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~Ryan’s POV~
After the firefighters cleaned out the smoke and small fire I had on the kitchen I thanked them. One put his hand on my shoulder looked me in the eyes and said.
”Maybe kitchen isn’t for you buddy. Try something manly like boxing?”
He dropped his hand off my shoulder and ran to fire truck with his other workers. I waved as the 118 fire truck drove off. Luckily I lived in a house so none of my neighbors got woken up to the sirens. As I jogged back to my house I did see my next door neighbor glaring from her window.
Kitchen wasn’t burned down but the small fire on the stove from when the boiled olive oil spilled and caught some of the corner of stove top on fire. I cleaned the dishes and reheated a frozen dinner meal.
After dinner I got into my bed and pulled my phone out. The fire fighter saying I should try something more manly. I rolled my eyes. I did boxing but I liked learning new things like cooking or I’ve heard baking was suppose to be more relaxing. Least when my mom did it growing up she always looked happy doing it. I frowned as knowing she wasn’t around anymore to teach me her recipes.
I searched on my phone for a place near by and found few bakeries. Yet none were doing lessons. I almost gave up but scrolled one more time and then found it.
Baked With Love
I reserved a lesson for tomorrow. I put my phone on charger and went to sleep.
Next day I got dressed so many times I lost count. Walking out of my room at last option, dark grey shorts with a white shirt and blue with dark grey design short sleeve button up. I put on my shoes and grabbed my phone.
Parking my truck next to a Jeep I looked at the sign in front of me. Turning my car off seeing I was early I got out. Better to be early than late I thought as I walked inside.
I walked up the counter seeing it was glass and had many of desserts inside. I squatted down looking at all the options. It all smelled lovely and didn’t hear anyone until their throat cleared. I stood up quickly seeing behind a counter was a guy, maybe two inches taller than me, blue eyes, light brown hair, something on his eyebrow, tattoos all over his arms, a white button up with a striped grey apron around his waist.
“Hello? Can I help you?”
The guy said wiping his hands on the apron and I saw his arms were covered in so many tattoos. I looked up to his blue eyes with my brown eyes. I moved my brown hair back when I spoke.
”Yeah hi I’m Ryan.. Ryan Guzman. I booked an appointment for baking lesson.. today at ..”
I saw next to him on the wall was a clock and looked back at him.
”A hour. Sorry I’m early.”
The guy smiled and walked around the counter and he held his hand out. I shook his hand and gasped at how strong he felt, he even looked fit. Like his shirt looked two sizes too small for him.
”Nice to meet you I’m Oliver Stark. This is my bakery. Welcome.”
We shook hands as he talked but I dropped them with smile.
”Don’t be sorry for being early. That’s better than being late.”
”That’s what I said.”
I noticed his accent and he laughed.
”Well come on I have no one else today so let’s wash up and I’ll give you an apron .. don’t want to get your clothes dirty.”
“Yeah dirty.. right.”
I followed him to the back and as I washed my hands the mirror above me I looked at Oliver. He was mixing flour in a mixer and adding other ingredients.
~Oliver’s POV~
I heard the front door open but didn’t see anyone walk in. My friend and co worker Aisha was away on holiday with her husband so she wasn’t in today. I looked over at clock seeing it wasn’t a delivery. I wiped my hands on apron and walked out.
I didn’t see anyone right away but then saw a hand, the hand moved in their hair. I checked the guy out and he was attractive. He had tanner skin than me, brown hair, and his eyes looked at glass counter and I saw they were brown eyes.
I cleared my throat and he stood up quickly and I smiled seeing he must be two inches shorter than me.
“Hello? Can I help you?”
I said wiping my hands on the apron as I saw him move his hair off his face again.
”Yeah hi I’m Ryan.. Ryan Guzman. I booked an appointment for baking lesson.. today at ..”
He looked next to me on the wall probably at the clock.
”A hour. Sorry I’m early.”
I smiled and walked around the counter and held my hand out. We shook hands and I felt how strong his hand shake was. Don’t know why he needed lesson just from looks alone and his hand shake was strong I bet he knead dough without any issue.
”Nice to meet you I’m Oliver Stark. This is my bakery. Welcome.”
