~Health Code Violations & Strawberries~

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

Theo was kind enough to tend to the rest of the customers until closing time. My mom and I sat at a table in the back corner, where we were allowed enough privacy for my explanation.

I only told her why I punched Craig, deciding to withhold the details about the past few years because it didn't feel like the right time or place for it. Doing it at home with both of my parents present seemed to be the better option...and I didn't have enough of a chance to build up the courage for it yet.

When my mom found out what vile things Craig said to me, she went on a rant about how lucky he was that she didn't hear him. I almost laughed when she said he used to be such a nice young man, but she continued that he was fortunate she wasn't his mom or she would box his ears and ground him for life. I let her finish before asking the question that lingered in the back of my mind.

Folding a napkin, I kept my gaze down and my voice quiet. "Do you think he's going to tell his dad?"

Her anger towards Craig vanished as her attention turned back to me. She took my hand and brushed her thumb over my knuckles that were still hurting. The pain was down to a dull ache though, thanks to Theo and the makeshift ice pack. I stared at the inflamed skin with mixed emotions while I waited on bated breath for her answer.

She understood the deeper meaning of what I asked and ordered gently, "Sweetheart, look at me."

I did as I was told with a weak smile, but it dropped when she flicked my forehead.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing at the sore spot while giving her a shocked look.

"Do you really think a teenage boy is going to run to his daddy and whine that a pretty girl punched him? Don't be stupid, Abby. He's probably going to claim his black eye was the result of a fist fight and say," she deepened her voice, "'You should see the other guy.'"

I scowled at her and muttered, "Gee, thanks mom."

She gave me a reassuring smile and her tone softened, "Don't worry. It's not like what happened before and it will never be that way again. You stood up for yourself and that's more important than a spoiled brat and his father causing us trouble." She lifted my chin when I looked down again and emphasized, "We will be fine. I promise."

Those were words I didn't even realize I needed to hear for so long. My mom made me stand up with her so she could wrap her arms around me in a comforting hug that only a mother could give to her daughter.

"Do you want to go home and get some rest?" She asked, patting the back of my head while my chin rested on her shoulder. "Theo and I can close up tonight."

"Actually, I was hoping to try out a new recipe. Can I use the kitchen after hours?"

"That would be fine. Just don't come home too late, okay? You've had a long day."

I squeezed tighter, "Thanks, mom."

"Yeah, yeah. Do me a favor though?" She pushed away and held me at arm's length to look me in the eye. "Please tell Theo to keep his shirt on this time. We have a health code to follow here."

I gasped, "Mom!"

She chuckled at my mortified reaction and winked, "I was young once too, you know." Then after a moment, she laughed, "Well, I still am! And when your father was in his prime, he was more of a troublemaker and heartthrob than Theo."

My lip curled up in disgust and it reflected in my voice when I said, "If you're going to be gross, go home and enjoy your time alone with dad."

Most mothers would probably be mad to have their child speak to them that way, but not mine. Nope. My mom wiggled her brows and said, "Good idea! Remember to clean up and lock the door when you leave."

I watched as she took her apron off, humming to herself after she tossed it over the hook on the wall. She grabbed her purse from under the counter and gave Theo a little wave before heading straight out to her car.

He asked me what was up with her and I just shook my head in response because I didn't want him to be scarred too.

I could tolerate my parents' cute displays of affection in front of me, but when my mom started talking about their younger years and then comparing Theo to my dad, I had to draw the line. There was only so much a girl could stomach.

Theo and I did some cleaning here and there before we closed, so there wasn't much left to do when our last customers left. He finished up with the tables and chairs so I could gather the ingredients in the kitchen.

I had everything out and ready by the time he was done, but there was still one ingredient missing and it was the most important of all.

"Do you have any Pop Rocks?"

"Always," Theo answered, drying his hands with a paper towel after he washed them.

"Flavor?"

"Strawberry. Second best to cotton candy."

I assumed strawberry was his favorite since that was the flavor he usually had with him. Deflating a little, I still hoped he would like my surprise. "Can I have a packet?"

He gave me a suspicious stare, but still dug into his apron pocket. "One or two?"

"How many do you have?"

"Four," he grinned, "but I'm only willing to part with two."

I snorted and held my hand out. "Just one, please."

After he gave me the pack of candy, I put it in my own apron. I let him set the oven and purée the fresh strawberries while I combined the other ingredients. We worked together in silence as he slowly poured purée into the bowl and I folded it into the mix, resulting in a pale pink and aromatic batter.

"Strawberry cake, huh?"

I nodded, observing how careful he was at pouring batter into the mini cake pans I prepared for him. "One of my personal specialties. I make them once or twice a week to sell when I get up early enough in the morning, but I just thought it would be a nice treat tonight."

"I get it now. You give me some of yours and I give you some of mine?"

I stopped and looked at him with my hand on my hip. "Why does everything you say have to sound so dirty?"

