23. Make Frosting

Maisie, Charity and the four boys sat in the destroyed bakery with Tony stood behind the counter, making a list of everything that was ruined for the insurance company. The glass had been cleared away and the ruined cakes had been cleaned off the floor and walls.

"Alright well the display cabinet, storage cupboards and lights can been covered by the insurance company. Stuff like the walls won't, we'll have to find some money to eventually get walls done, some tiles are shattered so we'll have to fix the floor. City council should give us the money back for it if we give them the receipt but we have to pay for it first."

Eventually, Maisie thought bitterly. This won't be happening anything soon.

"How much?" Maisie asked.

Tony sighed. "Right now it's looking at about seven hundred to a thousand dollars."

Maisie sucked in a breath and looked down at the table. "And we can get the money back after?"

"It was a robbery so if you give me the receipts for everything, it should be payed for," Tony said.

"But I need the money straight up," Maisie said and Tony nodded. "Money I don't have. I'm lucky if I have five hundred I can use for this."

Tony rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't worry about it kid," he said and walked over, rubbing Maisie's shoulder, "I'll find the money for you. Just need time."

The door to the bakery opened and everyone looked over to see Tom hesitantly step inside, quickly taking in the appearance of the room.

"Sorry," he said. "I heard about the robbery and just wanted to check that you guys were okay."

Maisie smiled a little, squeezing Tony's hand. "We're all fine, no one was here when it happened."

Tom nodded and his face crumpled as he looked back around the room before his eyes landed on Andrew and he headed over, sliding into the seat beside him. Andrew looked down as Tom's hand patted his knee. The brunet glanced up at his boyfriend and smiled lightly.

"You okay?" Tom asked as everyone else ignored them and talked among themselves.

"I'm fine," Andrew said. "It's Maisie that was shook up."

"This place is going to take ages to fix," Tom winced.

"I know," Andrew sighed. "And as usual, the only problem is money."

Tom frowned. "Didn't you say Logan is loaded?"

Andrew turned back to him, eyebrows pinched together . "His parents are loaded. He doesn't get any of that money. Why do you think he shares a shitty apartment with Nick right next to my equally shitty one?"

"Your apartment's not that shitty. The bed is comfy as hell," Tom smiled. "Can't he ask his parents for a loan?"

Andrew shook his head. "They don't trust him with their money. Says he's stupid and reckless and will never have the initiative to pay it back."

"Great parents," Tom muttered.

"The best."

Maisie continued to stare at the wooden table until a movement caught her attention. At the other end of the table, Logan was swirling his finger along the surface of the table in random patterns and lines. Maisie recognized it as something he always did when he was high but she knew he wasn't now. Perhaps it was just a habit he fell into now and then.

Logan's eyes flickered up and he noticed Maisie looking at him. He tried to give her a smile but it probably came across as half-assed and lazy. She did smile back though and tilted her head towards the back of the bakery subtly. Logan nodded and stood up, walking away from the others and following Maisie when she walked into the little employees room which really was a cupboard sized room where the aprons were hung, cleaning supplies were stored and the door to the backyard was accessible.

She led him inside and turned to face him. The door was still open.

"Hi," she said.

Logan grinned. "Hi."

"Well today's turned out pretty shit," she said and Logan nodded.

"Not one of your finest days."

"I know I can get the money," Maisie suddenly said. "But is it worth it? To use all this money to fix the bakery only for it to be exactly where it was before; rundown and needing a makeover? If I fix this place then I don't have the money to re-design it. So would it be easier to just let it go? Sell it on and find something else to do?"

"Of course it's worth it," Logan said. "This bakery means everything to you, it always has. You can't just throw it away because things seem hopeless now."

"You're leaving next week," Maisie shrugged. "Your times up and I can't ask you to stay here past your hours."

Logan stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands.

"Yes you can," he said and kissed her, softly at first with his eyes clenched shut.

He'd forgotten that next week was his last. And he realized with a heavy heart that he didn't want to go. He wanted to stay at the bakery, keep things exactly as they were. He hadn't even been around Maisie that long but it was enough to know that he would rather be with her than alone in his apartment trying to figure out what to do next.

Maisie pulled away from the kiss and rested her forehead against his, her hand burrowed in the hair on the back of his head. She only just noticed then that his hair was up pretty high by what she was sure was an overuse of gel.

"Your hair is like a mountain," she laughed.

"It's fashionable," Logan grumbled. "And it's a spike, not a mountain."

"A spike?"

"Yeah," Logan grinned. "It's my nickname, The Spike."

"It is not!" Maisie choked.

"Has been for the last five years," Logan said. "Ask any of the guys. You're dating The Spike, baby."

"Dating?" Maisie quirked an eyebrow and Logan's smile faltered a little before he brought it back, twice as bright.

"Yeah," he said.

"A little confident, are we?" Maisie smiled as Logan wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up so her feet were dangling off the floor.

"No one can resist my spike," Logan said and Maisie shook her head affectionately.

"Is that a penis pun?"

"Maybe," Logan pecked her lips.

Maisie patted the top of his hair. "It's more of a floppy spike. Or a wave. Or a boner slowly going down."

Logan rolled his eyes and the door to the bakery opened up again. They both stepped out to see Ocean at the door wearing bright red shorts and a white, buttoned up shirt tucked into them. His eyes found Maisie and he stepped in fully as she came over.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly, arms flaying about. "I got your text."

"I'm perfectly fine," Maisie smiled, patting his arm. "We'll think of something to fix this place."

"Who would do something like this?" Ocean asked.

"I don't know," Maisie said quietly and smiled again as Ocean wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder before letting go. "Oh, you haven't met Tom yet," Maisie pointed to the blonde sitting down. "Tom, this is Ocean, my friend. Ocean, this is Tom, Andrew's boyfriend."

Ocean's face fell.

"Boyfriend?" he echoed.

Tom stood up and held his hand out. "Yeah, nice to meet you."

Ocean blinked and quickly smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Ocean, cool name," Tom said thoughtfully and sat back down, hand straight to Andrew's knee and Ocean looked away.

"Thanks," Ocean said quietly and stared at his hands, wringing them together.

Andrew wouldn't look at him, his eyes staring straight ahead and not faltering. Maisie noticed the interaction but didn't comment. She headed over to Tony and stood beside him, her shoulder bumping his.

"It's all going to be just fine," Tony said, pulling her into a side hug.

Maisie nodded against his shoulder and looked at Logan, a smile tugging at her lips.

- Ellie x