The Cupcake Diaries: Sweet On You by Darlene Panzera

he flashed her a disarming
     smile. “Maybe I can help with that.”
    He turned his hand to show an empty palm, and relief flooded over her. No gun. Then
     he closed his fingers and swung his fist around in the air three times. When he opened
     his palm again, he held a quarter, which he tossed in her direction.
    Rachel caught the coin and laughed. “You’re a magician.”
    “Mike the Magnificent,” he said, extending his cape wide with one arm and taking a
     bow. “I’m here for the Lockwell party.”
    Rachel pointed to the door leading to the back party room. The space had originally
     been a tattoo shop, but the tattoo artist relocated to the rental next door. “The
     Lockwells aren’t here yet. The party doesn’t start until three.”
    “I came early to set up before the kids arrive,” Mike told her. “Can’t have them discovering
     my secrets.”
    “No, I guess not,” Rachel agreed. “If they did, Mike the magician might not be so
     magnificent.”
    “Magnificence is hard to maintain.” His lips twitched, as if suppressing a grin. “Are
     you Andi?”
    She shook her head. “Rachel, Creative Cupcakes’ stupendous co-owner, baker, and promoter.”
    This time a grin did escape his mouth, which led her to notice his strong, masculine
     jawline.
    “Tell me, Rachel, what is it that makes you so stupendous?”
    She gave him her most flirtatious smile. “Sorry, I can’t reveal my secrets, either.”
    “Afraid if I found out the truth I might not think you’re so impressively great?”
    Rachel froze, fearing Mike the magician might be a mind reader as well. Careful to
     keep her smile intact, she forced herself to laugh off his comment.
    “I just don’t think it’s nice to brag,” she responded playfully.
    “Chicken,” he taunted in an equally playful tone as he made his way toward the party
     room door.
    Despite the uneasy feeling he’d discovered more about her in three minutes than most
     men did in three years, she wished he’d stayed to chat a few minutes more.
    Andi Burke, wearing one of the new, hot-pink Creative Cupcakes bibbed aprons, came
     in from the kitchen and stared at the cupcake mess on the floor. “What happened here?”
    “Zorro came in, gave me a panic attack, and the tray slipped out of my hands.” Rachel
     grabbed a couple of paper towels and squatted down to scoop up the crumpled cake and
     splattered frosting before her OCD kitchen safety friend could comment further. “Don’t
     worry, I’ll take care of the mess.”
    “I should have told you Officer Lockwell hired a magician for his daughter’s birthday
     party.” Andi bent to help her, and when they stood back up, she asked, “Did you speak
     to Mike?”
    Rachel nodded, her gaze on the connecting door to the party room as it opened, and
     Mike reappeared. Tipping his head as he strolled past them, he said, “Good afternoon,
     ladies.”
    Mike went out the front door and Rachel hurried around the display case of cupcakes
     and crossed over to the shop’s square, six-foot-high, street-side window. She leaned
     her head toward the glass and watched him take four three-by-three-foot black painted
     boxes out of the back of a van.
    “You should go after him,” Andi teased, her voice filled with amusement. “He’s very
     handsome.”
    “How can you tell?” Rachel drew away from the window, afraid Mike might catch her
     spying on him. “He’s got a black mask covering the upper half of his face. He could
     have sunken eyes, shaved eyebrows, and facial tattoos.”
    Andi laughed. “He doesn’t, and I know you like guys with dark hair. He’s not as tall
     as my Jake, but he’s still got a great build.”
    “Better not let Jake hear you say that,” Rachel retorted. “And how do you know he
     has a great build? The guy’s wrapped in a cape.”
    “I’ve seen him before,” Andi said. “Without the cape.”
    “Where?”
    “His photo was in the newspaper two weeks ago,” Andi confided. “The senior