Page 125 of Break My Heart
I’m already on my second and she’s still finishing her first. She notices me beating her and hurries to start on her next pie. I look at her as I shovel spoonfuls of pie in my mouth, trying not to laugh at the panic in her eyes, knowing I’m going to beat her. Her cheeks are all puffed out, full of pumpkin pie she can’t swallow fast enough.
After three minutes, the timer goes off. Gina drops her spoon and falls back in her chair, her mouth still full of pumpkin pie.
I wipe my face with the napkin and smile at her. ‘You good?’
She shakes her head.
I laugh. ‘Not quite the same as when we were seven.’
‘Looks like we have our winner!’ Eleanor says, walking up to the teenage boy next to Gina. He ate seven pies and was half done with an eighth. His hands and face are covered in pie filling and when he smiles I see more of it stuck in his braces.
‘Anyone make it to six?’ Eleanor asks.
A girl around 15 waves her hand in the air. As Eleanor goes over to her, the girl points to the teenage boy who won. ‘Did you check his pie tins? Were they clean?’
‘They were,’ Eleanor says.
The girl glares at the guy like she wants to kill him. She reminds me of Gina, angry that she lost and even angrier at the boy who beat her.
‘Look familiar?’ I say to Gina.
She didn’t hear me. She’s too busy cleaning the pie off her face.
‘Anyone make it to five?’ Eleanor asks.
‘I did,’ I say, looking to see if anyone else did. They didn’t, which means I won. It’s only third place, but it’s better than nothing.
‘Enjoy your prize,’ Eleanor says, handing me the gift card. She walks back to the front of the room. ‘Thank you all for coming tonight. I hope to see you at the tree lighting. And don’t forget the chili supper afterward at Kanfield Orchard.’
Everyone gets up to leave.
‘Congratulations,’ Gina says to me.
‘Thanks. We had some tough competition. I forgot how much teenagers can eat.’ I hold up the gift card. ‘You might be getting some roses soon.’
‘Aww, you’re going to use your prize on me?’
I kiss her. ‘I wouldn’t give flowers to anyone else.’
‘You could give them to your mom.’
‘That’s my dad’s job.’ I stand up. ‘Let’s get out of here so we can get a good spot for the tree lighting.’
‘Ugh, I feel like I’m covered in pumpkin,’ she says, wiping her hands on a napkin as she gets up.
‘But you had fun, right?’
She smiles. ‘It was great. I love it when we compete.’ She leans over and whispers in my ear. ‘It gets me all turned on.’
Shit, now I want to skip the tree lighting and take her back to my apartment, but we’ll have time for that later.
I’ve been to the tree lighting every year since I was a kid, but it feels different this year, being here with Gina. I feel like we’re starting a new tradition, one I hope continues for a long time.
After the lighting, we go to the orchard and meet up with my family.
‘I hear you won the pie-eating contest,’ Nick says to me.
‘How’d you know about that?’
