Characters: reader, Bucky (Jimmy), Wanda, Clint.

Summary: Discovering the cute guy you just flirted with is the heir of a rival bakery, you suddenly find yourself running into him all over the city. Can your small boutique bakery compete? And how do you deal with the guy who seems determined to make your life a living hell? Luckily you're distracted by a secret admirer...But who is he? (Inspired by "You've Got Mail", Enemies to Lovers)

Warnings: none! Mild swearing?

Word Count: 2.9k

A/N: *incoherent screaming* I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on this part!! :D Any and all feedback is appreciated!! I love you guys.

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 "No," you muttered to yourself in disbelief. "No, no, no, no!"

Having reached the bottom step of the staircase leading to the cellar, you stared at the empty spot on the shelf with despair. Your legs seemed to collapse on their own as you took a seat directly on the step.

You were out of flour.

Dropping your head in your hands, you thought it over and remembered the broken bag of flour that you had neglected to replace when Sam offered the previous week. You would receive several 50 pound bags the day after tomorrow, but that did you no good in your moment of desperation. Business had been going well, thankfully, but that also meant you had been making larger batches of items that required more flour. With that, on top of your savory pastry experiments, you must have used up most of your last bag without realizing.

You were 2 pounds short on the recipe you were currently making and there was still so much left to bake until the flour arrived. If you had to wait, it would be disastrous. Allowing yourself to wallow at the decisions of your past self, you leaned your head against the wall a few minutes before climbing back up the stairs and formulating a plan.

_______

The morning had started off so well and it had the makings of a spectacular day. After agreeing to meet B in person, much to your jittery nerves, you set up plans for coffee the following afternoon. He left all planning up to you, so you thought it over before replying.

It had to be somewhere public and during the day, for safety reasons. You wanted to trust this man you had begun to fall for, but that Stranger Danger sense of self-preservation still lingered. Your dad would be proud. Finally you settled on somewhere familiar and comfortable that was also close enough to the bakery, should Wanda desperately need you. You pecked out a reply and nervously hit send.

FG: How about 4pm tomorrow? There's a great cafe called the Hawk's Nest. Do you know it?

B: I know it very well, actually. Wouldn't it be crazy if we had passed each other there without even realizing? 4pm sounds perfect!

Reading his reply, butterflies gathered in your stomach. You hadn't thought about that. What if you had seen B in person before without knowing that it was him? Part of you thought you might instinctively know him, but with no idea what he looked like, it was highly improbable. You had been to the Nest hundreds of times since moving into the neighborhood. If he was a frequent visitor...could he possibly live nearby?

Your mind was jumping to conclusions again, so you blinked a few times to clear your thoughts and focused on the screen in front of you.

FG: I'll be there. :)

Three dots appeared as you awaited his response.

B: Wait! How will we know each other?

Thinking for a moment, you came up with a solution and smiled. This air of mystery was still kind of fun and you surprisingly didn't want to know what he looked like beforehand. Well, you did, but maybe it would be best to reveal your identities to each other at the same time. An idea popped into your head with a smile so you typed out your thoughts and hit send.

FG: I'll be wearing my Beatles t-shirt. ;)

A laughing emoji popped up almost immediately.

B: Deal! And I'll be representing the Stones. I'll see you tomorrow, Franny. :)

You laughed at the nickname, feeling anxious that in roughly 24 hours he would know your true name. And what you looked like. Nervous energy flowed through you once again, so you locked your phone and took a deep breath. A wide smile stretched across your face and suddenly, you couldn't hold it in any longer. Practically skipping toward the front of the bakery, you grasped Wanda's hands in your own, causing her to drop the towel she was using to wipe down the counter but you didn't care.

"I have a date!" you shouted with glee. "Well, I think it's a date. Maybe. I don't know, but he's the sweetest and funniest and I'm so excited!" you finally paused to take a breath. Wanda looked at you in shock at first and then shared your excitement with a toothy smile.

"That's amazing, Y/N! You have a date! With who?" Wanda asked enthusiastically.

You paused a moment at her inquiry. "Well...it's kind of a funny story..."

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After your long chat with Wanda in between customers and baking more items for the pastry case, she was almost as excited for your "date" as you were. A few years ago, it would have been crazy to meet a stranger in person that you barely met, but with the internet and dating apps, it was now the new normal. Well, technically, you knew less about him than you would on a dating app, but you were cautious in your plans and felt like it was about time you two met.

That entire evening, you couldn't stop smiling and practically danced through the cleaning and dishes while helping Wanda close the shop. Not even a call from a tenant at 10pm about a noise complaint could dampen your spirits. Luckily, the noise-makers were willing to turn down their music without any more drama. You didn't know why the complainers couldn't solve it themselves, but whatever. People were strange.

