The next week sort of implodes in on itself. It starts out crappy and it just keeps on sliding down Poo Mountain. If I was obsessed with my work before, I’m an absolute maniac now. It’s been all 15 hour days. Maybe I’ll just bring the air mattress to the bakery and sleep in the office, thus eliminating the needs for the outside world to exist at all! Huzzah! I’ve got it!
“Charlotte! Char, where are you? I know you’re here.” I can hear my mother out in the bakery, but I am mixing up a batch of double chocolate cherry bars, and if I stop now, I will forget where I am in process. It’s a process, people.
“Sorry Charlie. Your mom’s here. Want me to tell her to wait or have her come back?” Mandy pops her head through the kitchen door. She got her hair cut a few days ago and it looks amazing. She’s put teal and purple streaks in it, and I’m wondering if her drummer lover boy has anything to do with this wild side.
“She can come back.” I sigh, blowing my hair out of my face with a puff of annoyed air.
“Charlotte, I’ve been calling and texting and e-mailing you all week.” My mother starts as soon as she enters the room.
“On second thought, tell her to go away.” I mumble under my breath. Mom keeps talking at me and wandering around—touching things that I will have to sterilize later. I’m already sleep deprived, and stressed, and it is the last thing I need at the moment.
“Were you planning on calling me back? You’re a few hundred yards away now, and yet you might as well still be in Los Angeles.” She finally settles on a stool near my metal work surface. She sits on the edge of it, in her perfectly pressed pink capris and matching sleeveless silk blouse. I’m currently wearing a black ribbed tank top, my polka dot apron and gray linen pants which are comfy and lightweight. And sort of covered in flour, which is a given.
“Mom…I’m sorry. I’m super busy.” I say as I chop up dried cherries and dark chocolate pieces. I concentrate on this, and try to ignore the tut tutting that my mom is doing.
“Your Uncle wants us all to have a family dinner since you’re in town. With Laura and the kids, and Flip and his fiancé.” She watches me as I add the ingredients to the giant mixer next to me.
“Okay, sure. Just let me know when. Isn’t Laura married?” I ask without looking up. Mom makes a little gasping noise and I glance at her. Her eyes are wide and she looks shocked.
“They’re getting a divorce. Didn’t you hear? Best not to mention it in front of Laura, she gets a bit weepy.” She looks at me as if I am keyed in to all the Havre de Grace gossip, or even just the Kaye family gossip. I’m clueless on both accounts.
“No, Mom. I’m basically my own little island so I haven’t heard.” I turn on the mixer. Bummer. It’s not loud enough to drown out the talking.
“Apparently Martin was cheating on her with Lucy McGreger from the bank. Have you met her? Short, sort of plump…” Mom keeps babbling and I lean against the table, watching her. It is strange to think that we look so much alike, but are so completely different. It’s hard to tell us apart when you look at photos of her when she was my age. Same wavy, dark chocolate brown hair and matching big, wide eyes. Same small frame. Of course, my hips and ass are bigger than hers, she won’t let me forget that. And my boobs are definitely bigger, which she laments over as well, but for different reasons.
She keeps talking and I nod and sort of listen to the town gossip. I absentmindedly reach into my apron and pull out my phone, checking my messages. She doesn’t even notice. I’ve got nothing. It has been radio silence since my last phone call with Tom. The media has been rather relentless, but Tom has been in complete hiding. Even from me.
أنت تقرأ
Crumbs (a Tom Hiddleston fanfic)
قصص الهواةTom and Charlotte have only ever been friends. Really good friends. They lead totally different lives-he's a jet setting actor and she's a no nonsense, flour covered baker. When Tom finds out his fiancé is cheating, he faces an uncertain future. And...