We kept our hands shaking as I talked but I didn’t mind. I saw him smile as he dropped our hands.
”Don’t be sorry for being early. That’s better than being late.”
”That’s what I said.”
I laughed as I saw him say the same thing I said a lot to people who worked for me.
”Well come on I have no one else today so let’s wash up and I’ll give you an apron .. don’t want to get your clothes dirty.”
“Yeah dirty.. right.”
As he washed his hands I finished with the cookies I was making before he got here.
~Ryan’s POV~
“What do you want to learn? I saw on your application it said everything?”
I saw Oliver by the counter with arms crossed and I put on the apron he gave me by the sink.
”Uh yeah anything and everything you want to teach me.”
I saw him smile and uncross his arms. He leaned onto the counter and was writing stuff down on a notebook that was attached to a clipboard.
“Any allergies? I see you but nothing but are you sure? I don’t want you to get sick during the job.”
”N-no not even nuts.”
I blushed and he nodded. He looked up at me before looking back down at the notebook.
”Alright that’s good to know Eddie. I had one student she said same thing about honey and next day we made a peanut butter honey brownie and she ate it and got blisters all over her face. Had to call emt to take her to hospital.”
”Ouch that sounds painful.”
”Yeah she gave me a one star review after that.”
”But it was her fault.”
Oliver shrugged and leaned off the counter.
”Price of being in serving industry. So anyway today we will start with a simple recipe. Don’t get scared at all the ingredients. This recipe is truly the go to for home bakers. It is also the first recipe I learned to make at my home.”
”Okay.”
With that we started making chocolate chip cookies.
“Some bakers like real chocolate bars but if I’m being honest the standard chocolate chips do just as good…if not better in my opinion.”
Oliver said when he got out the ingredients.
“Oh?”
Oliver smiled and got a mixer off a top shelf and put it on the counter. My eyes looked at his arm muscle flex. He definitely went to the gym too. I blinked looking away when I heard him talking.
”Okay first you will crack two eggs in the mixer. Do you know how to crack an egg?”
”Yeah?”
I said and he pointed at one of the four fridges that had eggs in it. I opened it getting two out. I walked over to him by the mixer. I tapped the egg three times to counter and went to put it in but he stopped me.
”Wait. Here put it in the bowl.”
Confused since he just said minute ago in the mixer. I did it anyway after all he was the teacher and I was the student.
“See anything wrong with your egg Ryan?”
“Uh no?”
Oliver picked the bowl up and swirled the bowl slowly.
”Oh I see shell in it.”
”Yes exactly. The key to cracking an egg is one time then it won’t have little pieces of shell.”
”Oh sorry I can get another egg..”
”No it’s fine the pieces are big enough to pick out. Yet sometimes they will be smaller and not noticed. So then when you go to eat the crunch will be the shell.”
”Sorry.”
”Don’t be it’s okay. You here to learn it happens.”
I smiled at his calmness instead of rudeness like I heard chefs are like Gordon Ramsay.
After pan was sprayed I started placing the dough on the pan. I wanted to try some but knew eggs couldn’t be eaten raw.
“Now they bake 8 minutes at 350 F.”
I nodded as he bent down putting them in the oven. I checked him out again and without realizing it. He stood back up and I looked at the rest of the dough. We had some left after two pans we’re now cooking.
”You can eat the dough if you want. Just don’t tell anyone.”
”Won’t the raw egg make you sick?”
”That can be case only if it’s left out for hours.”
Oliver said using a spoon to scoop some of the dough. I felt frozen watching him and I blinked. I moved and did the same thing as I smiled.
”Wow that’s delicious. And you right simple.”
”See exactly.”
Oliver put the spoon in the dishwasher. Walking away he came back with to go box.
“For you take some home with you.”
”Thanks but how much?”
”Nah this one is on the house for congratulating you on your first and not last dessert.”
”Thanks.”
Oliver packed up the cookies for me once they cooled.
“See you again?”
”Yeah this was fun. Thanks again.”
That night I booked few more lessons. I smiled in my kitchen as I ate the brownie. I even let out a groan of happiness at the flavor in my mouth.
Next time I went to lesson we started making brownies and blondies, apparently only difference was the dark or light brown sugar you use to make them.
