Cassie didn’t believe him. “Well, it’s very generous of you to buy the bakery for me, but you really don’t want anything in return?”
Jordan cocked one eyebrow. “Well, maybe I want one thing.”
“Of course you do. So what is it? What do you want?”
“It’s nothing too big or anything. I just want a date.”
“A date? With me?” Cassie sputtered with wide eyes.
“No, with one of your coworkers. Do you think you could hook me up with Ashley? She seems nice, and she’s pretty.” Jordan winked at Cassie, but he could see she wasn’t finding his jesting funny when she shoved him in his chest.
“That’s not funny, Jordan. You play football; you’re not a comedian. Don’t try and make jokes when you’re clearly not very good at it.”
“I’m kidding. Of course I want a date with you. There’s no one else I would rather go out with than you.” He extended his hand out, gently touching the side of Cassie’s face with a stroke as he pushed some hair out of her face that had escaped the hair net she was wearing.
Cassie brushed him off, refusing to be distracted by the more pressing matter.
“I...I can’t.”
She walked through to the front part of the shop as Jordan followed behind her.
“Why not?”
To Cassie’s dismay, Jordan wasn’t giving up.
“Well, why did you decide to buy the bakery for me anyway?” Cassie tried to turn the conversation around in her favor.
“It’s not a crime to do a nice thing for the mother of my son. I knew you weren’t going to take my money. And don’t change the subject. Why can’t you go out with me? It’s just one date. No strings attached.”
Besides, we’ve already had the make-up sex. The least you could do is go out on a date with me, Jordan thought to himself.
“Are you sure about that?” There was too much history between them to have a date that was some meaningless night out together.
“I am if it means you’ll actually go out with me tonight.”
Cassie didn’t have much of a choice. She knew he wasn’t going to give up on the matter.
She turned away from the coffee machine for a moment to face Jordan, who had slipped back in front of the counter where the customers could sit, and leaned in toward him so the other patrons and staff couldn’t hear their conversation. She didn’t need people talking about her behind her back. She got enough of that already.
“Okay, I will go out with you, but it is not a date. I’m just returning the kind gesture and saying thank you at the same time.”
Jordan didn’t care if he looked corny, and in a split second, his demeanor changed and a huge smirk appeared on his face. “Then it’s not a date. I will be at your place tonight at six.” He looked around the shop. “Enjoy your new business venture. I’m sure you’ll make one heck of a boss.”
Boss? Ah, crap! It finally dawned on her that she was now the boss. Patty-Cake Bakery was officially hers under the strangest of circumstances. Of course she had dreamed of one day owning and running her very own bakery; she just hadn’t counted on it being today or having her ex-boyfriend leap in and buy her the place. She supposed she shouldn’t have been so readily accepting of his proposition, but she didn’t see any other choice. She didn’t think Jordan would back down.
Then just like that, she watched Jordan walk out the door, and despite recent revelations, Cassie got back to work, because she still had a job to do and cakes to make. She also knew that whether tonight was a date or not, it was certainly going to be one very noteworthy evening.
“Why am I here tonight?” Gabby asked her best friend after arriving at Cassie’s house shortly before five that evening to watch Jake while she went out with Jordan.
“It’s not like you need two people to look after Jake, unless this was one of your secret ploys to get Nick and me talking. ‘Cause if not, I’m sure he’s capable enough to babysit Jake without needing my help.” Gabby scrutinized her immaculately painted fingernails as she spoke. “Do you not trust his capabilities? Is that it? Because I wouldn’t either if I was you. He’s like a man-child. He hasn’t really grown up yet and still plays video games.”
Cassie came out of her walk-in closet shaking her head, wearing a long white skirt with a brown belt attached to the waist.
“It’s not like that at all. I do trust Nick, and he’s not a man-child like you say. A man-child wouldn’t have his own business. I called you before I realized Jake wanted Nick to look after him tonight, because he wanted to play video games with him.”