Always Room for Cupcakes (9 page)

Still, I instinctively pulled my phone out of my clutch and pressed the camera button.

I turned and brought the phone up, flipping the screen as I readied the camera for another fake selfie. When the camera came into focus and I snapped a shot of Jason leaning down to kiss the mystery woman, catching both of their profiles in the shot, I wasn’t even aware of the tears running down my face.

The busty blonde and Hector forgotten, I left my still-full martini glass and fled the Tapas bar.

I cried all the way home, wondering how I was going to break the news to my best friend that her husband was a cheating bastard.

“I don’t care if you had a heart attack and needed an ambulance, when I give you a job and tell you to get me pictures, I want you to get me those fucking pictures no matter what!”

I was holding my cell up to my ear, mouth open in shock, while Moose screamed his head off through the phone. I’d never heard Moose angry before, and he’d
never
talked to me like that before.

Of course, I’d never left a job without getting my shots, after seeing my best friend’s husband with another woman before either.

I’d thought Moose would be upset, but understanding, when I told him I’d left the Tapas bar last night without getting the evidence he needed.

That was not the case.

“If you don’t get your shit together and get me those shots today, I’ll find someone else who can … and you can forget about me doubling your pay.”

Moose hung up before I could even get a word in edgewise, and I felt my already heavy heart fall even further into the pit of my stomach.

I didn’t want to lose my job. And I didn’t want to do what I was about to do either…

I took a deep breath, and tried to keep the tears that had been flowing all night at bay, as I opened the door to Amy May’s bakery and walked toward her office.

I knew she’d be in there, as she was every morning, looking over numbers, checking the schedule, and jotting down new recipe ideas. And I fought the urge to turn tail and run, instead forcing myself to take each step closer to ruining Amy May’s life.

I rapped on the door, and when Amy May called, “Come in,” I entered her domain and gave her a shaky smile.

Amy May noticed my demeanor right off and swiveled in her chair.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can I sit?” I asked, pointing helplessly to the chair next to her desk.

“Of course,” she replied, giving me a onceover, as if to make sure I wasn’t physically injured. “What’s going on?”

I sat down, clutching my purse in my lap, my cell phone in my hand, and said, “Amy May, I have something to tell you…”

My heart lodged in my throat, causing me to pause.

“Are you sick? Is something wrong with the kids?” she asked, sensing it was something major.

“No,” I assured her with a shake of my head. “It’s nothing like that. It has to do with Jason.”

Amy May’s hand came to her heart and she asked, “Is he okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine,” I replied, letting go of my purse to reach my hand out and clasp hers. “I’m just going to say this quick … Rip the Band-Aid off, so to speak…”

She watched with wide eyes as I picked up my phone and found the picture I was looking for. I kept it toward me, then turned it and explained, “I saw Jason with another woman last night, at the Tapas bar in The Heights … I’m so sorry, Amy May.”

Amy May took the phone out of my hand and studied the picture, then her face turned red and her free hand covered her mouth.

I braced, ready for hysterics, then got the second shock of my life when rather than crying, she started to giggle.

“
Amy May
,” I said softly, thinking she was losing it.

She busted out in a full-on laugh after that, then shook her head and said, “Sorry, Lila, I didn’t mean to laugh, especially when you look so devastated, but Jason isn’t cheating on me.”

“I was there last night,” I replied, taking the phone and pushing it into her face. “Look at the picture, Amy May, the evidence is right in front of you.”

“You look at the picture,” she said, turning my hand so the camera was facing me. “Look at her face, Lila … That’s me.”

“
What?”
I asked, squinting to look at the picture, then realized what I was doing and touched the screen to zoom in on the woman. It was hard to tell in profile, but I could see that the woman did resemble Amy May. “What are you talking about?”

Amy May blushed as she explained, “Well, you know what it’s like, being married as long as Jason and I have … Sometimes we like to spice things up and role play.”

“
What?”
I asked again, this time shouting.

“It was just for fun. I get dressed up, put on a wig, and go to a bar. Then he shows up and we pretend to be strangers. He picks me up and we go to a hotel… “

I sat there, staring at her, eyes wide before I blinked one time slowly.

“You’re telling me that I spent the night in emotional hell,
devastated
that a man that I love and trust was cheating on my best friend, and it was all really just you guys playing out your kinky sex life?”

Another giggle, then Amy May replied, “Well, I don’t know how
kinky
it is, but it does keep things interesting.” She covered my hand with her own and said, “I’m sorry you were worried, and I really do appreciate you looking out for me, but, honey, all men aren’t like your ex. Jason wouldn’t cheat on me.”

I hung my head and said, “I know that, I do. I just saw you from behind and freaked out. I’m sorry … Don’t tell Jason?”

“Oh, I
have
to tell Jason,” Amy May said with a laugh when I looked at her with despair. “He’s gonna die!”

“He’s going to hate me,” I countered, worried that he’d see it as a betrayal, since he was also my friend.

“You know better than that,” she said, then took pity on me and added, “I made some cream puffs this morning. Want some?”

