Aftermath Book Two Crash Series

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Aria

            I’m going to be sick.

            Pushing away from the steel tabletop I dart past Adien, it’s still early enough that he’s still on duty, my typical all-black sneakers squeak on the kitchen floor while I fling myself through the doorway and towards the bathroom.

            I don’t even wait for the door to close behind me before I drop to my knees in front of the toilet and unleash the acidic bile that was gurgling up my throat seconds before. Even after I empty my already empty stomach I’m dry heaving with tears dripping down my cheeks as I grip the edge of the toilet.

        Being this close to the porcelain god makes me feel sicker, churning my gut and starting another round of a coughing fit and stomach convulsions.

        How am I going to survive today? How is this even real?

        I worked hard all week long. Long after Tara and Grace left and only until Mason walked in ready to drag me away. This is ironic really, just a week ago it was me telling him to work less, now here we are.  But I have a good reason, the grand opening is a big deal.

        A huge deal.

        I only have one shot to not f**k it up. Me! The klutz who f***s everything up, royally. Maybe I don’t give myself enough credit but it’s hard when your vision is still murky with tears while you desperately try to pull in a steady breath, with no success. And an impending disaster just waiting to happen at any given second I could walk straight into my doom. I can feel it coming. 

        It may not help that I haven’t slept well all week, even after spending more time than I should have wrapped around Mason and panting in pleasure as much as exhaustion, the sleep rarely came. Which is fine really. I got a lot done, everything I needed to, and more. I even did every single one of Cynthia’s wedding requests, no matter how much anxiety they gave me.

        Yet, here I am. Freaking the hell out.

        It’s going to go great. Everyone will love everything we made. People will come. Grandma will be proud.

        Grandma will be proud. I repeat. 

        In through my nose, out through my mouth. Breathing along I pull in the cold stale bathroom air. 

        In through my nose, out through my mouth.

        Pushing off the toilet I hold my hands out in front of me as I wobble to the sink. Cleaning my hands very, very thoroughly twice I finally catch my breath and do like my Grandma always told me. Pulling in a deep breath after a deep breath through my nose I let it out through my mouth and concentrate on nothing else.

        I can do this. I will do this. I’ve already done it, I just need to welcome people in. Then accept their judgment. No big deal right?

        Right?

        No matter what it’s already too late. There is no going back, the camera crew is already scoping out the outside and working on the equipment inside and the producers are on their way. Mason and Paul managed to organize busses from the shelter to here so they can be the first guest I welcome in, they’ll get the best and freshest, it just feels a bit dirty that there will be a camera crew here to film it, and then I wonder if they’ll even include it in the edited episode. I don’t want anyone to ever think I ever invited them here for clout or publicity. I’ve wanted them at the opening since before I became a viral sensation.

        The producers keep whispering about giving me my own show, with crossover episodes with Darius, so we can continue the competition and even go in greater depth in the making of the recipes and how we one-up one another. That’s a guaranteed doubling of the views and their investors love the s**t out of the idea.

        I’m not stupid enough to forget the wedding or the given publicity that creates due to my chosen groom. I know for a fact they want in on it. Once I could have sworn I heard one of them mentioning Cynthia’s name, it made me stop dead in my tracks.

        I’m still not clear on what the end plan of this wedding is and it’s for sure a discussion I need to have with Mason, it’s getting far too serious and soon there will be no turning back from that either. Regardless, it would be an invasion of our privacy to have them there. To have our whole intimate, meaningful, and private affair for everyone to see, as many times as anyone wants, forever.

        It’s bad enough it’ll be a whole production whether we get married in a few months or two years from now. If Mason is the groom there will forever be a huge event held because his mother is Cynthia, no matter how hard I stomp my foot her’s is louder and far more powerful. She quakes the earth below my feet. I just have to stay standing, choosing to fight only when necessary.

        So, if the producers reach out to Cynthia I have no doubt she’ll accept the offer and we’ll be forced to fight with both of them or allow them into a very intimate situation. I wonder if she’ll be coming today? Hopefully after the crew leaves? What are the chances that’ll work in my favor? I mean they got a lot of the film they needed yesterday while I was making the recipes for today.

