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Sophie bit into a chocolate one with whipped berry filling. “Oh God. Delicious.” She gestured to the chairs in the corner. “Let’s take notes if the team says anything interesting.”

“Think the team will come up with some good stuff?” Ella asked as she scooted up to the table.

“Puff the magic powdered doughnut?” a voice called from behind.

Sophie pulled up a chair next to Ella, licked the powder from the corner of her thumb, and hovered a pen over a notebook. “Um, let’s hope they have some better than that.”

Ella wiped her hand on a napkin and began capturing the conversation like a court reporter. The room soon erupted in a collage of animated conversation and elevated voices.

“A spindle of doughnut holes? A hole in one?”

“Aye, matey, grab yourself a fried golden nugget and…”

“Aye, matey?” Someone in the room laughed. “We’re not building a pirate ship.”

“Safe space, safe space! Rule number one. Don’t be an asshat and no knocking ideas.”

“Stick a pitchfork in me, I’m done. Delicious and moist.”

“Nope. We can never use ‘moist’ with an ad.”

“What is it with that word?” a guy in the back called out. “Spongy?”

Sophie pulled her shirt over her mouth and giggled. “Just when you think it can’t get any worse.” She bunched up a napkin and stood. “I need coffee. Be right back.”

A full doughnut down and Ella grabbed number two. God, it wasso good. Devilishly good, which was too cheesy of a line, otherwise she would’ve offered it. A designer put on music and the space shifted into a happy hour-like atmosphere. A few team members sketched on the whiteboard, two guys bunched up napkins and tossed them into a wastebasket like basketballs, another group threw their feet up on the chairs and stretched.

Maybe, just maybe, her dad knew what he was doing. He had left without announcement, leaving the group alone with the food, and without the pressure of the CEO watching their progress. It was possible this wasn’t only about getting the team together to brainstorm. Everyone was stressed, overworked, and snapping at each other like bickering siblings. Right now was the first time in two weeks where people laughed.

Sophie returned, a sparkling water tucked under her arm, and juggling two coffee cups. “Here.” She handed Ella the water. “Stay hydrated. The last thing we need is for either of us to slip into a sugar coma.”

Ella downed the water, then re-poised her fingers to transcribe.

“We bake it, and you will come,” a web producer called out. When the room turned silent and stared at her, a solid three seconds passed before her face screamed red and she slapped her hand across her mouth. “You all are seriously perverted.Damn sickos.” She laughed and fanned her face. “I was talking like the Field of Dreams, jerks.”

Ella laughed along with the woman, deep in her belly, and her body shook. The sugar was probably soaking in, and her stomach gurgled with dough. The afternoon fuchsia sun lowered a smidge and danced across Sophie, who was laughing, too. That full, devastating smile had been buried under pursed lips and worry lines. But now, the dimples were on display, the lip ring shone under the light, and…oh boy. She was really, really cute.

“What do you think, Ella?” a designer called as he cut a lemon-crusted doughnut in half.

She flushed with heat. “Oh no… I’m not a creative. I strictly work on project plans.”

He whooshed her words away with a wave of the hand. “Forget that. Come on, first thoughts that pop into your mind.”

First thoughts, first thoughts. She took another bite. The chocolate was smooth, pillowy even, and she swore she saw stars.Heavenly. “Heaven in my mouth.”

Sophie’s eyes lifted. “Whoa. Where did this tigress come from?” She laughed. “Sorry, sorry. Too easy.”

Ella lightly smacked her on the arm. “So unfair. Fine, you try.”

“EEK. I don’t know.” Sophie licked the top of the frosting. “Juicy devil land? Strawberry heaven? One-way ticket to sugared hell? Sugar hole? Oh! A glazed hole in one, no, someone already said that.”

“Oh my God, make it stop,” someone called from the corner, then ducked from a torpedo-launched napkin aimed at their head.

“I want to lick my glazed fingers,” Ella called out, layering with the others the not-so-subtle sexual innuendos.

“Ella wants to lick glazed things. Sophie wants a sugar hole.” One of the creatives slumped in the chair with a grin. “I don’tknow… this conversation has gone to hell in the best possible way.”

“Devil’s Doughnuts: A one-way ticket to the best possible hell,” someone in the back yelled.