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“Ugh, yeah.Baby, what do you want?”Testingout the nickname for the first time,Idecide calling her baby is way too easy.Theword just fell off my tongue.Itfeels natural.
“CanIget an iced vanilla oat latte and the vegan club?Thanks.Ooh, and the double-chocolate vegan cupcake, please.”
“I’llget anAmericanowith room for cream, andI’llget the protein salad.Thanks.”
Ipay, and then leadSelenaover to find a table in the back.Itwould be a bit too obvious if we picked a table next to the window.It’senough for the cameras to see us coming and going.
Whenour order’s up on the counter,Selenajumps up.ButIpress my hand down on hers on top of the table. “I’vegot it.”
Myprotein salad goes down quickly.Withthe amountI’mworking out,Ican’t get enough food.Andthe fact that this salad actually has a dressing on it makes it feel like a special treat.Whatthe hell is wrong with me?Ifmy brothers had any idea about my nutrition plan or the work that goes into making me look likeIdo, they’d tell me to try doing a few days of real work back on the farm.Afterthey stopped laughing at me.
Selenaeats her sandwich slowly, nodding and makingmmmmsounds.Neitherof us talks much, but there’s no one around to hear us.Andsince we’re focused on the food,Ilet it go.
“You’vegot to try this cupcake.It’sdisgusting.Mycupcakes are way better than this!”Selenaglares at the offending cupcake, as she slowly chews the big bite she took from it.Shelooks like she wants to spit it out, but thankfully she’s not going for it.
“WhywouldIwant to try a shitty cupcake, exactly?”Iask, teasing her.
“Sothat you can tell me how much better mine are when you try them.”
“Ah, got it.”Thatmeans thatI’mgoing to get to try her cupcakes at some point.Iwould eat anything this woman bakes, so if one bite of a shitty cupcake is the price, it’s worth it. “Breakme off a piece.”
Selenatears off a quarter of the cupcake and hands it to me, her fingers brushing against mine.Mytrainer is going to kill me.Superheroes, or at least the actors who get paid a lot of money to play them, don’t get to eat double-chocolate cupcakes.Butit’s vegan.Somaybe it’s healthier than a normal cupcake?
Itoss the piece of cupcake into my mouth asSelenastudies me.It’sdry.Faintlychalky.Andgritty?Whythe hell would a cupcake be gritty?
“Thatwasnotgood.”Idown the last of myAmericanoto wash away the suspiciously sandy texture in my mouth.
Selenanods approvingly. “Exactly!”
“ReallygladItossed my nutrition plan out the window for that.Thanks.”
“Anysecond thoughts about it?Tenyears is a long time.”
“It’llbe worth it,”Imutter under my breath.Beingin superhero shape for the next decade is one downside to a slough of positive sides.Butit’s going to be worth it as soon asIget the damn job.
“Youhaven’t heard about the role yet?”
Ishake my head tightly.
“Canyou at least tell me what it is, now that we… now that we…”Selenawaves her hand between us.
“Comehere,”Iwhisper, motioning for her to lean across the table with the crook of my index finger.
Sheglances behind her to make sure no one is close enough to eavesdrop on whatI’mabout to tell her.Thenshe leans towards me.She’snot that tall, so her breasts are dangerously close to the top of her empty plate.Ihave to lean across the table and meet her more than halfway.
Ilean in close, getting another whiff of berries and vanilla from her hair.
“No,”Iwhisper into her hair.
Selenagiggles for real this time, and then it morphs into full-on laughter.Thefake laughing before was something.Butthe real thing?Iwonder if there’s anythingIwouldn’t do to make this happen again?Can’tthink of a damn thing.
Whenshe finally stops laughing,Imotion towards the door. “Youready to get out of here?”
“Sure,” she says with a big smile.
WhenIstand up and motion for her to head out the door, she ignores me.Shepicks up our dishes and sorts out the napkins and cupcake wrapper.
“Whatare you doing?”
