Must Love Sandwiches (11 page)

“How many times do I have to say this? Stop with this selective hearing bullshit. At least ask him who she is. I know you’re mad at him, and me right now, but I just have a feeling that the snog fest wasn’t what it seemed.” Daisy stopped in front of the door with a loud stomp of her hiking boots. “I’m going to the park to get something decent to eat. Please come with me.”

“No. And don’t even think of asking him about the woman. I don’t want to know anything about her.” Emma turned away as Daisy walked out and slammed the door. Wisps of steam rose from the pan of boiling water. She tossed the replacement block of noodles into the bubbling liquid and sprinkled in the seasoning packet. She often spent close to ten dollars buying lunch from Brad. As she poked at the softening noodles with a fork she tried to convince herself that she was just saving hard-earned money by eating the cheap pasta.

Daisy had struck more than a raw nerve, she had tromped around, stomping on every painful, sensitive truth. She was right, even though Emma hated to admit it. Seeing Brad kissing the woman tripped a circuit breaker. There was something different about him. Her heart wanted to be with him no matter how many times her brain tried to rationalize that she needed to stay away. Finding him with another woman pushed her over the edge, into a dark, emotional chasm. Could Daisy also be right about the scene not being what it seemed? Emma dumped the softened noodles into a ceramic bowl. She curled up in the recliner to slurp noodles and contemplate how she could bring the subject up with Brad. She couldn’t just close a door in her mind and pretend the incident never happened. She couldn’t walk away from him, either.

A dribble of broth ran down her chin. She wiped it off with the back of her hand. An egg was what she had been looking for in the refrigerator when Daisy derailed her thoughts. She had planned on topping the noodles with a fried egg. A little hot sauce could help salvage the unsatisfying meal, if there was any left. She got up to check. There was a knock on the door before she could begin her search. Daisy was a brave woman to come back and make another attempt to convince her to talk to Brad. Emma abandoned the noodles on the counter and swung the door open. “I’m surprised you came back. My craziness could be contagious.”

“It’s okay. I’ve been crazy for a long time.”

It wasn’t Daisy standing in the hallway. It was Brad.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I brought that banana bread sandwich we talked about. I was hoping you’d stop by the truck, but since you didn’t, here I am.”

“Oh, well, I’ve been swamped with new orders.” Emma stepped aside and motioned for him to come in. This wasn’t good. She hadn’t figured out how to bring up the woman yet, without making it sound like she was stalking him. She really wanted to know what had happened, but he didn’t even know she was near the truck that evening. Hopefully he would leave after she tried the samples. “I usually just eat while I’m working now.” She pointed at her bowl. “That’s why I haven’t been around the park.”

Brad set a foam take-out box on the kitchen counter, next to the worm-like noodles. He flipped open the lid to reveal bite-sized sandwiches, drizzled in chocolate and caramel sauce. “We put out free samples and could barely keep up with demand for them. Judging from what people said, these are going to be a hit.” He plucked a fork out of the silverware jar sitting next to the stove. He speared one of the morsels and offered it to her. “This one is banana bread with honey and cream cheese filling.”

Emma took the fork. She closed her eyes as the flavors exploded in her mouth. The sandwich was lightly grilled, giving a rich crispness to the dense bread. The filling was smooth and creamy, with just the right level of sweetness. “This is so good. Better than I imagined it would be.”

“Better than you imagined? What? Did you doubt my culinary skills?” He took the fork back from Emma and returned it with another sample. “This one is pound cake with chocolate hazelnut filling.”

Emma savored the second offering then licked caramel sauce off her lips. “They are both so good. I’m sure they’ll be a hit.” She handed Brad a clean fork. “You need to help eat these. I’ll gain five pounds if you leave all of them here.”

