Another week had passed by, and Kat and Talen were now practically strangers. On top of that, she didn't know how to face her grandmother. The person who had been there for her when times were hard.
Her souffles were not rising properly, and her baking game was bad. Not to mention that, the important event was just 2 days away. Her cake was in the process of being decorated. She had to let her help take over just in case she screwed things up herself.
Deciding to man the fuck up, she drove back to her place and went up to her nana's floor. Ringing the door bell, she prayed that her nana would forgive her. When she opened the door, they stared at each other. Until Katerina broke down in tears, making her nana huge her.
"I'm sorry I was such a bitch nan." she said through her tears.
"It's alright honey. Shh shh." Rosa hugged her precious baby tightly.
She knew how Katerina felt. Like she was being abandoned by the one person who promised to always be there for her.
"No, it's not alright. I was so rude to you, and I snapped." she sniffled.
Rosa brought her to the couch and sat her down. Kat leaned against her grandmother and continued apologizing.
"There's nothing to apologize for honey. I understand that you feel I've been ignoring you. But I haven't! My baby girl is getting so busy and I barely have time to see you. Things with Talen seemed to be progressing and I just didn't want to get in your way... the trip just made me worried."
"Nana, we both know I was out of line. Things with Talen have stopped.He told me that he was just using me cause I was hot and that he couldn't resist himself with me." she said and started crying all over again.
Rosa silently cursed to herself. The attraction and feelings between Kat and Talen were so obvious to everyone around them.
"I'm sure he doesn't mean it honey." Rosa wiped away Kat's tears and stared at the brown eyes that lost some of it's passion.
"I can't bake for shit.. and I don't know if you've heard, we're doing a huge event n 2 days, and next week I have to fly to LA to try out shooting a tv show." Kat said.
"I heard it from the girls. What you should do, is concentrate on your passion. Talen doesn't want you? He's a stupid boy. His loss, just move on and you will find some other person." she tried to console Kat.
Rosa and her beloved husband used to be this way. Their love burned so hot that it blinded them when they were younger. One minute they were kissing like they hadn't seen each other in months, then they would be fighting over something stupid. In the end, they ended up together.
"I love you nan." Kat hugged Rosa.
"I love you too honey. You can stay here for however long you want. Your room is still available." Rosa told Kat.
She stayed there for the next two days. It was for the best, she decided. She didn't want to have to deal with Talen for a while. Her cakes were perfect and her mojo was back again.
On the day of the event, she and the girls were given strict protocols to follow. It was finally revealed that it was going to be an award ceremony, and the guest of honor was The President of the United States.
"Holy shit. The president is going to be eating our food." Bree said as they entered the facility of the hotel which was heavily guarded with the Secret Service. They had to pass through several check points, all of which had metal detectors.
"Shit just got real." Claire whispered.
The girls prepped everything in the kitchen with their crew and with the help of the extra service people the hotel provided.
Katerina and her crew were in the hall itself, carefully setting up her sweet table.
"Katerina! That looks wonderful." The mayor of New York City came up to her offering his hand to shake.
"Thank you sir. I hope the guests will enjoy it."
"They most certainly will! Mr.President and the medal receipients will definitely enjoy it. Which reminds me, they will want to see you and the other two wonderful girls after the event. If you don't mind?"
"NO, no, Not at all." she grinned.
After she was done setting up, she ran to the kitchen and obviously, the tension was running high.
Claire was shouting out what needed to be done as the prep time was reducing ever so quickly.
"What can I do to help?" Kat put on her apron.
"Chop all of that." Bree said to the pile of potatoes.
She got to work, and chopped away. When service did start for them, they worked like a well oiled machine. At the end of service, after the last dessert was sent out, that's when Kat decided to break it to the girls about who they were going to meet.
"Guys, the President will be coming in here. With the medal recipients." Kat sipped her orange juice innocently.
"WHAT?!" the whole kitchen crew yelled, making Kat wince.
