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Calum breaks into a smile when he sees me sitting on the counter back in the restaurant kitchen. It's close to closing time so there aren't a lot of chefs in. "Excuse me, ma'am, are you authorized to be back here?"
"It all right, I have it in with one of the chefs."
"Did this chef tell you that he'll be working late because there's an event here tomorrow?"
"Emma isn't home tonight," I pout. "I wanted to hang out."
"I can't leave until I'm done."
"Can I help you with anything?" I ask him and he looks around for a moment before tilting his head to the side.
"I guess we can speed up the assembling of the fruit kebabs if we both do it."
"Yay!" I hop off the counter but frown as soon as Calum stops me from moving any further by snapping a hairnet over my head. "Really?"
"Really," he seconds and hands me a pair of plastic gloves. "They want fruit bouquets for tomorrow. The kebabs you'll be putting together are going to be mango, grape, strawberry. Remember the order."
"Mango, grape, strawberry; got it."
We work side by side for a while, now and then bumping our hips into each other or tossing pieces of fruit on each other. "Hey, we're thinking of throwing a party at our place for Halloween. You'll come, right?"
"We have this mandatory dinner thing that our boss makes us go to every year on Halloween, but I'll come by after for sure."
"Cool," he nods piercing a chunk of fresh pineapple with a skewer. "You'll get to meet more of my friends."
"Wait," I start. "You mean you actually have other friends than Luke?"
"Funny," he rolls his eyes. "But yeah, just some guys from the restaurant and a few others. You can bring some of your friends if you want."
"Sounds good."
...
"Scotty?"
"Yeah?" I look up from my laptop which rests on my criss crossed lap. I slurp up the noodles that hang from my mouth and push my reading glasses up on my nose.
"Why did I get a call from a guy called Luke in the middle of a date last night?"
"I gave him your business card," I shrug and her mouth drops.
"You what?" She drops her bag onto the couch. "Do you get how desperate that makes me look? My friend picking up guys for me?"
"I don't think he minded."
"Scotty!" Emma exasperates and sinks down to take a seat on the sofa. "He had a hot voice. He's probably gorgeous."
"He's totally hot," I chirp and she lets out a groan in frustration.
"I can't believe you made me look desperate to a hot guy!"
"Well, are you going out?" I hand her the noodle cup when she holds her hands out for it.
"No," she states bluntly.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm leaving him hanging to clean up the damage you did," she huffs. "He'll call back for a second try in a week or so. He's a guy, he loves the chase and knowing he could win me over. Now he'll be the one who looks desperate."
"Yeah, the old desperation switcharoo tactic," I wave my hand around. "You're seeing him on Saturday, by the way."
"What have you gotten me into now?"
"He and Calum are having a Halloween party at their place and we're going after the dinner with Victoria."
"That totally screws with my plan, it changes the whole timeline of things. God, now I have to look amazing."
"You always look amazing," I mumble as I type into my computer. Emma stands and moves around the half wall to go in the kitchen. I hear her open the fridge. "Can you get me a Capri-sun please?"
Emma returns with a Capri-sun in one hand and a Gatorade in the other and she tosses it at me.
"How was your date?"
"It was OK," she shrugs twisting the cap off her Gatorade. "I was gonna go out with him again I think, but if Luke's great I'll probably go for him instead."
"You wanna know what he looks like?"
"Oh my God, yes!" She moves closer to me. "I don't know his last name so I haven't found him yet."
"I follow him." I bring my phone out and go onto Luke's Instagram. I watch Emma bite on her lip as she scrolls through the pictures. "What do you think?"
"I think that I have to look irresistible on Saturday because there is no way I'm letting this God slip through my fingers."
