After I finish taking a shower to clean the chocolate, potatoes and hamburger grease off of me, I stand in my bedroom, putting on some clean clothes.

Luke and Zane join me after a few minutes. Luke rubs the back of his neck, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"I'm really sorry Olivia did that to you tonight." I shrug as I plop down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.

"She really hates me, huh?"

"However could you tell?" Zane asks with a sly grin. Luke smacks him on the back of his head and Zane glares at him.

"Maybe I should pack up and head for, oh, I don't know, maybe Antarctica?"

"Come on, man! You seriously aren't going to let Olivia run you out of town, are you?" Luke is giving me I-don't-believe-a-word-of-this look.

"Look, dude, I already dealt with one ice queen. I really don't want to have to deal with another one."

I sit up and sigh. I really want to make this work. I don't have anything else going for me. Why can't I just have this ONE thing?

"Can you guys head out?" I ask. "I kinda want to be alone."

"Sure, man. Call me if you need to." Luke heads out.

"Don't call me," Zane says, grinning wickedly. "I have me a hot date with that sweet little thing I met at the party!"

"Oh, sure! Go ahead and rub it in, you douchebag."

Zane shrugs apologetically and tosses me the peace sign before heading out. I flop back down on my bed.

In the words of the wicked witch of the west, oh what a world, what a world.

>>>>>>>

I don't sleep the greatest. I keep having dreams of Olivia trying to roll me in bread crumbs and baking me.

Yeesh. Talk a nightmare. I finally give up on sleep at around five thirty in the morning and stumble out of my bed, heading directly for the kitchen.

I need coffee. I need an entire pot of coffee. I've got a busy day ahead of me. I need to make sure my shipment of ingredients makes it here and I was also planning on doing some painting in the bakery, so that it looks more cheerful instead of depressing.

No offense to the previous owners, but they're taste in colors was not the greatest. Who the hell wants to sit in a bakery and stare at gray colored walls? I sure as hell wouldn't.

I'd planned on painting it a bright blue color. That seemed much more appropriate in a bakery.

I get the coffee going before taking a piss. I look at my reflection in the mirror. I look like something the dog dragged in. I yawn, shuffle back to the kitchen and start downing that strong, black coffee.

Then I make myself some scrambled eggs and have a couple blueberry bagels with some cream cheese on top.

Now. I'm ready to tackle my crazy projects for the day.

>>>>>>>

My delivery has just arrived. Zane is here, helping me set the boxes in the storage room. I sign for the packages and then join him in the back, boxes everywhere.

I'm covered in bright blue paint. I think the delivery guy probably thought I had some kind of skin disease that caused my skin to turn blue.

I'd just smirked at the guy and thrust his clipboard into his chest, the blue paint from my hands, on the back.

"What are you planning to do about the ice queen?" Zane asks when we're finished and I'm taking inventory of all the boxes.

"Cut her frozen heart out and bake it into a pie." Zane snorts with laughter, practically doubled over.

"You are quite the funny one, my friend."

"Who says I'm joking?" Zane's eyes go wide. Now I snort with laughter.

"I'm kidding! You don't really think I'd do that, do you?"

"It's possible. Especially after she completely humiliated you at the dinner party."

"That was nothing."

"Tell that to your poor pants. You had mashed potatoes stuck to the seat of your ass!"

"Wow. Thanks for reminding me," I say sarcastically. Zane just leans against the wall, arms crossed.

"I think you should humiliate her. In front of some of her customers. It would serve her right."

"Zane, man, I'm NOT stooping to her childish level. If Olivia the ice queen, wants to act like she's two years old, that's HER problem. I'm going to be the bigger person in this and act mature."

Zane just shakes his head at me. He moves and heads for the door. He stops, his entire face going pale.

"What's wrong?"

"Come and have a look for yourself, Eli." I hurry out front. I stop dead in my tracks.

Olivia is standing out front of her bakery, one of those picket signs, with a picture of MY face on it, a bright red circle with a slash across it.

It reads, This man is the enemy! I silently seethe. Olivia is also giving away free sugar cookies, with my face on them, and telling EVERYONE that I'm cheater AND ex convict!

What the hell is the matter with this chick? She's got to have some serious screws loose!

"You were saying, my friend?" Zane looks as pissed off as I feel.

"Oh, this means war!"

>>>>>>>

I march down to where a large crowd has gathered, eating those cookies, while Olivia tells everyone how awful of a person I am.

"Ahem!" I exclaim loudly. Olivia looks over at me, this satisfied smile on her face.

"What the hell are you doing, lady?" I demand. "I'm not a frickin ex convict!"

"Are you sure about that? I looked you up, you jailbird, you. You served time for a year and a half."

Zane is looking like he wants to pick a batch of those cookies and hurl them at Olivia's head.

"WHAT!? I have never served any time in jail! I don't even have a parking ticket!"

Olivia frowns. Oh my God. This chick is nuttier than a fruitcake.

"You...didn't?"

"No! Where did you even learn that?"

"Duh. The internet."

"Say, aren't you the criminal?" Some old lady asks me.

"No! I'm not a criminal! I'm just a normal, law abiding citizen! One, who's trying to make a decent life for himself!"

"Okay. So maybe I made a tiny mistake about that part. But you're still not a nice person. You're going to steal my customers away."

This tears it. I've had enough of her crap. I pick up an entire tray of those damn cookies and throw it at Olivia's face.

In two seconds flat, she's covered in white, vanilla icing and bits of cookies are stuck on various parts of her body. I howl with laughter aa I walk away.

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Whatever happened to not stooping to her childish level?" Zane asks, grinning.

"I changed my mind. That crazy bitch is going down."

Chapter 4-Eli

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