The Baker

“Okay, okay! I’ll get the cake! Tell Abby to take a chill pill” Corey laughed into the phone to his best friend Patrick Sharp on the other line. Abby had been stressing out over the details of her daughter, Madelyn’s, first birthday party. She recruited practically all of Patrick’s teammates to help out with the planning and organization and her OCD was starting to get the best of them all.

“That woman’s starting to get on my nerves” Jon mumbled from across the small table they were sharing for lunch.

“I’d like to see you say that to her face” Corey chuckled a bit as he tucked his phone back into his pocket and resumed to eating his lunch. Jon scoffed and mumbled something inaudible before scarfing down the rest of his food.

“I got the bill this time” Jon said as he motioned for the waitress. She brought the check over, accompanied by some flirtatious gestures and batting of her eyelashes. Jon just smiled awkwardly as he tucked his credit card into the check and handed it back to her with a nod.

“How come girls never flirt with me like that?” Corey laughed and nodded his head towards the waitress.

“That’s easy, bud. It’s because you’re ugly” Jon laughed and patted his friends shoulder. Corey shot him a glare and went to punch his shoulder but was interrupted by the waitress returning with Jon’s credit card.

“I’ll see you tonight. Don’t forget Maddie's cake” Jon called over his shoulder as he and Corey parted ways.

“Yeah yeah, I’m going” he muttered under his breath as he clicked the unlock button on his keys. He got in his car and looked up directions to the new bakery Abby ordered from. He typed the address into his GPS and made his way there.

It was small, but cute. It wasn’t too over the top and you could tell it was a family oriented place. There was a lot of pink. A little too much for Corey’s liking, but who was he to judge. He walked in and noticed a wall full of pictures. A lot of them were black and white; of ladies in the kitchen, flour all over the front of them and bowls in one hand and a spoon in the other. It seemed to be different generations lined along the wall because as he looked on he noticed that they turned into colored photographs. Some were worn out so he could tell they were older and it continued what he assumed was the most recent one.

His eyes traveled to the last photo once more. There was a girl, probably around his age or maybe a few years younger. She was stunning. Her brown hair was up in a ponytail but it was long enough to hang over the front of her shoulder. She had flour on her face and a rosy blush on her cheeks.

“Hello!” a young woman’s voice pulled him out of the trance he wasn’t even aware he was in.

“Oh, hi” he said a little flustered. He took one last peek at the girl in the picture before looking over to the counter where the voice was coming from. The girl from the picture.

“Were you waiting long?” she asked apologetically.

“N-no, not at all” Corey shook his head as he stepped closer.

“Okay, good!” she smiled, causing Corey to lose his train of thought again. He stared at her perfectly structured face; like someone spent hours drawing out every little detail and then placed her on earth for everyone to enjoy. Her lips were plump and had a red tint of lip gloss on them, her eyes bright and cheery while her cheek bones were placed perfectly on her face. She was thin, but not too thin. She obvious worked out and probably kept her snaking a minimum at this bakery.

“So, how can I help you?” she asked slowly, obviously trying to avoid the uncomfortable silence that was beginning to unfold.

“Oh um, duh. Sorry.” Corey laughed and he couldn’t hide the blush creeping up on his cheeks. “I’m here to pick up a birthday cake for Madelyn” he explained.

“Okay, I’ll be just a second!” she smiled and dashed off to the back of the bakery.

Could you be any more of an idiot. Corey mentally kicked himself as soon as she was out of sight.

“Here it is! Would you like to take a look to make sure it’s alright?” the girl called out as she carried a relatively big box, compared to her small frame out from what he assumed was the kitchen.

“Sure” Corey nodded as she set it down on the counter. She carefully opened it up and looked to Corey eagerly.

“Is it alright?” she asked and he could hear the nervousness in her voice. He actually found it quite charming. She was humble and he loved that in a girl.

“It’s amazing! Did you do this yourself?” he inquired and looked over to with curiosity on his face.

“Yeah” she blushed and nodded, linking her hands behind her back and leaning back and forth on her heels.

“You’re so talented” Corey smiled to her, causing her cheeks to turn even redder than they had already been. Something she didn’t even think was possible. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.” he added in.

“I’m Nicole” she answered, extending her hand in his direction.

“Corey” he nodded in return and shook her soft hand.

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Corey” she smiled shyly. Corey nodded as he tried to fight the ginormous smile that was trying to creep up on his face.

“Well let’s pay for this bad boy. Don’t want Maddie getting mad at me for being late” he joked as he pulled out his credit card and handed it to Nicole. She slid it through and handed it back before tying up the box for him so it wouldn’t slip open in the car.

“I hope your daughter enjoys it” she smiled as Corey picked up the box. He looked over at her confused but then it suddenly hit him.

“Oh, she’s not my daughter! She’s my friends. I don’t have any kids. I don’t even have a girlfriend” he laughed heartedly and shook his head quickly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed…” Nicole blushed and her eyes went wide with embarrassment.

