Akash

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STANDING IN THE MIDDLE of his wrecked bakery, Akash tried to squash his emotions into a tiny space in his heart. One reason he’d decided to get a first look at it on his own was he didn’t want to break down in front of anyone. When Lennie contacted him to let him know they were releasing it to him, he’d driven straight to his shop.

To his immense disbelief, almost all the damage appeared to be cosmetic instead of structural. He dropped to his knees, oblivious to the broken glass and splintered wooden flooring digging into his legs. Relief brought tears to his eyes; he tilted his head to stare up at the ceiling blackened by smoke.

I can do this.

I can.

It’s not as bad as I thought.

Why am I sobbing on the floor of my bakery like a toddler?

“Oi. You all right?”

How much fucking bad karma do I have built up?

Akash slowly got to his feet, carefully brushing the broken glass off his jeans. “Scottie.”

“I know I’m an arse.”

Akash couldn’t help a loud snort of amusement. “Understatement of the year, but continue.”

Scottie rubbed the back of his neck and stared over at the rubble where counters had once stood. “Can I help with getting rid of this debris? Got a mate who works in waste management, he’s promised to bring a few of his largest skip bags out for you. Fill ’em up, he’ll haul them away.”

“Free of charge?”

“Look, you want the help or not?” Scottie shrugged. “I can fuck off back to bed and sleep for the rest of the day.”

“How kind of you.” Akash lifted his hand up to stop Scottie from responding. “I’d appreciate the help—the attitude I can live without.”

“Picky little shit, aren’t you?”

“If you’ve ever wondered why you’re single, it’s because you’re an areshole.” Akash watched the idiot carefully. He might be there to offer assistance, but he’d proved himself to be dangerously impulsive at the best of times.

“Is it? I thought I’d scared them off with my massive cock.” Scottie grabbed his crotch as if to demonstrate. “Sure I can’t tempt you?”

“I’d rather hump a porcupine.” Akash would honestly rather have rolled around naked on glass and rusted nails. “If you’re here to help, then do something useful. If you’re here to badger me for a date, fuck off and find someone who’s actually interested.”

“Tetchy, tetchy.”

In his years of experience in dealing with men like Scottie, Akash knew the wisest decision was to ignore him. He focused instead on texting friends and family on the state of the bakery. Several promised almost immediately to bring over cleaning supplies. He wanted to vent his emotions in private, but rebuilding required more than his own hands.

All the broken windows had been sealed off with boards by the fire brigade for security. Akash made a call to order new glass to be delivered. He sent an email to his insurance to see if they’d approved the renovations and contractor he intended to hire once everything had been cleared out.

With the money from insurance and some of his savings, Akash planned to make a few improvements to the shop, and more importantly to the kitchen. More ovens, better ones, and more space. Turning a potential disaster into a positive mattered to him. Whatever the intentions of the person who set fire to the bakery, he refused to allow them to succeed.

Hamish: We’ve nothing planned at the office today. Got room in this clean up for a bunch of military twits? We’ll bring beer and pizza. Wyatt swears you can’t have a ‘pick crap up party’ without both.

Akash: Make sure he doesn’t put any weird shit on the pizza.

Hamish: Need anything else?

Akash: Patience and paracetamol. Scottie decided to show up to help.

Hamish: Is he actually helping or is it his deluded concept of it?

Akash: Undetermined.

Hamish: We’ll hurry and bring extra beer.

Akash: Maybe less. It is Scottie.

The skip bags arrived, with his reinforcements following not long after. Scottie had called in his rugby mates turned business partners. Akash couldn’t recall his shop ever being quite so jam-packed with testosterone—ever.

Alice and Alex showed up, only for the latter to immediately suffer a shutdown. Wyatt, of all people, offered to take them over to his place. His husband’s low-key personality and their quiet garden suited the young autistics better than a crowded and noisy construction zone filled with large men with bigger egos.

