Pastry Mystery: Cheesecake Mistake

Chapter Fifteen

“No! We’re not going to do that!” said Toby firmly. Earlier this morning, Russell came to propose a financial help to rebuild Pastry Mystery. It wasn’t the first time for him to lure Libby to hand down her late father’s business to him. Last week, at the opening of Cake At Break, Russell suggested to take over Pastry Mystery and changed it to his franchised branch but Libby declined. She didn’t expect that after getting rejected two times, he was still interested in her patisserie. This time, Libby was somehow a little bit tempted due to her financial condition.

Besides, Russell’s proposal was different this time. Libby didn’t really have to let go of Pastry Mystery—well unless she couldn’t pay him back. Russell offered her as much money as she wanted to borrow from him. Nevertheless, he wanted her deli to be the collateral if she couldn’t pay him back later. Russell gave her ten years in a term to pay off her debt. Libby thought it was a rational span and she was confident that she would return all his money before that.

If this happened two months ago, right after she moved back to Amaranth Creek, she would be easily giving up Pastry Mystery for that. Now, however, she didn’t want to decide anything without Toby’s opinion. She knew how important Pastry Mystery for him and she also couldn’t run it without him. She was yet slightly disappointed when Toby insisted that they should’ve turned down the offer right away.

“Is it because of he is Russell?” asked Libby. If it was because of his jealousy towards Russell, then Toby was surely immature. He should’ve seen a bigger picture if he wanted to succeed with her.

“No, it isn’t. Even if it wasn’t him, I’d still refuse it,” told Toby. “I thought you changed. I thought you really liked it here.”

“I do, Toby. I really like it here. In fact, I love it. And I want to run this place with you. Not with Russell, not with anybody else but with you,” convinced Libby.

“Then don’t accept his offer!”

“How do we ever get back on track if we didn’t have any penny but for our daily meals? My savings can only pay our monthly bill in the next two months. After that- after that, I don’t know anymore. What do you want me to do?”

“Look, I promise I will figure things out. But please Libby, please, don’t accept his help. Okay?” begged Toby. Libby didn’t say a word, nor nodded her head. She didn’t want to lie to Toby as she still gave Russell’s offer a thought.

As a result of their argument, things became awkward again between them—and it killed Libby softly. She wished that Toby wouldn’t have to be this stubborn and for once, just compromised. Just less than twenty-four hour ago, they shared their first sweet kiss and now they returned to their old selves. Toby had been locking himself up in his room after the debate, while Libby tried to make her mind distracted by watching movies marathon. She would cry out of devastation and frustration if she stayed alone in her room.

Libby was wrong if she believed that it didn’t hurt Toby as well. It was part of his trait to keep things for himself but he sure changed a lot after meeting Libby. He talked more about his, even though most of the time he didn’t know when would be the right time to speak his mind. Libby surely turned his world upside down. Her bubbliness and straightforward in talking made him fell head over heels many times. He never dated someone like her before and she was the complete opposite of him.

Last night, he kissed Libby because he was scared that she might reject him after his unplanned confession. He didn’t expect that Libby would find out that he was jealous of her intimacy with Russell at the food festival. He wasn’t also sure whether it made them a couple or not—whether Libby was now his girlfriend or not. And yet, he managed to put on poker-face the whole time although he didn’t know it actually tormented and confused Libby even more. He regretted that everything now became how it used to be with the girl he liked—cold and clumsy.

After lunch, Libby decided to take a walk around her neighborhood. She couldn’t stand the awkward tension between her and Toby. She sat down on a wooden bench at the park that was just across Pastry Mystery. She stared at the place that her father built with his own hands. Tears began to run down her freckled cheeks before she knew it. She felt sorry for ruining her late father’s last and only wish for her. She was upset at herself mostly for not taking it seriously since the beginning. Libby wished she could go back in time but now she had to start from the zero—if it even wasn’t too late already.

From afar, she could see Toby’s window room but unfortunately, he closed the curtain. She was beyond curious at what and how he was doing right now. She believed that Toby would do his best to make things work for Pastry Mystery again. She felt yet ashamed that Toby didn’t even give up on the deli that didn’t even belong to him or his family but Libby even gave it a thought to use it as a guarantee to get a debt. Libby wiped her tears as she had made up her mind.

Libby knocked Toby’s room but he didn’t give her an answer.

“Hey, I just wanted to tell you I’m going to take the car for a while,” said Libby. “I’m going to drop by at Russell for a while and I’ll do some groceries afterward. Do you need something from the supermarket?”

Libby couldn’t hear anything but a cold silence from the other side of the door.

“Look, I’m going to turn down his offer,” announced Libby. As predicted, her statement just gained Toby’s attention.

