Sweet Bits (4 page)

“Oh, you know you are,” she chided.

“Well, if I’m so handsome and nice, why am I still single?” he asked.

“Because you want to be,” she said.

“Hmm, maybe,” he agreed. Work was only partially an excuse to keep him from dating more. He just didn’t seem to ever find a girl he really connected with…someone he could really talk to. He dated now and then and enjoyed the company over a nice dinner, but beyond a few dates he could never really find one he wanted to really get close to.

“You’ll be single until you decide not to be”, said Ali in a matter-of fact tone.

“Are you single ‘cause you want to be?” he asked.

“Yes, right now I am. I want to get my career going and get myself together first. It took a few extra years after my dad’s accident, but now I’m on the right track.”

“How is your Dad?” he asked. “I kind of kept up with things through the grapevine since my mom is friends with your cousin, but that was a while ago. How is he now?”

“He’s doing fine,” said Ali smiling. “He’s almost fully recovered and just uses a cane to walk sometimes. It’s pretty miraculous, really.”

“That’s great. Last time I’d heard he was in a wheelchair, but was walking more and more.”

“Yeah, he’s worked really hard. The accident tore his legs up but he’s persevered. Well, you know my dad. He’s stubborn.”

“Yeah, like someone else I know,” he joked.

She made a face at him and laughed. “I guess I am just like him,” she admitted. “So, hungry?” She stood up.

“You bet. That soufflé sounds not only fancy, but delicious.”

They sat and ate and drank wine and talked for hours. It was like old times and they realized they liked the same current movies and TV shows, had a distrust of the current local political figures, a fondness for the new Irish pub in town and a wariness of social media.

It was the first night Ali really felt comfortable around Ben. After all the years and the disagreements, they were really back right where they’d left off. She felt the same love for him she had all those years ago.

Leaving Ali’s apartment Ben had given her a kiss on the cheek and a long hug. It had felt good. Right. He thought about it all the next day. He’d thought about his dates before and even what he thought at the time might have been love, but now he knew it wasn’t. It was never like this. He felt for Ali a feeling so strong it scared him.

“I love when you have to bake birthday cakes,” said Josie licking a large dollop of vanilla buttercream off a spoon.

“Yeah, you have a really tough job of spoon-licker, don’t you?” joked Ali. She swirled the top of the last cake in a series of four and stood back to admire her work. The cakes were lined up on the kitchen counter and looked nearly identical.

“So, they want all vanilla cakes?” asked Josie.

“Yeah, she said her son hates chocolate. Isn’t that weird?”

“No, my sister doesn’t like chocolate,” said Josie using her finger to swipe a bit of frosting from the bowl.

“Hmm, I never knew anyone who didn’t like chocolate,” said Ali. “I guess it takes all kinds, right?”

“So speaking of Ben,” Josie winked at Ali making an obvious conversion to a topic she wanted to discuss, “When are you guys going to just call it what it is…a love affair?”

Ali frowned at Josie. “It’s not a love affair!” she protested. “It’s just so nice to…well, to see him and have him as a friend again. I really missed him and I didn’t even know how much until he popped back up again.”

“Hmm, right,” said Josie unconvinced.

“I know you cannot believe a man and woman can just be friends. It seems no one can, but it’s true. Ben doesn’t think of me that way.”

“Are you sure?” Josie’s date with Ben had been nice, but she knew she didn’t have a chance since most of the night was spent talking about Ali. She had been disappointed because Ben was every bit as handsome as his photo and real charmer, but she knew a guy that was taken when she saw one. The only problem was, Ben didn’t know he was taken.

“Yes, I’m sure,” said Ali, but she knew as she said it that she wasn’t. She thought she knew it for sure, but did she?

“So, what time do you need me here in the morning to help you deliver these cakes?” asked Josie. She was usually on-call for large cake deliveries since she drove an SUV and Ali’s small compact was not appropriate. Her vehicle was the unofficial cake delivery van.

“Oh, never mind. Ben’s going to help me tomorrow,” said Ali.

Josie just smiled at her. “So I guess I get all the perks of your taste-tester without any of work of a delivery driver? Sweet!”

Ali laughed. “You’re off the hook this time,” she said. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Something tells me it’s going to last a long time
, thought Josie, but she didn’t dare say it out loud.

***

“So, how’d you get into baking birthday cakes?” asked Ben as he carefully drove his luxury SUV to the delivery address.

Ali was sitting in the passenger seat nervously eyeing the cakes in the backseat. They were each boxed in a pink cake box and sitting in a row with a box on each end, keeping them from moving.

“Oh, well I do personal chef cooking for people now and then and just started baking cakes for special orders. Once word got around, I guess people liked them and I have a nice little side business doing it now.”

“So, do you want to be a chef or a pastry chef?” asked Ben. He’d seen some of the cooking shows and knew there was a difference.

“You know I’ve asked myself that several times since getting the certificate for culinary school from my aunt. I thought I wanted to be a chef, but you know, I’ve really enjoyed baking and trying new recipes for sweets. I’m starting to get the itch to explore the world of a pastry chef.”

“Well, can you do both?”

“Actually, I it’s best to really concentrate on one or the other, but I would like to take both programs eventually. That’s my plan, anyway.”

“I’m so proud of you doing what you love,” said Ben and was immediately unhappy that he said it. It had been, after all, the thing that had driven a wedge between them.

Ali tried not to get snarky and just simply said, “Yeah, it’s good.”

