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And I remembered to taste test, so I knew it would be good—unless the oven decided to play tricks on me.

It would be just my luck.

“You’ll be okay, love. And you can text or call me if shit goes wrong, or if I need to fake an emergency.”

Dylan was a terrible liar on the spot. I had a better chance getting my father to help with that, and he was the brooding type.

“Yeah.” I shrugged before I watched him more carefully. He’d said he was going to his boyfriend’s, but… “You’ll do the same, yeah? If you need to head back here, you tell me.”

Dylan, predictably, scoffed. “I’m not gonna ruin your date, excuse you.”

“You one hundred percent will if it comes to that.”

No, I wasn’t the biggest fan of his boyfriend. I didn’t think anyone who’d met him was, really. More and more recently, neither was Dylan, but I didn’t think he’d reached the point where he could say it yet.

I sighed.

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes.

“Please?”

“Fine.” For a second, I thought he’d storm out, but he changed his mind last minute and came around the island. “And you won’t even need to reach out because they’re going to love whatever it is you’re baking, and you’re going to have the sapphic time of your life.”

“Oh my god, shut the fuck up!” I shrieked.

Sure, I wasn’t a nun. I’d thought about it. But I was also trying very hard not to go there. It was hard enough not to implode as it was.

Claude just liked sweets, and they wanted to try my cheesecake bars. They’d tell me about the video that ended their career if they were more in the mood today, and that was it. Just because my stomach got all fluttery didn’t mean anything was going to happen. I was just a messy, hormonal woman. That was it.

Nothing to see.

“Sure, babe.” Dylan all but pounced to manage a kiss on my cheek. There was no way he wasn’t a puppy, but he’d never confirmed it. Or denied it, for that matter. “Have fun!”

I’d have… something.

Claude

Just left work

Fucking finally

I’ll be there in thirty?

Arlene

Sure!

My roommate is just leaving, so perfect timing

Claude

Great

fyi I’m starving

What was wrong with me? I might not have lots of dating experience, but I was pretty certain that someone saying they were starving was not a reason to get all fluttery.

I was not going to make it until the end of the day. That much was clear.