Page 1 of The Sweetest Ingredient

Chapter One

“Mochi, if I could get a job as easily as you steal socks, we’d be living in a mansion by now.”

My mischievous Shih Tzu, Mochi, aka the sock bandit, darted beneath a chair with her cotton trophy clamped firmly between her teeth.

Sighing, I glanced at the pile of unpaid bills on the kitchen counter. “Mochi, can I have my sock, please? It’s cold in here and I can’t afford to turn on the heater.”

I was behind on the rent, and we were in danger of losing our two-bedroom apartment, a cozy space filled with mismatched furniture and colorful artwork. And as an unemployed graphic designer, if there was a contest for accumulating debt instead of money, I’d be holding the championship trophy.

Sure, we mainly survived on canned soup and PB&J these days, but it could be worse—we could have to eat lapsang souchong tea and stale crackers like the poor Dashwood sisters.

Erm, better not dwell on that now.

“Ruff!” Mochi scampered out from beneath the chair with the sock.

I snatched it from her mouth, lightly scolding her before putting it on.

She hopped on the sofa and curled up beside me. I lifted my tattered copy of Pride and Prejudice and sighed again—I loved this place. It was a hodgepodge of styles, with a vintage loveseat cozied up next to a modern coffee table that held stacks of sketchbooks and art supplies. My own vibrant creations adorned the walls, and the fragrance of apples lingered in the room, emanating from a potpourri-filled bowl on the table.

Just as I was about to read the part where Darcy proposes for the first time, and then scour the job listings again, there was a knock on the door. I set my favorite book aside and shuffled around the couch.

Opening the door, my best friend, Chantel Williams, smiled at me. Even though we were the same height, she was extra curvy, and I envied her dark-brown skin tone that accentuated her hazel eyes, while my skin freckled if I didn’t slather on enough the sunscreen. Chantel had woven her ebony hair into a braid, and wore a pretty bohemian dress.

“Hey, Kenzi.” She stepped into the apartment and shut the door. “I have stupendous news. It’ll help get you out of this funk you’ve been wallowing in.”

“Please tell me you’ve found me a job.” I crossed my arms. “Because if not, I’m going back to sock battles with Mochi.”

I raised an eyebrow and waited. Chantel could be overly dramatic, but her enthusiasm was always infectious.

“It’s even better—the perfect man!” Chantel grinned. “I’ve set you up on a blind date for this afternoon.”

From my sister’s bedroom, the mellow strains of a violin permeated the apartment, a sweet melodic sound.

I flopped onto the sofa. “I need a job—not a boyfriend.”

Chantel plunked down beside me, the hem of her dress flaring out. “Kenzi, you’ve been cooped up in this apartment for weeks, stressing over your lack of career. Trust me, a few hours away from all this”—with one hand, she gestured at my laptop and my battered paperback sitting on the coffee table—”will do you good.”

I examined my chipped nail polish and shrugged. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m not interested. And I love my apartment. All my stuff’s here, and there’s nothing like chilling in my sweats and reading while listening to my sister play the violin.”

“Oh, come on,” she said. “Sometimes altering your routine and meeting new people gives you a fresh perspective on life.”

“Isn’t unemployment bad enough without adding blind dates to the mix?” I stroked Mochi’s fluffy head. “Besides, I’m busy.”

She reclined against the cushions. “Busy spending your Saturday fighting over socks with your dog and reading Jane Austen? Going out, getting dressed up, and socializing can give you the confidence boost that you need right now.”

I gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m not sure I even remember how to socialize outside the realm of job interviews and artistic solitude.”

“Then think of this as a fun way to flex those social muscles, like a reintroduction to the world.”

All valid points, but dating required leaving my apartment and interacting with real live humans. Just the thought made me want to draw the blinds and go back to reading Jane Austen in the safety of my pajamas. I sighed, curling deeper into the soft cushions, wondering if I could train Mochi to fetch snacks, so I didn’t have to leave the sofa.

She patted my arm. “Did I mention you’re meeting him at that fancy bakery downtown in an hour?”

Nothing like a little sugar to numb the pain of unemployment.

“Tempting, but…” I shook my head. “This guy’s probably as weird as the last one you set me up with. I had to make an excuse to leave by saying my dog overdosed on nachos.”

Chantel raised an eyebrow. “Kenzi, just promise me if this date tanks, you’ll come up with a more believable exit strategy than your dog’s nacho crisis. Though, I must admit, it was creative.”

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