“No, no. it’s alright. I can see why you thought that.” He smiled sweetly. She blushed and fiddled with her thumbs, nodding slowly.

“What time do you close?” Corey inquired curiously.

“Today we close at four. Why?” she answered and peered her head up to look over at him.

“Would you be interested in coming to this party with me? I know Maddie and her parents would love to meet the amazing creator of this cake” Corey grinned cheesily.

“Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to intrude” she shook her head nervously.

“It’s not intrusion! They said I could bring a date.”

“A date?”

“Well… A guest?”

“Much better. I guess I could come. I’d love to see their reactions.”

“They’re going to love it. I promise. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

Corey and Nicole exchanged numbers and Corey left to drop the cake off. He made sure that no one opened the box until party time because the baker wanted to see everyone’s reactions. He went home after dropping it off and started shuffling through his closet. Now Corey wasn’t usually one to get nervous to hang out with a girl. I mean, it wasn’t a date… But he still wanted to look nice. After about thirty minutes of pinning through, he finally decided on a pair of dark wash jeans and a black button up. Simple, yet still classy.

He glanced to the clock and saw it was quarter to four. The party didn’t start until five but he assumed she would want to go home and change first. He drove back to the bakery and waited in the parking lot. Once he saw Nicole come out and lock the door behind her, he stepped out of his car.

“Would you be able to take me home? I’d like to change before we go. I only live a block over.” She asked, motioning down to her outfit covered in flour and other foods that she wasn’t quite sure of.

“Of course, I figured you’d want that. We’ve got time” Corey smiled and walked her to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door and held her hand as she got in before he gently shut it and jogged over to the other side. He drove the block over and put the car in park.

“You can come up.” Nicole said as she got out. Corey followed her motions and they both walked up the three flights of stairs and down a narrow hallway until she stopped at a door with the number 20 on it.

“It’s not much to look at” she blushed a bit as they both stepped in. The walls were a creamy grey color and were decorated with pictures just like the bakery walls were. There were candles all over the place and the apartment had a sweet smell to it. Like pumpkin pie mixed with apple crisp, what he assumed was caused by the candles. It was a warm place. Somewhere he could picture himself spending time at.

“I’m going to change. Just make yourself at home” Nicole said, tugging Corey out of his trance.

He took a seat on the couch and looked around the room some more. He saw a bookshelf filled with different types of books. Some looked like love stories, others were cook books, along with some gossip magazines.

About twenty minutes later Nicole walked out sporting a pair of white capris and a peach blouse and nude heels on her feet. Her hair was down now, flowing over her shoulders in soft waves.

“Is this alright? I didn’t know how formal it was” she blushed as Corey stared.

“Yeah! Wow, you look… amazing” he gushed as he stood up with a smile. “Ready to go?” he asked holding his arm out towards her. She nodded and grabbed her phone before linking her arm with his. He lead her out to the car and drove to Patrick and Abby’s house. They were early, but there was already a bunch of cars there.

Corey lead her to the back yard where everyone else was gathered.

“Hey bud” Patrick walked up and patted him on the shoulder.

“Hey, Sharpie. This is Nicole. She’s the one that made Maddie’s cake” Corey smiled and motioned to the girl beside him. Patrick raised an eyebrow and smirked subtly at Corey. He rolled his eyes at his friend before Patrick extended his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nicole. Does this mean we can peek at the cake now?” he laughed.

She giggled a bit and nodded her head. “I really hope you guys like it” she said nervously.

“I’m sure we will” he smiled and Corey and Nicole followed him to the house. He called for Abby and she walked in after them before Patrick opened the box.

“Oh my goodness!” Abby gushed. “Oh I can’t wait to thank the bakery!”

“You don’t have to wait. She’s right here” Corey laughed and nodded his head over at Nicole.

“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry. But thank you! This is absolutely amazing!” she smiled widely and pulled Nicole in for a hug. Nicole laughed and gently hugged the woman back.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name?”

“It’s Nicole” she smiled.

“I’m Abby. I would introduce you to Madelyn but she’s too busy being spoiled by all her uncles” she laughed.

“I’m sure I’ll meet her sometime tonight” Nicole smiled.

“Yeah, Maddie loves her uncle Corey so she’ll be sure to meet her” he grinned cheesily. They all rolled their eyes at him before going back outside. Corey grabbed them both a drink before they took a seat next to Patrick and Abby.

“He looks really familiar” Nicole whispered, leaning over to Corey and motioning to Patrick Kane who just walked in.

Corey laughed softly. “Do you watch hockey?” he asked. She shook her head. “Oh… Well that’s Patrick Kane. He’s on the Blackhawks. Pretty much the whole team is here. Including me…”

Nicole’s eyes went wide and she quickly sat back. “What? You’re famous?” she whispered quickly.

