Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
JULES EASTON
IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO make me happy.
The simple things in life seemed to be the ones that made me smile the most. I was a lot like my mother that way.
A sunny day.
The pitter-patter of rain hitting my window at night.
A kiss.
Even chocolate icing.
I licked my lips one last time and glanced around the place that had become like my second home when I needed one the most. The place I’d worked at after school for four years, only then the business name had been The Pastry Box.
As most things do, the showroom had changed over the years. No longer a retail bakery, it had been closed to the public years ago. Montgomery and Archer had decided to concentrate on the wedding trade exclusively, and it had paid off.
Now this place was used for magazine shoots, bridal party gatherings, and wooing, yes wooing, clients. The reason everyone loved this area was that it looked like Martha Stewart’s kitchen, only super-sized, and on steroids.
Painted brick walls, old wooden floors, marble counters, stainless steel appliances, refrigerated cases, and open cupboards filled with various plates, bowls, and decorating tools collected over many years. It was southern charm and New York metro combined. With the amount of sunlight streaming in, it was also the perfect backdrop for photos.
It was also the perfect sales floor.
The walls were a soft pastel blue, except the back one. That one was finished with a white glaze to allow the words scrolled across it to stand out. Every time I read, “LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED,” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, and this time wasn’t any different.
It wasn’t that I was a cynic, but love really wasn’t all you needed. You needed air to breathe and water to survive and your phone to keep in touch with those you love.
Don’t get me wrong—I was all about love. In fact, I was so much about finding the perfect love that I made it the basis for my career.
That didn’t mean I understood it. In fact, I found it somewhat confusing. Love was not always patient. Love was not always kind. And love most definitely did not conquer all. It could happen in a fleeting moment or not even once in your life. It wasn’t shared fairly, and sometimes it meant something different to different people.
Still, love was what made my world go round at Easton Design & Weddings, and that was all I needed to understand about it.
Right?
My uncle, Edward Easton, founded Easton Design & Weddings more than thirty-five years ago because he, like Montgomery, believed love was all you needed.
Since then the company had earned almost every prestigious award in the industry, including The Knot’s Best of Weddings top pick for the past ten consecutive years.
Sadly, it was highly unlikely we would be receiving that award this year. A little more than six months ago, I had taken over the day-to-day operations of the business so my uncle could enjoy the beginning stages of his retirement. Since then I’d worked night and day, drained my entire savings account, and lost more jobs than I’d landed.
Unfortunately, the transition had not been going as smoothly as my uncle had thought it would. I had experienced more than one setback. For the first time in the company’s history, the business wasn’t making a profit. And worse, it was losing money.
Other than Montgomery, up until recently, no one else had known just how bad things were. Although it had killed me to keep it to myself, I had known it wouldn’t remain a secret for long.
And it hadn’t.
Four weeks ago the hammer fell, and now I had until the end of summer to make a success of Easton Design & Weddings or . . . I can’t even think about it without wanting to cry . . . my uncle was going to be forced to sell the business.
The mandate came after my uncle asked to see the company financials. They were actually much more dismal than they appeared, but since I had infused my own money into the business, he wasn’t aware of this.
Even still, based on what he saw, he had canceled most of his upcoming travel plans to meet with me twice a week for business updates and consultations. During these meetings, I always remained optimistic, but I finally had to admit I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. He frowned at this and told me I didn’t understand love. Although I had voiced my disagreement, he remained steadfast in his convictions.
And then today he dropped a bomb on me.
Thinking I could use the help, and hoping to motivate his son at the same time, Uncle Edward had asked my cousin to help me out. What is it they say, ‘Kill two birds with one stone’?
The thing was, my cousin wasn’t anymore ready to help run a business based on love than I was. In fact, if you asked me, he was going to be completely unable to do so.
Love was the last thing on his mind.
Still, my uncle had hope.
I got it.
If I couldn’t do it, maybe his son could.
More than twenty years ago, my uncle had lost his wife and son in a tragic car accident. After that devastating loss, all he did was work. And when I came to live with him, it was an adjustment on both of our parts.
It seemed like we’d just got in the swing of things when one day he came back from a wedding expo in Nevada with a foster kid who’d tried to pickpocket him. Soon he adopted that kid, and Finn became part of our small family.
I think even today he was still reeling from the effort it took to raise us both.
Boys were said to be easier to raise than girls, but Finn had been much more difficult to handle than me, and even now, he still was.
He was a wild card.
Even though Finn had been out of the toxic environment he had grown up in for a long time, he still had a dark fire in him he had yet to extinguish.
Now twenty-two years old, Finn had graduated college more than three months ago and had yet to begin to job hunt. To this end, my uncle knew very well that Finn didn’t want to be in the family business. This he had made clear over and over throughout the years. However, without a plan for the future, Uncle Edward decided Finn needed to give it a try.
Finn didn’t have a choice.
