From Pune Sector

Chapter 12|| "Not your favorite."

I am sick. I still feel awful but I just wanted to give you guys something.

Enjoy~

"Aren't we too grown for games?
Aren't we too grown to play around?
Young enough to chase
But old enough to know better."

-What Lovers Do, Maroon 5

Chapter 12

"Sarah, hi. What are you doing here?"

My eyes searched his face. No emotions.

There was nothing on his face.

Absolutely nothing.

Did I imagine what just happened between us?

"Well, I thought of dropping by and seeing my boyfriend and my colleague."

My eyes snapped back to Sarah who had drawn up a stool directly in front of us. She gave me a smile and I gave her a weary one back.

"I missed you in the store today. It was—"

"And you didn't miss me?" Soham cut in, making a pouty face.

"Of course, I did, boo," she replied before pulling his face closer and planting a kiss on his lips.

I looked down immediately, embarrassed and a tiny bit hurt at what I just saw.

Damn you, Jennifer. He's not yours. He's dating her and is clearly happy. Shame on you for wanting someone else's man.

I felt a surge of guilt and pity on myself along with a tangle of other emotions.

Luckily, right then a group of customers walked in and I excused myself from the lovers to attend to them.

"Hello, what would you like?" I asked chirpily, not bothering to look up as I busied myself with the strings of my apron because there was only so much I could fake.

"Jennifer?"

I looked up at the familiar voice. Ethan.

Argh, curse my luck.

"Hi."

"Hey. I thought this was your brother's store?"

"It still is. He's sick. I had to take over in lieu of his absence."

And I'm regretting every moment of it.

Of course, I didn't add that in.

"What a perfect sister," Ethan said, chuckling.

"We are hungry, Ethan. Stop flirting with her and order, damn it," someone hollered from his group.

We both blushed on cue.

He cleared his throat and stated the order.

"And-uhm-for me, would you suggest something new? I'm bored of my regular."

"Yea cool. There's mint chocolate cupcakes, banana cake—"

"What's your favourite?"

It was a normal question but I'd like to blame my haywire hormones for sensing intimacy in that question. Like a question meant for only me to hear.

I slid open the glass shelf and removed a slice of the cake I wanted him to try.

"Coffee cake with chocolate ganache," I said, before placing it in front of him.

He smiled at me and I smiled back at him.

It was different from the one I gave Sarah before.

This one was genuine.