An Extra Pump of Sugar

Chapter 7

Baker gaped at me in astonishment, the corners of her mouth lifting higher and higher with every passing second. "You slept with Theodore?"

I shushed her, afraid the kitchen staff might overhear, and she laughed again.

"I can't believe this. Like never, never ever, in a million years, would I have predicted my precious baby Mona losing her virginity to the bane of her existence."

I groaned into my fingers. "I can't tell if you're excited for me or just making fun of me."

She snorted and pried my hands away from my face. "Why are you hiding?"

"I don't know. I wasn't sure how you'd react. I didn't think you'd be this...okay with it."

"Honey, I'm asexual, not Amish." She grinned evilly, stepping back to assess me, as if I'd undergone a physical transformation since Friday night. "So? How was he?"

I shook my head and slipped on a pair of plastic gloves. We had over three hundred sets of silverware to roll for the night crew, and I had no intention of being here past four o'clock. "I'm not doing this with you. And definitely not at work."

She ignored my attempts to draw a boundary. "What, did it get freaky? Did he try and bite you?" She smirked. "He seems like someone who would have a vampire kink."

"...You really need to learn when not to say things, Baker."

"Fine. Keep all the juicy details to yourself." She leaned in close and squinted at me. "Just know if I was a creature captive to my biological impulses, I'd always kiss and tell. Because you mean that much to me."

She left to retrieve a fresh tray of spoons from the dishwasher, and I glared after the manipulative blond, thinking about the way Theo had kissed me, the manner in which he touched my body, as if every new patch of skin I revealed to him was a blessing.

If he behaved that way with a random customer, there was no doubt in my mind he'd worshipped Alyssa like a goddess.

"He was great, okay?" I whispered once she'd returned. "And I know I don't have anyone to compare him to, but he was like...really, really great."

Sweet, seductive, and selfless.

"Theo has game." She nodded in approval, adjusting her hair net. "Unexpected."

"It's not just game. He was in a long-term relationship before this, and it shows." I frowned as the morsels of our conversation drifted back to me, like ash floating down from a chimney after a cold winter night. "Also, he's studying pharmacology and pursuing cancer research—the guy who looks like he smokes for the sole purpose of upsetting other people. Who would've guessed?"

She watched me with a curious, contemplative look on her face. Then she began plucking a silverware set out of the bin. "So you weirdos gonna keep seeing each other or what?"

I snorted at the absurdity. "Definitely not. Dating is off the—"

"I didn't say date," she objected, and when I shot her a puzzled look, she tipped her chin to the ceiling. "Babe, think about it. You obviously liked what he had to offer, but you also can't stand the guy. And Theo could use a hookup every now and again while he's going to grad school and recovering from his breakup, like you said. No one wants to risk the cesspool that is a dating app in this rodeo town, and neither of you are looking for a serious commitment right now. You're the perfect match." She lifted her brow. "I'm talking friends with benefits, Rivas."

"...Is that a joke?"

"No."

My mouth fell open. "Baker, I'm sorry, but that's the dumbest thing you've ever said."