Behind me, Ashley’s heels clicked rapidly across the floor.
“Where are you going? Hey. Hey!”
I reached the cart and used my toe to release the small brake on its wheel.
“What are you doing?” Ashley demanded.
Carefully, I pushed the cart across the dance floor, terrified that one bump might damage Grandma’s beautiful work.
Guests began turning to watch.
Ashley followed behind me, furious.
“Stop! Stop right now!”
I parked the cake beside my table and sat down.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ashley hissed.
“Well,” I said, “I paid for it. I thought I might as well enjoy it.”
“You can’t take the wedding cake!”
“Grandma deserved to be paid. Since you refused, I paid her. This is my cake now.”
“It doesn’t work that way! It was made for my wedding!”
I picked up a spoon from the table and examined it under the lights.
“Grandma’s cakes are superb. I’m sure this one will taste wonderful.”
Very slowly, I raised the spoon toward the frosting.
“Stop!” Ashley shrieked. “Don’t you dare!”
I paused.
The spoon hovered barely an inch above the fondant, and the room seemed to freeze with it.
“You’re petty!” Ashley shouted, loudly enough for guests at the back tables to turn. “You’re jealous! You’ve always hated me, and you’re doing this to ruin my wedding!”
I kept the spoon perfectly still.
Ashley spun toward Daniel, who’d followed us across the room looking completely bewildered.
“Daniel! Do something! Make her apologize and put the cake back. Right now!”
Daniel glanced between us.
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?”
“Because Ashley promised to pay Grandma for the ingredients and her labor,” I said. “Then, after Grandma finished it, she refused.”
He frowned.
