Wednesday finally arrived, and it was the moment Maeve had been waiting for. It was 2:52 p.m., and Maeve had just gotten dressed in an outfit she bought from Ross. She wore dark blue tight jeans, a yellow turtle-neck short-sleeved shirt, a light brown sweater, and light brown sandals. Her hair was tied up since she and Treyton would make gingerbread houses.
While looking at her reflection, the memory of Stephen tried to come to mind. However, the young woman tried hard to fight it off; she wanted to be strong. To get her mind away from her ex, Maeve decided to get her Google Maps ready by putting the address of the location; it was located in Norwalk. There was a bit of traffic since many kids were still leaving school, so she thought it would be best to get an early start.
Maeve exited her home, got into her car, and drove toward her destination. While driving, she couldn't help but feel anxious and excited. Treyton looked polite and understanding, but she wondered if he wanted to do these activities for her or to get on her good side. She shook her head, trying not to think negatively. As expected, there was a bit of traffic on the freeway, but there was only an eight-minute delay. After the delay was over, she could get through the road quickly.
While on the road, it was noticeable that many people were beginning to decorate their houses since it was a few days before December. Maeve thought she wouldn't enjoy the current year's holidays, but Treyton gave her hope. She eventually arrived at her destination: Excelsior High School. The high school was no longer active in taking in students, but it was used for award ceremonies and other events for the different schools in the area. The school was once used to film the movies Grease 2, High School USA, and Square Pegs. The building was tall with a peanut shade of brown as its color. The front lawn was green and trimmed; there were trees on each side of the lawn. On the left side of the building was a track and field where high school graduations would occur. On the right side of the building was the adult school.
Maeve was able to find some street parking since the school's parking lot was full. When she exited her car, she noticed that people were waiting by the high school's auditorium. By the closed doors, two large handmade signs said, 'Free Baking Class!' Maeve looked at her phone, and it was 3:25 p.m. She arrived early and thought it would be best to wait outside until Treyton arrived. A large, strong hand covered her eyes five minutes into waiting, making Maeve flinch and yelp. "Guess who?"
"T-Treyton!" Maeve felt her heart beating in anxiety by the sudden action and surprise. Treyton uncovered her eyes, and she turned behind her. Treyton stood behind her with an amused smile. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry about that. I couldn't resist; I had to do it." He motioned out his arms, looking proud. "Well, you should be glad that I arrived early. Good thing I did, or I wouldn't been able to find parking." Treyton noticed that the auditorium's doors were opened by an older woman who looked to be in her mid to late fifties. "It seems they are going to let us in. Shall we?" He asked while motioning out his right hand.
Maeve turned and saw the people who waited outside going inside. Her surprise soon died down, and excitement overwhelmed her. "We shall. Let's see what's inside." The two walked up the steps and walked inside the building. There were two hallways, and everyone walked to the right one; there were classrooms. "Hello everyone, please come to this class please!"
Everyone did as instructed, and once inside the last class in the hallway, they were met with a brightly lit classroom with twenty wooden tables covered in Christmas decorated cloths. Some chairs surrounded the tables. On the tables were hard plastic plates; some were empty, while others were filled with graham crackers, candies, different flavors of icing, and other desserts. The walls were plain white with only a single chalkboard. The older woman who opened the auditorium doors stood before the board. "Please, you may sit wherever you like!"
The duo decided to sit with other people at one of the back tables. Excitement was in the air; people introduced themselves wherever they sat. Maeve couldn't help but notice how women would gawk at Treyton and would try to get his attention. She hated to admit to feeling slightly jealous. However, the older man seemed to ignore their interests, and when he was done introducing himself, he focused on her. "Excited?"
"Very, it's been so long since I have made a gingerbread house. How about you? I know this looks a bit...childish."