"What if he didn't like the food? He's going to tell it straight to our faces." Claire freaked out.
"No time for that. He's on his way." one of the men informed them.
Everyone stood still, Claire Bree and Kat were up front, and the help stood behind them. They heard footsteps, and then the kitchen doors flung open.
"Good evening ladies." the president himself offered Kat his hand to shake.
"Goo--Good evening sir." she smiled and shook his hand.
The other girls followed suit and that when they were presented with another surprise. There stood Talen and Ryan. "Thank you for the amazing food you prepared for us. These were the two main people you were doing it for." he said pointing to the both of them.
The crew clapped their hands after the President described what Ryan and Talen had done. They saved and undercover team mate who was about to be shot on live television. The two men looked absolutely ravishing in their uniforms.
Kat and Bree had trouble concentrating on POTUS himself.
"Ryan you didn't tell me anything about this!" Kat said shocked.
"You know this young man?" the president asked.
"He's my brother sir." Kat answered respectfully.
"It wasn't any big deal." Ryan said shyly.
"It was a huge deal son. The both of you prevented chaos from spreading."
After a little while more, the president left through the kitchen entrance, and so did Talen and Ryan.
"Wow." Bree said star struck.
"Let's clean up everyone." Kat took over and ignored the gnawing feeling at the back of her head.
She now knew that he really did need someone to help him get through the days. The question was, would he let her help? How could she stand by and watch him suffer. They least she could do was be a friend.
Deciding that it was time to finally get back to her apartment, she entered close to midnight. Silence greeted her and she was slightly relieved that he wasn't there. That was short lived because his bionic hearing made him step out of the room.
"Hey." he said taking in her tired form, knowing that she'd love some wine and to soak in her bath tub.
"Hey." she said noticing the dark circles under his eyes. Obviously have a sleepless night.
"Sorry we didn't tell anyone about today. We.. just don't like remembering what happened." he ran his hands through his now thick hair.
"It's fine." what else could she say after what happened? She pulled out a bottle of water deciding against the wine because nana was taking her out to look for dresses.
"What? No wine tonight?" he noticed her opening the bottled of water.
Laughing at that statement, she explained why "I'm going to have to go wedding dress shopping tomorrow. Possibly get fitted for my bridesmaid dress as well."
"So you're gonna need something stronger tomorrow." he sat across her.
"Yea, Ryder asked me out. He's taking me out for drinks with Ryan and Bree as well. You can come along if you want. Claire and Jon are coming too." she said innocently wanting him to have some sort of jealous response.
She got nothing from him, other than "Great I'll be there."
"So, today must have been a bench mark in your career. I'm very proud of you." he said watching her keep the bottle back into the firdge.
Kat had goosebumps just from his stare.. she wondered what would happen if they ever did...
Snapping out of it, she smiled "Yea, thanks. Next off would be the tv thing. If that hits off.. I'd probably have reached all my life long goals." she sighed contently.
"You're probably the first girl I've ever met who's so focused on her career. Not about finding love or getting married immediately."
"I.. I don't know about love anymore. Sure, I'm a girl and it was a dream of mine at one point of my life.. sure that was the dream. But I have to learn to love myself first before loving someone else and letting them take over my heart. It's a huge responsibility."
Talen stared at her in wonder. "I get it." he said.
"No, Talen. You don't get it. Guys like you... you need to have someone who blinds you... then when the person is gone, that's when you'll realise what you had." she said seriously looking at him.
Not giving him a chance to reply, she went into her room and hoped he would realise it.
The following day, she was up and out of her place by 8 in the morning. Her nana was already waiting for her in the basement near her car. Surprisingly, the girls and Jon were there as well.
"Are my eyes fooling me?" Kat stared at them.
The girls were impossible to wake up before 10.. yet there they were all primmed and made up, wearing their fancy clothes. "Maybe they are.. because I don't even know how we got here." Clare said still half asleep.
"I am very happy all of you are here." nana said hugging them.
"Anything for you nan." Jon hugged her back.