The next morning, you hopped out of bed at the first ring of your alarm with a smile on your face. You didn't want to think that this guy was the sole reason for your smile, but after working almost constantly since your bakery opened, for once you had something to look forward to outside your job. It was a nice change and that spark of joy carried throughout your morning of baking and even as you made your deliveries.

Jimmy was at the counter at the Nest when you arrived and, of course, he had the closest parking spot, but even that couldn't dull your shine.

"What's got you grinning so early in the morning, Y/N?" he asked with a skeptical gaze.

Smirking in his direction, you just kept on smiling. "That's none of your business, Barnes. Can't I just have a great morning that's worth smiling about?"

Jimmy scoffed. "I rarely find anything amusing before 9am, personally," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How sad for you," you mocked, then accepting your signed paperwork from the cafe's owner. "Thanks, Clint. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya, Y/N," Clint replied as you offered one more amused smile to the brunet before exiting.

Arriving back at the bakery, you dove directly into baking with enthusiasm. You were trying to get as much done as possible early in the morning so you might actually have some time to freshen up before your coffee date later. It was during your second recipe that you discovered your flour dilemma.

Upon returning from the cellar, you took a deep breath and ran through a few options in your head. You could buy small bags of flour from the grocery store, but it would be ridiculously expensive and also the chance that it would be organic were slim to nil. Not to mention the change in gluten content, which would mean you'd have to alter each of your recipes. That would be low on your list of options. Next, you went to your office and got a list of bakeries in the area that might have your brand of flour.

Six calls later, you were unsuccessful. One was gluten-free, and therefore had no wheat flour, a few were sympathetic to your cause, but were on the same delivery schedule as you and couldn't offer their flour for fear of running out themselves. Two of the bakeries flat-out laughed at you for even suggesting they help out the competition. They better hope they never need your help in the future, you thought as you scribbled out the last bakery on your notepad with a pen.

You sat at a table out front as you had made your phone calls, since service was spotty back in your office. Wanda helped out a few customers and as they walked out the door, she came to sit across from you.

"I think you really only have one option, Y/N. I know you're not gonna like it, but..." she pursed her lips in sympathy. You had told her your problem and apparently came to the same conclusion you had.

Groaning out loud, you finally picked up your phone and found the number you hoped you would never need to call. You hit the green button and the line began to ring.

"Barnes Bakery, how may I help you?" a female voice answered.

You let out a breath that you didn't know you held, feeling like part of you expected Jimmy to answer. Other than deliveries, you didn't really know his responsibilities, so it's possible he answers the phone. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

"Yes, this is Y/N calling from City Sweets Bakery? Could I speak to the owner, please?"

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The drive out to Brooklyn wasn't bad, actually. It wasn't often that you made your way across the Brooklyn Bridge and it was actually nice to get out of the 5 or 6 blocks of neighborhood that you only seemed to frequent.

Pulling up to the building on the address the girl shared, you parked at the nearest corner where the retail shop was found. There was an awning that displayed the Barnes Bakery name and also a vertical neon sign attached to the side of the building that presumably lit up at night.

Stepping in the front door, a bell jangled overhead and the heavenly smell of bread overcame you. The counter was in an "L" shape along the left wall with racks full of all types of breads and rolls and bagels straight ahead, each bagged by the dozen or half dozen and ready to be purchased. What truly caught your eye was the large picture window set into the right wall that allowed spectators to watch the enormous production factory in action.

Your eyes widened as you took in the giant dough mixers and large metal tables where people in aprons and hairnets shaped huge blobs of yeast dough at an incredible speed. No matter what your feelings were toward the Barnes', business-wise, you couldn't help to be impressed by the efficiency and size of their bakery.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," a familiar voice called out from behind you, causing your shoulders to tense.

Turning around, you spotted a smirking Jimmy behind the counter wearing an apron. No hairnet for you to mock, unfortunately, but he was wearing a backwards baseball cap, which was amusing. Taking a deep breath, you had to remind yourself that they were doing you a favor, so you tried to paint on a pleasant smile as you approached the counter.

"Hello, Jimmy. I spoke to your father earlier about borrowing a bag of flour?" you asked, placing your hands on the glass display case.

"Yeah, he said something about that. Our delivery guy just got here so I'll go check with him. I'll be right back. Don't miss me too much," he teased with a wink as he walked through a door into the cavernous factory. You couldn't help but roll your eyes behind his back.

When you spoke to the owner, George Barnes, he was more than willing to help you out, much to your surprise. You half expected him to be just as cocky and prickly as his son, Jimmy. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Lucky for you, his bakery was on a different delivery schedule, and in fact they were expecting more flour that very day. Their facility was large enough that they could store a surplus of flour and it was likely they never ran out, which made you envious. They also happened to carry the same organic wheat flour you used and Mr. Barnes was perfectly pleasant about the whole thing. It almost made you wonder how he could be related to Jimmy, who seemed to make it his mission in life to be a thorn in your side.

