Just For The Holidays (Home for the Holidays)

14. Teddy

Chapter 14

Teddy

Naughty Little Devil’s Food Cake

S tudies have reported that sexual thoughts cross a person’s mind up to twenty times a day but Teddy’s last twenty-four hours have been racked with self-scolding expletives and regret at his foolish overconsumption of whiskey. Leaving him unable to remember whatever magic had happened between him and Nichol the previous night. What an idiot! How could he have been so stupid? Of course, he blacked out during the opportune moment he’d fantasized about since high school. Nichol Anderson was right here, in his bed, and he can’t dredge up a single visual.

The nagging chime of his phone’s alarm demands he wake before he’d even had a chance to fall asleep. He’d set it for earlier than usual, so he could get a head start on baking, and focus the rest of the day toward helping Nichol get better acquainted with the shop.

GiGi is already glaring at him, poking out of her hidey-hut, chattering irritably, and twitching her nose with tiny nostril flares.

Teddy silences the alarm with the tap of a finger, and rolls up off the futon, rubbing the lack of sleep from his face as he trudges out to the kitchen. Exhaustion piles heavier onto his shoulders with each slap-foot step across the cold tile floor.

Caffeine is priority one. He fills the coffee pot’s reservoir and flicks the machine on. It hisses and gurgles, as he gathers produce and pellets from the fridge for Princess GiGi’s breakfast, including some mixed berries to sweeten the bounty, apologizing for yesterday’s neglect.

“Here you go, girl.” He smiles sleepily, setting the bowl down on her feeding mat.

GiGi waddles gleefully across the office and chirps as she gnaws a raspberry.

Teddy grabs fresh boxer briefs, a pair of jeans, and a pullover hooded shirt from the locker, scoops up his toiletries bin, and makes his way to the little washroom to freshen up and get dressed.

Remerging to the bright aroma of Columbian brew filling the shop, gives him a sampling of vigor ahead of that first sip, igniting his senses for the day ahead.

He uncovers the fryer and dials the temperature up, then adds precisely measured ingredients to the stand mixer, for Gram’s signature doughnuts. He pops the ball of dough onto a cutting board, spreads it with his hands, just like she taught him, and repeatedly presses the sheet of dough with a silver ring, and gentle twists of his wrist, to cut out the doughnut shapes, setting each aside to rise, while he moves onto mixing pie crusts with his bare hands.

The early morning hours pass quickly before he notices the denim sky fading with a hint of daylight peeking over the horizon. He scurries back into the office and slips his feet into boots, just as knocks rattle the front door.

He pokes his head back into the kitchen to see Nichol’s scowling face in the glass panes of the entrance.

Teddy scurries around the counter, unlocking the door and swinging it open.

“Good morning . . .” he chimes.

“Please tell me coffee is an employee perk?” Nichol stomps through the door, hair still wet, and trailing a fresh-from-the-shower zesty soap scent. He straddles a stool and drops down on the pink vinyl, exacerbating a sigh from himself and the cushion under his butt.

“As much as you’d like!” Teddy cheers, trotting to the coffee machine and pouring two fresh cups, adding oat milk from the fridge to one, and passing it to the grouchy new hire. “Did you walk here?”

Nichol closes his eyes, blissfully inhaling the steamy aroma, and indulges the first sip. “No, Katie dropped me off.” His cheeks flush pink and his mouth curls in a slight grin, as his systems all come online.

“Thank you,” he sighs again, opening his eyes with an invigorated glean. “You start work this early every day?” Nichol asks.

“Mm-hmm,” Teddy smirks, sipping his coffee. “I’ve already got most of the baking done, so we can focus on your training.”

“How long have you been up?” Nichol stretches his neck to peer around Teddy and scopes the kitchen for evidence of the baker’s claims. “What’s involved in the training?” he winks.

Teddy’s face heats up and he turns away to hide his blush. “Gram had a certain way she liked things done.”

“Isn’t this your business now?” Nichol questions, indulging another sip.

“It is… but she had a good thing going.” Teddy shrugs. “I want to honor that.”

Nichol sips coffee and sucks air through his teeth. “That’s sweet,” he says, then adds, “We can get started after we’ve finished our coffee."

“Okay, sounds good,” Teddy chuckles.

Nichol sips slowly, cradling his cup in both hands, with elbows on the counter as Teddy leans against the work table in the center of the kitchen, staring at the floor waiting for Nichol to finish.