"Let's start the day people!" we got into my car and headed into the city. We had breakfast first because it was still early and no place was opened yet.
"So what's the deal with Talen these days?" Jon yawned like a baboon.
"If there were a graph showing our progress, it would be under the x-axis.. showing negative values." Kat rolled her eyes as she took a huge bite of her pastrami sand which.
"Why are young people these days so afraid of love?" nana chided.
"Because everyone wants it easy. No one wants to feel the pain so they expect the other person to do all the work.. when the other person as well feels the same way, hence making the relationship fail horribly." Bree said all in one go.
"Wow, who made you the love guru?" Claire said almost choking on her tuna sub.
"I just get how that feels that's all." she shrugged.
"Screw Talen, you're going out with Ryder tonight. That British piece of ass can make me his anyday." Jon said making everyone laugh.
The first shop they entered was the classic Vera Wang. The only one nana wanted to enter.
"I don't want anything fancy. Something age appropriate. I was thinking of maybe a skirt that ends around my knees.. and a long sleeved lace top."
"Beautiful. " the sketch artist said once she was done. All of them agreed that it was perfect and nana placed the order for it.
"It will be ready in a month." the lady said.
"Perfect. Now time for these beautiful ladies to get fitted." she pointed at Claire, Bree and Kat.
"All the same designs or different?"
"Different of course. My girls are all very unique." nana said proudly.
"Kat you go first." Bree and Claire whispered.
"Why me?"
"Because..." they didn't even finish that explanation but just pushed her in front.
"I'm guessing with your amazing height, you should go with the classic empire waist line and a sweet heart neck line." she started measuring Kat's waist size.
The lady was definitely good at what she did because she matched Claire and Bree's preferences perfectly.
When they were done, it was way past lunch hour and were too tired to find a restaurant for lunch.
"I have lots of food back home. Come up." nana told them.
Crashing on the sofa, they thanked nana when she came with plates of fried rice.
"I need to get out of here before Ryder comes back. I don't want him seeing me like this," Kat groaned after she shoveled the food into herself.
"Everyone be ready. I'm driving and I hate late comers." Jon said.
"Yess boss." Claire saluted him.
Kat stayed back to help her nana clean up and could tell that her nana wanted to ask her something.
"Spit it out nana." she laughed.
"Are you sure you wamt to go out with RYder? It's not a plot to make Talen jealous?"
"No it's not. I want to move on. The only way to do that, is to date other people. I can't let my life go past me without dating other people." she said somewhat frustrated.
Rosa stared at her granddaughter. Of course she had the stubborn streak in her as well. Her father had it, her husband had it, she was sure her other two grand children had it in them as well.
"If you say so honey. Be safe tonight." Rosa kissed Kat's cheek.
"Alright nana." Kat went back to her place.
Ryan was now walking normally again and he seemed to be nervous. "Is Bree ok? Is she mad I didn't invite her for the ceremony?"
"No, she's not. Besides, ask her how she's feeling. She'll let you know exactly how she feels." Kat rolled her eyes.
She didn't know what to wear to a bar. It was a while since she went out for a drink. Hell, she didn't even know where the hot spots were in the city. Usually, she drank in the comfort of her home. There was a fully stocked bar after all.
After an arduous hour, Katerina stared at herself. She cleaned up well she thought to herself. She went with a floral bustier top and paired it with black jeans that hugged her toned legs like it was a second skin. Knowing that it would be chilly outside, she chose a black Saint Laurent blazer. As if she was not tall enough, she wore brown platforms .
Her lips were a deep wine red and her hair was loose.
"Ryder here yet?" she asked looking at everyone in the living room.
Everyone stared at her making her feel uncomfortable. "Is there something on my face?" she started to wipe at what she assumed was shit.
"No, no. You just look really good. " Bree said laughing.
"Jesus, you guys. I seriously thought there was shit on my face." Kat rolled her eyes.