I looked over at Oliver as he was chopping up chocolate chips. I was chopping up some too but wasn’t as fast as him.
~Oliver’s POV~
I saw few days ago Ryan booked more appointments for lessons. Made me smile as he was nice and definitely had the skills already.
Today we were making four chocolate brownies and one white chocolate blondies.
I looked over seeing Ryan struggle at cutting fast.
“Hey you don’t have to go at a certain speed.”
”Huh- … Ouch sh t f k that hurt.”
I heard him say in Spanish and up looked from my cutting board. I put my knife down seeing Ryan walk to the sink. I walked over to his station seeing drops of blood.
Walking over to him I opened mirror getting the first aid kit. I found the band aids and cleaner for cuts.
“Here let me see it.”
”It’s fine.”
”Ryan the knives are sharp I need to make sure it’s not serious enough to go to doctor.”
”Not like I cut it off.”
“You never know these are sharp knives.”
Ryan sighed and moved his hand away from the water. I turned water off and moved the napkin he had pressed on his pointer finger. Some blood came out and I got new napkin to put pressure on it.
”Well you didn’t cut deep enough for it to fall off.”
”Oh.. ouch.”
I lifted my left eyebrow up with my birthmark at him saying he was in pain.
”You okay?”
”Uh huh just hurts.”
”Sorry have to put pressure on it or it’ll keep bleeding. Can’t have you bleeding out in my kitchen.”
”But I thought that’s how they made red velvet cupcakes.”
I laughed seeing him smile and I slowly moved napkin away. No more blood was coming out. I cleaned it up and he groaned in pain. I ignored the groan noise and wiped off the extra cleaning ointment. Then placed a band aid.
”Okay that’s all for today.”
”No I’m good doc come on. We got to finish brownies and blondies.”
I smiled seeing his brown eyes go wide and he clasped our hands together.
”Don’t let me get on my knees and beg for it.”
I fought the urge to tell do it and I’d join you but my phone buzzed stopping me. Or least that’s what I told myself.
”Sorry got to take this. But okay mix the chocolate chips in the right mixer. Add egg and vanilla extract. Then they will be ready to bake. Be right back.”
”Okay.”
Ryan dropped our hands and walked back to the cutting boards.
“Hey Jen.”
~Ryan’s POV~
I don’t know why I say I’d go on my knees to beg but I almost did. Oliver’s phone rang and I let go of our hands together.
”Hey Jen.”
Oliver said before leaving the kitchen. I frowned. Great the one guy I have a crush on has a girlfriend or even wife. Yet I haven’t seen a ring so maybe he keeps in office. Shaking thoughts away I did as he asked.
I took them out of mixer and added the brownies on bottom and then added the blondies on top. I put them in the oven as I did quick Google with how long to bake them.
Just as I finished cleaning the last dish Oliver walked back in.
”Sorry I’m back. Uh friend needed help with something. Where is the brownies and blondies?”
”Oh in the oven.. 24 minutes at 400 F.”
”Hey you knew how long good job.”
”Thanks.”
I dried my hands and saw the band aid making me sigh.
“Did you bake them at same time? Only one oven is on?”
”Huh yeah figured save room..?”
Oliver looked at me then went to the oven just as it dinged. He put on the oven mittens and I put on the counter the mittens so counter wouldn’t be to hot from the dish.
Oliver placed the dish on counter and looked at me.
“What?”
Oliver smiled before shaking his head.
”You stacked them?”
”Yeah isn’t that what you suppose to do?”
”I never seen this before.. blondies on top of brownies.”
”But we made them both and..”
Oliver walked to a counter with same dish I used that had dry spray in it already.
“Oh f k were they suppose to be separate? Oliver I’m so sorry I..”
”Hey it’s okay.”
Oliver got out a rubber spatula and gave us both a slice on same plate. He got two spoons and walked up to me.
”Here let’s try it.”
I blushed as I was embarrassed I did it wrong. Yet him standing next to me we both ate a piece. I almost choked on my bite when I heard Oliver moan next to me.
“Wow this is ..”
”Bad? Awful? Never want to see me again?”
Oliver laughed setting the plate down and I put my spoon by his.
”What? No it’s incredible. I never thought of stacking them like that. I’ll have to add it to my menu. Obviously I’ll give you credit.”
