Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Flashback (pt. 3)

8am the next morning found Ransom and Jade running late to the bakery. All Jade's fault. She couldn't leave the house without looking picture-perfect, a quirk that was sure to either make her or break her in life. 

Agitated as Ransom was, he chose not to race. He refused to look too eager to find out more information about this mystery woman. His uncle had refused to even give him a name. 

Jade stopped at the front door to the bakery, in order to let Ransom open the door for her. 

A task that Ransom accomplished without thinking of it. He had been raised to be a gentleman, even to his family. If one couldn't be a gentleman to everyone, why bother at all?

Jade bounced inside like she owned the place. She never entered anywhere without acting like she owned it. 

Ransom trailed behind her, taking off his black hat to fix his hair before he replaced it on his head. 

His uncle already sat at a table, across from a strikingly beautiful woman with blonde hair and large, green eyes. 

A sign just inside invited them to seat themselves, so Ransom did. Far enough away not to disturb his uncle, but close enough to hear if he wanted to listen. Ransom took the seat facing the door. A trick his uncle had taught him early on. 

Jade settled across from him and lifted her eyes to scan the blackboard-menu over the counter. "There are literally no low-calorie foods here. None. How do they expect me to keep my figure?" 

"Jade, your metabolism alone will keep your figure. Stop pretending to be a snob." Ransom rolled his eyes. Maybe their age gap had something to do with it, but Jade acted so immature all the time. 

Jade wrinkled her nose at him. 

Ransom ignored her in favor of listening to his uncle's conversation. 

"As I said before, Ms. Parker, I'm an investigative reporter." 

Ms. Parker. Now, Ransom had a name to go with the face. 

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you, Mr. Bae." 

"Of course you shouldn't. I've prepared these for you, and you can call to verify them." 

Ransom knew the documents his uncle prepared. The same ones he always prepared to verify his identity. Documents that were difficult to forge. Ones that could be verified by calling a government office. 

"A moment." Ms. Parker left the table. Ransom knew because he heard the chair scrape against the floor. 

At the same time that her footsteps departed, another, lighter pair skipped their way into the room from the back. 

A girl came to a stop at the side of the table. 

Ransom tipped his head just slightly to see her. She couldn't be older than Jade. A smear of flour marred her right cheek, caressed by a single strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. A black t-shirt also bore flour marks, but a red flannel shirt tied around her waist kept her white jeans from the same fate. 

"Can I get you something?" she asked. 

Jade gave her a judgmental once-over. "Some... cinnamon rolls? And coffee. Mine with two sugars and a dash of cream." 

"Um... I'm assuming that means you want sugar packets and some creamers." The girl nodded as if reassuring herself. "I'll get them." 

She didn't even ask if Ransom wanted anything different before she dashed off to the kitchen again. 

Strangely, Ransom thought, she bore a strong resemblance to Ms. Parker.

Minutes wore on, until finally Ms. Parker returned to the table and sat down. "I'm sorry. I had to be sure." 

"I understand." Ransom's uncle shuffled the papers as he put them away. "May I ask why you're so distrusting?" 

Ms. Parker chuckled wryly. "I know him well. He's not someone who will let go easily. And I have something I must protect." 

On cue, a timid voice called from the back: "Mom, you have a call." 

And, suddenly, everything started to click into place. One piece at a time.