Chapter 32

A Q U I L A

By the time they finished cleaning the stables, the area was already wrapped in pitch darkness. Well, New York City is as dark as it can get. Aquila glanced at Atiya as he returned the broom and dustpan Jordan had given him to the closet. He followed her as she took him out of her zoo onto the sidewalks of the city. He pulled his coat closer to her body and shrugged her shoulders to keep her warm. Atiya kept her head up and was silent. "It's snowing," she said, glancing at him, her drunken smile on her lips. She took the attention away from her face and when Aquila looked up he could see white specks falling into the dark sky. He smiled at her. "yes. I think it is. "

Of course, the way home had to feel like one of those rom-coms his ex-girlfriend took him to. He half expected a cheesy love song playing in the background. He was shivering with cold. When this music started, he was always the one that it meant. Kiss. He stifled his groans. The chance had already come and gone. She rejected him. As he stared at the falling snow, he felt like a fool. This was not a romantic movie. It was his life. And Atiya will never have her feelings for him the way he felt for her. As they arrived at the bakery door, it began to snow even harder. Her legs swelled with each step. Atiya turned and smiled at him. "I have a confession," she said. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes glowed with her secrets she had hidden. Aquila made a fist with his hand in his pocket. Every time he was near her, his desire to never leave her side only increased. He didn't want to go home, so he leaned against the blue-green wall panels. "Oh, really," he said. "Tell me."

She took out her key and used it to play with the ring. "Maybe I took advantage of you," she whispered. Her innocent smile turned into a cunning expression. "OK?" he asked, drawing out the words. "Maybe I swore to help Jordan when I never meant to do charity work." She slipped the key into the lock and turned her eyes to him. "I didn't want to do it alone."

Aquila made a hurt face. "It made me very angry," he said. Her eyes grew worried as she looked at him. "No, it's not," she said, pushing open the shop door and stepping her foot inside. He wanted revenge. She says something interesting But his brain refuses to work as the backlight from the kitchen illuminates her figure and the nostalgic smell of baked goods reaches his senses. A deep desire gripped his heart. And it was Atiya who needed it. He cleared his throat as he entered and closed the door behind him. She hadn't really invited him over, but he didn't want to give her an excuse to ask her to come home. She put her key on the counter and took off her glove and put it in her pocket. She then unbuttoned her coat and hung it on a hook behind her. She turned and smiled at him. "Would you like some hot cocoa?" she asked. "It's the least I can do after making you my slave tonight."

He nodded as he took off his coat and hung It on the back of a chair in the store. He tried to ignore how her red sweater and skinny jeans accentuated her curves. Or how her strawberry blonde hair runs down her back as she pulls her hair out of the bun it once was in. Every part of his body longed to touch her. Hold her close and hug her like a man hugs a woman. He tapped his finger on the back of her chair. He needed to do something His hands were too idle. He turned to where the kitchen was. "Why don't you do some charity work again?" he asked. She glanced at him as she placed the cup on the counter in front of her. "what's on your mind?"

He tilted his head toward the open door. "Maybe a philanthropist who bakes bread? Can you volunteer at all school events?"

She snorted. "I think I said the only way to cook was to bring a bottle of wine."

Aquila got up from his chair and put his hands in his pockets. "You never know. Maybe I'm next…" He blinked. He didn't even know about a bakery, let alone a famous bakery. Atiya chuckled and walked towards the swing door. "Come on, Charles Joffin." Aquila followed her. "Who?" he asked as Atiya began fetching flour and sugar from the shelves in front of him as he walked into the kitchen. "Charles Yongin. He was in charge of baking the Titanic. "

"Oh, that's bad. Name the cook who was on the sunken ship."

She chuckled and handed him the apron. "It wasn't his baking that caused the Titanic to sink. It was an iceberg." . Or was it? . ' she asked in a low voice, raising her eyebrows. Aquila smiled and pulled the apron over his head and tied it around his waist. Atiya was busy collecting more items. After washing her hands, he turned to her. "So what should I do?"

She had just returned from a small refrigerator with a carton of eggs. "I thought I could make sugar cookies."

He clapped his hands. "Sugar cookies. Perfect. This is my favorite. When I was a kid, my nanny Patrice would sneak into the kitchen and make this with me." It reminded me of my mother who was a cook. He kicked her out of the kitchen. "It made our chef very angry." He glanced at her, capturing the sour look on her face. Did he say something wrong? She looked at him and her expression softened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. That's all. . . Well, your money is a bit of a problem for me,' she sighed. "I sound like the stupidest person in the world saying that."