I nodded, knowing my face looked pitiful as I sulked about looking like a fool.

“Lila,” Amy May said, pulling me up to stand with her. “I love you.”

“Love you, too, Amy May.”

After that embarrassing, but happy, turn of events with Amy May and Jason, I was happy to be hot on the trail of another perp.

I needed to go in, get the shots, and prove to myself that I had what it took to do this job.

I needed a little reassurance.

So, I was back at the sleazy motel, this time on the second floor, following a lead Moose had sent about a man who was suspected of sleeping around.

Right in my wheelhouse…

I’d followed the man, a tall, distinguished-looking man who appeared totally out of place in this part of town, and a stringy-haired brunette with literally the biggest tits I’d ever seen in my life. No way those things were real. In fact, I figured she must have to special order bras and tops and stuff, because those things were impossible to contain.

I’d been getting ice out of the machine as part of my cover and almost got hit with a nipple when she walked past me.

I paid attention to what room they went in, but found luck was not with me when I saw they’d drawn the curtains.

Knowing I needed to prove myself to not just Moose, but to me, I racked my brain for a solution. I needed these shots.

Coming to a conclusion, I reached my hand up and knocked loudly on their door, then took off running and hid around the corner.

“Who the hell is it?” I heard the man call out.

“Nobody’s there,” the woman replied, and I heard the door shut behind her.

I waited a few beats, then ran quickly on the balls of my feet so as not to make too much noise and knocked again, not stopping as I ran past their room and down the other way. I rounded the corner just as I heard the door open again.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” the woman whined in a nasally voice, and I had to bite back a giggle.

“No one again?” the man asked, and I heard movement. “Fuck this shit.”

Luck was with me this time, because when I peeked around the corner, I saw them both shuffling down the balcony away from where I was hiding. I wasn’t sure if they’d gone all the way downstairs, or were just on the other side of the wall by the stairs, but I knew this was my only shot.

I sprinted as quietly as I could to their open door, dashed in, and eased the curtains open enough so that I could see in, but hopefully not so much that they would notice.

I was about to run back out when I heard the clamoring of footsteps coming back to the room.

Shit,
I screamed inside my head, then hurried across the room and into the bathroom, closing the door most of the way and praying no one had to go to the bathroom anytime soon.

I heard them coming back into the room, then the door shut behind them.

“Did you see anyone?” Nasally Voice asked.

“Nah, probably just some punk ass kids,” the man growled. “Now get back on the chair and unleash those sweet tits for me.”

I thought I heard the woman sigh, but couldn’t be sure from my position in the bathroom. I could see through the crack of the door and was able to focus my lens on the bed and see everything that was going on.

She sat back in the chair, took off her tank top, and unleashed her bodacious tatas. It seemed a little weird when the man crawled up into her lap and cradled his face in her breasts, but I figured he just had a big boob fetish and began snapping shots.

When he started suckling on her nipple, I guessed we were getting to the good stuff, but after a few minutes went by, they didn’t move to the bed, and he kept sucking, I realized with a shutter of revulsion that he had some sort of mommy/baby fetish.

He was nursing.

She’d just been sitting there, bored while he suckled, then got called into the game when he reached for her hand and placed it on his throbbing dick.

I took a couple more pictures of him nursing, and some of her jacking him off, then the scene in front of me, paired with the weird moans coming from the man, had me backing away from the crack in the door to sit on the toilet, my hands over my ears.

If he started crying like a baby, I was out of there. I didn’t care if I got caught or not.

Thankfully there were no baby noises, just the sound of the man coming, and I hoped, since there was no actual sex, no one would have to come to the bathroom to clean up. Although, that woman would probably want a shower after what she’d just endured.

I waited for what felt like forever, but finally heard the man thank the woman, then the opening and shutting of the door.

My heart pounded as I listened to what sounded like the woman getting closer to the bathroom. I got behind the door just as it opened and listened to the sound of running water as the woman washed her hands.

When she left without shutting the door or needing to use the toilet, which was right in front of me, I closed my eyes and thanked my lucky stars.

I heard shuffling around, then what sounded like her leaving, but I still gave it a few seconds before I exited the bathroom slowly and looked around. When I saw that I was
actually
alone, I let out the deep breath I’d been holding.

Peering out the door, I left the room when I saw the coast was clear and hurried downstairs. When I made it to the bottom, I was headed to my car, home free and relieved, when a familiar voice called to me and I stopped in my tracks.

Holding my stomach to try and contain the rolls of nausea and fright, I turned my head to give the man from upstairs a shaky smile.

“What was that?” I asked him, honestly not sure what he’d said.

“Did you see any kids running around?” he asked as he moved
way
too close to where I was standing. “My wife and I were trying to take a nap and someone kept knocking on our door.”

I fought an eye roll at the wife comment and shook my head as his eyes wandered down my body. I fought the urge to shield my unimpressive bosom from his beady eyes, but realized that’s not what he was looking at when he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said, looking down to where my hand was clutching my stomach. “Just cramps.”