What my uncle didn’t know was that Finn did have an interest in another field, if you could call it that. What he was doing with his nights was a secret between us, though, and if Finn had his way, my uncle would never find out about it.
The idea of Finn working with me still hadn’t sunk in. Yet, I knew I either accepted the help or Uncle Edward was going to cancel all his vacation plans and come back to work himself. If that happened, I would never be able to prove I could make it on my own. Even if his doubts seemed less like doubts and more like reality with each passing day, I still wanted this chance.
For me.
And for him.
In my late twenties, Uncle Edward knew I was more than mature enough to run a business of this magnitude, and he also knew I wanted to be in the wedding business. Which was why he turned it over to me, to begin with.
However, today during our rather heated discussion about Finn, he told me that my quest for perfection, coupled with my impulsive nature, could be the downfall of Easton Design & Weddings. And that he wasn’t sure giving me until the end of the summer to turn things around was the right thing to do.
Those words broke my heart, but they also made me more determined than ever to prove him wrong. After a very long conversation, by some miracle, he had decided to honor his promise and not rescind it before selling the business.
Proving myself wasn’t going to be easy.
Of course, there was the indisputable fact that I had to turn the business around. However, there was also the fact that my failed engagement still weighed heavily on my uncle’s mind. In his eyes, I had made a wrong decision, and I think he saw that as a testament to my poor decision-making abilities.
That was nearly nine months ago, and yet he continued to refer to the less-than-logical reasons I had called the wedding off. It was safe to say he talked about it more than I did. In his opinion, Jaxson Cassidy was about as close to being the perfect one for me as anyone ever would be.
He might not have been wrong about that.
But I’d let Jaxson go.
Jaxson Cassidy.
Just his name brought a smile to my lips.
Everyone called him Sundance because he was the polar opposite of Butch Cassidy in the famous movie. Laid back and fun loving, he was more like the Sundance Kid. Jaxson, which I preferred to call him, was the Ying to my Yang.
The whole opposites attract thing described us perfectly. Where I was a bit overzealous, to put it nicely, he was laid back and easy going.
Perhaps a little too much.
I had been the one to suggest we get engaged, and so we did. I had been the one to suggest a wedding date, and Jaxson had agreed. I had been the one to pick out everything, and that worked for him.
Do you see the I pattern here?
In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I noticed his light seemed a little dimmer. That he wasn’t shining as brightly as he normally did.
Just in case you hadn’t guessed, I’m an overachiever and a bit of a perfectionist myself. Even though Jaxson swore nothing was wrong, I knew something was. And I couldn’t get it out of my head. I began to wonder why he wasn’t happy, and then I figured it out.
It was me.
I didn’t make him happy anymore.
I wasn’t the Yang to his Ying.
Being the perfectionist that I was, I wanted to be that. I wanted perfect. I wanted to be his everything, but I knew I wasn’t.
This only made me question if he was my everything, and that was when I realized maybe he wasn’t.
Ending our engagement was the best thing for both of us.
We weren’t meant to be.
I felt it in my bones, and at least we remained friends, which was both good and bad. On the one hand, I loved talking to him and working with him. But, I also hated the idea that the day was going to come when he’d fall for someone else, and being close with him still, I’d not only know about it, but I’d also have to see it.
Me, on the other hand, I was beginning to think my uncle was right, and that I had made a mistake.
After nine long months, I had yet to even go on a date.
Perhaps finding Mr. Right was impossible.
Maybe finding Mr. Almost Right was as close as I could ever hope to get, which meant Jaxson had been my shot at love, and I had blown it because it wasn’t perfect.
We weren’t perfect.
Perfect.
I was beginning to hate that word.
Imperfect wasn’t looking so bad.
Then again finding my North Star wasn’t exactly something I had time for right now. And dating, that not only took time but energy, both of which were running low right now.
The creak of the steel door swinging open jarred me out of my more than unfortunate reality.
When I looked up, though, I smiled wide. In each hand, Montgomery held a small porcelain plate. I was certain they would be his favorite silver-lined ones if I could see the rims, which I couldn’t because the pieces of cake were the size of Mount Rushmore.
Raising an eyebrow, I scolded him. “Montgomery! I thought you said we were going to share a piece, not eat the entire tier. That is way too much cake. I can’t be in a chocolate coma when I meet with my prospective clients.”
Before I could comment further, a pair of thick, muscled arms gripped my waist from behind, and a tight belly pressed along my back. “Not prospective client, your new client. Think positively, my dear,” a strong English voice whispered directly into my ear. “And don’t worry love, I’m not going to allow Montgomery to eat that bloody piece of cake, and you don’t have to, either.”
I twisted, giving into laughter at the tickling touch of a beard on my earlobe. “Archer, when did you get here? I didn’t even hear you come in.”
Archer was as English as Montgomery was Southern, and he was not only Montgomery’s husband but also the manager of The Bride Box. With his incredibly fit physique, methodically shaved hair close to his scalp, and that single diamond stud in his ear, he was incredibly handsome.
