Chapter Sixteen Madison

S eeing Jaxson in my mom’s bakery surprised me. Last night with him at the carnival had been a blast. The entire evening after everyone left reminded me so much of how things were when we were in high school. Back when I could just hang out and have fun.

Standing behind Jaxson, I have no clue what’s going on.

One minute he’s laughing with me and mom in the kitchen, and the next… he’s freaking out. And out in my lobby is another man who looks like he just stepped out of Forbes magazine. The interaction between the two of them completely blows me away.

“Once I heard you had traveled back to your hometown and didn’t have a definite return date, I couldn’t just wait for you to come back!” the man exclaims with slight laughter in his voice. “So, I jumped on a plane and came here.”

“I’m truly honored,” Jaxson says, slightly hesitant with his words. “I just got off the phone with my agent, who let me know… I understand you want to do another interview.”

“Yes, well, more like have a conversation with you.” He starts gesturing towards a table where the two men take a seat. “We like you, Jaxson. But when it comes to the television business, it isn’t just about liking you. We need more than that. We need an ‘it’ factor. Something to wow the masses.”

The man continues going a mile a minute. Jaxson simply nods to him, lost in the entire conversation, he is unable to get a word out of his own. His mouth opens and closes multiple times, and it’s the first time that I truly see Jaxson rendered speechless while the man talks a mile a minute.

Laughter escapes me as I restock the glass shelving with more baked goods. My mother comes to stand next to me, looking just as confused as I feel.

“What’s going on?” she whispers to me. “Who is that?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think he owns a TV show or something and is trying to set Jaxson up with something… I don’t know.”

“Really?” she gasps, her hands clasped together on top of the counter as she watches the interaction between the two men in front of us.

“... we need something outside your normal element, Jaxson. Maybe a location outside the busy city where all other cooking shows seem to take place.” The man continues to carry on, his eyes shifting to the short brunette next to him with a tablet in her hand and a briefcase hanging from a shoulder strap at her side. It sounds like the two of them are trying to find a place where Jaxson can perform his show.

Never in my life have I been privy to witnessing something like this, and from the gazes of a few of our regular customers—neither have they.

“Do they really have to do this here?” my mother whispers to me, causing my brows to furrow.

“Why not? They are just talking.”

She lets out a heavy breath with a roll of her eyes as she places the last of the chocolate cupcakes onto the glass tray on top of the counter. “Yes, but we have customers, Madi. I know Jaxson is your friend and I love him dearly, but the man he is talking to is being overly loud. ”

“Must be the city life in him coming out.” I smirk, causing her to roll her eyes again.

“It’s nothing to joke about.”

As much as I love my mother, sometimes she really does make me question if the small-town life is getting to her. I mean, I get it. Rander is rather loud and boisterous with the entire conversation he’s having with Jaxson, but I mean… he’s in the TV business. One could almost expect him to be like that.

“Okay, I’ll see if I can’t help move the conversation along.” I really don’t want to get in the middle of the man and Jaxson’s conversation. But my mother clearly isn’t pleased at the moment, and the regulars are beginning to watch the two’s conversation with too much interest.

Taking a deep breath, I finish unloading the baked goods and place the tray to the side, wiping my hands on my apron before stepping around the counter. “Hey… sorry to interrupt. I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re looking for somewhere to host the production.”

The man’s eyes lift to mine with a quizzical gaze. “That’s right. Who might you be?”

“I’m Madison. My mom owns this bakery,” I reply flatly trying to determine if the amusement in his tone is out of sarcasm or genuine interest. “There’s a commercial kitchen rental on the other side of town a lot of people use. I’m sure that you could reach out to the owner about booking it out.”

I let my eyes slide to Jaxson, who gives me a tight-lipped smile as if to say thanks. However, the man’s interest in what I suggested doesn’t seem to light the spark in his eyes I was hoping for.

“Eh, those are all the same. It won’t bring to life what I’m looking for. I need something… more.”

More? What the hell does he think this place is? The Ritz?

“Wait.” The man stops in his tracks. His eyes drifts around the bakery as the thin smile he once had slowly disappears into a wide grin. “This is it!”

I glance at my mother, her brows knit together as we both turn our attention towards the man, trying to understand what epiphany he just had.

