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The warm, inviting aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the apartment. Part of me wanted to cancel game night just so I wouldn’t have to share my girlfriend’s home cooking. A small part though. Ash had said she was bringing in a new prototype for us to try out from a famous designer, and I wasn’t going to pass on an opportunity like that.
I walked into the kitchen where Haruka was humming to herself as she grated cheese onto the pizza dough. She was wearing an extra-girly high-waisted pink skirt that cinched just under her chest, pulling the white blouse underneath tight to make her modest breasts slightly more prominent.
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“Anything I can help with?” I asked.
“Nope!” came the prompt reply, Haruka’s grating not even slowing for a beat.
“There must be something…”
“Set up the round table and chairs? Set the plates? Tidied up the living room? What about the dirty dishes?”
I pursed my lips. I’d already taken care of all of that ten minutes ago. “I’m just trying to be helpful.”
“I know! And you are. Every day.” Haruka turned around, gripping the counter as she smirked. “And tonight is the one night every two weeks that’s not about being helpful, but about you having fun. So you’re going to relax. You’re going to have fun. And you’re going to stuff yourself on carbs and sugar. Got it?”
She was too cute to argue with. “Okay, okay. You win.”
Before Haruka could gloat about her victory, there was a text on my phone: Open up. “Frank’s early,” I muttered.
“That man needs a hobby,” Haruka said. “You know, aside from board games.”
“Well, let’s be nice.” I buzzed Frank into the apartment building, then met him at the door.
“Evenin’, Ray. Woah, smells great in here.” He craned his head to the side to look at the kitchen. “You girls making cookies?”
I knew he didn’t mean anything negative calling us ‘girls’, but it still grated on my nerves. “Hello, Frank. Mind wiping your feet before you come into our nice, clean apartment?”
