2022 | when we met. b/bakery.

after we met. b/bakery.

Several months later. In the bakery kitchen.

Amelia tried to focus on the cake she was decorating, but that proved difficult with Parker sitting just a few feet away watching her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Parker?”

“Yes?”

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that I’m never going to get this cake done.”

“Sorry.”

“You are not sorry.” Amelia knew he wasn’t.

He smiled to her. “No. I’m not. You are mesmerizing.”

Amelia shook her head and turned back to her cake. “I’ve had lots of practice,” she said as she piped the final tier. “Do you want to try?”

“No! I’ll ruin your cake.”

“I’ll get you a cupcake.” She smiled and without looking at him, she knew he smiled, too. After resting two cupcakes on the counter, she turned back to her cake.

“You know I’m going to totally destroy those, right?” Parker said with a little laugh.

Amelia looked up from her cake with a smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

~

After the beautiful cake was safely away, Amelia stood near Parker at the counter.

“Ready?” She asked with a smile.

Parker nodded.

She picked up a bag of frosting and handed it to him. “Start here,” she pointed to the cupcake, “and swirl around like this,” she circled a few times with her finger to show him, “and you’ll have a lovely flower.”

Parker handed the frosting back to Amelia. “I think you should show me first.”

She took the bag from him. It took her seconds to create the perfect swirl of frosting to make a beautlful flower. “Okay,” she turned to him. “Now you try.” She handed him the frosting.

Serious and focused like he was about to perform brain surgery, Parker covered the cupcake with frosting the way he’d watched Amelia do it. He moved a little more slowly than she did so his wasn’t as clean as hers, but it was good. And Amelia thought it was so sweet that he wanted to try—that he was interested in what she loved.

Parker looked at his cupcake and then at Amelia’s. “Yours is better,” he said. “I think I’m going to need more practice.”

“It was your first try. I think it’s cute.” She pushed herself up onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

After resting the frosting on the counter, Parker turned back to her. “I think you’re cute,” he said, slipping his hand into her hair. He pulled her mouth to his and kissed her. When he saw her eyes again, he smiled. “I’m pretty sure no amount of practice could ever make me as amazing as you.”

She laughed softly and pulled his mouth back to hers. As they kissed, she blindly reached to the counter feeling for a cupcake. She scooped frosting onto her finger. As her lips left his, she smeared the frosting onto his nose.

“Hey!”

“Oh. I should clean that up.” She kissed his nose and mostly cleaned him up. While she did, Parker ran his own finger across the top of one of the cupcakes. He turned to her and smiled devilishly as he wiped frosting from his finger across her lips.

Without looking away, she reached for more frosting. He neared her with the intention of kissing her sweet frosted mouth, but she stopped him when she tried to frost him again. He was too quick this time, though. He grabbed her hand.

“You are so fresh,” he said, taking her fingers into his mouth to eat up the sugary goodness. Then he kissed her, which was his way of distracting her. But it didn’t work.

Amelia felt Parker’s arm moving. She pulled away just enough to grab his hand. “Are you trying to get more frosting?”

“What?” He pretended to be shocked she would think that of him. “Would I do that?”

“Yes. Of course you would!” She smiled and he adored it. He squeezed her hand in his and kissed her again.

“You know me so well,” he said softly, laughing a little, too. “You’re right,” he mumbled. “I definitely would.”

“Parker.” She couldn’t help laughing with him. “God, I love you.”

Parker went silent and didn’t move for a moment. Amelia stared at him and felt her heart pounding. She had never said that before. Neither had he. But it just fell from her.

“Amelia.” He took her face in his hands and ran his thumbs over her cheeks. “Please say that again…”

She saw the hint of a smile in his expression. “I love you, Parker.”

“Oh God.” He kissed her deeply. And in a moment, when his eyes were back on hers, she saw his whole smile. Lighting up his entire face. “Amelia.”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

♥

Hot guy: Rafael Lazzini (coincidentally, the same model whose photo I used in last years post for this letter…)

p.s. — Day two and I’m late again.
p.p.s. — I take it back. It’s 11:58 pm here. I’m not going to be late for another two minutes!

©2023 what sandra thinks