The Bucket List (A REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE)

2. ALBANY

"Do you know what you need?" Lee asked as she ripped open the packet of chocolate chips. "You need a vacation."

"I need a lot of things," I muttered.

We worked in silence after that. Lee baked the goods that Mr. Miller ordered while I worked at the front, helping the customers and taking orders for birthdays. Those orders were usually picked up by the people who ordered them. We had never agreed to deliver anything.

Maybe Lee had been right. We needed to expand. We needed to keep up with the changes of the twenty-first century.

But change wasn't easy, and as I learned during the last few weeks, change wasn't something I liked.

***

By two Mr. Miller's order was finished. Lee was just adding a few finishing touches before we delivered it. Luckily the back of my car was big enough to fit all twenty-five boxes. It was getting to the office that was a bit of a hassle.

We should've planned things a bit better and left the shop earlier to beat lunch hour traffic. So, by the time we reached the office building, we were already an hour and a half late, and to top it all off, I had no idea where we were supposed to take everything.

I had to park across the street; a block away because there were no parking close by and the parking space next to the building was for employees only.

There was no doubt about the fact that Mr. Miller was going to be pissed at me. He might even decide to refuse me full payment for being so late.

"What do we do now?" Lee asked as she followed me out of the car.

I opened the back door and unclipped the seatbelt I had slid across the boxes to keep them in place. "Grab as many boxes as you can and follow me," I told her.

With our arms piled high with boxes, we hurried across the street and towards the building. I had to stop and glance over my shoulder a few times to make sure that Lee was still behind me because she was struggling to keep up in her heels. I knew it would cause trouble someday. It was laughable watching her trying to catch up with me.

I slowed when I reached the doors and waited until she was next to me before I entered the building.

My eyes darted around in amazement. I'd never been inside one of these fancy buildings before. Large white tiles decorated the floors and floor-to-ceiling windows gave everybody a view of what was happening outside. The building was cool enough to dry the sweat on your skin caused by the melting heat outside.

A few feet in front of the elevator were two half-circle counters—one on either side—where security guards sitting in front of computer monitors. It looked like you needed to swipe a card of something to walk through to the elevators.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" One of the guards asked when we stopped in front of him.

I lowered the boxes onto the counter and blew out a breath. Any longer and my arm might fall off. Lee groaned and nearly dropped the boxes when she placed them down. Sending me an apologetic smile, she bent down and rubbed at her calve.

"Hi," I greeted—my eyes dropped to his nameplate on his uniform—Seth. "I'm Albany from Albany's Baked Goods and we're here to deliver this to Mr. Miller's office."

Seth nodded and pulled a thick book closer. His finger slid down the page as he read. After a few seconds, he nodded and stood.

"You're a bit late, Mr. Miller called down twice to find out if you've arrived or not."

"We got stuck in traffic." I smiled. "We're here now and everything's—"

"No need to explain to me, miss," Seth said as he walked out from behind his desk. "Follow me, please."

I picked the boxes up again and followed him across the floor to a back door at the side that clearly stated no entry. Seth held the door open for us and then led the way towards an elevator at the back.

"This will take you straight to Mr. Miller's floor. His secretary will direct you in the right direction." His eyes darted between us. "Is this everything or is there more?"

"There's more in my car."

He nodded. "I'll call up to let them know that you've arrived and then meet you down here again."

"Thank you."

Seth swiped a card gold card and a second later the elevator doors slid open. Lee was muttering under her breath as we entered it. The moment the doors slid close, I turned and glared at her.

"This is why we don't do deliveries," I hissed. "We're too unorganized for shit like this."

"Well, then I suggest we hire somebody who specializes in organization." She smirked at me. "Once they taste those brownies of yours, we will be the only bakery they order from."