Dinner for One Read Online Free
tomorrow. Marcy’s helping them make strawberry shortcake cupcakes tonight. It would mean a lot if you came.”
“I’ll be there,” he says. He’ll just get up earlier than planned to fit the gym in. Possibly he’ll need to go in the evening as well, if he’s going to be spending his day around sweets. “Anyone else going?”
Laurence shakes his head, shoving his hands in his front pockets. “All our siblings are busy. Georgina is working, Jackson is in California, and Denver and Dorian are in Florida. Mom and Dad are on vacation in Italy.”
James blinks. “When the hell did everyone leave the state?”
That earns him an amused look. “Denver and Dorian left this morning. They’re doing a swimwear shoot in Miami, and there’s some kind of big music festival they’re going to. Jackson’s been in California for two weeks. He’s working on a film out there. I can’t believe you haven’t got the texts about the crazy makeup he’s been getting to do. And our parents have been gone for three days. Georgina’s still in the state, though. She’s just busy.” He shakes his head. “How are you so out of the loop?”
He honestly doesn’t know and he tells Laurence so. He feels like they must be telling him what they’re doing and he’s somehow forgetting it. He’s got to start writing it down. At least his sister hasn’t left without his knowledge.
They get to the cupcake shop just before closing time, and the look of relief on Laurence’s face when they say they can take his order would be amusing if James hadn’t sat through the same dinner that led to this. Laurence orders a box of eight cupcakes, and James, being more practical, orders a box of four.
They go back to James’s to eat them, so Laurence’s kids won’t be mad he’s eating cupcakes that aren’t theirs. It’s a little sickening to see, but Laurence eats all eight of his cupcakes. James only manages to pack away three before the sugar sends him crashing to his bed, holding his stomach and regretting his night’s choices.
Chapter Two
THE BAKE sale is packed, wall-to-wall parents and kids. It’s messy and loud, food getting dropped, and kids shouting as they run back and forth. It’s chaotic, and Bastien is immensely glad none of these kids are his. He wouldn’t want to deal with this on a full-time basis. Avery is a handful on her own, but she’s perfect. An exception. And she’s not actually his. He’s just the fun uncle. He doesn’t know if he could take care of her full time.
Scratch that. He knows he couldn’t. He’s seen her throw a tantrum, and there’s not a chance in hell he could handle that.
His religieuses have their own table, the little pastry cakes arranged to look like a tiny rabbit, the school’s mascot. Each individual pastry has whiskers and a little pink nose. They’re a huge hit. The kids are loving it. He’s seen more than one parent take a photo of them. After he leaves he’s going to search Instagram to see if anyone’s posted their pictures. It’s a fantastic marketing tool, and his restaurant even has its own hashtag. He takes a photo of the religieuses himself and posts it to his personal Instagram, and then reposts it to L’amour Dans La Ville’s official page. He captions it: Thinking about adding these beauts to the dessert menu. #foodporn
He’s been trading off with his sister, each of them taking hour shifts as they sell the pastries. Bastien is glad he baked so many batches. If he hadn’t he’d have sold out within the first hour. As it is, he’s able to constantly replenish and keep the bunny looking like a bunny. He’s going to start running out soon, though.
A gaggle of children come up, oohing and ahhing over the pastries, giggling as they look at the bunny faces. They’ve got money clutched in their little fists, and a small auburn-haired girl missing her two front teeth asks him how much one is after a fierce argument over who has to speak. He gives her the
“I’ll be there,” he says. He’ll just get up earlier than planned to fit the gym in. Possibly he’ll need to go in the evening as well, if he’s going to be spending his day around sweets. “Anyone else going?”
Laurence shakes his head, shoving his hands in his front pockets. “All our siblings are busy. Georgina is working, Jackson is in California, and Denver and Dorian are in Florida. Mom and Dad are on vacation in Italy.”
James blinks. “When the hell did everyone leave the state?”
That earns him an amused look. “Denver and Dorian left this morning. They’re doing a swimwear shoot in Miami, and there’s some kind of big music festival they’re going to. Jackson’s been in California for two weeks. He’s working on a film out there. I can’t believe you haven’t got the texts about the crazy makeup he’s been getting to do. And our parents have been gone for three days. Georgina’s still in the state, though. She’s just busy.” He shakes his head. “How are you so out of the loop?”
He honestly doesn’t know and he tells Laurence so. He feels like they must be telling him what they’re doing and he’s somehow forgetting it. He’s got to start writing it down. At least his sister hasn’t left without his knowledge.
They get to the cupcake shop just before closing time, and the look of relief on Laurence’s face when they say they can take his order would be amusing if James hadn’t sat through the same dinner that led to this. Laurence orders a box of eight cupcakes, and James, being more practical, orders a box of four.
They go back to James’s to eat them, so Laurence’s kids won’t be mad he’s eating cupcakes that aren’t theirs. It’s a little sickening to see, but Laurence eats all eight of his cupcakes. James only manages to pack away three before the sugar sends him crashing to his bed, holding his stomach and regretting his night’s choices.
Chapter Two
THE BAKE sale is packed, wall-to-wall parents and kids. It’s messy and loud, food getting dropped, and kids shouting as they run back and forth. It’s chaotic, and Bastien is immensely glad none of these kids are his. He wouldn’t want to deal with this on a full-time basis. Avery is a handful on her own, but she’s perfect. An exception. And she’s not actually his. He’s just the fun uncle. He doesn’t know if he could take care of her full time.
Scratch that. He knows he couldn’t. He’s seen her throw a tantrum, and there’s not a chance in hell he could handle that.
His religieuses have their own table, the little pastry cakes arranged to look like a tiny rabbit, the school’s mascot. Each individual pastry has whiskers and a little pink nose. They’re a huge hit. The kids are loving it. He’s seen more than one parent take a photo of them. After he leaves he’s going to search Instagram to see if anyone’s posted their pictures. It’s a fantastic marketing tool, and his restaurant even has its own hashtag. He takes a photo of the religieuses himself and posts it to his personal Instagram, and then reposts it to L’amour Dans La Ville’s official page. He captions it: Thinking about adding these beauts to the dessert menu. #foodporn
He’s been trading off with his sister, each of them taking hour shifts as they sell the pastries. Bastien is glad he baked so many batches. If he hadn’t he’d have sold out within the first hour. As it is, he’s able to constantly replenish and keep the bunny looking like a bunny. He’s going to start running out soon, though.
A gaggle of children come up, oohing and ahhing over the pastries, giggling as they look at the bunny faces. They’ve got money clutched in their little fists, and a small auburn-haired girl missing her two front teeth asks him how much one is after a fierce argument over who has to speak. He gives her the
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