"Because you want it to sound dirty." With a devilish smirk, he said, "It was an innocent question, Sugar."

"It was not," I laughed. "Anyway, we have more work to do. You can flirt with me later."

"I'm pretty good at multitasking. I think I can do both."

Theo made the frosting on his own all while still managing to distract me with his playful banter. He was starting to figure out his way around a kitchen when actual cooking wasn't involved, but maybe the cooking part would come later. When the oven beeped, I turned it off and Theo took the cake pans out.

We had to wait for the cakes to cool before covering them with the frosting. When they were ready for the next step, I asked Theo to go make some coffee for the two of us. As soon as he was out of the kitchen, I assembled the mini two-layered cakes with frosting in the middle.

Using a small knife, I cut out the center top of a layer. Then I poured a few Pop Rocks into the hollowed spot before replacing the piece of cake. After that, I spread a thin coating of frosting around the cakes and decorated them with a piping bag, effectively hiding the modification to his dessert. The final touch was sprinkling more of the pink candy on top.

Perfect!

Then I carried the cakes out to the dining area. Theo had just finished with the coffee, so we took our plates and cups to a table.

When I put the candy-topped dessert in front of him and sat down, I said, "I know it's not a free scone, but I think you'll like this more."

Theo's deep chuckle was a contrast to the childlike way his eyes lit up at the mini cake. "Trust me, I will never complain about Eli getting free scones again. This far exceeds anything you've given to him."

I scoffed at how petty he sounded, but then I forgot all about it when he picked up his fork and dug into the cake. I leaned in, resting my chin in my palms as he took a bite. He wasn't expecting the candy to be inside too. I smiled as his expression shifted from shock to bliss as the candy fizzled in his mouth. After a second bite, he licked his lips to make sure there was no frosting on them. Of course there wasn't anything since he didn't eat like Jarod or Eli.

"Marry me," he demanded, glancing from me to the cake.

I wasn't quite sure where he was directing his proposal to, but I still teased, "I want a Spring wedding. You can decorate the cake."

"Fill it with Pop Rocks and I'm yours forever, Sugar," he said with a breathtaking smile.

Even though we were both joking, my heart skipped a beat at his words. I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my own non-fizzling cake, all while ignoring his twinkling stare.

We spent over an hour just talking about small things and sharing stories. The cakes were long gone and the last few drops of coffee at the bottom of our cups were cold.

I had almost forgotten that we still needed to clean up the kitchen before going our separate ways for the night. Rising from the table, I collected our dishes and carried them to the kitchen. When I came back out, Theo was already done wiping the table down and on his way over to me.

"Thank you, Abby. To be honest, I should've been the one to make something for you after what you did today. Though it would have turned out black and crispy."

"Or raw and doughy," I added.

"Or a combination of the four."

"Now that would be impressive," I chuckled, turning around to wipe the coffee grounds off of the counter. He was great at making the coffee, but a little messy in doing so. "I'm glad you liked the cake, but I still don't get your love for Pop Rocks."

"You don't get it because you haven't tried them yet," he said.

"And I probably never will."

Theo was quiet for a minute while I finished and brushed my hands off. Then he said, "I bet I can change your mind."

"Well, that would be a losing bet." I faced him with a confidence that waned when I saw how close he was to me. My only warning before he kissed me was a close-mouthed smile.

It was a losing bet, but it was mine to lose. Because it wasn't until his lips were covering mine and slowly coaxing me to kiss him back that I heard the unmistakable sound of Pop Rocks. I couldn't bring myself to push him away and I lost the second his tongue swept through my parted lips.

Theo cradled the back of my neck, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. I clung to his cupcake apron as the scent of sugary strawberries tickled my taste buds and invaded my senses. The sound of the candy popping lightly in our mouths was nothing compared to how it felt.

There was one in particular that cracked harder than the others when Theo's tongue pressed against mine. A strangled moan escaped from the back of my throat because the slight sting startled me, but I was rewarded with a soothing caress as the rest of the sugar crystals fizzled out.

It played on all five of my senses and gave a whole new meaning to seeing fireworks in a kiss. I saw those stars even after the candy dissolved and Theo's teeth grazed me. I returned the favor, nipping and sucking on his lip. I heard a groan of approval before our kisses grew lighter and softer until we were just leaning on each other, catching our breath.

"Dammit, you win," I mumbled bashfully, dropping my head against his chest.

He laughed and slid his hands down to my waist, wrapping me in his embrace. "So are you addicted?"

"To you or Pop Rocks?"

"I wouldn't mind knowing the answer to both," he said quietly. There was a hint of vulnerability in his tone that I hadn't heard from him before now.

"Yes," I admitted, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. "The candy is ok, but I really like," I paused, glancing at his apron as I gave double meaning to my next word, "cupcakes."

"And I really like..." Theo's gaze trailed slowly down to my apron and he said, "Truffles."

