Page 4 of Icing on Top
“Not always,” I replied stiffly. I looked at my brothers across from me, who were trying to hide their laughter. Assholes.
“Sasha,” Joel said, “beat it. They aren’t interested, and you’re embarrassing yourself.”
“Whatever,” she sneered. “Probably can’t get it up anymore anyway.” She stomped back to her friends, who dissolved into giggles as she reported on her attempt at seduction.
“We’re not that old,” Linc grumbled.
I finished my drink and set the empty glass on the table. “I’m calling it. This wasn’t the right move. It was a good suggestion, Joel, but we don’t belong here.”
“Ok, fine,” Joel said, standing. “Maybe this isn’t your scene, but you still have a problem to solve, so I suggest you comeup with something else.” He saluted us with one finger before rejoining his friends.
When we got home, I poured three scotches and handed Ben and Linc theirs before falling into my recliner with a large sigh.
“Joel has a point,” Ben announced from the couch beside Linc after taking a sip. “What are we going to do about dates?”
“Or just one date. Singular,” Linc replied. Sometimes, that man was like a dog with a bone, relentless. A trait that has served us well in the past and made us a lot of money.
God, I hope I didn’t end up regretting this. “Ok, Linc. You win. We’ll try the dating app thing. But make sure you are clear that we are looking for a companion for all three of us for New Year’s Eve. That’s it. Nothing romantic, and nothing long term.”
“You got it,” he grinned, setting his glass down and running out of the room. He returned less than a minute later with his iPad. I joined them on the couch, and Ben and I looked over his shoulder as he pulled the website up and began filling out the questionnaire.
“Don’t put our names or who we are,” Ben said. “If tonight at the club was any indication, it might attract the wrong attention.”
“And make sure you put that we’re looking for someone in their thirties,” I added, thinking back to Sasha. “Someone at least in the same decade as us.”
“Got it and got it,” Linc replied. “Ok, last chance to back out of this. Are we all on board? This is what we want to do?” When we both nodded, Linc clicked the submit button. “Done.”
He went to place the iPad down when it dinged. He looked at the screen and then at both of us with surprise. “Well, that was fucking fast.”
“No way,” I replied, grabbing the iPad to look at the screen. “We seriously already have a match?”
“Yep!” Linc replied with a grin. “Let’s see who the lucky lady is.”
He clicked on the notification, and Ben and I leaned closer to read over his shoulder. This might be easier than I thought it would be.
Falling For Them
Nova
36 Days until New Year’s Eve
Imoaned in pain as my alarm clock blared. I reached a hand out to feel around for it and hit the snooze button before rolling over and stuffing my head under my pillow. It felt like I had tiny little people in my head with pickaxes trying to excavate their way out. Too much wine, not enough solid food. At thirty-three, I don’t handle my alcohol like I used to. Gone are the days when I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a night of drinking sans hangover.
The alarm blared again, and I quickly silenced it, the sound making my head throb. I felt around for my phone and emergedfrom my pillow cave to see if I had any missed notifications. I was confused for a few minutes when I saw the Tempted Hearts email that I had a match. The memory of signing up for the dating app came back to me. While I planned to ignore it, curiosity had me opening the email anyway. I clicked the link to see my match, bringing me to the website.
The profile picture was of a champagne flute instead of a person, which was already suspicious. However, I had little room to talk since my wine-addled brain made my profile picture a Christmas tree last night. I read through the profile and what they were looking for. This looks promising, I thought as I sat up in bed. Three men needed a date to a New Year’s Eve party. They weren’t looking for anything long-term. I noticed the little red envelope in the top corner and clicked it, finding a message from my match. The message said they would like to meet to discuss terms and find out if this was an arrangement we could all benefit from, as I wasn’t looking for anything long-term either.
I chewed on my bottom lip as I contemplated my choices. I knew nothing about these men, but one date was a pretty easy trade-off to have company during the holidays. I could do one date. Before I could chicken out, I replied to the message with my name and the address for Icing, saying that I’d be there all day and would love to meet them. Dropping my phone onto the mattress beside me, I hoped I hadn’t just made a big mistake.
I spent more time than I should have in the shower trying to wash away the hangover, but soon, I found myself in my bakery kitchen. My home away from home. I loved this kitchen. My hangover turned into a dull roar as I concentrated on baking the cupcakes we would need for the day and preparing the fillings and icing. I always made my signature breakfast cupcakes fresh each morning. I had cinnamon roll cupcakes, French toast cupcakes, and cheesy eggs and bacon cupcakes for those whopreferred a more savory treat. I could have gone the simple route and provided muffins, but this wasn’t a muffin shop; it was a cupcake shop.
Icing on Top was known for its unique cupcakes. I even had a dill pickle cupcake. People tended to turn their noses up at it until coerced into trying it. Seeing the surprised look on their faces never got old. Today, in protest of Caffeinated Charm dropping all of their pumpkin products, I was also making a pumpkin spice cupcake.
A couple of hours later, Stef, one of my employees, came through the kitchen door holding two to-go cups of coffee. “Sup, boss?” the teenager greeted cheerfully. “I know how you feel about pumpkin, but I thought I would bring you your first peppermint mocha of the season.” She set the cup on the table next to me and looked around as I thanked her and took a sip.
I moaned as the delicious combination of mocha, peppermint, and coffee slid across my taste buds and down my throat to warm my belly. It wasn’t that I didn’t like other flavors. It’s that I preferred pumpkin spice above all others. I was a bit of a basic girlie, and I wasn’t ashamed.
“It looks like you got a good start on the baking today. Do you need help or want me to start filling the display?” Stef asked.