“Are you sure about it?” asked Toby.

“Can I come inside?” Libby didn’t find it comfortable at all to talk like this. Besides, it was a serious matter that they actually should discuss face to face. Toby unlocked the door and he let Libby in. They both sat down on his bed but he still couldn’t see her in the eye.

“Pastry Mystery is yours. You should do all the decision yourself. I’m sorry that sometimes I forget my place here as your employee,” said Toby staring at the wooden floor in his bedroom.

“No, that’s not true. Pastry Mystery is ours. You love this place, don’t you? And me too. Believe me, if I could travel back in time to tell my old self from two months ago that I’d fall in love with my dad’s bakery she would call me stupid. But I don’t care. I really love it. I want to run Pastry Mystery with you, Toby. I want to make it big again like how it used to be, with you,” prompted Libby. She even held both of his hands in his to convince him that she said the truth.

“Really?” asked Toby. He still believed that Libby might change her mind once again.

“Yes. Now I’m going to see Russell and I’m going to say no to his help. I promise,” promised Libby.

“Thank you. Thank you for not giving up Pastry Mystery,” thanked Toby.

“No, Toby. Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me,” said Libby. Toby pulled her closer to hug her tightly and she embraced him back. Deep down, they were glad that things were fine between them again.

Libby drove all the way to almost outside Amaranth Creek to Russell’s house but the owner wasn’t home that time. His security guard informed that he might still be at Cake At Break at this moment. Libby tried to reach him on phone several times but he didn’t pick up.

Russell was also absent when Libby came to see him in his deli. The store manager said that he was still at the police station and he would be back as soon as possible. Libby decided to wait in the café. She was actually also curious at the taste of the Danish pastry from Cake At Break that became the talk of the town. She also wanted to try a piece of Japanese cotton cheesecake that looked delicious in the display fridge. The iced Americano was also something that she didn’t want to miss.

Cake At Break café had become the hottest place to date for the youngsters in Amaranth Creek. They came to simply enjoy the food or to share their experience on the social media account. And just like most people nowadays, Libby took some pictures of the food in front of her before she enjoys it. Although she didn’t upload it to her social media account she shared it to Toby on the chat messenger. She told him that Russell was away for a while and she was waiting for him.

Toby Pettigrew: And? Is it yummy?

Liberty Vanderbilt: The iced Americano tastes just like the one from the café that I used to visit in New York.

Toby Pettigrew: And the Danish?

Liberty Vanderbilt: Just like what you said, it’s delicious but ours is much better.

Toby Pettigrew: Told you. What about the cheesecake?

Liberty Vanderbilt: Oh, snap! It’s delicious! It’s even better than the ones that I’ve eaten.

Toby Pettigrew: No way. I can make it better!

Liberty Vanderbilt: Oh prove it! Hey, I got to go. Russell is here.

Toby Pettigrew: Okay.

Russell was taken aback to see Libby enjoying the delicacies from his shop. He was also glad that she turned out to like them. He even packed some cotton cheesecakes and Danish for her to bring home later. Libby, however, didn’t waste any time at all but to tell him her intention to visit him. It was totally out of Russell’s prediction that Libby came to give him an answer after giving it a thought for merely a short time.

“I hope you didn’t have to wait long. I didn’t know that you’re coming so I went to the police station,” stated Russell.

“Oh, it’s fine. Is there something wrong?” asked Libby.

“No. It was just… no, never mind,” replied Russell hesitantly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just went to the police station to bail Barth out,” announced Russell. “The police didn’t have enough evidence to hold him besides the customer list from The ProFarm. His family yet didn’t have enough money to get him out so I thought, why didn’t I just help him? I mean, he’s a nice guy after all.”

“But- but Barth put the blame on you. He said you were the one who ordered him to buy the X-Rat.”

“I know, but hey, it’s all in the past. Besides, I need him to take care of my garden as soon as possible,” said Russell nonchalantly. “So, what are you going to tell me?”

“Oh, I- I have given it a thought. You know, your help…” Libby stuttered.

“And?”

“And I came to turn down your offer,” revealed Libby.

“Oh.” Russell didn’t see that coming at all. He thought he would easily hand her the check and they would start the legal process as soon as possible. But he smiled and wasn’t offended at all to hear that. “Okay. But just so you know, Libby, I’ll leave this offer open to you. Don’t hesitate to come to me if you ever change your mind.”

“Tha- thanks, Russell,” replied Libby. She lied—deep down she wasn’t sure anymore whether she had to say no to his help. His sincerity in helping Barth who had defamed him surely moved her. She believed Russell wouldn’t plan to con her at all but she had promised Toby to refuse the offer. Secretly, she felt relieved when Russell still gave her an opportunity just in case if she had a change of heart.