You heard voices getting louder as two men rounded the corner and to your surprise, you knew them both.

"...borrow a bag, so if you'll just take that out to her car, that'd be great, man," Jimmy finished as the second man wheeled a bag of flour on a hand cart with two wheels, often used for moving boxes and other large items.

"Sam?" you called out in shock.

"Y/N, hey!" your regular delivery driver said with a smile. "I guess this is for you, then? For that broken bag last week, shit, I'm sorry about that."

You waved his apology away, know it wasn't his fault. "It's okay, I worked it out, thanks to the Barnes'," you smiled with your eyes flickering to Jimmy's.

"Well, I'm glad for that. Which is your car?"

"It's right out front, here, I'll pop the trunk," you said as you hit a button on your keychain.

"Alright, I'll be back," Sam said, giving a two-finger salute.

Turning back toward Jimmy, there was a beat of silence before you spoke up. "So...do I need to sign something, or...."

"Oh, right! Yeah," Bucky suddenly remembered as he slid the paper over to you.

Scrawling quickly on the paper, you gathered your keys and prepared to leave.

"Full signature, please," Jimmy requested with a smirk as he looked down at your scribbled signature. "What does that even say? Doesn't look like your initials..." he trailed off with a furrowed brow, squinting at the paper.

Accepting the paper and pen again, you answered while you signed. "It's not. It actually says "FG", but it's a habit signing that way," you sighed, sliding it across the counter one last time.

"What did you say?" Jimmy asked in a quiet voice, which brought your gaze up to his. He seemed to be confused at that, so you went on to explain the initials quickly.

You huffed out a mildly annoyed sigh. "It's a nickname. My dad calls me Flour Girl cause when I was younger, he would come home from work to see me covered head to toe in flour from baking. It's silly, but I like having the connection to him while I'm far from home. Happy?" you uttered in a short tone.

Jimmy continued to stare down at the paper as if his gaze might burn a hole through it. "Um...can you...stay? For a moment? I just need to...check on something," he stammered, seeming to have lost his usual boastful nature for the moment.

Glancing at your watch, you bit your lip in impatience, but nodded anyway. "Okay, fine."

Jimmy disappeared around the corner then, so you leaned your elbows on the counter and watched the team of employees making bread through the window. It wasn't that weird to have a nickname like that, right? You loved having that reminder of your dad and had even gotten used to signing the initials at work, too, like labeling containers in the fridge along with the date and what was inside. Labeling was extra important to avoid spoilage and it was also required for when the Sanitation Inspector came around. Any infractions reflected poorly on your business.

You also made the initials your text signature because on the rare occasion that your dad texted, he loved to see that reminder pop up. That you were still his little Flour Girl, no matter what.

Lost in your thoughts, your phone chirped and you fished it out to see a text on your screen. Unlocking the device, a message from B brought a huge smile to your face.

B: Franny!! I'm withholding all my coffee consumption today until I can share it with you. :)

Chuckling at the message, you typed out a reply and hit send.

FG: Well, that's a high price to pay, but I appreciate it. I'll see you soon. :)

As soon as the message sent, you pocketed your phone and saw Jimmy return out of the corner of your eye. He seemed to be...not like himself. He still carried the signed paper and had one hand in his pocket as he reached you.

Quirking an eyebrow, you finally addressed his behavior. "What's wrong with you? No witty remarks today?"

Jimmy blinked at that and shook his head quickly. "Um...nope. Guess I left my wit in my other pants," he muttered, gaze still on the paper.

You let out a snort, to your surprise and he finally looked up. "Yeah, well...am I good to go? Plenty more work to be done," you said in anticipation.

"Yeah, sorry. All good," he nodded with a faltering smile.

"Okay. Tell your dad thanks again," you told him, shouldering your bag. "I'll see you around, Barnes."

Sam had reached the outside of the door as you approached, so he opened it for you. "You're all set, Y/N. Guess I'll see you in a few days?"

"Thanks, Sam. Yup, I'll see you later," you replied with a wave as you reached your car.

The drive back into the city took a little longer than you hoped, but you felt that nervous excitement fill you again while entering the bakery. Opening the new bag of flour, you channeled your giddy nervousness into productive energy as you watched the clock until your date.

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Hoooooly crap, you guys!!! Go ahead, scream at me. I've been expecting it. ;) I know, we're not quite to the meeting but SO MUCH STUFF IS HAPPENING!!!! Did you pick up on the clues?? We got to see Sam for a few minutes! And a visit to Brooklyn, what was that about?? heh. Some of you suspected that missing bag of flour would come back to bite her and here we are....oops. Sweet Wanda is so excited for her! And just keep in mind, we're only halfway through this series. ;) I adore you all!! Any and all feedback is appreciated!! Thank you. <3