The Art of Taking Chances Read online

  “Just wondering.” I put the rag back in the bucket of water to hide my expression.

  “You had a reason for asking.” Sadie shut the cash drawer.

  I hesitated for a split second. “Well, I thought it would just be girls working here, but I guess not.”

  “Sorry Peyton, but you knew when you hired on this could be a possibility.” Sadie failed miserably at looking sorry about it. “Ava and I decided we needed some man power around here, and Jace needed a job. Besides, he’s not that bad from what I learned in his interview. You should get to know him. You never know what might happen.” With the cash and receipts in hand, she turned and headed to the back.

  Sadie could say whatever she wanted, but I wasn’t going to play buddy-buddy with Jace. I didn’t want to be around boys for my last summer at home. I scowled out the window, wishing I was anywhere but here. If I wasn’t trying to prove my work ethic to my parents, I’d quit right now.

  A few sets of footsteps sounded, and I turned to see Ava walking toward the front counter with Jace and Sadie trailing behind.

  “Hey, Peyton,” Ava said, coming to a stop in front of me, “I want to officially introduce you to our newest team member. This is Jace. He’ll be our cleanup guy on the days he’s here. Otherwise, we’ll be doing what we’ve always done.” Ava flashed a fake smile at me.

  I fought to keep my expression even. She didn’t give a rat’s backside about my feelings.

  Jace grinned and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  I didn’t want to give him the slightest idea I wanted him here, but I couldn’t just stare at him, especially in front of Ava and Sadie. So, I reached out and gripped his hand for the briefest, most unpleasant, of seconds.

  “Nice to meet you.” I lied, trying to keep a glare off my face.

  Sadie watched from behind Jace and Ava, shaking her head.

  I swore Jace’s smile got bigger. My stupid imagination was getting in the way again. Sometimes I thought something was happening, but it really wasn’t. I freaking hated it when that happened.

  Ava’s gaze shifted between us, but she finally broke the silence. “Are you ready to start then, Jace?”

  “Sure. Show me what to do.” He looked at me one last time before following Ava to the kitchen.

  Sadie hung behind, gawking at me. “Could you make it any more obvious?”

  “What?” I averted my eyes to the door, thinking I heard it open.

  Grinning, Sadie messed with the Square on the iPad we used to check customers out. “You think he’s cute.”

  “No, I don’t.” I gave her a pointed look before staring out the window, hoping a customer would come in and distract her. “Besides, I hate boys right now, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah, right.” Sadie didn’t sound convinced.

  I kept my gaze out the window, and finally she finished up whatever she was doing and headed back to the office, leaving me alone up front.

  Within a couple of minutes, Jace returned to the front with a bucket full of clean water and a bright white rag. He started wiping tables off.

  “I’ve already done that,” I said over the counter.

  His hand paused on the table. “Ava told me to do it.”

  “Oh, okay.” I leaned against the counter and tried not to make it obvious that I was watching him.

  He moved from table to table with ease, his arms flexing and relaxing with each scrub. Now that I looked at him more closely, I could tell he went to the gym quite a bit, and his dark hair… I always said I wanted to date a guy who resembled Taylor Lautner, and Jace would qualify—

  What am I thinking? I am not dating. I repeat. Not. Dating. Not even looking at guys.

  He must have felt me watching him because he turned to look at me and smiled wide.

  My heartrate picked up, and I turned my back to him, straightening up some supplies on the shelves.

  The bell signaled customers coming in. Over their shoulders, I caught Jace glancing at me. Apparently, I hadn’t been the only one staring.

  Two

  As I drove to my grandma’s house, all I could think about was work and Jace. One minute I was ready to quit, and the next minute I couldn’t fathom leaving.

  Grandma wasn’t home when I arrived—probably out with her friends for an afternoon of shopping or something. She’d never been home much, even in retirement.

  I took my shoes and socks off and laid down on my bed. I lifted up my hips and pulled my phone out of my back pocket to call Courtney. Hopefully she was off work today.

  “Hey, girl, what’s up?” a familiar female voice said on the other end.

  I closed my eyes against the overhead light and my bad day, but all I could see was Jace’s stupid arms and that smile. “I’m ready to quit my job.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Ava hired a boy to work there.”

  “Oh, gosh,” Courtney said, hushed. “I’m sorry, Peyton.”

  The jagged edges of my broken heart burned with each breath, and I swallowed hard. “I never dreamed they’d hire a guy to work at a bakery. Baking’s more of a girl thing, right?”

  Tiger, Grandma’s cat, jumped up on the bed, and I ran my hand over his striped fur.

  “Well, some of the best bakers are men, so you can’t say it’s an only female job.”

  “Yeah, but Ava said it would be just us girls when she hired me.” I hated the whiney way my voice sounded almost as much as I hated the idea of working with Jace.

  “You know Ava. She wears two different colored socks just because she can’t choose one.” Courtney chuckled.

  But I didn’t. This wasn’t funny in the least.

  “Peyton, just because one boy hurt you doesn’t mean all boys will. It’s not your fault Ethan doesn’t realize how smart and beautiful you are.”

