Sweet Possession

I love that: her excitement, her pride over what she’s created.

I’m so glad I hired Brooke Wicks.

After setting a large saucepan on the stovetop, I pour in the heavy cream and turn on the heat. Once I get it to a boil, I can add the peppermint extract and strain the mixture into the chocolate. Then it has to cool before I can frost my cake.

My wedding cake.

Both cakes are already assembled and ready to be iced. I’ve timed everything perfectly, allowing us to frost the other bride’s cake while my icing cools. The sugared orchids are already assembled for her cake. I tackled those bright and early this morning, knowing they would take me several hours. They turned out amazing, incredibly life-like, and I sent a picture to Reese so he could see what had me skipping my run today. His response was just as sweet as the flowers.

Reese: You amaze me, love. You always have.

And then he sent me one more a few seconds later.

Reese: One more day.

I turn the heat off for the cream and carry the saucepan over to the worktop. I slowly pour the mixture into my mixing bowl, whisking the contents as they melt together. As soon as the cream touches the chocolate, that familiar smell permeates my senses, filling me with the memory of this frosting. The only one I have besides the time I made it for Mrs. Frey’s anniversary cake. Reese hasn’t had this frosting since he ate it off my body on this very worktop, and when I was deciding on what to do for my own wedding cake, I knew I had to incorporate this flavor somehow. However, it’s not going to be hot pink this time. At least, not on the outside of the cake. I’ve tweaked the recipe to leave out the shaved peppermint sticks, opting for the flavor from the extract instead. And with a little help from some food coloring, I’ll have a beautiful white-mint chocolate wedding cake, as opposed to a pink one.

The shop door dings open as I set my empty saucepan back on the stovetop. Juls comes walking into the kitchen, carrying a small envelope with Ian right behind her. She’s dressed chicly as usual, while Ian is wearing the same attire I’m used to seeing Reese in.

“Is someone getting married tomorrow?” Juls asks, walking toward me. She stops when she sees Brooke’s apron. “Aww, I love that.”

“Joey got it for me,” Brooke states, smiling over at my thoughtful assistant as he walks into the back.

Juls darts over to him and wraps her arms around his waist. “You’re the sweetest, JoJo.”

“Christ, it’s just an apron. I didn’t propose or anything,” he counters.

“Babe, hurry up and show Dylan what we came here for. I need to get back to the office.” Ian walks over to the assembled cakes and studies them, leaning in closely. “These will get frosted, right?”

“Yes,” all four of us answer in unison, the obvious implication evident in our voices.

He straightens and stares at us like he hasn’t just asked a ridiculous question.

Who the hell wouldn’t ice a wedding cake?

“Okay, are you ready?” Juls asks, opening her envelope and waving over Joey and Brooke. We all three huddle around her as she pulls out the tiny black and white photo and holds it out for us to see. “Look at my little nugget.”

“Oh, my God!” I snatch the photo out of her hand and run my finger over the image. Tracing over the tiny splotch, because that’s exactly what it looks like, I can’t contain the magnitude of emotions beginning to course through me.

My best friend is having a baby.

When I glance back at her, it’s through teary eyes. “Juls! I love your little nugget!”

“Give me that.” Joey grabs the picture and studies it with Brooke. He gasps, looking from the picture to her stomach. “Can you feel anything yet?”

She shakes her head, wiping underneath her eyes. “No, not yet. But we heard the heartbeat today. That was amazing.” Ian comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. “Wasn’t it amazing, babe?”

He kisses her neck. “It was. I wish I could’ve recorded it.” He removes one hand from around Juls and takes the picture away from Joey. “Let me see my baby again.”

I watch as the proud father-to-be looks at the sonogram with his wife. He whispers something into her ear and she nods, tearing up again. It’s a private moment and I let them have it, turning around and busying myself.

At the sound of the shop door, Joey disappears up front, returning moments later and carrying the familiar white box. He sets it down on the worktop in front of me. “Not sure how he’s going to top a set of car keys,” he says jokingly, tugging at the white ribbon.

I open the box and pull out the card, not bothering to contain my excitement. I can’t. I’m marrying this amazing man tomorrow, my best friend just showed me a picture of her little nugget, and I have the two best employees a girl could ask for.

I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, but I’m finding it hard to imagine topping this moment.

I open the card as Joey sifts through the tissue paper, stopping to read over my shoulder.

Dylan,

You asked me to keep my eyes on you before when you danced to this song, and I’ve never taken them off. Dance for me now.

X, Reese

Joey pulls out Reese’s iPod and darts up front with it as I tuck the note into my apron pocket. He returns moments later with the docking station, plugging it in and setting everything on the worktop. “I love how he knows we dance on Fridays. Could he seriously be any more perfect?”