“You can sell it online.”
“I doubt anyone would buy it,” I jabbed. I finished the treat then wiped my fingers on a napkin. “You’re really going to wait until after college to start your business? You should just do it now.”
“I don’t have any money.” She picked at the remaining crumbs inside the delicate paper.
“It’s called a loan.”
“I don’t have any collateral. Axel said he would let me borrow some when he starts making more money. I’ll just have to wait.”
I wished I could loan her some money. Honestly, I didn’t have much at the moment. I needed to get through my internship so I could move away and pursue my dream in Manhattan. For now, I didn’t have anything to give. “Maybe you can get a truck and do it that way. I’ve seen people do that.”
She shook her head. “No. I want a real bakery where people sit down and read a newspaper while they enjoy their coffee. That’s the way it’s supposed to be done. I want to know my customers. You know, have a relationship with them.”
I wasn’t a people person. In fact, I hated them. “Then stick to your dream and be patient.”
“Besides, it gives me more time to perfect my craft.”
I eyed the muffins but didn’t take another one. “I think you’ve perfected it enough.”
“My kids are going to be fat,” she said with a chuckle. “And it’ll be all my fault.”
I could picture her as a mom. Her kids would come home from school and she would kiss each one on the head. Then her husband would walk inside, handsome and strong. He would embrace her like he loved her—every day. The image made me sad but I couldn’t figure out why. “But they’ll still be cute if they inherit your beautiful ass.”
She chuckled. “If only…”
We fell into comfortable silence. The nice thing about Francesca was the conversation. Most girls I knew didn’t know when to shut up. They rambled on because they were uncomfortable. But she was confident in her skin. Letting the silence stretch on didn’t bother either one of us. I wasn’t even that comfortable with Axel.
“You really came over here just for a muffin?” Her voice turned serious, not playful like it was a moment before.
I didn’t want to tell her the real reason I was over there. I wasn’t comfortable telling anyone. It was something I’d take to the grave. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Neither could I.”
“Something on your mind?” I felt bad asking her questions when I wouldn’t answer them in return. But she didn’t seem to mind.
“I had a bad dream. I haven’t been able to close my eyes since.”
When I looked into her eyes, I saw the anxiety deep within. “You know what I do?”
“Hmm?”
“I pick my favorite song and try to sing it backwards in my head.”
“Does that work?”
I nodded. “It blocks out all other thoughts and allows me to fall asleep.”
“I guess I could try that…”
“What was your nightmare about?” I rested my arms on the table.
She looked out the kitchen window with a dazed expression on her face. Her lips were pressed tightly together like she was having an internal debate. “Nothing…”
Disappointment flushed through me but I knew it was unfair. How could I expect her to trust me when I didn’t trust her? “How was your day?”
“Good. I had a date tonight.”
My heart picked up slightly but I didn’t react. My hair stood up on the back of my neck, and for the first time that night, I felt uncomfortable. I’d just had a round of meaningless sex with a girl whose name I couldn’t remember, but hearing Francesca say that she had a date made me feel cold. “How’d it go?”
She shrugged. “It was fine. But I don’t think I’ll go out with him again.”
“What didn’t you like about him?”
“I don’t know…there just wasn’t a spark there. When we kissed on the doorstep, I didn’t feel anything.”
When I kissed her, it felt like a damn fireworks show. That night still came to me at the most random times, mainly when I was in bed with someone. “It sounds like he isn’t the right one.”
“No, he isn’t.” She picked at the wrapper in her fingers. “I don’t think the right one exists anymore.”
The melancholy in her voice made me sad. “He does. Just keep looking.” There was a special someone out there for her. I knew it. And I knew every guy who came across her wanted to be that special someone.
“How was your night?”
Fucking terrible. “It was okay.”
“Did you do anything fun?”
“I went out to a bar.” That simple sentence explained the rest of my night without me having to go into detail.
“How’d that go?” If it bothered her, she hid it. I suspected she was over me and didn’t think about me that way anymore. It seemed like she only felt friendship toward me.
“It was a blur. When I kicked her out, she didn’t want to go. She wasn’t happy about that.”
Francesca smiled slightly. “You could take two seconds out of your day and take her to breakfast or something.”