“No! Well… Yeah… Kind of. But that doesn’t make a difference. I still want to spend this night with you!” Corey quickly exclaimed. She let out a sigh and he looked at her nervously.

“Okay” she reluctantly agreed.

“Thank you” he whispered into her hair and gently set his hand over hers. She didn’t move away, which surprised them both. There was something about his gentle touch that made her feel so comfortable with him.

Soon all the guests had arrived and the back yard was buzzing. Laughter and conversations filled the air along with the smell of citronella candles and tikki torches to keep the mosquitos away. Corey and Nicole decided to take a break from all the socializing and they sat down in two chairs on the side of the lawn.

“Are you having fun?” Corey asked curiously as he handed her a beer he brought over with them.

“Yeah, I’m glad you invited me” she smiled and took a small swig of her drink. She set it down beside her and sat back in her chair.

“Did you want something else to drink?” Corey asked quickly once he realized she barely even drank a full sip.

“No, it’s alright. I’ve never really liked the taste of beer” she admitted with a laugh.

“I didn’t even ask. I’m such a jerk, I’m sorry” he replied apologetically. “I’ll go get you something else. Anything you’d like” he stammered nervously and he sat himself up in his chair.

Nicole laughed softly and gently took his hand to calm him down. “Corey, I promise I’m alright. Just sit down” she giggled at his nervousness. He complied and sat back again with a blush rising to his cheeks.

He’s never gotten this nervous around a girl before. It seems like everything he does is embarrassing tonight. Why is Nicole so different? It doesn’t help that she’s everything Corey looks for in a girl. She’s beautiful, talented, she’s great with kids; Madelyn and her friends have been playing with her for most of the night. Was he falling for her? No, it was too fast. Too soon. She probably wasn’t even interested in him.

He let out a quiet sigh and took a big gulp of his beer. This was his third of the night and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t starting to feel the effects start to kick in.

By the end of the night Corey had drank three beers and one forced shot of tequila, thanks to Patrick Kane along with a glass of wine Abby brought him. He was in no condition to drive and he didn’t want to put Nicole in any danger either. She offered to drive him home and he reluctantly accepted.

“How are you going to get home?” Corey quietly asked once she parked the car in his driveway.

“I’ll just call a cab” she casually shrugged as she unbuckled hers and Corey’s seatbelts.

“Um, I mean.. if you wanted you could just stay here. Instead of wasting your money on a cab. I could drive you home in the morning” Corey stammered nervously.

“I don’t know, Corey” she whispered, taken back by the formality of the situation.

“No funny business! I swear! I have three guest rooms. You can take your pick. i promise you’re safe with me” he laughed softly.

“Well, okay” she smiled and they both made their way inside. Corey led her upstairs and showed her the guest rooms. She choose the one closet to his room. It wasn’t too fancy, just a white comforter with some cheesy decorations that his mother picked out on the walls.

“I’m not really tired yet” Nicole admitted turning around in the doorway.

“I’m not either” he chuckled shrugging his shoulders. “We could watch a movie or something.” He suggested.

“Perfect. But first, can I borrow some clothes for the night?” she blushed, motioning down to her capris and blouse.

“Sure” Corey smiled and dashed to his room. He returned with the smallest pair of sweatpants he could find and one of his Blackhawks t-shirts. He went downstairs and gave Nicole her privacy as she changed. While she was changing, Corey got the TV ready and started on a bag of popcorn. He almost screamed when he turned around and saw Nicole going through his liquor cabinet.

“I didn’t even hear you come down” he said letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Sorry” she laughed with her back still to him. Corey couldn’t help but admire her. She looked even smaller wearing his clothes but for some reason it made him even more attracted to her. Maybe it was because she was so simple. She was fine wearing sweats and a t-shirt in front of him. Most girls wouldn’t be caught dead looking like that in front of an NHL player.

“What are you doing?” he finally spoke up.

“Getting us drinks” she smirked as she stood upright with a bottle of tequila. Corey raised his eyebrows but couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well alright” he chuckled as he grabbed the popcorn before making their way to the living room couch. They both plopped down and Nicole spun open the bottle cap. She downed a big gulp of it and shook her head when she felt the burn in her throat. She held the bottle out for Corey who immediately took it and downed the same amount.

A full movie and one too many shots later, the two of them laid back on the couch in each other’s arms laughing at a story Corey was telling about the team. It was comfortable. So comfortable. Nicole’s head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck, their fingers nit together like they were made for each other. She found herself not even listening to the story anymore and just staring at Corey’s lips. They looked soft. Like something she would love to kiss with her very own mouth.

Corey must have caught on because next thing she knew, he was done talk and was taking her face into his hands ever so gently before attaching his lips to hers. It was soft, not forced at all. They sunk into each other like it was part of a routine.

She didn’t even notice her cheeks turning red and a smile creeping up on her face as their mouths parted. Corey smiled down at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She let out a quiet, drunken giggle as she laid her head back in the crook of his neck. Now this was something she could get used to.