“What’s it?” I ask, his eyes turning to me as Jaxson’s does as well .

“We can do the show here!” he exclaims. “We can title it, ‘Big City Chef in Small Town Living’ or something along those lines. It will be perfect!”

Here… What does he mean here? Like where here?

“Oh,” I say, pondering over his words. “That is quite catchy. He may be on to something.”

My words seem to go unnoticed by the man Jaxson is meeting, but my words don’t slide past Jaxson. He smiles at me, a cocky half-smile that says thank you without actually using words. It’s the same kind of smile that he used to give me back in the day when I got him out of a shit situation.

Mainly with his parents.

“Rander,” Jaxson finally speaks up. “I’m sure there is somewhere in town that we can outfit with a kitchen to make magic happen. I can call a few of my contacts—”

Laughter escapes Rander as he shakes his head. As if what Jaxson had said was the most amusing thing he had ever heard. “Don’t be silly. I already said we can have it here… as in here in this bakery. I didn’t see it initially when I thought I was walking in for a small-town coffee, but now looking at this place… it’s darling.”

Darling? Who the hell is this guy?

Rander begins to gush over one thing after another, pointing out small aspects of my mother’s bakery that’s absolutely perfect for the show. All while dismissing the fact that he doesn’t even have permission to use this place.

Jaxson’s eyes turn to me, as if pleading with me to say yes to this ridiculous idea. As if I actually have the ability to allow it to happen. He must forget that though I work here… this place isn’t mine. It’s my mother’s.

I open my mouth, mouthing to him the words “no” and “I can’t.” But it doesn’t seem to work. Instead, he continues to silently plead until I finally succumb to his begging. Letting out a low groan, I turn on my best pleading face for my mother.

Her eyes meet mine the moment I turn to her. “No…”

“Oh come on, Mom… I didn’t even ask you anything yet. ”

As much as I want to accept my mother saying no, I can’t. Just seeing the happiness that lingers within his gaze is enough for me to give in and give him what he wants. Though my mother isn’t as easily persuaded by his charming antics.

“I said no, Madison,” she states once more, her brow raised as she gives me a pointed look. “I already told you how I felt about them being here.”

“Mom, come on. It won’t be that bad, and it will bring in publicity for the bakery.”

“Madison—” she says a little more sternly. “The last thing I want are those people coming in here and ruining what I’ve built. I know the kind. They want want want and they take take take in the process. I’m not interested in them trying to change my business to suit their needs.”

Jaxson appears right behind me with Rander on his heels, as they both stare at my mother with pleading expressions.

“What if I can guarantee you that nothing will be changed,” Jaxson reasons, “and you won’t have to close the place down or anything. You close early enough so we can work after you close.”

She’s quiet for a moment, her arms crossing over her chest as Jaxson, Rander, and myself all wait for her reply. One that starts with a huff, then turns into a groan before she finally decides to answer. “Fine… but I have two conditions.”

“Of course,” Rander replies. “Anything you want… the ‘Big City Chef in a Small Town’ idea is something I’ve never seen before… and if I have to follow your rules, I will.”

“Very well,” she mutters with a sigh. “Madison has to be here at all times. And… you can only do this after the bakery is closed for the day. And it better be the way it was when I left it when you’re done otherwise you won’t be filming here… do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Rander, Jaxson, and I all exclaim at the same time.

“This is wonderful,” Rander says. “I will start drafting up the contracts for everything as soon as I’m back in New York. Jaxson, I expect to see you back soon as well. We need to have you start drafting up those recipes. We will start filming in four months!”

The moment Rander spills the news, my heart sinks. I’d been excited by him filming here because it meant that he was going to be here longer. And every part of me wants to see if there is possibly something between us. Or I did, but perhaps that was just a premature thought of desperation, curious to know if something could be different than it is.

Rander and Jaxson continue to talk amongst themselves as they head towards the front door of the bakery. My body is unable to move as my mother’s hand falls to mine that sits upon the glass countertop. “Are you okay?”

Am I okay?

Not really. But I won’t tell her that.

Forcing a smile to my face I turn to her with a slight nod of my head. “Yes, I’m great. Just thinking about all these damn cupcakes I have to finish myself now.”

Among other things.