CHAPTER 17

“Speaking of Christmas miracles, I saved the best for last.” Nicole Osborne, the chief of The Base town police said, coming from the back. “The perpetrators didn’t manage to get into the back rooms, so the products on stock are untouched.” She smiled. “Using sliding panels instead of a classic door design is an ingenious, and, in this particular case, also a lifesaving solution.”

“Say what?” Albert stared at the woman, disbelief written all over his face. “But that’s…those are the orders of cakes, pies, and cupcakes that were supposed to be delivered to the clients this morning.” His voice was filled with gratitude when he continued. “It was Leon’s idea, for aesthetic reasons.”

“We can still do the deliveries, with a minimum delay.” Leon’s voice was that of a man with a plan. “I’ll message Dunstan to send a few of the pick-up trucks here, and, as soon as they’re loaded, the guys will be on their way.” He reflected for a moment. “We’ll need the address and the amount of products to be delivered for each client.”

“R-right away,” Albert stuttered, scrambling to his feet and going in the back, where he arranged a tiny office next to the supply room. “Here you are,” he returned a few seconds later, giving the list to Leon. “Hey, Night, you’re here!” With these words, the man threw himself into the librarian’s open arms.

“Are you alright, Light?” Brian examined the face of his best friend with worried eyes. “Boss Elias told me, sorry I didn’t come earlier, but I texted back and forth with Papa. He knows a guy who owns a cleaning company, and is on the way here.” He looked around. “Holy shit! What did Nicole say? Do they know who did it?”

“I didn’t get to talk to her, but, from what I understand, none of the neighbors saw or heard anything suspicious, which makes the police suspect the vandals acted in the dead of the night, when everyone was sleeping.” Albert inhaled sharply. “It was Rick, Night, I’m sure of it.”

“That damn motherfucker is as evil as Cole.” Brian balled his hands into fists. “I’m a peaceful man, but I swear I’ll kill the piece of trash, if he ever crosses my path.” He frowned. “You said he didn’t contact you in any way, how do you know he is involved? Not that I doubt you, of course, just want to understand.”

“He…he called me this morning.” Albert ran a hand over his face. “He mockingly wished me a Merry Christmas, and I almost instantly sensed he would try to hurt me one way or another, but I thought he would do that by trying to harm my loved ones or friends.”

Brian frowned. “The sleazy dirt bag must’ve had the help of a tech genius or computer wiz, maybe both in one. How else did he get your phone number?” He pulled the phone out of his jeans’ pocket and started to take pictures of the vandalized room. “I’ll send these to Julien, maybe he can see something we’re missing.”

“Night, I…” Albert started hesitantly, intending to refuse the help his childhood friend was offering, but then he changed his mind. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would have done all these months without your advice, support, and encouragement.”

“Hey, Light, no need to thank me.” Brian said, voice thick with emotion. “We've been friends since the dawn of time, and what are friends for, if not to be there for each other whenever it is needed?” He tightly hugged the other man.

“Attention, everyone!” Lawrence’s voice boomed through the devastated room, making everyone turn to him. “I have an important announcement to make.” He got down on one knee, facing Albert, a small jewelry box in his hand. “Albert Finkel, from the day our librarian friend here told me about you from the first time, all I thought about was you. A few days later, when I saw you outside the gates, I knew my life would be better, that your simple presence would make it this way. Albert Finkel, will you be my Light? Will you marry me?”

“I…um…I don’t even know what to say, didn’t even buy you a ring.” Albert looked at all the people waiting for his answer. “Does a marriage proposal count if there’s no ring?” The audience nodded, bright smiles on their faces, so he continued. “When I came here, I was scared and distrustful. I promised myself to never fall in love again, but then I met this kind, understanding, patient guy, who gave me space and time to heal. Now, I can’t imagine my life without him.” Albert stopped, swallowed hard a few times, then continued in a raspy voice. “Lawrence Barnes, will you marry me? Will you be my rock, my strength, my lighthouse on a stormy sea?”

“Yes, a thousand times yes.” Lawrence almost yelled, his eyes shining with love and joy. “Thank you for giving me this chance, my love; I promise to do everything in my power to protect our family and make everyone happy.” Smiling radiantly, he slipped the ring on his now-fiancé’s finger.

Lawrence got up and gently cupped his lover's face with both hands, staring into Albert's soft-brown eyes. Running his hands through his lover's longish, blond-brown strands, the biker tentatively brushed his lips on the other man's, tasting their sweetness, and getting high on it, before starting to explore the baker’s mouth.

Lawrence deepened the kiss, taking full control, demanding entrance. He parted Albert's lips with the tip of his tongue, making him weak in the knees. The man started to moan into the biker's mouth, making his body react to the sounds of pleasure he gave him. He became rock-hard, and it took all his self-control to not surrender to his urges.