They rode the rest of the way talking about nothing in particular, each aware of the tension that arose when Ben had made that comment about work. Ali wanted to talk about it, to finally get it all out and clear the air, but she was too afraid that the topic was a hotbed and she tried to steer clear of it anytime it came up.

***

Tess gave a loud sigh and started to cry. The merger had gone through and people were getting called into offices to get the bad news. Tess had just been given her walking papers and she ran to Ben’s office to tell him.

“So that’s it. I’m out,” she said.

Ben reached behind to offer her a box of tissue from his credenza. “Are you serious?” was all he could say. “They haven’t even talked to me yet,” he said. He was suddenly worried that maybe his comfortable stance about his job was ill-found. Maybe he would be chopped, too?

Just as he had this thought his phone rang. He was being summoned to the 25
^th
floor. The executive offices. It was time to find out what this merger business was all about and where it might land him. He assured her he’d put in a good word and even demand she be kept on if he was. She watched him button his suit coat and walked to the elevator, hoping he made good on his word.

As he rode the elevator up he had a flood of emotions. He’d been a star at this firm for the last two years. How dare they let him go! But just as quickly he realized he almost hoped they would. It would keep him from making the decision and it would release him from guilt.

He walked into the darkly paneled offices and stopped in the foyer. This floor was nothing like the one he worked on. It was like the suite in a luxury hotel. It had fresh-cut flowers and lower lighting. The furniture wasn’t the standard office-style furniture as on his floor; it was plush and expensive-looking.

“Please have a seat over there,” said the mature receptionist. She was impeccably coifed and dressed in a navy suit. Her desk was clear of clutter which was a marked difference from the secretaries and assistants on his floor where paperwork, files and computers covered every desk.

As he sat in dark leather club chair, he realized it seemed cooler up here. It was like a departure from work at all. A bar with cut crystal glasses, bottled water and ice bucket was in one corner. It held a bowl of perfectly shaped fresh fruits. This was a different world indeed.

“Mr. Harper,” said the receptionist in a smooth voice, “you can go in now.” She motioned toward one of the huge wooden double doors.

He stood and smoothed his jacket and straightened his tie. He walked calmly toward the double doors when suddenly they opened and a short man in a dark grey suit stood before him.

“Mr. Harper, we meet at last,” said the man. “My name is Jones, and I’m your new boss.”

Ben looked at this man and noticed there were three others sitting in the office beyond. The office was the largest he’d ever seen. It was lined with windows and had a magnificent view of the city.

He shook the man’s hand and walked in. Jones motioned for him to sit in a particular chair just across a large, expansive glass desk. Jones perched up on the edge of the desk. His legs dangled just above the ground. He smiled widely at Ben. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you,” he said lighting a cigar.

Ben smiled. “All good, I hope.”

“All exceptional,” said Jones. All the men in the room nodded in agreement.

“Good,” said Ben. He wasn’t quite sure what else to say. Being in this room of obviously high-end decision-makers was making him nervous. It took a lot to make Ben Harper nervous but the butterflies were starting to dance in his stomach.

“I’ll be blunt, Ben. We’re starting a new divison; clearing out some of the, well, we’ll call it clutter,” Jones used air-quotes around the word clutter. “We’re making some changes.”

Ben immediately recognized that his assistant Tess was considered clutter. “Yes, my assistant told me she was being let go,” he started. “I really wish you’d reconsider that because…”

“Let me get right to it,” said Jones cutting Ben off obviously not wanting to discuss the fate of his secretary. “We like you for this new division I mentioned.” Jones puffed on the cigar and blew smoke rings. “It’s in Munich.’’ He stopped and let the idea sink into Ben. He watched him carefully.

Ben sat back in the chair. “You want me to go to Munich?”

“That’s what I said,” said jones. “We think your stellar performance here would be perfect for our German business. We’ve got several companies there that we work with that have U.S. ties and we want you to be the German-American liaison and handle them.”

“But I don’t speak German,” said Ben.

“Minor detail,” said Jones. “We can get you a Rosetta Stone course to give you the basics, but our English speaking staff would include people who can help you and work directly as interpreters,” Jones paused.

“This is a big step for you, Harper. It would give you a lot more responsibility. But the firm would pay for your living expenses while you’re there, put you up in our corporate housing, which is pretty swanky I can assure you, and of course, you’d get a raise in pay to commensurate with your new position as an Executive.”

Ben blinked.
Munich. Germany. New division. Executive
. It was making his normally clear and focused head swirl.

“Can I think about it?” asked Ben. He was trying to be cool and collected, but all he wanted was to get out of that office, out of the building and get some fresh air.

“Sure, but I wouldn’t take too long,” said Jones. “We have a case coming in on Friday that we’d like you to start working on.”

“Friday? What’s today?” Tuesday, he thought. His heart started beating faster. “OK, sure, that’s fine,” he stammered and got up, shook Jones’ hand and left the office.

The next thing he knew he was outside in the sunshine. The air felt good as he walked six blocks before stopping and sitting on a Bench. As he sat the thoughts swirled in his head. Live in Germany? Head up a division? Learn a new language?

But the biggest thought he had to contend with was leaving Ali.

***

Ben wanted nothing more than to mull this over with Ali, but he was afraid to even bring it up. He had laid low for the last 24 hours and not answered her phone calls. He didn’t know what he wanted to do. It was an immense decision and one that he knew was good for his career. It was this thought that made him the most uneasy. He’d wanted to run away from it all just a few days ago and now was faced with getting in even deeper.

He finally picked up the phone when Ali called. “Hey,” he said with a dry voice.

“Hi, are you sick?” she asked. “You sound funny.”