Page 53 of Some Like It Hott

I like it when she calls me that. Also, I like the sound of the wordsuckin her mouth. There are a lot of things I would like in her mouth. In fact, I think there is very little about her mouth that I wouldn’t like.

Jesus, Hott, pull yourself together.

It’s looking less and less likely.

She orders a corn dog and a fruit salad, so I do, too. It’s delicious. Or maybe I’m just really hungry.

The kids in the cafeteria travel in packs, and I quickly realize the packs are mostly birthday parties.

“There’s gonna be a lot of leftover cake,” Natalie says, surveying the territory. “We should get ourselves some.”

“How do you propose to do that?”

She ponders, then points to a cake across the cafeteria from us. Chocolate.

“That one,” she says. “Follow me.”

She’s about eight feet away when she looks back and sees me, unmoving. “Preston,” she says. “Do you want cake, or not?”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to ask if I can have a slice of cake.”

“You’re going to ask total strangers if you can have a slice of cake.”

She shrugs. “Sure. Why not? That cake ishuge. They’ve barely made a dent in it. Theyneedus to help them with it.”

“They’re not going to let us eat their cake.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Sure,” I say.

“Okay,” she says. “If I’m right, you have to generate a brainstorm list of fifty possible activities to flesh out our schedule. If you’re right, I’ll do it.”

“Works for me.”

I follow her over to the party.

“Hey,” Natalie says. “Who’s the birthday kid?”

A wild-haired, freckled eight- or nine-year-old raises his hand.

“Happy birthday!” she tells him.

“Thanks.”

“Are you having a good time?”

“Yes!” all the kids cry together.

“I used to always want a birthday party at one of these places,” Natalie said. “You’re super lucky! And that cake looksah-may-zing. Did you get it at Karl’s in Bend?”

“No, Rush Creek Bakery,” a woman says.

Natalie gives her an open-mouthed look. “Wait a second. You’re telling me that’s Nan’s famous better-than-chocolate cake? That cake is sooooo good.”

“Do you want some?” the woman asks.

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