The front door jingles open.

“Good morning Mr. Butler.” Teddy straightens up and smiles, tossing his empty cup into the trash bin.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” The principal steps up to the counter and pats Nichol on the shoulder.

“The cookies and cupcakes were a hit yesterday, Theodore.” He readies his wallet. “Do we have doughnuts today… and possibly more of those chocolate chip cookies?”

“Sure do!” Teddy shuffles around the kitchen, gathering the order, neatly packing a box of fresh doughnuts, and collecting a box of cookies from the fridge. He sets them next to the cash register and moves to the coffee pot. “Can you ring Mr. Butler up for $20, Nichol?”

“Of course.” Nichol rises from the stool, smiling pleasantly, rounding the counter, and tapping the register open. “You heard the man Mr. B.”

The principal hands Nichol a bill and collects the boxes, tucking them under his arm.

Teddy delivers his usual cup of coffee with a “thank you.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Mr. Butler turns the doorknob, pulling it open with a jingle, as Meghan Connor slips past him. “Ms. Connor.” The principal fans an arm to welcome the school’s math department head into the shop.

“Hi, Gary.” The smiley woman with squinting eyes and a frizzy ponytail, wearing a green corduroy pencil skirt and beige knee-high boots adjusts her wire-rimmed glasses while shaking off the cold.

“They've got fresh doughnuts today.” Mr. Butler rolls his shoulder to present the boxes under his arm.

“Great,” Meghan chimes. “I need to order a cake, after having one of those delicious treats yesterday.” She turns to Teddy and Nichol.

Mr. Butler carries on, out the door, and down the sidewalk.

“What do you have in mind?” Teddy reaches around Nichol, brushing against his shoulder, to gather a notepad and pencil.

Nichol assesses the young math teacher, noting a tiny bisexual pride pin tacked to the strap of her canvas messenger bag.

“It’s for my and my boyfriend’s anniversary in two weeks. He loves devil’s food cake and I was thinking of an oozy chocolate ganache glaze… If that’s possible?”

“Mmm,” Nichol hums with a smirk. “That sounds naughty.”

Meghan raises a brow and winks. “He’s my little devil.”

Nichol growls under his breath and nudges Teddy’s rib with an elbow.

The baker flushes as crimson as red velvet cake and clears his throat. “Absolutely,” he smiles awkwardly.

Nichol wraps an arm over Teddy’s shoulders, pointing at his chest, “This man’s cake is the best I’ve ever had,” he says, with a wink.

Meghan cackles aloud, throwing her head back and tucking a frizzy tendril behind her ear. “I’ll take half a dozen of those glazed doughnuts and a coffee today too.”

“Coming right up.” Nichol squeezes Teddy’s shoulder and spins on a heel toward the cash register. “What’s her total boss man?” he asks, smirking.

“Umm…” Teddy pauses, chewing the well-used eraser tip of his pencil, calculates the order, and writes it on the slip, before handing it to Nichol.

“It’s sixty-five today.” Nichol charms Meghan with a warm smile, like they’ve known each other for years, as he taps the register open with a ding that echoes through the little shop.

Teddy prepares her doughnuts and coffee, “Do you take cream or milk?” he asks.

“A good amount of cream… and honey, if you have it?”

“You got it,” Teddy says, floating back to the fridge and then around the workbench, to add a generous pour of local honey from his personal stash on a shelf, before reporting back to the counter and handing the cup off to Meghan. “I’ll have your cake ready in two weeks.”

“Perfect!” She squeaks, taking a sip and grinning. “You may be my new morning coffee spot too.” She winks at Nichol.

“We better be.” He matches her energy with a coy smirk.

Meghan gathers her pastry box with the pink bow and saunters out the door.

“You two know each other?” Teddy tears the order off the notepad and waddles it back to the corkboard.

“Nope…’’ Nichol shrugs. “But she’s family.”

Teddy crinkles his brow. “Long lost cousin?”

“No,” Nichol laughs. “ Family. ” He folds his wrist, dangling a limp hand in the air.

“Meghan?” Teddy says, tilting his head, confused.

“She has a Bi Pride pin on her bag.”

“Ohhh . . .” Teddy’s eyes light up with clarity. “I may need you to teach me how to charm the customers like that.”

“Training begins after lunch,” Nichol says, winging a brow and flashing a half smile.