her beer.
“I have to go,” she said. “That was the water company. A pipe burst in the building that shares a wall with the bakery, and everything is flooding. Fuck. Fuck!”
“We’ll help,” Calder said automatically. He got out of the booth, slamming the rest of his beer back, and grabbed her jacket.
“Shit,” Annika was muttering. “ Shit . I’ve got a wedding cake in the freezer, all that cookie dough. Shit. ”
She led them out of the bar, still muttering to herself.
It was only a couple of blocks, but Sam drove his truck down the alleyway at top speed. They got out, and Sam went into the back and came out with two flashlights.
“The breaker’s in the basement,” Annika said. “We’ve gotta shut off the power before we do anything or we’ll get electrocuted.”
She grabbed a flashlight and marched to an ugly metal door, going through her key ring. Sam followed her, and then Calder did too. Inside was a long wooden staircase.
“Well, it’s down here somewhere,” she said.
Sam flicked on his flashlight and started down the steps.
“Mine’s on that far wall,” he said, and Annika followed him. Calder didn’t, since he didn’t have a flashlight and didn’t think they needed three people to turn off the breakers anyway. Instead he stayed up top and hoped the bakery wasn’t flooding.
Then he watched a trickle of water seep from under the door, and he started to panic as he heard footsteps pounding back up the wooden stairs.
“Oh, fuck ,” said Annika when she saw the trickle of water. She unlocked the back door, threw it open, and looked inside.
The floor was covered with a sheet of water, all gushing from a crack in one wall.
“Is that drywall?” Calder asked.
“I don’t know!” she said, still staring at her bakery kitchen.
“Do you know when this was built?”
“No!” Annika said, sounding on the verge of tears.
Sam stepped in, ignoring the rush of water over the toe of his shoe. He shone the flashlight around, quietly trying to assess the damage. Next to him, Annika took a deep breath, then started talking.
“There’s another flashlight in the broom closet,” she said. “I think we just need to get as much off the floor and onto the counters as we can, and take everything in the fridge and freezer back to my place.”
Calder nodded once.
“Got it,” he said, heading for the broom closet.
It was a long, wet couple of hours. Annika spent half the time on the phone either with the water company or trying to get the owner of the boutique next door on the phone as Sam and Calder took everything that was near the floor and put it on the counter. By the time Annika got the water shut off, they were both soaked, half from the water and half from sweat.
“Okay,” she said at last. “I got the cake loaded into the truck, along with all the icing and the ganache, and those roses that Scarlet made for it.”
She paused, then went over to the wall of ovens, shining her flashlight into them.
“I think the bottom one is fucked,” she said, sounding defeated. “Along with the freezers, for sure.”
“We got all the mixers onto the counter,” offered Sam. “And whatever that thing is that looks kind of like a letterpress.”
“It’s for rolling out dough,” Annika said, her voice sounding automatic. Now the floor was just wet, and she kicked at it with the toe of her shoe. “Thanks, guys. I’d be screwed if you weren’t here.”
Calder leaned forward and kissed her on top of her head without thinking.
“Of course,” he said.
“You’re wet,” she said.
“Well, a pipe burst in your bakery,” he said, trying to lighten the situation.
“Don’t remind me,” she said.
“Come on,” said Sam. “Let’s get the cake back to your place, and then worry about what’s next.”
Annika nodded, and the three of them walked back to the truck, where layers of wedding cake filled every available space that wasn’t the driver’s seat.
“So we’re
“I have to go,” she said. “That was the water company. A pipe burst in the building that shares a wall with the bakery, and everything is flooding. Fuck. Fuck!”
“We’ll help,” Calder said automatically. He got out of the booth, slamming the rest of his beer back, and grabbed her jacket.
“Shit,” Annika was muttering. “ Shit . I’ve got a wedding cake in the freezer, all that cookie dough. Shit. ”
She led them out of the bar, still muttering to herself.
It was only a couple of blocks, but Sam drove his truck down the alleyway at top speed. They got out, and Sam went into the back and came out with two flashlights.
“The breaker’s in the basement,” Annika said. “We’ve gotta shut off the power before we do anything or we’ll get electrocuted.”
She grabbed a flashlight and marched to an ugly metal door, going through her key ring. Sam followed her, and then Calder did too. Inside was a long wooden staircase.
“Well, it’s down here somewhere,” she said.
Sam flicked on his flashlight and started down the steps.
“Mine’s on that far wall,” he said, and Annika followed him. Calder didn’t, since he didn’t have a flashlight and didn’t think they needed three people to turn off the breakers anyway. Instead he stayed up top and hoped the bakery wasn’t flooding.
Then he watched a trickle of water seep from under the door, and he started to panic as he heard footsteps pounding back up the wooden stairs.
“Oh, fuck ,” said Annika when she saw the trickle of water. She unlocked the back door, threw it open, and looked inside.
The floor was covered with a sheet of water, all gushing from a crack in one wall.
“Is that drywall?” Calder asked.
“I don’t know!” she said, still staring at her bakery kitchen.
“Do you know when this was built?”
“No!” Annika said, sounding on the verge of tears.
Sam stepped in, ignoring the rush of water over the toe of his shoe. He shone the flashlight around, quietly trying to assess the damage. Next to him, Annika took a deep breath, then started talking.
“There’s another flashlight in the broom closet,” she said. “I think we just need to get as much off the floor and onto the counters as we can, and take everything in the fridge and freezer back to my place.”
Calder nodded once.
“Got it,” he said, heading for the broom closet.
It was a long, wet couple of hours. Annika spent half the time on the phone either with the water company or trying to get the owner of the boutique next door on the phone as Sam and Calder took everything that was near the floor and put it on the counter. By the time Annika got the water shut off, they were both soaked, half from the water and half from sweat.
“Okay,” she said at last. “I got the cake loaded into the truck, along with all the icing and the ganache, and those roses that Scarlet made for it.”
She paused, then went over to the wall of ovens, shining her flashlight into them.
“I think the bottom one is fucked,” she said, sounding defeated. “Along with the freezers, for sure.”
“We got all the mixers onto the counter,” offered Sam. “And whatever that thing is that looks kind of like a letterpress.”
“It’s for rolling out dough,” Annika said, her voice sounding automatic. Now the floor was just wet, and she kicked at it with the toe of her shoe. “Thanks, guys. I’d be screwed if you weren’t here.”
Calder leaned forward and kissed her on top of her head without thinking.
“Of course,” he said.
“You’re wet,” she said.
“Well, a pipe burst in your bakery,” he said, trying to lighten the situation.
“Don’t remind me,” she said.
“Come on,” said Sam. “Let’s get the cake back to your place, and then worry about what’s next.”
Annika nodded, and the three of them walked back to the truck, where layers of wedding cake filled every available space that wasn’t the driver’s seat.
“So we’re
Similar Books
