7. Get Baking Powder

Bud's Bakers were real assholes.

It wasn't just the fact that their entire work force was all male apart from one female who was honestly growing some manly tendencies, but it was the man of the hour himself. Bud Barker jr. of Bud's Bakers and yes, Maisie still struggled to get the title out in one go.

"I want him terminated," Maisie said as she stood beside the window of her bakery, one finger pulling down a slate of the blind and her eye peeking out.

Bud was walking down the street with a posse of two others holding a tray of small brownies for people to try. His bakery was at the very end of the street then round the corner a bit but the bastard was persistent in pissing Maisie off.

"I mean he didn't have to come all the way here," Maisie continued. "He could have gone down the other street but no, he wants to take my customers with his free bite-size brownies. Come to Bud Barker jr's Bud's Bakers and have some bite-size Bud Barker brownies. See? Too many b's."

Maisie turned her head to see that everyone had left the room apart from Logan who stood beside her on the other end of the window with his arms crossed over his chest. "You okay?"

"Yes," Maisie snapped.

He raised an eyebrow.

"No," Maisie snapped again. "It's Bud's fault."

"Who the fuck is Bud?" Logan asked.

Maisie pointed a finger towards where Bud was talking to a poor, innocent old lady on the street. His overly gelled dark hair made her want to puke and his overly toothy smile would make a money-hungry dentist cry of happiness.

"What's wrong with him? I mean apart from the hair and the fake tan and the shoes," Logan said.

"What's wrong with his shoes?" Maisie frowned.

"They're too white."

Maisie rolled her eyes and huffed. "He's the competition. He takes most my customers and has half my employees because apparently he went to a culinary school and Gordon Ramsey praised him like come on, no one would willingly praise that son of a bitch."

Logan just nodded silently as Maisie fumed. He looked back at the man named Bud and couldn't see how the guy was a baker. He looked more like he was going to grease up his moustache and sell you a car that was about to spontaneously combust.

"Well just find out what he does that gets customers in," Logan said. "There's got to be something if he's getting the money and you aren't."

"I've only been in there once and we're sworn enemies, he won't let me inside the bakery."

Logan frowned. "Then send someone else in," he said before yelling. "Nick!"

Nick came stumbling through the doors to the kitchen and stopped, wiping his hands on his bright pink apron. "What?"

"We're going undercover, come on," Logan said.

"Fuck yes!" Nick grinned. "Can I wear that ninja outfit I bought last Halloween."

"No," Logan deadpanned and took off his apron.

"Wait," Maisie said frantically. "You can't just leave you're on community service..."

Maisie looked over to where trustworthy cop of the year Ben was. His head was thrown back and drool was dribbling down his chin as he slept, completely unaware of the world around him.

Tony should really fire him.

"Okay fine but for the love of God, be discreet," Maisie said. "Don't do anything stupid."

Nick looked up dumbly. "Maisie you know I can't promise-"

"We'll be good." Logan cut him off with a smirk.

Nick took off his apron and Logan slapped the chefs hat off the top of his head. Maisie watched worriedly as they walked out of the bakery, the door making a ringing noise that didn't even make Ben flinch. Logan shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and looked at Nick as they walked down the street.

"So, what are we doing?" Nick asked.

"There's another bakery," Logan said. "It's Maisie's competition and she can't go scope it out because they'd know it's her. So we're gonna do it."

"That's nice of you," Nick commented.

"Fuck off," Logan mumbled around a cigarette he grabbed out of his pack. He lit the end and threw the lighter back at Nick who had offered it. "She got us out of prison and we've treated her like shit. Might as well do something as a thanks."

"Uh huh," Nick smiled and pocketed his lighter. "So it has nothing to do with the fact you like her?"

"I don't fucking like her!" Logan exclaimed and Nick held his hands up.

"Okay, okay," he said. "Whatever you say, man."

They reached the end of the street and the two men could see immediately which building was Bud's Bakers. If the two of them thought that Maisie's bakery was colourful then she had nothing on Bud. The buildings outer walls were painted bright yellow and the name of the store was on a huge sign that looked like it could light up in the night. There were different coloured balloons on either side of the entrance and Nick was immediately reminded of his fifth birthday party.

"Dude this place looks like that crappy warehouse you had your fifth birthday in," Logan said.