Secretly, she was glad she had the jaw dropping effect on Talen. The door bell rang and when she opened it, Ryder stood in front of her looking dashing as ever.
"Hello gorgeous." he kissed both her cheeks lightly.
"Hello to you too. Come on in."
"Is everyone ready to leave?" Ryder asked the room and they agreed to.
Deciding to use a cab, they split into two groups and two separate cabs. Jon suggested a bar he always brought his clients to, and they agreed, not knowing where else they would go.
"Talen is burning with jealousy." Jon whispered to Kat quietly when they got out of the cab and when Ryder was paying the cabbie.
"No he was not." she replied.
"Oh honey his knuckles were almost white from clutching the glass he was holding when Ryder kissed your cheek." Claire joined in the whispering.
"You guys, just shut up. I don't care." Kat rolled her eyes, ignoring the slight joy she felt when her friends said that.
That joy immediately vanished when they entered the bad and most of the girls there were enjoying the view that was Talen Noah Parker. The way he filled out the simple black t-shirt he had on now amazed her.
"What do you want to drink?" Ryder pulled her out of her gawking mode.
She stared into grey eyes and snapped her attention to him. "A martini would be great." she smiled.
"No problem. Give me a second." he walked away.
"That's a guy I could see myself with. Calm, collected." she thought to herself.
Talen would give her a whirlwind romance. The kind that would burn so deep in her, everytime they touch, it would make her feel desperate, to want to claw closer to him. So would she go for the safer choice?
Before she could think further Claire smacked her lightly "You're over thinking again." she said screaming into Kat's ears over the music.
The night was just starting and everyone was gearing up for what would be a let loose night. Kat knew her limits and did not want to wake up with a hang over the next day. She wanted to head to the bakery to test out new recipes that she came up with.
Ryder came back with her drinks and wrapped his arm around her waist sending out a message to everyone in the club that she was with him.
Bree and Ryan were getting cozy with each other, laughing and playfully adjusting each other's hair. Talen had gone missing, but when he did come back, there was a girl next to him. Claire and Jon looked at Kat discreetly and it was obvious what they were thinking. THAT SLUT!
Ignoring the hate that was growing inside of her, she decided to actually concentrate on the nice guy next to her. They were currently playing "Have you ever" that required them to take sips of their drink if they actually had done whatever the person said.
Ryder didn't pressure Kat into kissing him, neither did he let his hands roam over her. The night carried on, the music became more livelier, the dance floor of the pub became more crowded with intoxicated people.
Kat was feeling a nice buzz, she joined in on the pictures that Claire and Jon were taking. Nobody dared to disturb Bree and Ryan who were now making out.
"I didn't know she would do that in public." Talen said himself.
"A lot of things you don't know buddy." Jon said sarcastically.
"Is two drinks enough for you?" Ryder asked Kat.
"Yes, it is. Thank you for buying them for me. But I noticed you didn't have any yourself." she raised her brows.
"Just doing the responsible thing. Your friend Talen hasn't had any as well. With you good looking girls, I'm happy to have another guy at hand if anything were to happen." he said then knocked on the wooden table which was a taboo thing.
"Aren't you a sweet guy. At least let me buy you one drink. It's the least I could do." she pouted.
"Or, you could join me for dinner next week, whenever you're free." he smoothly said causing her to laugh.
"I could do that. I'll let you know when I'm free." she agreed.
"I'll need your number." he pulled out his phone.
"Straight to the point. Really liking this." she gave her number to him.
She could feel Talen's eyes watching her, but she chose to ignore it. Ryder was being someone she could definitely get used to.
Kat didn't join the rest of the gang on the dance floor. She wasn't drunk enough to do that. Instead, she stayed at the table with Ryder and they talked. He was classically handsome, and definitely was in par with Talen in the sense that they both were outspoken and definitely treated her well.
Yet again, she found herself comparing him to Talen. It was a bad habit that she had to stop doing. Once everyone was tired from dancing, and mainly because the bar was closing down already, they decided to get back home.