”Oh you don’t have to do that..”
I trailed off when he took steps closer. I closed my eyes when he was right next to me. Okay maybe he had a girlfriend or wife but was going to kiss me?
Yet I felt his finger on corner of my mouth. I opened my eyes quickly and he was so close.
“Sorry you had some .. on corner of your lip. I know when I try to tell someone left they always go right or vice versus.”
”Oh.”
Oliver dropped his hand and I gulped. Oliver backed up but I swore his blue eyes looked to my lips.
I backed up into counter and mumbled
“Sorry.”
I moved off counter and hung up apron by the sink.
”I gotta .. yeah I got to go. Uh see you later bye.”
”Umm bye Ryan?”
I ran to my truck quickly and sitting in my car I saw I was turned on.
~Oliver’s POV~
I was in my office filling paper work and Kenny my oldest hire knocked.
”Yeah mate?”
”I’m headed out. Merry Christmas.”
”Happy Christmas Eve to you too. Sorry I had you working. Just know tomorrow through New Years we will be closed.”
”Don’t sweat it boss man my wife is thankful I get the bonus pay. Helps us with our daughter’s birthday in January.”
”Welcome and really thanks again.”
Kenny smiled and left. I sighed and left my office. I walked outside to get something from my car and it started to rain harder. Just like home in London instead of snow Los Angeles got rain.
I went to the door but stopped seeing Ryan looking in the glass door.
”Can I help you?”
He stood up straighter looking at me.
“Uh I forgot to return your to go box.”
Weird he usually kept them this last two months of learning how to bake. I walked inside and let him in. We walked into kitchen putting boxes with the other ones.
I saw him shivering and I offered him a hot cocoa with Concha’s . It was recipe I learned from my friend at baking school Rafael L Silva.
~Ryan’s POV~
I kept thinking about Oliver more and more but told myself I can’t. Yet yesterday doing deep dive Googling him I found out Jen was his friend from the school he went to. She was married and in her baking book she called Oliver a brother.
So now in the rain I knew his bakery was open since on Google said it’ll be open until 4 pm, unlike 8 pm like it usually is. I went to the door when his worker Kenny left. I felt stuck at the door.
Now inside drinking home made cocoa and homemade Concha’s I was smiling.
”These are incredible. I’ll need you to teach me these next.”
”Sure they lot like the cinnamon rolls I taught you last week.”
”They taste just like my mom use to make.”
”She doesn’t anymore?”
I set my hot cocoa down as my Concha’s was gone. I wiped my hands on napkin shaking my head no.
”She passed away four months ago. So first Christmas without her.”
”Oh Ryan I’m so sorry.”
Oliver’s hand on my shoulder made me small smile.
”It’s okay she’s in a better place.. healthier.”
”Good.. my dad and mum both passed when I was young. It does get easier but can still be sad.”
”Yeah.. thanks sorry too for your loss.”
We stood up and started making Concha’s. As I mixed the ingredients I got flour everywhere. Since this recipe you had to mix by hand.
“I think the goal is to keep it in the mixing bowl.”
Oliver said making us both laugh and I turned to him as I mixed.
”Oh really Oli I didn’t notice.”
I saw his cheeks turn red as I realized I used a nickname.
”Uh sh t sorry chef.”
”I’m not a chef and I like it.. no one ever called me that.”
”Really-y?”
”Yeah my best friend who is like my sister, Jen she called me Olive.”
I chuckled and he walked up to me.
”What’s so funny?”
”Olive? Like as in Olive Oil?”
”Yeah? Maybe? I never asked her.”
I gasped as next thing I knew I had flour thrown at me. I stopped mixing and took the bag from his hand. I tossed flower at him and then ran away. He ran after me and snatched the flour from my hands. I went to grab it back but slipped falling on my back.
Oliver moved quickly above me and held his hand out for me. I saw his hands were empty of flour bag. I pulled him down by his arm he had stretched out. We both were laughing and he sat up with both arms stretched on either side of me.
I don’t know who leaned in first but our lips were on each other. Hands in each other’s hair and I didn’t care if flour was mixed into my brown hair. We kept kissing and I moaned when I felt he was turned on too. I sat up some still kissing him as we fought with our tongues. I don’t know who won but we both moaned again.