With his deep-rooted English manners, Archer took my palm and kissed my hand. “Why my love, I’ve been here all day, but I was in the back office, which as you know is like being in Siberia. And since Montgomery turned off the security system yesterday when Jaxson was here doing a photo shoot for his portfolio, I didn’t hear you come in, or of course, I would have greeted you properly when you arrived.”
Montgomery was shaking his head at Archer.
“Jaxson was here doing a shoot, for his portfolio?” I asked, and I wondered why he hadn’t told me.
Montgomery ignored my question and extended his arm to hand me the cake. “Yes, I, once again forgot to turn the alarm back on,” he admitted, not looking at all sheepish about it.
Before taking the plate he was offering, I shook a finger at him. “You know it drives Archer crazy when you leave the building unsecured.”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Montgomery sighed. “That system is much too complicated.” He looked at Archer. “Even you said so.”
Archer nodded. “Yes, the system has its quirks, especially when it’s turned off. No matter.” He waved a hand. “Tell me, how are you, love?”
“It really was nearly impossible to concentrate with that constant ding, ding, ding,” Montgomery muttered under his breath.
With my gaze glued to the decadence in my hand, I ignored Montgomery’s complaining, and answered Archer with a light, “How could I be anything but great when I’m about to taste this piece of heaven.”
“I know, it’s practically orgasm inducing.” He winked, and then turned to Montgomery. “Speaking of cake, you know you can’t eat that,” he scolded, and then he tried to take the plate Montgomery was holding from his hand just as Montgomery was lifting his fork.
While the couple battled over the cake, I was unable to stop myself from taking a bite. I sliced the fork through the seven layers and watched as the ganache oozed along the metal of the prongs. And then I lifted the heaping size portion to my mouth, and yes, Archer was right, it was orgasm inducing.
Not that I came or anything.
But seriously, as soon as the delicious taste hit my tongue and slid down my throat, I began to wonder if it might not be better than sex, or the sex I was having with myself, ever since Jaxson and I broke up, anyway.
And if that wasn’t just pathetic.
Scowling at Archer very loudly, Montgomery drew my attention, and I brought myself back to their conversation.
“—I meant the bloody cake, not the orgasms, Monty,” Archer scolded. “Now give me that plate. You know you can’t eat it.”
Monty was his pet name for Montgomery, and although it didn’t seem fitting, whenever he said it, it seemed right.
“It’s my fault,” I piped up. “Montgomery told me you wanted him to watch his waistline, but I insisted he have a piece with me.”
“Is that what he told you?” Archer asked. So unmistakably horrified at the thought, he relinquished the plate back to Montgomery immediately, as if it were burning his fingertips.
Montgomery was making a slicing gesture across his throat, but it was too late, I’d already spoken. I had no idea where to go from there.
“That simply isn’t true,” Archer divulged, straightening his pink bow tie.
“Archer, please don’t say another word,” Montgomery begged.
Archer shook his head. “I’m sorry, Monty, but Jules needs to know. I should have told her last week.”
“Told me what?” I asked, placing my fork into the cake since there was nowhere else to put it.
He turned toward me. “Last week, Monty thought he had a severe case of indigestion, but when it didn’t go away, I practically had to handcuff him and force him to allow me take him to the Emergency Room. The ER doctor determined almost immediately it was not indigestion, but rather diagnosed he was having a heart attack. In a matter of minutes, my Monty had been whisked to the cardiac floor where they discovered a blockage in one of his arteries. Luckily, the cardiologist was able to open it, but our Monty needs to work on keeping it that way by eating the right foods.”
Shocked, I set my plate down on the counter beside me. “Oh, my God. I had no idea. Montgomery, why didn’t you tell me?”
Archer answered for him. “Because he knew how important this client was to you, and didn’t want you to cancel.”
Tears shimmered in my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Montgomery was nodding his head. “I’m fine, my darling. Don’t listen to Archer. You know he overreacts to almost everything. It wasn’t that big of a deal. And look at me—I’m fine. The doctor said to watch what I eat, and I have been. Once in a while, if I want to indulge, I should be able to. Don’t you think, Juliette?”
Just then there was a pounding on the back door. It saved me from having to answer, and I was thankful for that.
At the sound, Archer slung an arm around Montgomery and took the plate from his hand at the same time. “Come with me in the back, my Monty, that must be the security company.”
Montgomery looked at him in confusion.
“They are going to install a new feature that will allow you to turn the door buzzer off all by itself. You can use it whenever you need silence while leaving the alarm system intact.”
Jerking his head toward me, Montgomery said, “What would I do without him? He’s always trying to make my life easier. Finish your cake, Juliette. I’ll be right back.”
I smiled at him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
And then I watched the couple as they strode into the back kitchen arm-in-arm, and sighed.
Now that was a perfect kind of love.