Chapter 5: Training Day

Between work and brunches with Heather to discuss more wedding stuff, the next few days passed by quickly. I didn’t even get a chance to see Finn, except for a quick glance when I went to pick up Heather. He gave me a small smile, and that’s what I’ve had to hold on to for the last forty-eight hours.

As if on cue, my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was another slow day at the bakery, so I pulled out my phone once I made sure no one, mainly my mother, would notice.

It was a text from Finn: “I miss you :( ”.

My heart warmed, and I quickly replied: “Movie night tonight? Mom and Dad are closing, and Addie’s w/ friends”.

The three dots taunted me for an excruciating two minutes, until he finally responded: “Can’t. The guys are meeting for drinks and games.”

My stomach sank, and I tried to push away my disappointment. We both knew it was hard to find time to spend alone, but there’d been plenty of nights where I’d switched around my plans so that we could see each other. I obviously knew why we had to be secretive, but part of me always wondered how long I could handle keeping it up.

The bell chimed at the door, and I shoved my phone back into my pocket. I was surprised to see Caleb walking up the counter. His skin was slightly more golden than the last time I had seen him. The Arizona sun could be relentless, even in the spring, especially to people who weren’t used to it, but Caleb had taken it well, and I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked.

Finn’s face flashed through my mind, cutting of those weird thoughts. ‘They’re not that weird,’ I tried to tell myself. ‘You’re just noticing how handsome someone is. Nothing more.’

I was satisfied with my justification as I walked over to greet Caleb by the register. “Hey. Trying something new today? Or are you the type of person that chooses one drink and sticks to it for the rest of their life?”

His eyes seemed to brighten the moment he saw me, but maybe I imagined it. “I’d like to think I’m more adventurous than that,” he said, “but I actually came in to start working.”

“Oh, really? Did you talk to my mom again?” I asked.

“Yeah, I came in the other night, hoping to talk to you, but I guess you had the night off.”

Something fluttered deep in my chest, but I pushed it aside almost as quickly as I had felt it.

“Is that our new employee I hear?” My mom came out from the back, smiling at Caleb.

“Hey, Mrs. Whitman,” Caleb said. “You had said I could come in and start today, but I only have a few hours free. Still, I was hoping I could at least get in some training.”

“Of course,” my mom said. She disappeared into the back room again. A few seconds later, she came out, carrying one of our signature turquoise aprons. She handed it to Caleb across the counter. “Evie’s off in a few hours, but she can teach you the ropes.”

Caleb beamed as he tied the apron around his waist. It was slightly too small for him, apparently the design wasn’t meant for broad shoulders like his. He noticed me looking, and glanced down, seeing how short the apron was, stopping way above his knees.

“I look ridiculous, don’t I?” He asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.

I held back a laugh as I shook my head. “No, not at all. But on the bright side, you’ll mostly be behind the counter, so nobody but me will see.”

“That was so convincing, thank you for that,” he replied, monotone.

I led him around to behind the counter and gave him a quick tour. I started at the pastry station, with the oven and the storage for the extra pastries. We moved on to the coffee making station, my favorite place to be, and I let him know he’d have to get the hang of the machines and the recipes over time.

Even when we moved to the kitchen area in the back where we baked all the pastries, Caleb continued to listen to every word I said. He nodded and even asked me questions for clarification. I hadn’t seen anyone this intensely interested in the behind the scenes of a bakery, but I appreciated it. It made me feel important to be listened to like that.

When we moved on to the register, I took my time showing him all the buttons and customization options. All the information could be overwhelming, but he seemed completely calm and collected.

I had him watch over my shoulder for a while as I helped some customers so he could see how it worked in real time. I was very conscious of how close he stood to me, and how every time he spoke, I could feel his breath on my neck, sending chills down my spine. If it was anyone else, I would’ve been extremely uncomfortable with that level of closeness, but it was strangely comforting instead.

Once our after-lunch rush was over, I had Caleb wipe down the tables as I went to collect the dirty dishes. When we realized the influx of customers had finally come to a halt, we decided to tackle cleaning the dishes together. I was on washing duty, while Caleb dried and put them away.

“So, are you hanging out with Finn and Mason tonight?” I asked him as I scrubbed some coffee cups over the sink.

“Yeah, I wanted Mason to have a night to just chill and have some fun, away from all this chaotic wedding planning,” he said, while patiently waiting with a towel at the counter next to me.

“I definitely get that,” I said, handing him a few cups to dry. “Heather refuses to take a night off. Even when I try to get her to sit still and watch a movie, she’s updating the registry on her phone. Finn’s a lot better at forcing her to take some time off.”

Caleb was silent for a few moments, and then said, “So, you and Finn…”

I tensed, almost dropping the soapy plate I was holding. I had to shake it off, reminding myself to keep it together. Nobody would assume that we were anything other than friends. There was no reason to.

“What about us?” I asked, handing him another plate.

Caleb shifted as he grabbed the plate. “It’s just, how you guys were at the party… is he your soulmate?”

That time, the mug I was holding slipped through my hands and splashed in the soapy water below. Apparently, there are some people who would make that assumption.

The question rattled me, but then I remembered that Caleb was new here. He really didn’t know anybody’s relationship status, so it made sense for him to ask.

“No,” I responded, trying to keep my voice even. “He’s not.” I sounded kind of defensive, so I quickly added, “we’ve just been best friends for a few years.”

Every time I told that lie, it felt like a knife in my heart. Caleb was someone who seemed to be in the running as a new friend, but one of the first things I told him was a complete lie. What else could I do?

Was it just me, or did Caleb seem a little relieved when I said that? I only saw him out of the corner of my eye, but I could’ve sworn his posture relaxed.

“Oh, gotcha,” he replied. “Sorry if that was a weird question, I’m just trying to get to know everyone here.”

I nodded, unsure of what else to say. After a few moments, a sudden thought crept into my brain. As much as I didn’t understand why that question, of all things, was the one that I couldn’t shake, I felt the need to ask it anyway.

“So, I’m assuming since you’re moving around until you find a place to settle down, that you haven’t met your soulmate yet?” The question sounded strange coming out of my mouth. Why did I care if he’d met his soulmate? I didn’t even believe in the idea.

There was a noticeable silence, so I took the chance to steal a glance over at Caleb. He mindlessly wiped off an already-dry plate. His thoughts seemed to be somewhere else.

“No, I haven’t,” he eventually responded, his voice suddenly quiet. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say more, but shut it after a few moments. What was he going to say?

“Anyway,” I said loudly, eager to break away from that topic, “have you found any inspiration for your film yet?” I finished cleaning the last of the silverware and handed Caleb the handful. He took it, and looked grateful for the change of subject.

He sighed, shaking his head. “Not yet. Maybe I’ll just have to end up doing a documentary on how stressful it is to plan a wedding. I’m sure Heather would be thrilled to star in it.”

I smiled, wiping my hands off on my apron. “Oh yeah, because what she needs on top of her schedule already is a camera constantly on her.”

Caleb finished drying the silverware and organized them neatly in the drawer. “I’m not too worried, though,” he said, “I have a good feeling about this place.”