Winner Bakes All Page 9
“He’s very handsome and smart,” Marisol leaned over and whispered. What did she know? She was a freshman in high school and totally boy crazy!
“And he works in manufacturing for Ralph Lauren, the famous fashion designer,” Gabby sighed. “Do you think he could get me that red gown Taylor Swift wore to the Grammy’s for my middle school dance?”
Jenna’s mom was just as smitten as her sisters. From the moment Leo came into her cleaning store and remarked how beautiful and neat her stitches were, she was practically head over heels.
“We have so much in common,” she told Jenna. “We both love fashion, and the Yankees, and food! Leo loves my cooking!”
Well, that was clear! He made himself a guest in their apartment every other Friday night for dinner—whenever it was his ex-wife’s turn to take their daughter.
“He’s such a devoted Papi to his little girl,” her mom cooed.
Jenna’s dad was anything but devoted. The way she remembered it, he had packed his bags suddenly one day when she was five years old and the twins were babies. He was always traveling for work, so goodbyes were nothing unusual. She remembered that he simply kissed her on both cheeks and walked out the door. No explanation; no long goodbye. Most of the other details were fuzzy: her mom crying, her sister Marisol standing at the door and waiting for him to return. But he never did. It was like he simply vanished off the face of the Earth. She knew Marisol pretended he was dead—at least that’s what she told her friends. But Jenna knew the truth—her abuela had shared it when she came to visit her relatives in Ecuador last summer.
“Do you want to talk to him?” her grandmother asked her one day. “He lives in Ecuador. He has another family now. But I can call if you like.”
Jenna shook her head. “No. He’s gone.” She could never forgive him and she didn’t need him. The Medinas stood by each other and they survived. Jenna’s mom got a job as a seamstress in a dry cleaning store, and her two sisters worked there after school and on weekends when they got older. They didn’t have a lot of money or a lot of “stuff,” but they had each other, and that’s all they ever needed.
Until he came along.
“Leo’s a really nice guy,” Marisol told her. “He makes Mami happy.”
Jenna wanted to see her mother happy. She wanted to see her not working so hard all the time and falling asleep in her armchair in the living room before the evening news. But she wasn’t convinced that Leo was the answer. He tried too hard—and it got on her nerves.
On her birthday in January, he showed up with an extravagant present. “I hear you’re a Yankees fan like your mother,” he said. He tossed her an autographed ball. “That’s A. Rod’s signature.”
Jenna caught it and rolled it between her fingers. “Wonder how much I can get for this on Ebay?”
“Jenna!” her mother scolded her in Spanish. “Dar las gracias!”
But Jenna wasn’t about to say “Thank you” or apologize for how she felt. Nothing he could do or say would ever change that. But Leo kept pushing.
Today, he was determined to show his expertise in the kitchen. This should be good for a laugh, Jenna smirked. He tied on one of her mother’s aprons and stuck a finger in the vanilla frosting.
“Hmmm, delicioso!” he said, taking a lick. He then kissed her mother on the lips. Jenna wrinkled her nose and turned away.
“I see where you get your baking talent from, Jenna,” he added. “You know my daughter Madison is your age. I told her about your cupcake club and she said it sounded—I quote—‘awesome.’ Maybe she could join your club?
First Ricky wanted to join PLC…now ‘Maddie’? Things were getting worse by the moment!
“You like my cake?” her mother asked Leo.
“It’s bonita, Betty…just like you.”
If they kiss again I’m going to scream! Jenna thought.
“It’s a wedding cake,” Ricky piped up.
“No, not a wedding cake. An engagement cake,” her mother corrected him.
“Why are you baking an engagement cake? Who’s engaged?” Jenna asked. Something told her she didn’t want to hear the answer.
Her mother smiled and held out her hand. On it was a sparkly pear-shaped diamond ring. “I am!”
Hugs and sprinkles go out to:
Our loving family: the Kahns, Berks, and Saperstones. (Jason, when are you making the movie version?)
Our amazing recipe developer, Jessi Walter of Taste Buds. (Now a Mrs.! Congrats!)
Our PS 6 family, especially Ms. Fontana, Ms. Levenherz, and Ms. Errico.
Carrie’s BFFs: Jaimie Ludwig and Darby Dutter—what would I do without you two?
The BAE Level 3 girls, especially Julia Applebaum and Alexa Malone (stretch, girls!); and PS 6 pals Delaney Hannon, Abby Johnson, Ava Nobandegani, Brynn and Dale Heller.
Carrie’s Camp Hillard crew: Julia Goldberg, Reina McNutt, Rebecca Pomerantz, Jessica Roth, Sara Binday, Allison Lax, and Erin Donahue. Grease is the word! And Gabby Borenstein—my fave Hillard counselor forever!
Sheryl’s supporting cast: Holly Russell, Kathy Passero, Stacy Polsky, Pam Kaplan, Michele Alfano, and Debbie Skolnik.
The cupcake experts who have been so supportive of Carrie’s Cupcake Critique: Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne of DC Cupcakes; Cake Boss Buddy Valastro; Doron Petersan of Sticky Fingers, and Rachel Kramer Bussel and Nichelle Stephens of the Cupcakes Take the Cake blogspot.
The folks at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky—we couldn’t ask for a better team to work with! Steve Geck, Derry Wilkens, Leah Hultenschmidt, Aubrey Poole, Helen Nam, and Jillian Bergsma.
Illustrator extraordinaire Julia Denos for bringing the PLC characters to life on every cover.
Our agents at the Literary Group: Frank Weimann, Katherine Latshaw, and Elyse Tanzillo.
Photo by Heidi Green
New York Times bestselling co-author of Soul Surfer, Sheryl Berk was the founding editor-in-chief of Life & Style Weekly as well as a contributor to InStyle, Martha Stewart, and other publications. She has written dozens of books with celebrities including Britney Spears, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Zendaya. Her 10-year-old daughter, Carrie Berk, a cupcake connoisseur and blogger, cooked up the idea for The Cupcake Club series while in second grade. Together, they have invented dozens of crazy cupcakes recipes in their NYC kitchen (can you say “Purple Velvet”?) and have the frosting stains on the ceiling to prove it. They love writing together and have many more adventures in store for the PLC girls!