"Talen, you coming man?" Ryan asked when everyone was outside the bar waiting for the cab to pull up.
"No man." he said quietly, holding on to the giggling blonde that was by his side all night long.
At that point, there were many mind links going on again. One between Talen and Ryan, and then between Jon, Claire, Bree and Kat. The silence was definitely awkward once Talen got into a separate cab with the other girl.
Kat's phone buzzed when all of them got into one of those special cabs that could seat 7 people at a go. Pulling out her phone, it was a Whatsapp from the group chat with her whores.
C - At least he had the decency to go to her place and not do it in your place.
J - Still a dick wad move.
B - I'll try to dig some shit from Ryan. Oh and Claire bear, stay with Jon or Kat tonight.
Kat didn't know how to respond to her friends texts so she just replied them with a fake I'm fine it's ok. When they did reach home, Claire decided to stay with Jon, because Kat was going to the bakery the next day. When Bree and Ryan got into Bree's apartment, Kat looked at Ryder.
"I'm not blind you know. I can tell there was history with you and Talen." he held her hand gently.
" I don't want to lie to you about anything. Before we start anything. But no, there is nothing going on. There never was. He was just confused. I was just confused. Sure, I had feelings,but I'm moving on." she hoped that he would understand. She prayed he would.
"His lost. Definitely my gain." he smiled and kissed her forehead.
Kat released a huge sigh of relief. "I'll call you to let you know when I'm free?"
"I'll call you." he hugged her.
Once Kat shut the door behind her, she wished it was the more intimate hug that Talen always gave her.
~~
Creeping her way through the hallway and then the car park, Kat started her car and headed to her sanctuary.
Almost 7.am, three hours of sleep was all she could manage. Her mind was running constantly. She felt like driving to the airport and catching the next flight to Thailand right now. But no, she was sensible and matured enough..
At 22, she couldn't afford to do that. Sure, most people consider her age to be still ripe and naivè. But no, that was not in Katerina Baker's nature. Yet she wished she were that way.
Thailand was two months away. Which also mean that her nan's wedding was two months away. She was seriously back logged on her maid of honor duties. Being a Sunday, she decided to spend the day coming up with designs for the cake, the flavors, then head into the city to scout for a present for Jon.
Of course, this was all a ploy to avoid running into a certain man whore. She thought to herself as she kneaded the life out of a bread she was making. Why was she even making bread in the first place?! Not like the bakery was even opening today.
Not wanting to let it go to waste, she put it into the conventional oven and then set off to her office to design the cake. She switched on her iMac, played her usual Above and Beyond podcast and got lost in her imagination.
By the end of the 2 hour podcast, she had come up with 10 lavish designs, and 5 flavor combinations, stopping obly once to pull out the bread out of the oven. She didn't have to come up with many, but once again she knew the reason why she did.
Walking into the restaurant's kitchen, she made a ham bacon sandwich and wolfed it down then headed to the city. Kat couldn't give a damn about the fact that she was dressed in her yoga pants and a loose top, yet she strolled along fifth avenue with confidence.
Jon's birthday was in the middle of the week. Wednesday, to be exact and she knew he wouldn't be free to party. Neither was she and the girls. So she decided to get him something he always wanted. A fancy fountain pen.
Kat walked into Cartier, withoutt any hesitation and she could tell no one took her seriously because of the way she was dressed.
Not wanting anything to dampen her some what better mood, she looked for the perfect pen. Her attention was caught by a beautiful gold engraved pen with black motives on it.
"Could I get that one please?" she asked calmly to the woman in charge.
The woman worked faster after she saw Kat pull out her black platinum credit card. While the pen was being packaged, Kat stared the beautiful Cartier Love Bracelet. Sure she loved herself to get it. But she dreamt that maybe someone, a man would buy it for her.
Snapping out of that dream, she signed for the pen and left the store with a smug smile. However, it was finally time to return home and face Talen.
Question is, could she do it without breaking down?
A/N : Comment? Vote?