What Goes Around...

Part Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

A/N So sorry for the delay with this chapter, had a few days away and a bout of food poisoning...in no particular order. Almost back to normal now, next chapter soon, promise, MZ

Oscar tried on several occasions to get more out of Freya. He pushed, asking questions, trying to bad mouth his friend, but Freya refused to be sucked into that. She was still unsure of what had happened in that hotel room in Canada, how things had gone from happy bordering on sinful to chaotic and angry in just moments, but she now knew her brother had spoken to Mitchell Cooper somewhere along the line, and that he was angry with him.

That meant that in typical big brother fashion he wanted to know and control everything. What had happened in Canada was nothing to do with her brother and she had no intention of letting him stride into the middle and overcomplicate three friendships. Not least because she had no idea what everything meant to her yet. She seemed reluctant to think about anything in any great depth, her, sensible Freya Wicker was avoiding all thoughts and running away, emotionally anyway. That was a first, whilst she wasn't exactly someone to act on her impulses; she usually over processed things, the darkness of night gave a lot of opportunity for that. 

So instead of answering her brother's questions, she played down his concerns, reassuring him that IF anything happened, though she hinted strongly that it hadn't, then it was HER choice and no one else's.

He was far from happy with her explanation, but she was able to manipulate him by swinging the conversation around to their parents and her planning a visit.

And it worked of a fashion, the questions eased and she enjoyed his company. But when two days later he left for Hawaii for a few days, she was left alone and rattling around the place like a marble in a shoebox.

The Olde Tea Shoppe had become a sanctuary for Freya in the jobless days after her return from Canada. Patricia and her husband Tom were a link to home with their English sayings and their amazingly good tea. Whenever Oscar was at work, she'd wander down there and spent most afternoons on the small pavement seat watching the world go by and drinking tea. Usually after the lunch rush, Patricia would come and sit with her and share a piece of cake. Once he left town again, she relied on that contact more than ever.

It was during the fifth of sixth afternoon, the third since Oscar left town, that the subject of her boredom cropped up once again.

                "I was thinking about you last night," Patricia offered.

                "Really? You got a job here for me?"

She grimaced, "sorry, still no vacancies here, but I was thinking about your chemistry, your problem solving mind."

Freya looked at her with anticipation, "that sounds like me!"

Patricia nodded, "yup, baking!"

                "You want me to bake?"

The older woman shrugged, "well you say you can't cook, and baking is all about chemistry, it's scientific. Raising agents need specific measurements, a sponge or bread...they all need specific formulas to work. Just thought that it might appeal to you." She tossed a leaflet on the table, "and this is a six week course in the local college on a Wednesday evening. What do you think?"

Freya thought about it for a few moments, then smiled, "I am bored, going crazy...AND I said I want to learn to cook more...I think it that sounds like a very good stop gap." She picked up the leaflet and pocketed it. Her mind already racing ahead of herself. "I might do some research..."