I could not stop smiling after that, and I saw an occasional one on his face when he thought I wasn't looking. We had just gotten started cleaning the kitchen when my mom's ringtone blared in the peaceful atmosphere.

It was getting late, but I didn't realize exactly how late it was until I saw the time on my phone. I gave a panicked glance at Theo, who dried his hands and took the phone from me. Maybe he could charm her into not biting my head off for my tardiness.

He answered it and put it up to his ear, opening his mouth to speak.

Then my dad's voice yelled through the speaker.

Theo eyes widened and he tossed the phone to me like it was a hot potato.

"Hi, dad," I said brightly as I held the phone a few inches from my ear.

"Do you have any idea what time it is on a school night?!"

"Almost midnight." Then I defended, "You've let me stay out this late before, you know."

He hesitated then. "That was before I knew about that pink dinosaur."

My brows rose, "You mean Theo?"

The boy in front of me pointed to himself in question and then smirked because we were talking about him.

"He's harmless."

Theo scoffed quietly and mouthed, 'Am not.'

"Yeah. Right." My dad's voice was heavy with sarcasm as if he could see Theo backing me up against the wall. "I want you home in twenty minutes."

"I would have to leave now to make that deadline, dad," I reasoned as I tried to ignore Theo gliding his lips down my neck. "I still have to clean the kitchen for mom."

I hoped my dad didn't hear the sharp intake of breath when Theo's mouth latched onto a particularly sensitive spot that made goosebumps run down my arms. He kissed and sucked there while my dad went on.

"I'll come with her in the morning and clean the kitchen."

Theo stopped and whispered in my free ear, "Harmless, huh?"

Then my dad ordered through the phone, "Home. Now."

I sighed after he hung up on me. "One, never do that again."

Theo smirked.

"Two, you need to make my dad like you before he gives me a real curfew."

He stepped back because his fun was over now that I was off of the phone. "If he does that, you can just sneak out."

"I thought I had to be 'a good girl to get the bad boy's attention,'" I mocked, using his own words against him.

"Sugar, you've had my attention for a while now and you're not likely to lose it."

"I hate you for making it so hard to leave," I groaned as I took my apron off. Taking a look at the mess I couldn't take care of myself, I grumbled, "I also hate leaving all of this behind for my parents to clean up."

"So don't," Theo shrugged. "It won't take long, so I can take care of it."

I chewed on my lip then asked with uncertainty, "Are you sure?"

"Who knows? Maybe it'll be the first step in making your dad like me."

"Doubtful, but alright." I untied my apron and told him, "Thank you, Theo."

"Get out of here," he playfully pushed me. "You're down to fifteen minutes."

"Crap!"

I bolted out of the kitchen and flung my apron over the hook. I was out of the bakery and to my car faster than my mom when she left earlier. I was hardly ever grounded, but I had a feeling if I didn't make it home on time that it would be one of those rare occurrences.

Thankfully, I didn't have to find out because I made it with two minutes to spare. My dad had the nerve to look disappointed when I walked through the door before the deadline. I suspected his plan was to ground me so I couldn't see Theo outside of school for a while. So I grinned victoriously at him and stuck my tongue out on the way to my room.

I climbed into bed after a shower and brushing my teeth, yawning due to how tired I was from such an eventful day. Then I fell asleep thinking of strawberry kisses and the boy who shared them with me.

I didn't know how long I slept when I was suddenly forced awake.

"Abby!" My mom's desperate voice pulled me from my dreams. She shook me, "Wake up, Abby!"

"What's wrong?" I asked half-asleep, squinting at the ceiling light that was turned on. With a glance at my alarm clock, I discovered that I only slept for about two hours.

When I looked at my mom, I was wide awake and shot up at her appearance. There were dried tear stains on her cheeks and my dad stood behind her with an unreadable expression.

He put his hand on her shoulder, "Tell her."

I was starting to shake and felt my stomach drop without even knowing what was going on. "Tell me what?"

"There was a fire at Stressed."

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

Abby: WHAT?!

Theo: I DIDN'T DO IT!

*Author long gone because she's smart and got a head start over the Sweeties*

*Abby is frozen in shock*

Theo: *looks around nervously and whispers to no one in particular* Should I run too?

On a happier note, I'm curious and never asked: Have you tried Pop Rocks? If you haven't, would you try them if Theo gave them to you? ;P -->

A/N: Barely made the update time! Phew... Sorry for my radio silence. I'm still here, just having a suuuuper busy/crazy couple of weeks. But I am reading every comment and I love them all. Even the threats...all in good fun, right? .......Right?

So yeah. Fair warning. There's gonna be some drama in the next few chapters, but it will be good. I hope... Don't worry, Abby is strong and Theo is hot. Haha...ha.

¤*°Have a Pop Rockin' and no violence day, Sweeties. For realz, don't kill me plz.°*¤