Page 31 of The Very First Night

“Are you bringing anything?” Tanner asks casually.

“I live in a dorm room. I signed up to bring pop.” I laugh.

“Fair point. But…you could probably use the kitchen at the house if you wanted to…I don’t know…bring something sweet and tasty.” He raises his brows, almost pleading.

“Get on with it, Adler.”

“I live with twenty-five guys. Most of which haven’t even touched that kitchen. And…since you and Jenna are some of the only non-brothers coming…” Despite tiptoeing around what is essentially begging, amusement lingers in his eyes.

“You want me to bring pie,” I say blandly.

“Actually, if you would be so kind—cheesecake.”

“It’s Thanksgiving. Why would I bring cheesecake? If anything, I think the traditional pie is pumpkin.”

His face contorts into an expression of disgust. “Every occasion calls for cheesecake. Random Tuesday? Cheesecake. Passed your final? Cheesecake. Failed your final? Two cheesecakes.”

“Fine!” I laugh at his absurdity. “I’ll come over early and make a cheesecake.”

FOURTEEN

KAT

Holding the printed recipe in one hand and a bag of ingredients in the other, I push open the heavy door to the frat house and am immediately engulfed by laughter and music. The thumping beat of the bass vibrates through my body, adding to the excitement buzzing in the air. I bask in the inviting warmth as I navigate through the crowded entryway toward the back of the house. The scent of cooking food and spilled beer fills my nose as I enter the bustling kitchen, where people are moving about with purpose and energy, each working on a dish for tonight’s potluck dinner.

The counter is littered with dishes, quite a few of which are desserts—mostly cookies.

“Tanner!” I yell, but it comes out more of a growl.

“You rang?” Tanner appears in the entryway.

“What happened to there will be no dessert? Hm?”

A mischievous smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth, revealing a glint of amusement in his eyes. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, a telltale sign of someone who has been caught red-handed.

“Tanner!”

“Did I say no dessert? That’s my bad. I meant…no cheesecake. We needed cheesecake.”

“We didn’t need cheesecake—it’s not like it’s a traditional Thanksgiving dessert,” Jenna interjects over her shoulder as she stirs something at the stove.

“No one asked, Jenna.” Tanner sticks his tongue out at her, then turns toward me with a smile on his face. “I am sorry I deceived you. What I meant was…I needed cheesecake.”

“You’re an ass.” I laugh.

“You love it,” he says with a wink before walking over to Jenna and sticking a spoon in the pot she’s stirring. “Needs salt.”

“It’s pudding,” she says. His shocked expression causes her glare to intensify. “I’m making a trifle.”

“That’s pudding? Might I recommend…” He walks into the pantry and reemerges with two Jell-O instant pudding mixes. “These?”

“Kat’s right—you are an ass!” Jenna laughs as she yanks the boxes from his grasp, then shuts off the burner on the stove.

Tanner walks past me and the moment our eyes meet, he shakes his head with wide eyes. “Don’t eat the trifle.”

I roll my eyes and find open counter space, push up my sleeves, and set to work in the cramped kitchen. I blend together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and the rest of the ingredients until they form a smooth, velvety mixture. The sweet aroma of vanilla extract wafts through the air, filling every corner of the room. Carefully, I pour the creamy concoction into a springform pan lined with crushed-up graham crackers and slide it into the preheated oven. Beads of sweat trickle down my temples as I anxiously wait for my first-ever homemade cheesecake to bake to perfection. With each minute that passes, my hopes rise and my prayers grow stronger. The anticipation is almost unbearable, but I know that this will be worth it in the end.

“Hey, babe.” Elijah appears in the kitchen, clad only in a pair of basketball shorts. He approaches me and presses a kiss to my temple.

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