  Tears stung my eyes, and I wiped them away. “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

  “Yes, I am, and I hope it worked.”

  “A little bit.” I sniffed. “But it doesn’t change the fact Ethan dumped me. I dated the guy for months, and I hardly knew him at all. How am I supposed to trust a complete stranger?”

  “Maybe you just missed the signs? I mean, maybe all you saw was this cute boy who took an interest in you.”

  I cringed. Courtney was blunt…and painfully honest. “You might be right.”

  “I know I’m right. I mean college is going to be a whole new world for you. You’ll find that special guy and fall in love someday. Until then—”

  “‘You’ll have to deal with boys. You can’t avoid them.’ Yeah, yeah.” I’d heard the speech before, and I knew Courtney was right. “But I’m only gonna talk to Jace when I have to.”

  “Maybe you should get to know him. It’d make things at work a little easier,” she said, and added, “Of course, it’s your decision.”

  “Yes, it is. I need to go eat a little something. Talk soon.”

  I didn’t give Courtney much of a chance to say anything else before hanging up. I was ready to curl up with a good book and get away from the disaster called today. As bad as I hated to say Courtney was right, she was. I’d have to deal with men for the rest of my life. I couldn’t avoid them forever.

  The next morning, Jace was already there when I arrived. He stood in the open window of the kitchen, right behind the counter.

  He grinned at me and chirped, “Good morning.”

  How could he be so happy this early? I was not a morning person, so “good” usually wasn’t in my greeting.

  I kept walking toward the office. “Morning.”

  In the office, I hung my purse on a hook, grabbed my blue apron, and headed back to the front, where I greeted a few people who had entered the bakery.

  The steady stream of customers didn’t let up for close to an hour. Most had come and gone, but a few remained in the dining area.

  I started to grab a wet towel and wipe off the empty tables, but I heard a voice say, “That’s my job, remember?”<
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  I turned and found Jace standing behind me, grinning.

  “How are you so peppy in the morning?” I asked, handing him the towel.

  His eyes caught mine. “It’s easy when you work with a couple of beautiful ladies.”

  I shifted my gaze toward the floor and waited for him to leave. If that was his way of saying he liked me, then he could forget it.

  “Besides,” he added, “I’ve learned life is too short. We need to be happy as much as we can. While we can.”

  Clearly, he couldn’t take a hint.

  “You’re right,” I said, “but I still can’t be this peppy in the mornings. It’s just not in me.”

  “Sure, it is. You have to choose your attitude first thing in the morning.”

  I rolled my eyes. Right. Like it was that easy.

  He leaned against the counter and gazed at me until I had no choice to see what he wanted. His lips quirked into a smile. “And I can tell you like me.”

  My mouth gaped open and closed, unable to form words. What did he just say?

  Still smirking, he walked back to the kitchen.

  I couldn’t even sort out my own feelings, and this guy had the nerve to tell me how I felt? No. Way.

  I stormed behind him. “For your information, I was upset when I found out you’d been hired. The only reason I’m here right now is because I need a job.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think you’re pretty cute, too.” He took down a bag of flour and measured out a cup. “And you didn’t deny it.”

  I sputtered for a moment, but finally found my voice and put my hands on my hips. “Did you hear me? I don’t want you here.”

  Jace looked at me evenly. “Yes, I heard what you think of me. And I’m telling you what I think of you.”

  His sure smile gnawed at my already frayed nerves.

  “You can stand there with that stupid smile on your face, but it’s not going to change my mind about boys. Nothing can change my mind about them. Just don’t even freaking talk to me.”

  I started to leave the kitchen.

  “We work together so I have to talk to you.”

  I flipped around. “Only when absolutely necessary.”

  I returned to the front where I belonged, which was anywhere away from Jace. I had a customer waiting to order anyway. Perfect timing.

  I managed to avoid Jace the rest of the day. He stayed in the kitchen, baking and decorating a cake. He even brought it up front without saying a word to me when a young mom came to pick it up in the early afternoon.

  Ava came into the kitchen a little before three and prepared the dough for some donuts and pastries for the morning, trying to get a head start. Jace didn’t try anything with her around. She preferred to work in quiet, anyway. Fine with me.

  When my shift was over at 3 p.m., I put my apron back on its hook, grabbed my purse, and headed to the door.

  “Hey, wait a minute!” Jace said behind me.

  I pretended I didn’t hear him and kept walking. I was almost to my car when I heard, “I told you to wait a minute. Are you deaf?” Jace’s footsteps quickened to a jog.

  “Nope, not deaf, but apparently you are. Didn’t you hear me say don’t talk to me unless it’s absolutely necessary?” I started to open the car door, but he put his hand on the door and held it shut.

  “Leave me alone, please.” I tried to open the door again.

  And again he put his hand on the door. “Not until you tell me what you have against me. Why do you hate men so much?”

  “I’m not telling you that.” I pulled on my door handle a third time.

  Jace leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest.

  “All right, fine.” I glared at him. “I got hurt really bad by a guy a few months ago.”

  “Really?” He looked incredulous. “So you hate all guys because one hurt your precious feelings?”

  “Yes, really,” I said and attempted to open my car door again.