“Come on. You have to indulge every once in awhile. There’s only one pound worth of calories here anyway.” Brad’s gaze wandered around the room and settled on Emma’s work bench. He crossed the room to examine the projects sitting on it. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”

“There are only a few of my things left in the gallery downstairs, since I’ve been doing a lot of online sales. I need to replenish my stock.” So much for getting him out the door quickly. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She plucked another banana bread sandwich out of the box. Part of her wanted to offer him a drink and invite him to sit down. Another part wanted to shove him out the door before she blurted out something that she would regret.

Brad leaned down to examine one of the fairy doors closer. It had a circular window and was covered in silver metallic paint. “This looks like a restaurant kitchen door. I can’t believe how much detail you put into these. You are a talented woman.”

He was pouring it on a bit thick. Even though the compliment was a bunch of hot air the only response should could choke out was, “Thank you.”

Brad frowned as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you want to sit down and get this over with?”

A lump materialized in her throat. She swallowed, but it refused to budge. “Get what over with?”

“I met Daisy on the sidewalk on my way here. She told me you two saw Beth kissing me last weekend.”

Emma gasped. Daisy, the traitor, had talked to him. She would have to thank her for forcing her into this nightmare of a conversation. “Your private life is none of my business. It’s not Daisy’s either. Sorry.”

“The woman was Beth, my ex-girlfriend. She was drunk and pulled one of her typical, manipulative maneuvers. She cornered me when I was closing up. I swear, it didn’t go any farther than that kiss.” He collapsed into the recliner. Apparently he was going to make himself at home whether she wanted him to or not. “Please believe me.”

Emma spun around the office chair that was sitting in front of her workbench and dropped onto it. So the make-out scene really wasn’t what it appeared to be. Daisy would be thrilled to find out she was right. “It’s your life and I’m just the woman who gives you sandwich ideas. Like I said, it’s none of my business who you’re involved with.”

“That’s what you think?” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I just hang around because I want you to help me with my menu?”

“Isn’t that what you want? You’re the one that asked me to come up with dessert ideas for your truck.” Emma nudged the floor with her toe and slid farther away from Brad. The back of the chair slammed into the edge of the workbench.

“I asked you for more ideas because I loved the dessert sandwiches you came up with off the top of your head. I also wanted to spend more time with you because I really like you. I was hoping we’d do more than talk about pound cake and banana bread when we went to Josh’s.”

Emma reached behind her, grabbed one of the ceramic bowls off the workbench and nestled it on her lap. She scooped up a handful of beads and dropped them back into the bowl, one at a time. “You’re a great guy, but I’m not sure I can handle a relationship right now. I need a shopping cart to carry around all of my mental baggage.”

She swiveled away from him, plucked more beads from the bowls scattered across the workbench and arranged them in the grooves of a jewelry designing board. Brad’s kiss with Beth looked too passionate to have ended at one lip lock. She wanted to believe that there was nothing going on with his ex, but she had also believed Max.

“I’m sorry, but I’m having a difficult time believing that kiss from Beth was a friendly peck on the cheek. I bet she wants you back and I bet she’s not the kind of woman who takes no for an answer.”

Brad said, “You’re right. She did want more, but I didn’t give it to her. There’s no way I will ever go back to her. She was impossible to live with. I don’t ever want to be involved with someone that insane again.”

She turned to look at him. “You do remember I make furniture for fairies, right?”

“I’m okay with that. Just let me know if any evil fairies start telling you to go after me with a knife.”

Emma giggled at his attempt to lighten the conversation’s mood. “Why? Did Beth try to stab you?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”
His ex really was a lunatic.
“She tried to kill you?”

“It was more like threatened great bodily harm and she waved a knife around to make her point. I wasn’t impressed and the relationship was over at that moment, even though she won’t admit it. Nothing was ever her fault. There’s something seriously wrong with a person who can’t understand why using a cleaver to win an argument is a bad thing.” He leaned over the arm of the recliner. “I don’t want to get back with Beth. The relationship is over, with a zero chance of resuscitation, despite what you saw. Do you believe me?”

