Several pairs of eyes turned to Sophia, but she ignored them all.
“Oh, it’ll still be in business; don’t worry,” Nora assured them with a bright smile. “I know a lot of you like working here, and there’s no reason any of that has changed. I am, however, going to be announcing the person I’ve chosen to be my successor.”
A few more whispers rose, and people kept exchanging furtive glances.
“I’ve decided that the person who will take over and lead Nora’s Delights in my stead is none other than…Valeria Carmichael.”
Polite applause erupted.
Valerie, a tall, red-haired woman with blue, catlike eyes and long, manicured nails, stepped forward and spun around to face everyone. In her tight shirt and designer jeans, she looked out of place in the middle of the kitchen, yet Sophia knew exactly why Nora chose her.
People liked Valerie, and they gravitated toward her.
Plus, she was charming when she wanted to be.
“I won’t let you down, Nora,” Valerie said, raising her voice a little toward the end. “And don’t worry; the bakery is in good hands here. I know exactly how to keep this ship running.”
Silence fell over the room again.
When Valeria looked over at Sophia, grinning triumphantly as she did, Sophia glanced away and busied herself with the batch of cupcakes in front of her. She picked several up and held them closer to the light to examine them, as if she hadn’t already done that.
While a part of her was disappointed that she hadn’t been named as Nora’s successor, she wasn’t surprised. Like it or not, Valerie had been there longer, and she knew how to rub elbows with the best of them. Sophia, on the other hand, kept to herself, minded her own business, and exerted the barest amount of effort when it came to her coworkers. Her whole life, Sophia had been shy and had a hard time coming out of her shell, and Nora’s was no exception.
Yet, it still hurt to know that Nora hadn’t even tried to look past the exterior.
It’s not like you want to take over anyway, remember? You just took this job to pay the bills till you figure out your next move.
Teddy, the foster she’d named after a teddy bear she’d owned as a kid, rubbed his nose against her hand, and she absentmindedly scratched behind his ear. He made a low whimpering sound, and Sophia set the cupcake down to look at him. When he tilted his head to the side and stared up at her, a little piece of her heart melted.
Darren was right; he was cute. But she didn’t want to get attached, not when he was only staying temporarily.
As soon as Valeria came over, Sophia stood up straighter and fixed her attention on the task in front of her. “Congratulations. I think Nora made the right decision.”
Valerie scoffed. “Of course, she did. I knew she was going to.”
Sophia pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Valerie stepped closer, and the smell of her sickly sweet perfume made Sophia’s eyes water. “I don’t care what Nora allows you to get away with; I’d watch my back if I were you.”
Sophia twisted her head to look at Valerie and frowned. “What are you talking about? Nora doesn’t let me get away with stuff.”
Valerie tossed her hair over her shoulders. “Yeah, she does—just because she feels sorry for you because you made a mess of your life and still don’t know how to pick up the pieces two years later. I’ll be running a business, not a charity.”
Sophia stared at her and said nothing.
Valerie glanced down at Teddy and took a step back. “And the first thing to go will be that mongrel. I don’t even know why she lets people get away with stuff like that. It’s a bakery, not an animal shelter.”
With that, she spun on her heels and stomped off, heels clicking steadily against the floor. Sophia waited until she pushed through the double doors of the kitchen and made her way outside to sag against the counter and pull a face. Then she tilted her head in the direction of the doors, saw Valerie’s back, and grimaced.
Valerie wasn’t going to make it easy for Sophia to bow out gracefully.
By the looks of things, she was going to go out of her way to rub Sophia’s face in it, and Sophia had no idea how she was going to turn the other cheek. All she knew was that she had to try for the good of the bakery and for the sake of her own sanity.
Getting into another drawn-out fight with Valerie wasn’t worth it. Especially not when she and Valerie were never going to see eye to eye. They never had, and Sophia had to learn to make her peace with it.
With a sigh, she patted Teddy on the head and went to the sink to wash her hands. For the rest of the afternoon, she sifted flour, measured sugar, and decorated cupcakes until her arms were sore and her mind was clear. On the drive home, Teddy stuck his head out the window, his ears flipping in the wind, and Sophia kept sneaking glances at him.
Halfway through the drive home, Lily’s name flashed on the car screen, and it brought a smile to Sophia’s lips. She leaned back in her chair, answered the call, and swatted a lock of hair away.
