Page 28 of Mixing Drinks For Tipsy Weasels

"Oh, wow. I didn't even realise that was a thing."

"Neither did I until she told me," I respond. "Was everything all right? With Robin?"

"They just told me that I needed to let them know when we were down to the last tray of cupcakes."

"Huh, I didn't expect them to go so fast, especially when we haven't actually eaten yet," I say.

"I'm guessing people are hungry." He pauses to exchange a token for a cupcake before turning back to me. "And food isn't served for another hour. Maybe you want a cupcake yourself."

"A whole cupcake might be a bit much. Want to go halves?" I don't know why I suggest it, but the moment the words are out of my mouth, there's no pulling them back.

"Sure. Though I don't think we have a knife. Who runs a cupcake stand without a knife?"

I shrug. "I guess they don't expect anyone to share one. It's fine, we'll just..."

"Bite it in half?" he suggests.

"I was going to say I'd use my hands."

"Right." He looks away, clearly a little flustered over something, though I'm not entirely sure what. Maybe the fact that he's suggesting we share something in a way that it could be argued is quite intimate.

I pick up a cupcake and use my fingers to break it in two, holding out half of it to him. He takes it from me, still seeming a little worked up about it.

I swipe my finger through the frosting, and eat some of it, while Rupert just stares at me.

"What?" I ask.

"I thought you just did that because you were tipsy," he murmurs.

I frown. "Eat frosting?"

"Use your finger to do it."

"I've always eaten my cupcakes like this," I remind him. "You've seen me do it dozens of times."

From the expression on his face, it seems like he thinks that seeing me do it this time is different from the dozens of other times he's witnessed me eat cake before.

I can safely say, I've never felt so self-conscious eating half a cupcake before, but now it's like Rupert is watching every moment of me doing it.

And I'm really not sure what to make of his intensity.

Chapter 14

Rupert

Soft music playsin the background but is mostly drowned out by the chatter of hundreds of students just finishing their meals and getting ready for the next part of the evening. I look around the room, not really knowing who I'm searching for until my gaze lands on Erica. She's sitting at a table with people I don't recognise, laughing and seeming very much at ease.

"The arch came out great," Sami says.

"Huh?"

"The arch," he repeats, nodding towards where the ostentatious glittery white arch complete with streamers sits over the stage.

"It does look good," I agree. "The whole room does."

"Yes, we did a good job. I'm glad you and Erica were able to work together in the end."

"We were." At the mention of her name, I find her in the crowd again. She looks in my direction and raises a hand to wave.

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