Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Catastrophe.2

The next two days flew by far too quietly.

Kaya should have known a bad omen when she experienced one.

Something told Kaya, as she stepped out of the catering van that Saturday afternoon, that this wasn't a normal kind of birthday bad that had asked for a cake.

Kaya might have suspected it, when the cake purchased had been requested to feed more than seventy-five guests. She didn't expect to wheel the cake into such a lavish party.

The ballroom had been decked out as though this was some wedding. Guests sailed around in extravagant gowns and suits. Diamonds dripped from ears, necks, and fingers. Kaya was absolutely certain about one thing only.

She needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

Kaya didn't belong to this caliber of people. She looked completely out of place, even without the pastry-stained apron tied around her waist.

To the tune of dozens of whispers, Kaya made her way to the far corner.

She could do this. Set up the cake and high-tail it out of there. She didn't even have to stick around for anything.

Thankfully, the party seemed to continue on around her. Kaya took a breath to still her panic.

One tier at a time, she centered the chocolate cake on the table. She had been able to do this since her formative years, all thanks to her mother's teaching.

Kaya's hand shook.

She quickly pulled her hand away from the cake so as not to ruin her efforts. Too bad that wayward hand happened to hit a champagne flute.

The glass shattered against the hard floor. The room went quiet.

Kaya knelt and reached out to clean up the mess she made. It wouldn't help to apologize or try to explain what happened. She yelped when a pointed shard of glass bit into her finger.

A much larger hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled it away from the mess on the floor. "Leave it."

Kaya immediately turned to find the source of the voice she knew too well.

Ransom's dark eyes met her gaze immediately.

Kaya shot to her feet and took a step back. What was he doing there? What kind of sick twist of fate was this?

"Are you alright?" Ransom snatched her wrist again, this time to bring her hand up into his. "You're bleeding."

"I'm fine. Thank you. I have to finish setting this up." Kaya spun for the cake. Why did he unnerve her so much?

Ransom didn't let her get far. He still had a decent grasp on her wrist, and he used it. "Follow me."

Ransom pulled her to a nearby door and down the hall. He didn't stop until they made it to a small storage room. There, he let her go and ventured between the shelves.

Kaya cradled her injured hand against her chest. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Being a gentleman, for starters." Ransom extracted a first-aid kit from a shelf and returned to her side.

Kaya shied away from him. "I had it under control."

"Yes, clearly." Ransom didn't look up from the box in his hands. "I can clearly see how competent and under control you were."

Sarcasm? Not what Kaya expected from him. Why did he always know best? Couldn't he listen to her, even once?

"Everything was already a mess. You just made it worse."

Ransom huffed a chuckle. "This is a press-free party. You're doing your job."

"Press doesn't matter. They all saw. Someone will start a rumor or something."

"You're finally thinking like a public figure." Ransom reached for her hand and wrapped a band-aid around her finger. "In which case, I'll take my leave sooner rather than later."

He dipped a semi-sarcastic bow and sailed out the door.

Kaya slumped back against the wall behind her. She didn't know what kind of attack she just survived, but it felt like she had been to war.

Part of her didn't want to complain about the commanding general in this war with her.