Cupcake Thief: Paper cuts from card tricks are common in the field, and some bunnies bite.
Emma: I have a box of Hello Kitty Band-Aids. Does that count?
Cupcake Thief: It’s a start.
* * *
“Are you seriously going out with a guy you’re indebted to?” Teresa asked later that night while sprawled on her bed. “Isn’t that like prostitution or something?”
“Not if I don’t sleep with him.” I used one hand to keep a fluffy white towel wrapped around my torso as I ran a ratty pink comb through my drying hair. “And it’s not like we’re lowering the amount of money I owe him based on this date, so there’s nothing nefarious about it.”
The comb snagged on a knot, and I cringed back from the floor-length mirror with a muffled curse.
“It kind of feels like dating your boss or something, though. Is it really that guy I saw you with at the coffee cart?” she asked, sounding doubtful as I pulled harder on the comb. “The one wearing ablazer?”
I hummed and gave up on the knot before moving on to the other side of my head. “That’s him.”
Teresa whistled, eyes going wide. “I never expected you to go for a blazer.”
“What’s wrong with blazers?” I frowned, feeling defensive. “Besides, it’s not about the blazer. It’s about what’s underneath it.”
“Emma!”
“Theperson.” I raised my voice and sent her a glare over my shoulder. “It’s about thepersonunderneath the blazer. God, Teresa.”
She snorted a laugh and pulled out her phone. “Can you blame me? And I thought you were gonna go out with a magician instead? Or that Oliver Beebop guy. I can’t keep up with your love life.”
“It’s OliverBishop.” I pointedly ignored her comment on Finn because I had no idea what to say to that one. “And that’s never gonna happen. Oliver is like the celebrity you crush super hard on and dream about marrying in a field of lilies surrounded by woodland creatures, but you’ll never get even a smidgen of a chance with him. You’re just destined to doodle wedding plans in your diary and cut out magazine pictures of him to tape to your mirror.”
“That’s oddly specific. But you actuallymethim. It’s not like people meet celebrities every day, so that must’ve upped your chances to at least a speck over a smidgen,” Teresa said. “Besides, he can’t be that famous if I’ve never heard of him.”
“Oh, he is. But I bet he already forgot my name. Hemightvaguely remember me as one of the girls he almost had to sic his bodyguards on, if I’m lucky.” I pursed my lips as I focused on untangling my hair. “Noah, on the other hand, isn’t famous—that I know of, at least.”
“Fair enough, but it’s not like you and Noah are exclusive. You could test the waters with all three of them. There’s nothing I’d love to see more than you juggling dates with multiple guys!” Teresa laughed. I gave her a flat look in response. “Okay, geez, I’ll drop it. But how long should I wait up for you to get back?”
“I won’t be that late.” I flipped my head down so I could try to get a better angle on the hair at the nape of my neck. “It’s our first date, and I don’t see anything too crazy happening. Remember, he wears a blazer.”
She hummed thoughtfully. “How did he even ask you out?”
“He held a knife to my throat and said ‘go out with me or you’re gonna get it, punk,’” I said flatly before flipping my hair up and taking another stab at the knot near my ear.
She sighed and tossed the phone onto her comforter. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re joking or not. Hopefully he’s into whatever kind of humor that’s called.”
“Who wouldn’t be into me?” I joked before frowning at my reflection. Whywerethree guys showing even a semblance of interest in me? Sure, I looked like your average college girl with certainassets. Guys liked butts. And breasts. But lots of girls had those.
My elbows were on the boney side, my knees were knobby, and my hair lost battles with combs more often than not. Personally, I’d always been a fan of my delicate earlobes, but no one else ever seemed to notice them. I just assumed guys were charmed by my personality.
Now, I was leaning more toward the butt and breasts theory.
“Well, keep me on speed dial, just in case,” Teresa said. “If things go south, text me and I’ll call with an emergency or something.”
I loved Teresa.
“What kind of emergency?” I grimaced as my comb remained firmly stuck in the unconquerable knot. I tugged harder, and my head jerked from the movement as I keened.
“Maybe a car accident?” Teresa suggested quickly, almost a littletooexcitedly.
“Life threatening? No way.” I shook my head but yelped when that pulled harder against the knot. I rubbed my scalp in apology for the pain I’d caused it. “He might offer to drive me to the hospital, and it’d get awkward real quick when you’re not there.”
