Damaged Before Christmas

Chapter Seven

I tried to get some more sleep after Holly and her brother left but my mind was working overtime. I was praying that Mr Woodward would be OK and that it was nothing serious that had happened to him. Holly promised that she would let me know how her dad was doing when she managed to get a chance.

I managed to drop to sleep but my dreams were plagued by the mysterious and brooding Antonio. Holly had finally told me his name when we were finishing off the first bottle of wine. It was great having time to get to know Holly the night before. My head was complaining this morning though as we had polished off 3 bottles of wine and had only fallen asleep an hour before Anotonio banged on my door.

That man was infuriating with the way he looked at me. But oh my goodness he looked delicious when I saw him standing on the other side of my door, looking like he had thrown on anything he could get his hands on. His jacket was unzipped and his shirt strained across his heaving chest. His jeans clung to his long legs and his boots just finished off his look. His hair looked like he had run his fingers through it constantly. I shivered from the look he gave me when I opened the door in just my jammies. I felt the butterflies wake up and start fluttering in my stomach when he was talking to Holly. I felt his eyes on my back when I walked back to the living room to get Holly for him. I fought with myself not to look back at him but to keep walking.

I felt proud of myself that I had managed not to look back at the man standing there oozing dominance in my hall. When I had crouched to shake Holly awake I swear he smiled, actually smirked when Holly's arm came out from under the blanket and almost hitting me. I moved just in time before she actually got me. She was still half asleep when I had told her that Antonio was here wanting to talk to her which made her spring wide awake.

I heard my alarm go off which made me groan before climbing grudgingly out of my bed. I had told Holly that I would look after the bakery today while she was the hospital checking on her dad. I dragged my body to the bathroom and turned the shower on to the maximum heat that I could stand. I shrugged out of my jammies and left them where they fell. I climbed into the shower and hoped that the water would help with my headache. The water felt great as it ran down my body as I grabbed my shower gel and got washed.

Once the water had started to get cold I turned the shower off and grabbed the towel and wrapped it around myself before walking into my closet to find something to wear at the bakery. I grabbed a pair of light blue skinny jeans with a plain green t-shirt. Once I had gotten dressed I applied a little makeup to try and hide the dark circles that I saw when I looked into the mirror. Once I was pleased with the way I looked I grabbed the dark green leather ankle biker boots as I left my room before heading to the kitchen to find the painkillers I needed to get rid of this stubborn headache.

I managed to find some ibuprofen to take with my morning tea. I couldn't bear to make any breakfast before I had to get to the bakery. I checked the clock on the wall and realising what the time was I walked to my front door and grabbed my jacket. I shrugged myself into my jacket making sure that I had everything that I would need. I had to make sure that I had remembered the bakery's keys as Holly asked me to open the store as she left this morning. Once I was satisfied that I had everything I needed I left my home and headed to the bakery.

The business was slow thank goodness after I had opened the store. The usual customers that came in for their usual cups of coffees and hot chocolates which made the time pass quickly. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime and the place was packed with customers. Every table was filled with customers and I felt like I was drowning trying to make sure everyone had their right orders. I must've looked flustered when I heard the door to the bakery opening again.

"Wow, you look as bad as I feel," Holly said as she walked into the bakery.

"Holly, I wasn't expecting you to come in today. How is your dad?" I asked pulling her into a hug.

"He's currently having every test the doctors think they should do but he's stable. They don't know why he collapsed but they are the best doctors we have here," Holly took a deep breath as she stopped talking.

"He will be fine," I say smiling trying to make my new friend feel better. "Have you eaten?"

Holly gave me a quizzing look before her stomach grumbled. "I didn't even think about food, to be honest. The coffee at the hospital was terrible. Has my brother came in yet?"

I swallowed with her question. As much as I wanted to see him again I still wasn't sure about him. "No, he hasn't come in yet that I know of. It's been busy but nothing I couldn't handle." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave her a small squeeze.

"Come on, I'll make you the best coffee you will ever have and grab one of the chocolate muffins for you to eat," I said guiding her to a chair behind the counter. I left her to get her jacket off and get comfortable before I went and started on the coffee for her and deal with the customers that were waiting to pay for their purchases.

Once I had dealt with the customers that were waiting I finished making the coffee for Holly making sure that I put a dash of cinnamon and topped the cup with whipped cream and marshmallows. I placed a chocolate muffin on a plate before I turned to face Holly. She looked lost as she sat in her chair deep in her thoughts. She jumped when I placed the coffee and muffin in front of her. "Best coffee around," I grin as she looks from me to the coffee then back up at me.

She gave me that quizzing look again before she wrapped her hands around the cup before lifting the cup to her mouth. Her eyes flew open after the first sip which made me give her a cheesy grin at her reaction. "Told you the best coffee in town."

Holly was speechless as she just nodded with my statement. I felt proud as I walked back to the counter to deal with a customer that had just come in. I was currently bent over the cake display putting cakes into a box for my current customer when I heard the door open. I plastered the work smile I had been using and straightened. I went to greet the customer who had come in when my mouth froze open.

