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My face falls and I glance down to her flat stomach. The action doesn’t go unnoticed.
“It’s not for me. Josie is expecting again. I don’t know how she does it.”
Josie’s expecting child number two. Krystin is married. And what do I have? A guy who I occasionally sleep with. At least it’s good sex.
She stares at me, waiting for an answer. Her impatience increases with each passing second that I don’t answer. I shake the thought from my head.
“Uh. Yeah. Sure. Message me with what you want and how many.”
“You’re the best. Josie’s going to be so excited.” She rests her hands on my shoulders and leans in for a fake hug before sauntering away.
I scrub my hands down my face. What did I agree to? And what am I going to tell Van?
* * *
After a trip home and a shower, I arrive at the bakery by late afternoon. I send a message to Van asking him to meet me here. I run scenarios through my head on how I’m going to tell him I booked us another job, even though we’ve never discussed taking on more than the two parties that were already booked.
Van, don’t be mad, but we have to make cupcakes for a gender reveal party. Something I want for myself but will never get.No.
So, Van, here are my naked breasts. Also, we have to bake cupcakes for a gender reveal party.No.
So, Van, I booked us another party. Cupcakes for a gender reveal party. Here, let me give you a blow job so you forget all about it.No.
I pace back and forth, so stuck in my own head that I don’t hear anyone come in. A pair of hands grip my waist and I twist around with a scream.
“Did I startle you?”
I clutch my chest. “Yes. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“What has you so jumpy?” He wraps his hands around mine, intertwining our fingers.
“I did a thing today. Don’t be mad.” I wrap my other hand around our hands and clutch them to my chest.
“It can’t be that bad. What did you do?” He bends down and places a kiss on my knuckles.
“I booked us to make cupcakes for a gender reveal party. The good thing is we only need to bake the cupcakes and deliver them to the party. We don’t have to stick around.” I hold my breath, waiting for his reply.
“We can do that. Why’d you think I would be mad?” His eyebrows draw together.
I twist away from Van, our hands still linked. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about what you wanted to do after we completed the two jobs. And then I booked us for another one.” I pause. “This woman drives me crazy. I’ve known her all my life, but she likes to rub it in my face how much better her life is. And ugh! The pity in her tone when she assumed I was jobless. I couldn’t let her win.”
“Hey. Hey. It’s okay. Take a deep breath.” Van smooshes my cheeks between his big, firm hands, his gaze on mine. He inhales deeply through his nose and exhales through his mouth, and I mimic his actions. “We’ll give her the best damn gender reveal cupcakes any gender reveal party has ever seen. By the way, what’s a gender reveal party?”
I bark out a laugh. Only Van would know how to make me laugh at a time like this.
“No, I’m serious. I’ve never heard of this.”
“It’s when a couple has a party to reveal the gender of their unborn child to all their friends and family.”
He blinks once. Twice. “And people have a party for this?”
“Some people do.” I shrug a shoulder.
“Would you want a party like that?”
“I don’t know. I’ll need to get to that point first before I decide.”
Van nods his head in understanding. “Okay. So, what are we making?”
