My plan was just to make sure she was fine and then go home before Max even realized I was gone.
I should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. It never is. Deceiving people is always complicated and ugly and painful. Now that I'm sitting here, back to back with Carly in a wall booth, I feel too weak to even move. Everything I thought we had is really just a fantasy Max and I created. It seemed too good to be true. Now I realize it is.
All we’re doing is bringing pain to the woman we love. Carly is generally happy with us. She loves us almost as much as we love her, but we can't give her everything she needs, not both of us anyway. As long as we're all together, she’ll never be able to have that church wedding she clearly wants. She won't have her family in attendance at the dream wedding she deserves.
She'll
I force a smile. “I'm sorry, Cam. I don't mean to be a downer. I’m just thinking about things.”
“Thinking about what?”
Cami is a friend from cosmetology school. We don't work together, but we always try to time our continuing education classes so we can spend a week together on the company’s dime. She's been one of my closest friends for a long time. There are few people I've been completely honest with about my relationship, and Cami is one of them.
“I don't know. Hearing those women talking about how much fun the wedding is gonna be and how beautiful the flowers are…and the dress and the pictures… It just makes me wish there was a way for me to have that too someday.”
“What are you talking about?” Cami looks at me like I'm crazy. “You can totally have that.”
“I can't.” I shake my head and take a drink. “I can’t invite my aunts and uncles and cousins to a wedding where I’m marrying two men. I mean, really. Some of them are liberal, but I don't think my grandma would even survive such a thing. She gets flustered when she sees a woman breastfeeding in public.”
“Don't be so dramatic. I'm sure they would get over it. And if not, fuck ’em. Just invite your friends and people that support you guys. It doesn't have to include everybody.”
“But that's the problem. I want to include everybody. I want my dad to walk me down the aisle, and I don't think he would. He tolerates the guys, and he’s civil when they're in the same room. But he would never be okay with me marrying both of them. Oh, and let’s not forget the minor detail about it being illegal. Even if we have a ceremony, it won't be official.”
“Official, schmicial.” Cami waves her dripping straw at me. “Who cares about official? You’ve got your own medical benefits. That's all getting married is good for. If you want to change your name, you can do that on your own. Although…” She rests the sticky straw against her temple as if it’s helping her think. She must already be lit because she doesn’t seem to notice the pink drop oozing down the side of her face. “Which name would you choose?”
I laugh and wipe her cheek with my napkin. “I don’t know. I love them both. Ryland and Burgess. They’re both good names so I would be okay either way.”
“Oh, come on, Carly.” Cami leans in closer and whispers, “You must have a preference…”
Chapter Nineteen
Noah
That's how she feels? Instead of bringing her joy and filling a gap in Carly’ life, Max and I are causing her anguish. We’re forcing her to sacrifice something that means so much to her.
Following Carly to New York is probably something I'll regret for the rest of my life. But I'm glad I'm here. When I told Max I’d be busy in meetings all day and he shouldn't expect to see me at the club, he didn't have any suspicion at all. He never would have guessed I was about to hop on a plane to come check on our girl.
But there was a nagging ache in my gut that told me something was wrong. I needed to see for myself that she was okay. Coming here was purely instinct. My plan was just to make sure she was fine and then go home before Max even realized I was gone.
I should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. It never is. Deceiving people is always complicated and ugly and painful. Now that I'm sitting here, back to back with Carly in a wall booth, I feel too weak to even move. Everything I thought we had is really just a fantasy Max and I created. It seemed too good to be true. Now I realize it is.
All we’re doing is bringing pain to the woman we love. Carly is generally happy with us. She loves us almost as much as we love her, but we can't give her everything she needs, not both of us anyway. As long as we're all together, she’ll never be able to have that church wedding she clearly wants. She won't have her family in attendance at the dream wedding she deserves.
She'll
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