The situation couldn't have been more perfect; she had the talent I needed, and I had the position she needed. The fact that I had known her for years put aside, I had known long before I owned my own bakery that should I ever need a cake decorator, she would be the one I called on.
The interview was being held on my patio, the sunlight on the water in the pool beside us sparkling and almost blinding, and we sat on opposite sides of my round glass table. I was trying to keep it as professional as possible, dressed in a pale blue strapless sundress that matched my eyes, but it was difficult to do so with an old friend such as she. Even more difficult, was trying to focus on anything but the way her nipples were pressing against the bikini top she wore beneath her purple halter top.
"You know, they say you shouldn't mix business with friendship, Ocean," she laughed, her lips pulling back to reveal her brilliant white smile, causing her almond-shaped brown eyes to crease even more in the corners.
I chuckled and nodded slowly as I straightened the papers in front of me, "Oh, don't I know it," As I looked down at her resume, I could see through the glass her long, lean legs exposed from mid-thigh down to her ankles, a pair of black dress shorts keeping me from being able to tell whether she was wearing her bikini bottoms. "This is difficult. I'm looking down at this, and I'm reading all this stuff about you that I already know. It's making it difficult to be professional." I wrinkled my nose a little as I looked over at her, meeting her smile with one of my own.
"Okay, so... Why don't you pretend that you don't know me so well? Pretend I'm just some girl coming in for an interview. You've looked over my resume, and now you have questions for me." She just kept on beaming as she pushed her straight black hair over her shoulders, exposing them to me.
I inhaled deeply, put the resume aside, and nodded, "Okay. So, Rylee, tell me why you're interested in becoming a part of the team here."
I watched as she tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyes rolling upward as she thought out her answer. For as long as I could remember, every girl in our group had been envious of Rylee's looks; coming from a white father and an Asian mother had left her with a peachy tone, a lean body, and flawless skin. Add to that her ability to dress exceptionally for every occasion, and the way she knew just what make up to use to bring out her stunning eyes and full lips, there was no doubt in my mind the girl was made for modelling.
"To be totally honest, Ocean.. I've heard nothing but good things about Lick the Bowl Bakery. The product gets rave reviews, the customer service is always fantastic, and best of all: I've heard the boss is the best boss someone could have." She held my gaze, her deep brown eyes twinkling with innocence, before I sighed and leaned back, grumbling.
"This is not working at all! I already know why you want to work here, what your qualifications are, and now you're flirting with me," I huffed and dragged a hand down through my blonde hair, loosening my bangs from the grip of a bobbi pin. "We're better off just going into the kitchen, and I'll give you a trail run -- I've seen your work, but now I need to see how you work."
"Relax, love. No need to get all frazzled!" She laughed as she pushed her chair back and stood up, her hand moving to rest on her hip, which she cocked to the side. As inconspicuously as I could, I took in her figure, from her flip-flop clad feet to her thick thighs and the curve of her hips, to the rise and fall of her chest. Standing as well, I nodded toward the back door. "You know where you're going, Ry." I muttered, gathering my papers from the table top. I followed her up the stone walkway to the back door, watching the way her ass and hips moved beneath her shorts, and I shook my head. "I've got a cake already baked, and the icing and fondant made up, all that's left is for you to work your magic and create something that looks as good -- if not better -- than it tastes."
She nodded that little nod of hers and led the way into the kitchen, grabbing my white apron from its spot on the wall and quickly putting it on, "You set everything up already?" Rylee grinned as she looked around the workspace, instantly reaching for the bowl of butter cream icing I had prepped hours before she showed up. I hummed my acknowledgement of her question and leaned back against the counter opposite her, watching the way she used a spatula to scoop the icing and plop it down on the cake. There was hardly time for me to even take in what she was doing -- the girl had been at it for so long that filling, stacking, and icing the 8-inch round cake happened in less than 10 minutes, something I knew she was capable of, but had yet to actually see.
"You're fast," I commented as she put the spreader in the tall glass of hot water, and she nodded at me, clearly in the zone. Using the hot spatula, she smoothed the icing down before cleaning the edges of the turntable with a damp cloth. I pushed off the counter and walked over, helping her move the turntable so she could quickly roll out the yellow fondant until it was thin and wide enough to cover the iced cake. I moved the cake back onto the counter before her, and watched silently as she cautiously draped the decoration over the cake and trimmed the edges.
"How do you want it decorated?" She asked suddenly as she smoothed the creases in the fondant, her head lifting.
"This is your trial. Do what you want with the tools you have." Again, she nodded and got right back to work. I was happy to see that she was both serious and passionate about what she was doing, and the way she moved while she was doing it. Her hips kind of wiggled, her head tilting this way and that to expose her long neck, and her lips kind of puckered, almost as if she was kissing the air. I watched as she took a loot at what she had to offer, and smiled to myself as she reached for the gum paste to put some flowers together. Before long, the pale yellow cake was decorated with an array of lilies and leaves that draped over one side, while a pretty pink bow sat cutely on the bottom of the cake opposite the flowers.
"Finis!" Rylee took a step back from her masterpiece and let out a nervous chuckle as she looked to me, my gaze on the cake. "Is it... Is it up to par?"
I blinked a few times, stunned at her sudden lack of confidence, and I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "Up to par? Christ girl, it's freaking gorgeous!" I walked up to the cake like I knew she expected me to, and I bent over slightly to inspect her work. "The fondant is crisp, the flowers are perfect, and the bow is adorable.. And you pulled it together so quickly." I paused, turned and looked at her. "I'm impressed. However, there are a few things you may need to work on."
She tilted her head slightly, her brow creasing with worry as she watched me carefully, "Things? Like what?"