Antonio stood on the other side of the counter staring straight at me. "Hi, what can I get for you?" I said forcing my mouth to unfreeze itself. I forced my eyes to stay on his face especially at his eyes. He just stood there with the same untrusting look on his face staring back at me. He gave himself a little shake as he finally looked away from me. I felt my hands go clammy as I waited for his answer. He looked around before settling his gaze back at me.

"Just in for Holly and to make sure you didn't run the business into the ground or burn it to the ground," he said gesturing with his hands.

I felt my anger boil as I fisted my hands tightly to not show that he had got to me with his remarks. Holly looked up from her coffee and noticed the tension that was between me and her brother.

"Tony, give Iona a break she's been wonderful and I haven't had a decent coffee since yesterday. Leave her alone and drop the big man attitude. She's helping our family out," Holly quietly shouted to get his attention. "Now, come and sit and have a coffee with me please."

Antonio stared at me for a little longer before sighing and walking over to his sister. Holly grinned a knowing smile my way which made my cheeks feel like they were on fire. "Iona, can you bring my grump of a brother one of these amazing coffees please?"

I groaned inwardly before turning to where the coffee station sat and started on making the coffee for Antonio. I secretly hoped that he would drop the thing he had against me as I poured the coffee into a cup and adding the cinnamon and whipped cream to complete the drink. I just wanted him to see that I was capable to be trusted with the bakery and maybe even his heart.

His heart? where did that thought come from? I wondered as I grabbed the same type muffin I had for Holly before taking that and the coffee over to where Antonio was sitting deep in conversation with Holly. I saw him stiffen as I approached which made me start to feel annoyed once again. They stopped talking long enough for me to put the coffee and muffin on the small table that they sat beside.

"Enjoy," I said before I turned my back and walked back to continue with my work. I kept an eye on him as he lifted the coffee and took a sniff. I couldn't keep the annoyance locked away much longer. "It's not poisoned." I snapped as I dragged a cloth over the counter making sure it was clean.

Holly clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh that she was trying not to free as Antonio's eyes flew wide and his head snapped towards me. I straightened my back and placed my fist on my hip as I stood there staring him.

"I..," Antonio started to say just as Holly's laughter rang out over the bakery. He frowned looking between me and his sister. Antonio slammed the cup back onto the table making some of the coffee sloshed over the rim of the cup. He actually looked guilty. He stood from his chair and rammed his arms back into his jacket and zipping it up. "Holly, shouldn't go back to the hospital?" he said glaring at his sister who was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes and she was clutching her middle from laughing so hard.

I sighed before facing Antonio and sighed, "I'm sorry about your dad, Antonio, I really am but you have to have some idea that I can be trusted enough that the bakery is in safe hands. I know you don't trust me like your sister but I can guarantee that you need to have a little bit of faith that I can keep things going as long as you and your family need me to."

I finished speaking as I realised I was now standing right in front of him. I didn't even know that I had been moving until I had stopped talking. I gulped when I caught a whiff of the aftershave he had on. I let it overwhelm me for a second before Holly cleared her throat. I looked up at Antonio's face and briefly caught a strangling look cross over his handsome face. A movement caught my attention as his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"I, I need to go, Holly, I will meet you at the car," Antonio stammered as he brushed past me and walked out of the bakery.

I blew out the breath that I never knew I was holding. I glanced at Holly who stood there grinning. "What are you smiling at?" I said trying to ease the tension I was feeling.

"Well, let's just say that I was right about you so what my mum when it comes to Antonio," she said winking as she put her jacket on.

I was confused with what she had said as she picked up her brother's coffee and went and poured it into one of those takeaway cups that we had behind the counter.

"What do you mean you and your mum was right? I'm pretty sure your brother hates me," I asked following her.

"We both agree that you are exactly what my brother needs," Holly said grabbing me into a quick hug before she walked to the front of the counter before waving back over her shoulder smiling.

About five minutes after she had left I was shocked when Holly appeared in the bakery again asking if I could whip up three more coffees as she wanted another one for her and Antonio and one for their mum. I just laughed before turning and quickly making them before putting them in a tray and handing them over. She was panting trying to catch her breath so without speaking she smiled at me before running back out of the bakery.

I managed to get through the rest of the day without any more problems from Antonio. Gosh, even his name rang s*x appeal in my opinion. I turned the open sign to the closed sign before locking up the bakery and making my way home. I kept hearing what Holly had said about me being perfect for her brother. I wish I knew what she meant.

I was at my flat before I knew it as I was consumed with my thoughts about the situation I had found myself in. I pulled my keys from my pocket and unlocked my door. I took my jacket off and hung it up on the hooks beside the door and threw my keys onto the hall table. I kicked off my boots before going in search of food and the rest of the wine that Holly had left.

Later on that night as I lay in bed I couldn't get what Holly had said as it had been plaguing me since she had mentioned it. I mean come on, she can't be serious.