After an eventful breakfast, eventful being the only word Lilly could think of to describe it since it was a rollercoaster of emotions, Lilly decided to explore the mansion before writing her supplies and letters, after all, Stefan did say she could roam freely and from the little of the mansion, she had seen so far she was keen to see more of its beauty.
As she opened the dining room doors and practically skipped threw them however she face-planted into the tallest man she had ever seen.
"Oh, I am so sorry I didn't see you and I was too excited to watch where I was going," Lilly apologized as she craned her neck to stare up at the giant in front of her.
"I don't know how you could miss me, I the size of a tree accordingly to my wife but there's no harm done Miss Thompson." The mysterious man grumbled before smiling at Lilly with a friendly smile that looked out of place amongst his tough-looking appearance.
"Anyway, I am sorry again." Lilly returned his smile and tried to step past him but as she stepped to left so did he and the same happened when she stepped to the right. "Excuse me please," Lilly asked and the man looked at her awkwardly like he wanted to say something but was reluctant. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Erm yes." The man said trying to find the right words and Lilly tried her best not to giggle at the fact that this giant and intimidating looking man seemed to be too shy to ask her something.
"Mr. Marconi assigned me as your bodyguard last night and I was stationed outside the dining room during breakfast and I heard your
conversation..." the man explained and Lilly absorbed the news then
nodded encouragingly for the man to continue. "I heard you ask for kitchen supplies... baking supplies specifically, can you bake ?" Lilly was caught off guard by the strange question and the worry in the giant's tone.
"Yes my mother was a professional baker and she taught me from a young age... is there a problem?" Lilly asked deciding to be her usual direct self.
"Yes..." The giant started in a deep and intimidating tone.
"I am sorry, but if you are worried about me burning the mansion
down or accidentally injuring myself in the kitchen... since your my bodyguard then there's no need I know my way around the kitchen and my deal with Stefan was quite clear as I am sure you heard, I am allowed access to the kitchen and since it could be my last week and I am passionate about cooking and baking, I would like to see you try and stop me, Mr giant!" Lilly said craning her neck to look the menacing giant and stared him directly in the eye challenging him.
The giant stared at Lilly in shock, no one apart from his wife had ever been brave enough to challenge him, well apart from Stefan of course. Most
were terrified by his height or frightening appearance and aura, he could see why the Boss had taken a shine to the girl she was a little firecracker and if any woman could ever tame his boss he would put money on the fact it would be her. "Aiden, my name is Aiden if you're going to threaten someone you should at least know their name it makes the threat much more intimidating," Aiden said banterfully as an amused smirk appeared on his face and a twinkle of admiration in his eyes confusing Lilly.
Was everyone here crazy? I stood up to Stefan and now this giant and both of them despite their deadly auras instead of reacting in an aggressive manner that you would expect of gangsters seemed to be proud of her standing up for myself, Lilly thought as she assessed Aiden.
Lilly's assessment of Stefan and his people's behavior was interrupted by Aiden," and besides you never let me finish my sentence, there is a problem but not with you but with me.
"Oh, I am sorry I just assumed...I seem to be doing that a lot around here this world it's so alien to me and I guess I have a lot of preconceptions about gangsters...sorry." Lilly said as she blushed making Aiden chuckle.
"I can understand, for someone whos never been involved in the underworld the only knowledge you have on criminals will come from tv shows and movies- we ain't all as bad as they portray you know especially the Boss he's has a sort of moral code and he enforces the same code in the London Mafia too and he does a lot for the community too." Aiden disclosed without being offended by Lilly's judgment.
"A moral code?" Lilly asked intrigued "what sort of moral code and how does he help the community?"
"Well it ain't really my place to say and I don't want to get in trouble for speaking out of turn, ask the Boss I am sure he'll explain I just wanted you
to know so you don't judge him too harshly there's more to him than just the dominant deadly Mob Boss and if you give him a chance hopefully you'll discover than for yourself and you can make him happy," Aiden said.
"I will try. Anyway, your problem can I help you?" Lilly asked keen to find out more about Stefan but not wanting to discuss her feelings with a stranger so tactfully changing the subject.
"I hope so..." Aiden said noticing Lilly was uncomfortable discussing something so personal with him and respecting her change of topic, "I was a bit hesitant to ask since your the Boss's guest and I don't want him to get angry thinking I am putting you to work but I am more scared of my wife, to be honest, and I f****d up and need your help or she'll kill me." Aiden
admitted making Lilly smile.
"Okay, so what do you need me to do?" Lilly responded wanting to help Aiden who she was fastly warming to.
"Well it's my daughter's fifth birthday party tomorrow and I was meant to be picking up her birthday cake that I ordered ... the problem is I forgot to order the cake. I have called every bakery in London practically and none of them can make a cake at such short notice, not even the ones that I sent a few of the boys into to threaten them into doing it, they all said it was impossible my wife is going to kill me, can you help?" Aiden rambled and begged.
Out of all the things a gangster could get stressed about Lilly could never have imagined that such a domestic one would be the cause, " of course I will help, I need to write my list for the staff to get first. Why don't we take a seat and you can tell me what sort of cake you want and for how many people and I will make sure the equipment I need and ingredients are on the list?" Lilly volunteered keen to help and admittedly excited to
bake.
"Thank you the Boss is right you really are an angel! " Aiden exclaimed relieved before grabbing Lilly in a tight bear hug and dragging her back towards the dining room excitedly bellowing for someone to get him paper and a pen quickly, and everyone who heard ran to do his bidding.