"Not at all. I have been so busy dealing with my divorce and work that I almost forgot how to have fun."The Alpha noticed the slight embarrassment on Maeve's face. He wondered if she was worried that the activity would not be to his liking. Treyton wanted to tell her he had been looking forward to it all day yesterday and had difficulty sleeping. "I'm happy that your friend recommended this."
Suddenly, the door was closed, and everyone became quiet as the teacher stood before everyone. "Hello, everyone, and welcome to the gingerbread house baking class! My name is Frida Martinez! I am so happy that you all decided to take this class! Also, before you leave, I have printed out pamphlets about my cooking classes. If you do decide to take my cooking class, You get twenty percent off the first month, and ten percent off two months if you recommend someone. Now, without further a do, I will explain the process."
Everyone listened intently as Frida explained the materials and ingredients in each table. She then showed past participants and the gingerbread houses they made. Maeve and Treyton were impressed with the artwork and felt their gingerbread houses wouldn't be as lovely. Frida assured everyone they could make their gingerbread houses any way they wanted. Everyone was instructed to get their plates and papers in each table's center. Music was played in the background, and Frida went around to see if anyone needed assistance.
Treyton and Maeve got their papers of instructions and looked at them. "Wow, I remember using a milk carton to help keep the graham crackers afloat. I guess we have to rely on the frosting; I hope it's strong enough to keep the pieces together," said Maeve as she got the ingredients she wanted.
"We're going to be fine. We're here to have fun." Treyton also got his ingredients; they started on their houses. The classroom was filled with Christmas music and chatter. Maeve used vanilla frosting to connect her graham crackers, while Treyton used chocolate. The young woman couldn't help but notice that Treyton licked parts of the frosting or ate pieces of candy here and there. She giggled, and Treyton would clear his throat and try to stop his actions. The two spoke about their day yesterday, among other things. They also assisted one another with their gingerbread; Treyton struggled to decorate his gingerbread house. He remembered his son's words about giving Maeve clues about his identity; an idea hit him.
Three hours passed, and Frida instructed everyone to help clean and throw the leftover materials in the trash. Everyone in the class also helped put their chairs away by the wall. "Alright, everyone! Thank you so much for participating in this free class. As previously mentioned, the pamphlets will be here. Please stand here if you wish for your picture to be taken with your gingerbread. Otherwise, you are free to go!"
"Wow, I would have never imagined that making a gingerbread house was a lot of work as an adult!" Maeve looked at her gingerbread house; the walls were decorated in frosting, and small candy canes were used to make windows and a door. The roof was made of hersey and M&M, and an ice cream cone was used as a tree and painted with green frosting. M&M were used as stones as decorations. Looking at Treyton, she noticed that he looked horrified with his work. His gingerbread house was kept together with the frosting, but the decorations were everywhere. Some fell from their place; he used cookie dough to make figurines. "You made a cute gingerbread girl. Did you also make a dog?" Her face lit up. "It almost looks like a scene from Red Riding Hood."
Treyton's face turned slightly red. "Actually, I tried to make a wolf and a guy." He sighed while shaking his head. "It almost looks like I made a murder scene."
Maeve tried to refrain from laughing; it did look like a murder scene. "Oh don't say that. The bright side is that we can eat this! Want to take a picture."
The Alpha looked horrified. "N-Not this time, please! My gingerbread house is all over the place. Maybe next time!"
Maeve smiled as she held the plate. "Oh, so there will be a next time?"
The embarrassment faded away immediately. Treyton also got his plate; the two thanked Frida and left the classroom. "Even though my gingerbread house looks like a crime scene, I still had fun. I would also like to see more of you. If you want to, of course."
They exited the building, and night slowly reached the skies. "I-I would like that very much." The duo walked down the stairs and slowly walked by the sidewalk.
"Hey Treyton, is that you!?" asked a feminine voice.
Maeve and Treyton stopped. Maeve turned to see who called him. Treyton stood still. He let out a quiet wolfish groan as he slowly turned around. "Garret, Trinidad. How lovely to see you both."
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