My eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when I see HIM sitting there, chatting away with Charlotte's boyfriend, Luke.

"What are you doing here?" I demand.

"When you really think about it, what are any of us doing here?" Eli replies, a sly grin on his face. Ooh, he's sure got some nerve!

"Don't try and get all psychological with me!" I huff. "And don't change the subject!"

"Would you chill?" Charlotte is glaring ferociously at me. Luke isn't meeting my gaze and his other friend are just grinning like a couple of brainless morons.

"He moved here," Luke finally speaks up. "That's allowed."

"But he's the enemy! He's going to steal away all my loyal friends!" I glare ferociously at Luke.

"Hey, there's enough business in this town for the two of you. Just slow your roll, would you?" Luke is stuffing his face with nachos and I'm tempted to make him wear them.

"Just stay away from MY bakery and ME, you bakery thief!"

"Ooh, good one!" The other friend says, grinning impishly at me. "Did you come up with that all by yourself?"

"Why don't you take your beer glass and cram it up your...."

"Okay! We really should be going." Charlotte grabs my arm, tightly and I yelp out in pain.

"I'll see you later, baby!" Luke calls out to Charlotte. She blows him a kiss and I nearly barf.

Charlotte practically drags me out the door of the bar, while I'm protesting the entire time.

I finally manage to get my arm free from hers and smack her on the cheek. Charlotte glares at me.

"You are being so rude! Eli is a nice guy!"

"If he's so nice, then why is planning on stealing away my customers?"

"He's not. Geez, would you just chill, Livvy? You're totally overreacting."

I start walking, heading for home. I refuse to stand here and listen to this nonsense a second longer.

Who cares if Eli is a nice guy? By the time I through with him and his stupid little wannabe bakery, he'll wish he was never born.

>>>>>>

I cannot believe that....person knew Charlotte! How come she never mentioned that to me? I'm her best friend! Best friends should at least give you a heads-up when they're lives are about to be destroyed!

Ooh, I'm so pissed off at Charlotte right now! I'm currently making some cupcakes. Some Devils food cupcakes. For the devils in my lives. I smirk as I consider making them wear these cupcakes instead of letting them eat them.

I slam stuff around in the bakery kitchen. I'm covered in flour, sugar and chocolate. I try to calm down. Except every time I start to feel better, then HIS face pops into my head and next thing I know, I'm mad all over again.

I hear the door to the shop open and stop working on the cupcakes and reach for a towel to wipe my hands off with.

I head out front, plastering a smile on my face. There's no need to be grouchy with my customers.

"Hi!" I say. Then...I see who's here. HIM.

"I just wanted to come by and say that I have zero intention of stealing away all your loyal customers. Luke's right. There's plenty of people out there for all of us."

"You've got some nerve!" I spit out. "I've had to work my ass off to get where I am today with my bakery. So don't think for one single second that I'm cool with you just moving in here and starting up your own damn bakery business!"

Eli looks disappointed and a little hurt. Well boo hoo. Maybe he should have did his homework to find out if another bakery was even needed around here.

"Can't we just put this aside and be friends?"

"Me? Be friends with a little sneak like you? You must be dumber than I thought! Now get out of my bakery and don't ever come back!"

>>>>>>>

"Nuh uh. I am not coming."

"Oh, yes you are." Charlotte grabs my dress and starts trying to pull it on over my head. I squirm away, but she grabs my arm, dragging me back.

We struggle briefly. Charlotte is surprisingly strong for someone who's as small as her. She sits on my legs and pulls the dress on.

I push her off and stand up, fixing my dress so that my ass isn't hanging out. I make the mistake of looking in the mirror. My hair looks like it was attacked by a vacuum cleaner.

"Was that really necessarily?" I lean over, snatching up my hair brush and start brushing out my hair.

"Yeah. Because you were acting like a child." Charlotte smirks and I lean over, smacking her with my hair brush.

"Ow! Geez Louise! Would you stop hitting me?"

"You started it. By sitting on me and yanking this stupid dress over my head. You think that didn't hurt?"

"Would you just chill? God, what is your problem?"

"You know damn well what my problem is, Missy!" I stomp off to the bathroom, hoping that Charlotte doesn't decide to follow me in there, too.

>>>>>>

"Dolls, you look fabulous!" Constance is an old college friend of Charlotte and mine. She's this drop dead gorgeous black girl from London.

She's a pastry chef, meaning that she mostly makes desserts, same as me. Unfortunately, even though Charlotte attended the school with us, she ended up in fashion design instead of food.

Anyways, we hadn't seen Constance in ages and she decided to come for a few days and hang out with Charlotte and I and to catch up.

Also unfortunately, Luke and Charlotte had planned this whole party and guess who else was invited. (If you guessed Eli Mason, you'd be right.)

And his annoying friend, whom I learned is named Zane. Zane is also flirting with Constance, who seems to find him charming.

I stand off to the side of Luke and Charlotte's backyard, trying not to kill Eli. Or at least severely injure him.

Constance joins me, two cans of beer I her hands. I accept one.

"Charlotte says that you barely know this Eli chap and you already hate his guts."

"He's a sneak." Constance laughs.

"Why? What gave you that impression?"

"Uh, duh, he's opening up a bakery just down the street from me! Seriously? There are other areas where he could have set up shop."

"You're not giving him a fair shake. I think you should try to be decent before just assuming that he's your enemy."

"Did Charlotte ask you to talk with me?"

"No. I just wanted to say my peace." I sigh. Whatever. People are entitled to their opinion.

Especially me.

>>>>>>>

Eli keeps trying to be all nice to me. I just ignore him or keep my replies short and to the point.

When it's time for dessert, my devils food cupcakes, things really get heated.

"Do you know how to make anything remotely this delicious?" I ask Eli. He grins. Ooh, I really wish he wasn't so hot. It makes it harder for me to hate his guts.

"Maybe not quite this good," Eli replies. "Not with the cupcakes. But I make a mean pumpkin cheesecake."

"Oh my God! That sounds heavenly!" Constance remarks.

"You look heavenly." Zane is grinning mischievously at Constance, who giggles. I nearly barf. I can't believe how childish Constance is acting.

"I'm not big on pumpkin flavored stuff," I remark. "I prefer chocolate."

"To each their own." Luke is making goo goo eyes at Charlotte and I really want to smash his cupcake in his perfect blond hair.

Charlotte giggles this time and my cupcake nearly comes back up. Eli is reaching for another cupcake, but I stop him.

"Allow me." I pick up the cupcake and....smash into his glasses. Eli reels backward, tipping and...falling on to the table, getting leftover hamburgers and mashed potatoes all on the backside of him.

Now I'm the one giggling.

Chapter 3-Olivia

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