For His Taste Read Online Free

just
close the bakery down for the week and take a trip to her house, three hours
north.  Beth found no use in that.  Angie would just ridicule her, lecture her
on how bad the neighborhood was, and at some point, work in the fact that Beth
should lose a few pounds. 
    Nothing wrong with being
healthy… that’s what Angie always said.
    “Here, take my card,” Jerry said
reaching into his jacket.  “Think about it.  Call me.  You’re a good woman
Beth, good for being here.  I’ll take care of you.”
    “Again, Jerry, thank you,” Beth
said.
    Jerry paid for half a dozen
cupcakes and left. 
    At this rate, Beth would be out of
food before three and have her register replenished four times over.  The only
thing was that she didn’t want the pity from everyone.  She enjoyed the
business, and who wouldn’t, but the pity…
    “Morning Beth,” the next customer
said. 
    It was Margie Anders. 
    Margie usually came in to order breads,
nothing else.  She’d call around the holidays and special request some things, which
Beth had no problem accommodating for. 
    Today there was no purpose for
Margie Anders to be in the bakery.
    None what so ever.
    “I have some fresh banana bread,”
Beth said.  “One with a lot of cinnamon and one with chocolate chips.”
    Beth had a lot of chocolate chips
left over because she had planned on cooking chocolate chip cookies all week.  Well,
that plan changed, just like the plan to not get robbed changed.
    “Oh dear,” Margie said, “I want a
cupcake… make it five…”
    “Cupcakes?” Beth asked.
    Her eyes moved to the line.  It
finally started to lessen.  All these people had come to see her and show
support.  It did touch Beth, but she just wanted to work.  She just wanted to
be normal.  She wanted a normal day of business, a normal day of being herself. 
Then again, being herself… fat, pig …
    Beth closed her eyes and took a
second.
    “Are you okay?” Margie asked, her
old voice shaking.
    “I’m fine,” Beth said.  “Really,
I’m fine.  Five cupcakes it is.”
    Beth put a smile on her face and
for the rest of the busy morning, she served person after person, hearing their
stories, accepting their hand squeezes and sympathies.  And yes, she took their
money too. 
    The afternoon came and out went the
crowd. 
    Finally.
    Beth scrambled and managed to
finish the job she had started the night before, finishing all the cupcakes for
the bank.  When she called Jerry to tell him she finished his order, he
couldn’t believe it.  He even offered her a job at the bank, jokingly, but when
he offered it, Beth couldn’t help but note that banks were well secured.  Lots
of cameras.  Lots of security.
    Fat, pig.
    Of course Beth declined the offer
and when Jerry came to pay a little before three, he handed Beth the company
credit card and then slid a hundred dollar bill across the counter to her.
    “No, you paid,” Beth said.
    “Yeah, I know,” Jerry said.  “This
is for finishing the order.  After what happened…”
    Jerry sighed and shook his head. 
He wore big square frames and had a fat face that jiggled when he shook his
head.  He was in his early fifties but looked sixty.  He reached out and
touched Beth’s chin with his pointer finger. 
    “Such a pretty woman,” he said. 
“I’m sorry that happened to you.”
    “Thank you,” Beth said.  “I’m
fine…” (she hated hearing herself say it… I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine …)
    “You’re a beautiful woman,” Jerry
said.  “Remember that.”
    “No, I’m far from it,” Beth said
handing Jerry his receipt.  “That’s okay though too.”
    “No, mark my words,” Jerry pressed
one of his fat fingers to the glass counter, “someone will see you for your
true beauty.  For your passion.  For your dedication.  Damn, if I was younger,
Beth…”  Jerry tapped his finger on the glass and smiled.
    After saying yet another goodbye, Beth
had the urge to lock the door.  No