Albert sensed his fiancé’s hesitation and he seized the opportunity, taking control of the kiss. Lawrence didn't know what to believe and he wanted to back down, but the sparks in the baker's eyes spoke volumes, although his lips didn't move. It was all real, the two chocolate orbs were telling him, it wasn't part of any game or of the marriage proposal. The fragile blond who had invaded the biker's mind, heart and dreams in such a short time stood there before him, waiting for him to make his next move.

For someone as shy as Albert and with such a low self-esteem, it must have taken a lot of courage to act as he did, to speak the words he spoke, so Lawrence didn't waste more time. He cupped again the face of the beautiful young man standing in front of him and captured his lips in a gentle kiss that gradually deepened, becoming increasingly heated.

Their tongues danced around each other, a subtle battle for dominance Lawrence won for the second time. He started to explore Albert's mouth, to savor his sweet taste. Never had he believed that kissing another man could be so pleasant, that it could awaken such deep emotions inside him, never did he experience the same sensations with his few partners, most of them one-night stands.

The two men slowed down for a moment, to catch their breath, then, as if both of them were thinking it at the same time, they initiated another, third session of passionate kissing. This time, it was Albert who took control, the intensity of the sensations he experienced rising and rising, until they exploded into a million multicolored fireworks cascading around him.

They stood there long after they stopped kissing, lost in each other's eyes, engulfed by the warmth radiating from their bodies, listening to the beating of each other's hearts. They were unaware of the silence following Lawrence's words or the applause and acclaim that started a few moments after the two of them ended the kisses.

Even after the echoes of the happy sounds and words of congratulations died down, Albert found it hard to believe the man in front of him, with a handsome face, beautiful smile, and the body of a Greek god, proposed to him. Only after he raised his hand and admired the ring his fiancé put on his finger, was he convinced everything was real, and not a dream he would wake up from soon.

Kissing the hand of the one he was already calling husband in his heart and mind, Lawrence went back to his duties, while Albert, grinning and with cheeks colored in a delicate shade of pink, joined Stacy, Steve, and Billy Bob in the back for the inventory. To their great relief, nothing was missing or destroyed, so they started packing the morning orders.

The people from the cleaning company and those with the new window came, and, a few hours later, everything was sparkling clean, so Albert and his employees could start the daily routine. Between answering the phone, writing the orders down, and helping his three young employees when things got too busy, he had no time to think about what happened.

However, later that night, after a short, but intense lovemaking session with Lawrence, the first from their life as an engaged couple, once his fiancé left for the double shift, Albert reflected on the events of the day. He couldn’t wonder what Rick was hoping to achieve by destroying the bakery. The fool knew I had enough money to repair and rebuild everything, the man said to himself, a frown creasing his forehead.

That’s it, money, he wanted to twist my arm into accessing the funds my father left me, then follow the traces and empty the account. He is too stupid to do that by himself, so Brian is right: someone with advanced computer knowledge must have helped him, willingly or under threat. The second version was the most plausible of the two; it wouldn’t have been the first time Rick would use force to make someone do what he wanted.

Albert mentally shrugged; whatever Rick was after, he didn’t get it. Rolling on a side, the man wrapped the blankets around him, and as sleep started to take over him, he remembered the talk about the importance of having a strong support network. He and Brian had a few months earlier. Heart filled with gratitude, a smile playing on his lips, the man thanked his stubborn librarian friend who taught him to trust again.

The next morning, after a deep sleep, Albert woke up early, ready to start a new day. The previous day’s incident was still fresh in his mind, but it was only a reminder that he had more friends than he thought, and all those people helped him right away, with whatever they could, and without asking for anything in return.

This time, Albert’s first stop was at the location that was going to be inaugurated on Christmas day, to see the furniture, light fixtures, and appliances Leon and the other handymen installed. As expected, everything looked great, even better than in the photos he saw, which made him smile brightly. The day started great, and was going to continue the same way.

However, as Albert pulled the car over in his usual parking spot, he started doubting it, seeing the police car right in front of the bakery. His stomach knotted as he climbed out the car and headed to the building, a million questions and dark thoughts roiling inside his mind like a hive of mad bees.However, there were no people gathered outside, which was a good sign.

“Hello and good morning, Miss Pat!” Albert greeted the nice lady, walking into the bakery. “How are you today?”

“Hello and good morning to you, too, boss,” Miss Pat replied with a welcoming smile. “I’m much better than yesterday, that’s for sure. How did you sleep?”

“Great, thanks for asking.” The smile on Albert’s face vanished, replaced by a frown of confusion. “What’s the police car doing in front of the bakery?”

“Hi, how are you?” Nicole appeared from the back of the shop, a friendly smile on her face. “You are looking much better than yesterday, glad to see you in happier circumstances.” She inhaled sharply, then continued in a professional tone. “Will you please accompany me at the station?”