Page 49 of My Secret Snowflake
I take our first tray of cookies out of the oven.
“Is that a Santa with a red cape? Did his hat break off?” Ernest asks.
“Definitely not a Santa,” I say.
Iris smiles at me and says, “More in the Grinch family line.”
“Did you make the hearts?” Ernest asks Iris. As she nods, he says, “I’ll have to eat one.”
“They’re still hot.” I scoop the hearts off the tray with a silicone turner, away from Ernest’s hand reaching out, and place them on the wire cookie rack.
Iris makes another heart in the dough, and Ernest suggests that he give it a try after all. He takes the heart-shaped cookie cutter from her and places it right next to the heart she just made.
Ugh.
She’s making a snowman on the other side of the dough. I quickly place a Christmas tree-shaped cutter there before Ernest can place a matching snowman.
But he’s still making hearts. Nonstop.
I can’t watch this.
And I shouldn’t.
I need to stick to my original position that it’s better to be friends, given how our entangled our lives are.
“I see Rowena just arrived. Rupert’s cousin,” I say. “I should go speak to her.”
Iris’s brow furrows, and I think she looks disappointed. But she recovers quickly. I hesitate for a moment, but Ernest makes another heart.
I put a snowflake cookie cutter into the dough next to it.
“Don’t forget to make some snowflakes,” I say and leave. Ernest is chattering away again.
Rowena is studying the book titles in Rupert’s library in the living room and drinking from a mug. They’re going to have to add more bookcases if Lily moves in.
“No cookie-making for you?” I ask Rowena, joining her.
She turns and smiles and gives me a huge hug. “Sebastian. I’ve missed you. Where have you been hiding yourself?”
“Work. And now there are concerns that Dream may close, so moving may have been a mistake.” But I’ve learned a lot about working for an entertainment company.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she says. “I thought Dream was doing well. I enjoyed the last film we saw.”
“It flopped at the box office, unfortunately,” I say. “Anyway, let’s not spend more time on that depressing news. Still keeping your boyfriend mysterious?”
She frowns. “He failed the camping test.”
Rowena is co-CEO of Strive Developers with Rupert, so she always fears men are dating her for her money. She takes them camping as a first date to see if they express disappointment because they expect more of a high-flying life with her.
“I’m sorry. But don’t you take them camping as a first date?”
“He was too smart to fail that first date, but eventually it became clear.” She narrows her eyes as if she’s envisioning a million ways to torture him. The thing is, I’m sure the guy also liked Rowena for Rowena. I don’t see how he couldn’t.
“I told you we should have fake dated and made both our families happy,” I say.
“Too happy. They’d have us married and miserable in no time. But…” She tilts her head and studies me. “‘I told you?’ Is that offer no longer on the table? Areyoufalling for someone?”
Falling? Nailed.Rowena is so quick.
