Aiden
Just work. I’ve got some local markets coming up, a few Pride events, then the same old marketing and fulfilling orders. Probably need to start designing stuff for Christmas. But nothing fun. Why?
It felt like they were still skirting around the edge of what they actually wanted to ask, and I couldn’t decide if they were simply angling for some sexting or whether they were trying to find a way to ask for more. But I wasn’t going to put words in their mouths. If they wanted something, they needed to ask for it.
Because if I started assuming things, it’d probably all go to shit faster than I could count.
Bailey
Just wondering. Didn’t know if you were coming up to see Jonny again
Aiden
I wasn’t planning to. But might come up in September for the start of the season
I hadn’t been thinking about going up to Lincoln again until Christmas, because Jonny and I weren’t that close and we were both busy. But I didn’t want to tell Bailey and Hunter that. I wanted to give them something.
And I hadn’t been to the rugby in a while. It could be fun. Jonny would be able to get me a ticket too.
Hunter
If you do, let us know. It’d be nice to see you again
Bailey
I promise to make sure I wear my best shorts
Aiden
Do you mean smallest?
Bailey
Exactly ;)
With a fond shake of my head, I took the now full tray of cookies over to the oven, just in time to pull out the chocolate and slide the hot trays into the cooling racks. They were still slightly soft and gooey, which meant they’d firm up perfectly as they cooled. If you didn’t want rock-hard cookies, you had to take them out when they looked underdone and trust the process. They’d figure it out. Same as everything else in the universe.
Then I put the salted caramel crunch in, washed my hands, grabbed another set of prepped trays and another bowl of dough—red velvet this time.
Scoop, bake, repeat until done.
As I put the bowl down, I picked up my phone and snapped a quick pic of myself and then one of my kitchen.
Aiden
[Sent two pictures] Not as glamorous as Ibiza but this is me this morning
Hunter
Looking good but I think you’d have more fun here
Aiden
Yeah? Why is that?
Bailey
Because we’re here