  He wouldn’t budge. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll get off of your car if you let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night.”

  “Not in your lifetime.”

  “Come on,” he said, dark eyes pleading.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s me.”

  I lifted one eyebrow. “What makes you so special?”

  “I’m not like that guy who broke your heart. Give me one date to show you.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I bit the inside of my lip as my thoughts rolled around in my head. How could I risk being hurt again?

  “Come on, just one chance.” He wasn’t on his knees, but he might as well have been with the look he was giving me and the begging tone of his voice.

  It tugged at my heart. Cute or not, how could I go out with him? On the other hand, how could I not? Sure, he worked hard at the bakery and had good manners.

  “Sure, since I don’t have a choice if I want to go home,” I said. “Now, I really need to leave, so…”

  “Of course.” He moved off of my car. “Do you have a piece of paper so I can write down your address?”

  “If you’ll get your hand off of my car so I can get in, I have some Post-its in my console.” I sat down in my car and shut the door. Hurriedly, I scribbled down my address, rolled down the window, and handed it to Jace.

  He examined the Post-it. “See you in the morning.”

  I started my car and pulled away. Glancing in the rearview, I saw Jace standing there and watching me leave. I smiled at his reflection. I hadn’t bothered to tell him I didn’t work the next day.

  Three

  “When were you going to tell me you didn’t work today?” Jace sounded half mad, half amused on the other end of the phone.

  A smile tugged at my lips as I sat up in the hammock where I’d lounged for the last half hour. “I wondered when you would figure it out.”

  Jace snorted. “I’m beginning to think this guy had a real reason for hurting you.”

  I scowled over the lake by my grandma’s house. “No one deserves to be treated the way he did me.”

  “You’re right, but what you did to me wasn’t nice either. A deal’s a deal. I agreed to get off of your car, and you agreed to go out with me tonight.”

  “You didn’t ask if I worked today, so I didn’t bother to tell you.” I got out of the hammock, walked over to a chair and sat down, watching the ducks swimming along the edge of the lake.

  “Touché. So is the address you gave me right, or is that a joke, too? You’re not getting out of this that easy.”

  “What I gave you yesterday was right.” Now I kind of wished I had given him a fake one. Too bad I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

  “Okay, I’ll see you in about two hours.” Jace ended the call before I could answer him.

  I sat back in the chair, and Tiger rubbed against my legs. I hit Courtney’s number on my phone.

  “What’s going on?” she answered.

  “I have a date with Jace tonight.” I groaned just a little and put my hand on my forehead to wipe the sweat off.

  “What did you just say?”

  “You heard me.” If I had been sitting next to Courtney, I’d glare at her. Always the smart aleck.

  “With Jace?”

  “The boy at the bakery.”

  “Oh, so you changed your mind?” She sounded way too pleased.

  “No, he didn’t give me a choice.” I said, petting the cat so he would eventually walk away and leave me alone.

  “What do you mean he wouldn’t give you a choice?”

  “He wouldn’t let me in my car unless I agreed.”

  Tiger walked away and took off around the corner of the house. I stood up and walked went inside and toward my bedroom.

  “He held your car hostage?” Courtney snickered.

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what he did.” I couldn’t sit still as it was, and I certainly didn’t need her attempts at humor to make things worse. “No, he leaned against the door and woul
dn’t let me open it.” I paced back and forth at the end of the bed.

  “All you had to do was walk around to the other side, silly.”

  “Yeah, thanks for sharing that. All I could think about was going home.” I stopped pacing and gazed into my closet.

  “So why are you calling me? You should be getting ready for your date!”

  “I have no idea where to wear.”

  Courtney chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “That you had no choice. I want to meet this guy. He sounds like a smart one.” She chuckled again on the other end.

  “It’s not that funny, Courtney.”

  “Yes, it is.” She giggled.

  Of course, the one person I thought I could count on was laughing at my situation. “Alright, fine. I’m hanging up then.”

  “No, don’t. I’ll stop,” she said, quelling her laughter. “So what do you need from me?”

  “I wanted some ideas on what to wear—jeans and nice shirt or a dress? I have my simple black dress that I always bring with me to Grandma’s just in case. I hate to dress up too much, but I don’t think jeans are enough.”

  “First of all, does this even matter?”

  “Of course, it matters.” If I was going on a date, what I wore mattered. Even if I had my doubts about the date. I didn’t want to be dressed the wrong way.

  “Okay. Do you know where he’s taking you?”

  “No.”

  “Either would work, I think. I mean, we don’t have fancy places here in town other than Mel’s Steakhouse. It’s a pretty casual place. I’ve seen people dressed all kinds of ways.”

  “That’s what I was thinking.” I paused. “I don’t know. This feels like a bad idea.”

  “You’d better figure out what you’re wearing so you’re not stressed closer to time.”

  “I really don’t want to go, though.”

  “Peyton, it won’t kill you to go on a date. Like I said before, give him a chance. You never know what might happen.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  “Nothing romantic has to come out of this. You could end up just being good friends,” Courtney said. “Relax and have fun. I’d better let you go so you can get ready..”