An hour later Lilly and Aiden were sat at the dining table with a cake designed, the flavors agreed up pon and waiting on the staff returning with the items on the list they had been to the shops to retrieve half an hour ago. "Are you sure my designs not too ambitious and you can manage okay, a plain sponge cake with a few candles is at least a cake if my design is too complicated or too much work," Aiden asked for the tenth time.
Lilly rolled her eyes but in amusement rather than annoyance "as I have said the I can make your design easy enough my mother trained me to make anything from cupcakes right up to wedding cakes, and I enjoy baking so stop worrying! " Aiden smirked at her reply before pouring her another cup of tea and they spent the next fifteen minutes discussing Lilly's mother much to Lilly's delight.
Lilly wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand careful not to get icing in her hair again.
"Gemma will you please go and tell Aiden the cakes ready and tell him he's allowed back in the kitchen now," Lilly asked after three hours of dedicated work the cake was finally completed and she was excited to see Aidens reaction now he was allowed back in after she banished him because he was annoying her and making her lose her concentration.
"Of course Lilly, he'll be keen to inspect it I could hear him pacing outside after you banished him. The cake is amazing Lilly you are really talented." Gemma complimented and giggled before she went to tell Aiden
he was allowed back in as requested.
Aiden nearly ran into the room and stared at the cake in shock. Before him stood a two-foot-high princess castle that looked so real...apart from the unicorn crossing the draw bridge. "OH MY GOD!!! IT'S BEAUTIFUL !!" Aiden squealed like a teenage girl making Lilly laugh.
"I am glad you approve I will box it up now you've seen it so it's secure and wrapped the box protectively just make sure you drive carefully," Lilly ordered.
"It's the most amazing cake I have ever seen, way better than any shop
in London would have made- it even has real flowers on the grass and castle walls!" Aiden said in awe as he walked around the cake taking in every tiny detail from the moat that seemed to glisten like real water and had what looked like fish in it to the castle windows that were painted to look like stain glass windows.
"They are edible the flowers and they have been dipped in honey so they are extra sweet to taste, as you requested the castle has seven towers so you can put candles in the top of them and sparklers in the other two towers and the cake is white chocolate and strawberry inside- your
daughters favorite." Lilly smiled pleased that he appreciated her hard work.
"Just wow, honestly you saved my life - thank you so much, how much do you usually charge for your cakes?" Aiden asked keen to pay her for her hard work and compensate her for her amazing job.
"Actually I usually just donate them - I made a few wedding cakes in the village I live in but that was mainly for niebourghs and in exchange for them helping to fix my broken plumbing or something, so this one I will accept the promise of another cup of tea and talk soon as p*****t?" Lilly said kindly.
"Angel- you really are, it's a deal and I will bring doughnuts and scones and stuff and we will have aq proper afternoon tea." Lilly couldn't help it she giggled at the thought of Aiden an 8-foot burly man who was covered in tattoos sipping afternoon tea.
"Hey don't laugh I have manners and know how to have afternoon tea- I even know how to put your pinky out when you sip my daughter taught me." Aiden teased.
"I am sure you do, anyway I better get this boxed up and I will get the kitchen staff to carry it to your car as you better go take it home before your wife thinks you did something crazy like forget to order the cake and don't worry there's no need to guard me I am doing to get cleaned up the chill in my room until Stefan gets home."
"Thanks, Lilly you're an angel and thank you to Gemma for helping," Aiden said as he grabbed them both in a tight bear hug and then left to call his wife who had left hundreds of voicemails.
"Wow, I don't know how you do it but you seem to have a talent for taming dangerous men, it's so nice to have you hear Lilly," Gemma said
perplexed at Aiden's uncharacteristic friendliness and Lilly smiled in response.
It had been a long morning baking but Lilly had enjoyed it immensely, now though all she wanted to do was wash the icing and flour out of her hair and off her face and have a nap before Stefan got back this evening, so she stripped off her clothes or rather Stefan's clothes and made her way to the shower.
After a long and relaxing shower, Lilly stepped back into her room and was surprised to find that someone had put a few boxes into her room and there was a note attached to each box.
Curiosity got the better of her and she ran across the room eager to find out what was inside each of them, carefully Lilly picked up the note on the box next to her and read it 'Dear Lilly I thought you might need these, as promised you can write a list and I will get someone to fetch more for you tomorrow, but in the meantime, I hope these do - Yours, Stefan' Lilly cooed at the fact he had written 'yours' and lifted the lid of the box to reveal a comfortable looking pair of cotton pajamas, a few pairs of plain cotton underwear sets and a few pairs of jeans and T-shirts along with a few simple dresses and flat shoes. Lilly was gobsmacked, all the clothes he had chosen were things she would have picked herself- comfy and not fussy and they were all in the correct size- how did he know my tastes and sizes? Lilly thought it was both very sweet and unnerving that he knew her so well.
After admiring and marveling over Stefan's thoughtful gift Lilly looked towards the second box.
The second box was huge in comparison to the first making Lilly wonder what was in it and she eventually picked up the second note and
read it 'I hope the clothes in the first box provide you comfort but I got you
this for our dinner tonight - please wear it, I chose it because the color
matches your mesmerizing eyes. I hope to see you in it tonight for dinner
which will be at 8pm-Yours Stefan' wow Lilly didn't know what to say, the
fact Stefan chose something to match her eyes and that he thought her eyes.
were mesmerizing made her heartbeat erratically and butterflies fill her
stomach. Why was she feeling this way, did she have feelings for Stefan?
With shaking fingers Lilly untied the ribbon on the box and gasped
loudly at its contents it was the most beautiful thing Lilly had ever seen.