Page 52 of Tasty Cherry

“We’re such naughty, naughty interns.”

We laugh as we buzz into the back hall. Raya is providing sandwiches for us as we do the review for the food manager certification on Monday.

It’s the first time all the interns will be together since Monday, although I know that Owen and Brooklyn have had dinner together most nights. Something’s going on there, although Brooklyn insists they’re just friends.

We laugh as we pass through the service door to the employee hall.

“I wonder how Maverick did with the dish room,” Brooklyn says, but then she stops short.

I almost run into her. “You okay?”

She makes a strangled sound, like someone’s choking her.

“Brooklyn?” I spot Maverick in the hall, wildly making out with Kennedy, the redhead from room service. He has his hands all over her, up in her hair, touching the skin exposed at her waist.

He looks up at Brookyln’s garbled cry and spots her, his eyes raking over her body. Gross. He’s literally got his hands all over Kennedy, and he’s ogling Brooklyn?

Then he kisses Kennedy again!

Brooklyn dashes into the meeting space. I take a second to glare at Maverick. What an ass.

No one else is inside the room, and lunch is already set up on the side table. Brooklyn stands in the middle of the rows of chairs, her head down, her shoulders shaking.

What’s going on?

“Brooklyn?” I come up beside her and tap her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

She turns away from me, her entire upper body quivering. Is she crying?

“Brooklyn? What happened?”

I look back at the door. What was going on with Maverick that seeing him kiss Kennedy would upset her this much?

Was he all over Kennedy in the hall on purpose, wanting to be seen? I might have thought he wanted to tweak Raya again, but was it actually Brooklyn he was showing off for?

Brooklyn doesn’t move or speak.

“The others are going to be here any minute,” I say. “Do you want me to make excuses for you? I’m sure you can be gone while we eat. I’ll make a sandwich for you.”

She blows out a long breath. “I can’t give him the satisfaction.”

“Maverick?”

She turns, and I see her whole face is red. She’s not crying much, like she’s more mad than sad, even though her eyes are wet. “I slept with him, Mila. Twice.”

“With Maverick?”

“Yes, Maverick.”

“I thought you were into Owen.”

She throws up her hands. “Owen is nice! Owen is great! But Maverick is…”

“A slime ball. What the hell was that out there?”

“Him getting me back for saying I wouldn’t have sex with him if he was going to flirt with every woman in the castle.”

Oh. One of those. “And you like him?”

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