        Grace had Piper here, both were more than amazed. Miss little Piper was more than willing to jump in the shot anytime she could. When they packed up and left Piper asked Grace if this meant she was a movie star now, and if that wasn’t the cutest f*****g thing ever I don’t know what is.

            Mason asked to help, he said he would wake up early with me this morning so he could bring me in and help with whatever I needed. It’s sweet and I appreciate the offer. I love him for it, I love that he isn't the poster boy for a billionaire. He’s willing to get his hands dirty, not depend on his wealth to do the useless little man chores his society deems inappropriate for someone in his class.

        It didn’t matter anyway, I was too restless. I carefully snuck out from under his warm arm got ready at two AM, found Aiden and John lounging in the security room, with a movie pulled up and heavy eyes, and forced them to take me to Shirley’s. I can’t imagine how boring they must find their work or if they like it because it’s easy and get paid well. I just don’t think I would ever want to do the same. Sitting there all night long watching nothing happen. Only there out of precaution, like a late-night museum security guard. Very minimum risk for any dangerous or even active situation.

        Now it’s four AM and I need to hurry back to the kitchen before my butterscotch brownies burn. Looking into my eyes through the mirror in front of me I force a smile to my face and push my damp hair away from my eyes.  

            I hurry my steps back to the kitchen and ignore my queasy stomach. Grace and Tara should be here soon. Hopefully, they’ll help distract me enough from my nerves. I’ll be too distracted to keep these nerves alive. I should text them and tell them they don’t need to rush in, I did most of this morning's baking already. We’re opening from seven until eight for everyone from the shelter.

        Usually, we’ll open at six for all the earlier city risers, especially on weekdays. I’ll be here at five every morning for the foreseeable future. Not really ideal, meaning I’m not really sure how long I’ll last before Mason has to roll me here while I b***h and bite his head off. But I’m not willing to sacrifice the freshness of my goodies either.

Sure, a lot is fresh if baked right before closing, some things even taste better after sitting for a few hours after cooling. But others I want to make the day of and that means early mornings. Tara is happy to take the afternoon to closing shift while Grace manages the morning rush to just after lunch so she can be home well before dinner with Piper.  

            This works out great, it’ll give me time to do the office management well also baking, prepping, and spending some time at the front counter getting to know my customers. And plenty of time to clean up afterward and sometimes go home or get to the soup kitchen well Tara closes the place down for the night.

            In the early mornings, Aiden or John are going to stand out front so they can let anyone in need inside for a warm meal before anyone other customers start coming. Some people want their privacy others are more than welcome to come to the counter anytime during the day, but I’m going to make an opportunity for anyone and everyone to come and enjoy themselves here in whatever comfort I can afford them. If they don’t want to be around judgmental people in the society that continuously shuns them the least I can do is open my doors to them alone.

            Also, it gives Aiden and John a little more opportunity for excitement until Wyatt and Levi show up at seven. They’ll have the important task of unlocking and locking the door as they respectfully watch for any sign of unease. That’s another reason I’m nervous.

            Pushing through the door I weakly smile towards Aiden while I grab my oven mitts from the hanger next to the stove the brownies are in. The warm air in the oven smacks me in the face as I pull the heavy door opened. The oven light shines on perfectly golden brown butterscotch brownies making. They smell divine. I’m quick to work on pulling out all the trays and setting them out to cool.

             Walking past Aiden so I can start back in on the dough for my bagels I take him in. He’s tall, lanky. He towers over me and Mason but not quite as massive as Wyatt. He always wears brown with a sprinkling of gray shorts with a closely shaved beard covering most of his face. He’s nice enough for the amount of time or opportunity we’ve had around one another. This gets to my issue, I’m not sure if he’ll overreact to any of my customers.

            There’s a line to be drawn where it comes to merging my business with the security I need. I get why they need to search for some people during my normal life. But during business hours including the hour before, I need the promise they’ll follow all my rules. Including no searches or unnecessary interaction. Whether that’s words or action, they won’t overstep, they’ll be here for descalating and survival missions only.

            John, I’ve seen a bit more. He’ll be with Mason after Leo goes home for the day and a time or two he’s covered for one of the guys that are always with me. I think he’ll be just fine I just hope Aiden will be too. I hope they all will.

            But like I said I just know something is going to go wrong, I just don’t know what that something will end up being. Only a few hours until I find out.

            I can’t wait.