No matter what he said, there was a grain of doubt in her mind. How many times had she trusted a guy, because he was handsome and seemed to be sincere, just to find out later that he was lying? “I want to believe you, but I’m having problems doing that. My last boyfriend broke up with me because he said he wanted to concentrate on his career. There are only a few pieces of his art left in the gallery downstairs right now because he’s been too busy boinking his new girlfriend to restock.”

“That’s a hell of a personal issue to deal with. How can I convince you I’m not like that?” Brad drummed his fingers on his thigh. “I could beat your ex up. Or what about sicking Psycho Beth on him? A few hints to her that some guy has been checking her out and she’d be on him like butter on bread. He can’t be very bright if he broke up with you. My guess is he wouldn’t know what hit him until she’s trimming his chest hairs with a fillet knife.”

Emma laughed as she pictured Brad’s imaginary revenge. How did he do that? Somehow he had changed her mood from cranky to happy in a matter of seconds. “That’s a good idea. They both deserve it!”

“It’s good to see you laugh again.” Brad stood up. His height still startled her. He was at least six feet tall. Must of the time she saw him through the order window of his truck and for some reason he seemed much shorter then. He squatted in front of her and gently squeezed her hand. Her gaze bounced between their entwined fingers and his blue eyes as he said, “I’m going to leave now and give you some space. I really want to go out with you on a real date, not a business meeting, but I know you need to trust me. Please think about what I’ve said, okay? I promise, I’m nothing like your ex.”

Brad straightened, then crossed the room and walked out. His warmth lingered on her hand. Should she kill or hug Daisy? There were so many tangles and knots in her life, it was going to take a while to sort everything out.

“I told you it wasn’t what it seemed,” Daisy said as she rummaged through Emma’s kitchen cupboards, looking for a snack. “I mean, she had him pinned against the truck and I’m pretty sure his hands were by his sides, instead of on her. I didn’t think he looked that into whatever was happening.”

Emma tilted her head down and looked over the top of the magnifying glasses she was wearing. “I was too busy going into shock at the time to study his position and body language.”

“Sorry. I thought you’d noticed that.” She unearthed a box of microwaveable popcorn in the cabinet next to the stove. Finally. A decent snack prospect. “Is this kettle corn stuff any good?”

Emma shrugged and said, “It’s pretty good. Sweet and salty. Great for PMS cravings.” Emma swirled her finger through a bowl of beads and then picked up a handful. She sorted through them, plucking a couple out of her palm and placed them on a piece of felt. The glass spheres clinked softly as she dropped the rest of them back into the ceramic bowl.

“Sold.” Daisy tossed the bag into the microwave and punched the “Popcorn” button on the number pad. It hummed as she crossed the room. Emma was working on a fairy door. The door was mint green with swirls of aqua blue. A tiny basket full of seashells hung from the minuscule doorknob. “That’s really cool. What are you going to do with the beads?”

“Glue them around the window.” Emma placed a few clear glass beads around the edge of the door’s rectangular window. “What do you think?”

“I like it. They look kind of like bubbles.”

“That’s what I wanted. I’m trying to give it an underwater feel.” Emma squirted a fine line of glue around the window and carefully applied the beads. “Now if only figuring out what to do about Brad, and Max, was as easy.”

“Whoa. Where did Max come from?” She spun Emma’s chair around, then bent to stare into her eyes. “What do you have to figure out about Max? He’s a cheating liar. An ex-boyfriend who should definitely stay in the ex category. Right?”

“Yes. I guess. I don’t know.” Emma covered her face with her hands. She splayed her fingers and peered through the cracks. “I ran into him a few nights ago. He said breaking up with me was a mistake and he wanted to get together again. I should have told him no flat out, but I didn’t really do that. He might still think we could get back together.”

“I think whatever you said was clear enough. I stopped in the community kitchen this morning to get a cup of coffee. He and his favorite fake blonde were feeding each other raspberries for breakfast. It was like watching another rehearsal for their private porno movie. The freaky romance still seems to be going strong.”