The Cupcake Diaries: Sweet On You Read Online Free PDF

sauce, would be better.”
    The waitress smiled. “Coming right up.”
    Jake made a couple more notes in the little black notebook. Seemed like Prince Charming
     was a picky eater. And what was he writing? Notes about the food? Andi frowned. Would
     he write notes about her, too?
    Her uneasiness grew right after their plates arrived and they began to eat. “The food
     arrived in exactly fifteen minutes,” Jake said, tapping his gold wristwatch. “Good
     service.”
    Andi nodded. She’d never timed it, but she’d always thought the cafe was pretty quick.
     She watched Jake lift the top of his bun with his fork and study the meat. Then he
     took a bite and made another note in his notebook.
    “I’m glad I ordered it plain,” Jake said, “so I can get a real grasp of the flavor
     without the sauce. Tasty, but if I wanted a gourmet sandwich, I might go elsewhere.”
    Andi stared at him. “Did they ever claim to be gourmet?”
    “You’re right, they didn’t.” Again he wrote a note in his little notebook. “What do
     you think of the atmosphere?”
    “Very judgmental.”
    He looked up, locked gazes with her, and laughed. “Sorry. When Rachel called to set
     this up, I suggested we meet here so I could work and talk at the same time.”
    “Work?”
    “I’m a reporter for the Astoria Sun ,” he said, pushing his notebook aside. “Most of my assignments consist of interviews
     and profile pieces on community events. This week they stuck me in the role of food
     critic because our regular restaurant reviewer is sick. Except I don’t think I’m very
     good at this. I hate giving bad reviews.”
    “Like the review for the cupcake we ate the other night at the Captain’s Port?” Andi
     smiled, relieved his critical analysis wasn’t an ingrained personality trait.
    Jake nodded. “Yes, but it’s because of that cupcake that we’re here today, isn’t it?”
    “Maybe that cupcake wasn’t so bad after all.”
    “It was,” Jake said, moving his chair closer, “but meeting you made the evening sweeter.”
     He slid her another grin. “So, where would you like to start?”
    Andi wasn’t as practiced as Rachel at idle chitchat. Better to be up front with the
     personal facts before either of them wasted any more time . . . or entertained possibilities
     that would never materialize.
    “First,” Andi said, taking a deep breath and steeling herself for his reaction, “I
     think you should know I’ve got a five-year-old daughter.”
    “So do I.”
    “You do?”
    “My daughter, Taylor, goes to Astor Elementary.”
    “So does Mia. I wonder if they know each other.”
    “Miss Winston’s kindergarten?” Jake asked.
    Andi nodded. “Have you lived here long? Astoria isn’t very big, and I know most of
     the locals, but I’ve never seen you around town before.”
    “We recently relocated from Lake Tahoe. Bought a house near my sister, just a few
     blocks from here.”
    “I rent a small Victorian cottage up the hill,” Andi told him. “Just me and Mia. My
     divorce finalized a year ago. And you?”
    “Lost my wife to breast cancer when Taylor was three.”
    “I’m sorry; that must have been hard.”
    “For you, too.”
    Andi grimaced. She wasn’t sorry she lost her husband. He was still running around
     with his secretary somewhere in Las Vegas. But it was hard being single again. Lonely.
    “I’m glad you came today, Jake.”
    “You know, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t interested.”
    Jake gave her a look so soft, so full of emotion, she could barely breathe.
    “So? What do you think?” he asked. “Should we take a look at the business plan?”
    Andi frowned. “Business plan?”
    “For the cupcake shop.”
    She froze, and the bite of sandwich she’d just put into her mouth turned tasteless.
     The chatter from the men and women at the surrounding tables drifted away from her
     ears, and her vision narrowed, excluding all else except the serious expression on
     Jake’s face—the