For three days, the ragtag group of friends worked to scrub every smoke-damaged surface. Ruined shelves were ripped out. Anything the fire touched went into the rubbish heap. Akash said farewell to all of his beloved equipment. Even knowing the replacements would be superior didn’t diminish his momentary sadness; they’d been his first purchases in his own shop.

Well, maybe not my first, but the first I claimed on my own that my mum hadn’t touched first.

By the fourth day, Akash lost all of his helpers except for Hamish, Shanti, and Nye. The latter joked that between Hamish and himself they had one fully functioning man. Shanti informed all of them they were equally useless; she wisely spent her time on her mobile and laptop, going over all the design choices for the bakery renovations.

New bakery.

New name.

New start.

The Spiced Phoenix Bakery, Shanti’s idea of a clever joke, would reopen by December 1^st at the latest. Shanti handled all those details. Akash had learned as a teen never to argue with his baby sister; she’d been a force to be reckoned with from the moment she could speak.

Akash didn’t mind. With her design courses at university and part-time work, Shanti had contacts he didn’t. Their father always taught his children to work with each other’s strengths—stronger together than apart.

“Aki?” Shanti looped her slender arms around his waist. “Are you sure I can’t work my magic on your flat as well? Give it a spruce up?”

“No. It’s fine. A bit of smoke, but no need to gut the place. We aired it out. Keep your renovating obsession out of it.” Akash stood his ground on the issue despite her narrowed gaze. “What’s wrong with my flat?”

“It’s duller than your wardrobe.”

“He’s a cat.” She spoke slowly and patted her brother’s head. “He doesn’t care about aesthetics. He wants something to scratch, somewhere to use the loo, and a place to sleep.”

The arrival of the woman from his insurance company interrupted the pointless conversation. Shanti dragged Nye and Hamish outside with her. Akash walked around with the woman, who approved all the work they had done and what they intended to do for renovations.

Contractors would arrive on the following Monday. His flat had been declared liveable once more. Akash found himself oddly reluctant to leave Hamish’s place.

Don’t I want my own space again? Yes. Will I miss sleeping in his bed? Definitely. Am I being a total twat? Naturally.

“Well?” Shanti danced in, with Nye and Hamish following sedately behind her. “What did she say? Everything good?”

“Flat’s clear. Work starts Monday.” Akash avoided the unwavering gaze of the blue-eyed marine looming behind his sister and her boyfriend. “They accepted all of your suggestions.”

“Of course they did. I’m brilliant.” Shanti smiled brightly at her brother. She glanced over her shoulder at Hamish with a calculating gaze. “Let’s celebrate. Nye and I will grab a takeaway for us all. We’ll be back in a tick.”

“Subtle.” Akash rolled his eyes, watching his sister lead Nye out with her hand firmly gripping his. He exchanged an amused smile with Hamish. “She’s never found a reason to develop quiet tact. She’s too charming to need it. I’ll move back into my flat over the weekend.”

“Fine.” Hamish’s smile faltered slightly.

Great.

Now it’s gone all rom-com awkward.

Akash floundered for a way to explain his hopes for them. “We’ll see each other, of course.”

Oh yes, that’s settled it right out.

Why am I suddenly so useless?

Hamish backed Akash against the nearest wall, stalking after him. His teeth caught the edge of Akash’s earlobe. “Oh yes, Aki. We’ll see plenty of each other. You’re mine. All mine. No intentions of disappearing now we’ve finally got started.”

“Well.” Akash cleared his throat, then ran his tongue across his lips. “Glad we’ve sorted that out.”

“Thrilled.” Hamish used his uninjured arm to pin him in place. “We’ll celebrate on our own tonight at my flat.”

Akash shivered in anticipation, half-hard at the vivid flashes his imagination conjured up. They’d done a few things since he’d moved in with Hamish, and each time they were together it felt hotter than the last. “Can’t wait.”

Hamish rested his forehead against Akash’s with their lips apart and their breath mingling. “Aren’t you bakers good at being patient?”

“Never want the dough to be overproved.”

“Never.”

“Oi. Keep it covered. I’m not interested in being scarred for life.” Shanti broke into their staring match. “Hasn’t there been enough fire in here?”