Sweetly & Home Economically ✔

The Jerk & The Blackened Chicken

~ The Jerk & The Blackened Chicken ~

~ ¤°*°*°*°¤ ~

"Detention, young lady?"

Those were the first words out of my mother's mouth when I made it to work. I was an hour late, and Theo was even later than me because he stayed behind to drop the brownies off. He insisted I leave first so I could get here to help my mom.

"Yes," I muttered, joining her behind the counter. There weren't many people left, so I must have missed the rush. "I'm sorry."

"What did you do?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I may or may not have dumped a bowl of sugar on someone's head..."

She snorted and covered her mouth. "That's it?"

I looked up, surprised by her laid back reaction. "You're not mad?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Of course not, Abby. I'm sure the person deserved it."

If it had been anyone other than Theo, I would have been panicking and in tears. If I had the nerve to do it in the first place, anyway. There was a small part of me that was still afraid there would be a repeat of the past, but I tried to ignore it.

"Any boy who serenades my daughter with classic rock would deserve it," she added with a secret smile. When she saw my eyes widen, she laughed. "Theo just called me and explained everything. He didn't want you to get in trouble, and he knew you wouldn't tell me the whole story."

He did it again. "He did not serenade me," I mumbled, not denying that he was right.

"Just don't tell your father," she winked. "Now go sit down and rest. I don't need any help right now and you've had a long afternoon."

"So have you," I said, frowning.

When she shooed me away, I went to my table in the back to do some homework until I was needed.

I just started on the book for my English assignment when the door was flung open. Theo came running in and I watched as he swung the loop of his apron over his head and tied the waist straps behind him. He smiled sheepishly at my mom as he apologized to her, but when he glanced around the bakery and spotted me, the smile turned impish. I jumped, realizing that I had been staring, and moved my focus back to the book.

A few minutes later, a cup of coffee was placed on my table and Theo sat down across from me. I graciously took a sip of the coffee to discover it was actually a mocha. It was good, but not my favorite. I waited until I finished the paragraph I was on to acknowledge him.

"Thank you," I said, putting the book down and taking another sip of the chocolatey coffee.

"I hope it's not too sweet. Some sugar may have fallen in from my hair," he responded with a smirk.

Ignoring his comment, I went back to the book. I wound up reading the same line multiple times when I felt his gaze on me. "Are you just going to sit there?"

"Yep."

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I love making you uncomfortable," he grinned, leaning back in his seat.

Gee, I hadn't noticed. "Don't you have homework to do?"

"Nope. And you're probably thinking I never do my homework." His foot nudged mine as he tried to get me to look at him.

"I never said that," I said, burying my nose deeper into the book and pulling my foot back.

Theo chuckled quietly. "I know, that's why I said you were thinking it."