"It wasn't crap," Nick mumbled under his breath as they walked towards the entrance.

A smiling woman came out of nowhere wearing an outfit that looked like it was made for a flight attendant. She had a tray of cupcakes balanced on the palm of her hand and she violently shoved them towards the two men.

"Welcome to Bud's Bakers!" she grinned. "Cupcake?"

Nick reached for one and Logan looked at the woman weirdly.

"Is there anything I can help you guys with?" she asked and gave Nick a lingering look.

Nick's eyes widened and he slowly put the cupcake back down on the tray.

"We're just looking," Logan butt in when he moved his cigarette from his lips and the woman nodded before moving to the side and letting the two inside the bakery.

They stepped inside and Nick tapped Logan on the shoulder. "What the hell was that? Is this a bakery or a brothel? She was totally checking me out."

"I don't know why," Logan mumbled around his smoke. "There's not much to check out."

Nick rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away as they walked around the very busy bakery. There were people everywhere. Old people, parents and little kids. They were buying cakes, bread, muffins and pastries. The cash register was never shut for more than one second. The money they were making would set Maisie for life.

Logan stopped beside the cakes display and raised an eyebrow at the four tiered cakes.

"No way in hell we can make one of these," Logan said to Nick.

The latter came closer and flicked his fingers through a catalogue book welded onto a podium beside the display. They had things from wedding cakes to birthdays to Christmas. Nick frowned and his eyes bulged out when he saw the price for each.

"Logan, they're charging like sixty dollars for this stuff. It's getting into the hundreds for the wedding cakes. That's it! Celebration cakes, that's what Maisie needs to do. Weddings and birthdays. She can charge a little cheaper than these guys and everyone will come running."

Logan glanced over at his friend and nodded, taking a drag from the cigarette. "That's actually a really good idea. Shit."

"I have my moments," Nick winked.

"Excuse me sir, but you can't smoke in here," a snobby voice came from behind the two men and they both turned to see a short, skinny twig of a man sassily looking at them. The twig held his hand out and Logan just stared at it. "If you'd please," the worker said.

Logan held back his chuckle and removed the cigarette from his lips before dropping it into the mans open palm. He flinched and quickly gripped the smoke between his fingers. "Thank you, now is there anything I can help you gentlemen with."

"We're just looking," Logan said gruffly.

The twig nodded as another, larger, man walked up beside him.

"Hey," the new man frowned. "Didn't I just see you at that other bakery round the corner?"

Logan immediately recognized him as one of the guys walking around outside Mais' place with free samples. He narrowed his eyes before letting up on his tension. "Checked it out for a bit then decided to look elsewhere."

"Smart move. That place is running itself into the ground," the man said then tilted his head towards the human twig. "And that ginger is such a damn bitch, right?"

The twig nodded and Logan's jaw clenched.

Nick put a hand on his shoulder and dug his fingers into his friends skin. "We should probably be heading off though-"

"What did you just call her?" Logan asked calmly.

"It's getting late. You know we can't miss that curfew of like ten in the morning-"

"The ginger? What are you getting all prickly about?" the man scoffed.

"I've seen enough cakes to make an entire theme park just for them like it's all good-"

"Did you just call her a bitch?" Logan asked and took a step forward.

The man smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you gonna do about it...bitch."

Logan breathed out a chuckle and Nick sighed and looked at the twig. "I blame you for what's gonna happen."

Logan's fist came up from his side and slammed into the man's nose. The man stumbled backwards and shouted out in pain. Everyone in the bakery had stopped and turned to see what had happened and suddenly Nick's hand was on Logan's elbow and he was dragging the man away. They scrambled quickly out of the bakery as the man yelled after them, still on the floor and clutching his bleeding nose.

They ran down the street until they were round the corner and out of sight. Nick breathed heavily and watched Logan who leaned against the brick wall of the side of another building.

"Did you have to hit him?" he asked and Logan stared at him blandly. "Of course you did, stupid question."

Logan sighed and rubbed his knuckles that had just been cracking a man's nose.

"You're a violent fucker with anger problems, you know that right?" Nick asked and Logan grinned.

"Did I ever deny it?"

Nick chuckled breathlessly and shoved Logan's shoulder carelessly.

"So you're still pretending you don't like her then?"

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- Tahlie x