We pulled apart when oven dinged. I saw him stand up and I frowned. He turned oven off and I stood up slowly. He put the Concha’s in fridge.
“What are you doing..?”
Oliver looked at me with smile and hung his apron up. Oliver walked back to me and I backed into a counter. His hands were on the counter as he was all way up to me.
“Do you want to stop? We can stop and act like this never hap—“
I leaned up connecting our lips again. I moved my arms around his waist pulling him closer.
”No.” Kiss “Knead.” Kiss. “You.” Kiss.
I mumbled each word against his lips as we kept kissing.
Oliver kissed back as his hands moved down my back and untied my apron. I gasped in kiss at his double tasking. I pulled away further away I could toss the apron on counter. Oliver gasped when I picked him up moving him to the counter.
“I don’t want to stop either.”
Oliver said and wrapped his legs around my waist pulling me closer. I took my sweater off and shivered as Oliver’s hands touched my chest.
”So you do have a few more tattoos than the one on your wrist.”
I blushed and took his long sleeve shirt off.
”F k so do you. You sure you not a tattoo artist?”
”I was for one summer when I was 18.. but I loved baking more.”
”Is that how you got all these tattoos?”
I asked and leaned down kissing his chest and moved down.
“Mmhm I let the artist draw whatever they wanted for discount.”
I stopped and looked at him smiling.
”Ah so you were the student then?”
”Uh huh. But don’t worry none of them saw me like this.”
”So just me?”
”Mmhm. Just you. Knead you too.”
I laughed making him laugh with me as we used the same joke. Oliver leaned up connecting our lips again. Oliver’s hands went to my pants and I gasped.
“You sure you want to do it here?”
I asked and Oliver stopped looking at me smiling.
”Trust me all the desserts I been teaching you I been keeping my hands on them since I been picturing you on every surface.”
I shivered as his hands touched me again and I nodded in agreement.
”Me too. Like your office too. I’ve never been in there.”
Oliver pushed me back little and I gasped. He took my hand and I followed. We walked into his office and now my back was on the door. We kissed again as we took off our pants and Oliver backed away. I followed his lips but he held my chest to stop me.
”Didn’t you say two months ago you get on your knees for me?”
I blushed that he remembered and I nodded.
”Do it then.”
Oliver went to his desk and right before he sat on edge of it he took his boxers off. I watched in amazement.
”You coming?”
”Yes.”
I said quickly taking my boxers off and followed him to his desk. His desk was low enough I could reach. I sank to my knees looking up at him.
We laid on the floor in his office and he had a small fire place next to us. He held onto me and we fell asleep.
Next morning we finished the Concha’s and Oliver went home with me. Since today was Christmas and he didn’t have any family here. After leaving my room I saw him in one of my suits, mine was pink and his was light blue. He had white shirt underneath and I didn’t have anything.
“What happened here?”
Oliver asked and I blushed seeing the faded burnt my stove left.
“Uh so I tried to make An Apple Pie..”
”Oh? Well I’ll teach you that one after the holidays.”
”Yeah that be good idea.”
Oliver kissed me in my kitchen and I kissed back. I backed him up to the sink and we kept kissing. We pulled away for air and I saw his hair was messed up. I fixed it and kissed his forehead, birthmark on his left eyebrow and his lips lightly.
”Thanks for teaching me.”
”Welcome but you did incredible at learning.”
I backed away opening the fridge at the Ryliver, Blondie and Brownies he put on his menu.
“Eh only good because having a hot British teacher helped.”
I saw him blushing and we walked out of my kitchen.
”Nah doubtful. It’s all you my hot Texan cowboy who knows how to bake now.”
We got into his Jeep as I got into passenger seat holding onto Ryliver.
”Maybe so.”
I gave him directions to my friend Peter’s house as he invited me (and a plus one) to his family Christmas dinner.
All night everyone was complimented me on my baking. They had no idea I’d ever learn. Small world Kenny was here with his wife, Aisha who worked with Oliver was here too and she was coming back to work after holidays.
At dinner we held hands under the table with cloth hiding our hands. I use to not even boil water right but now with my British baker he taught me many things in the kitchen…and bedroom. I was thankful for his baking lessons.
THE END!!