The Next Best Thing: Part II

Twenty-Three

"Can we stop here?"

We neared a bakery and confectionery store with the best cookie dough cupcakes with a double Oreo base I was obsessed with, most of my favourite things in one little heavenly baked delight.

I made sure to order the largest box of those, for which I received a judgemental stare from the lady behind the glass display bar. "Are those all for you, miss?" she asked, adjusting her glasses on the crook of her pointy nose.

I was used to the cute teen who would always gave me an extra one. He didn't judge me for being a young woman trying to make it in this tough world, who just happened to like their cupcakes.

"Yes, they are," I replied politely and paid her with a smile.

"Not for you and your boyfriend, no?" I slowly shook my head, unaware of what she was getting at; she had an 'aha' moment. "Figures," she insulted. "Here you go, honey. Enjoy all of them."

I silently walked away, ticked off by her rudeness and her unsavory customer service. Eoin was waiting for me in his car, listening to an upbeat Kings of Leon to which he knew all the words, something I'd have recorded under different circumstances.

"I was just told that I'm fat and I'm going to be a compulsive comfort eater by the owner of the bakery," I told him as I opened up the box. "I mean, is it really any of her business how many cupcakes I want to buy from her? I keep her business afloat so she should be thanking me, not insulting me."

I greedily bit into one of them, the buttercream frosting making love to my taste buds. "And just because I don't have a boyfriend doesn't mean I have eating problems. It doesn't mean I'm a glutton. Does it, Eoin?" I asked him with my mouth full.

He looked at me, his eyebrows raised and the corners of his mouth turned up to a cheeky grin. "There's nothing wrong with you, Zo," he said, removing icing off of my chin with his thumb. "You're beautiful." With that, he was silent once more.

The nonchalance with which he told me I was beautiful was exciting and confusing simultaneously. It meant I was never completely sold on his compliments. I didn't know if he meant it or not, not knowing if he really felt what he was saying or not.

I studied his face for any hints, anything that showed he was trying to flirt with me. He just looked straight ahead, his eyes focused on the road and getting me home on time.

I noticed he had a small scar above his right eyebrow, one that probably had a story behind it. His hair tucked under a grey beanie and behind his ears looked golden brown under fluorescent light, gleaming bright each time we passed under a streetlight.

His lips were always drawn into a somewhat smirk, his signature look that drove Joss over the edge. It was a sexy smirk, one that he'd begun to use on me ever so often.

"Zoe, why am I being stared at?" he startled me. I also noticed he had a tiny dimple on his left cheek that only appeared when he spoke.

"You didn't try my cupcakes, Eoin," I answered and handed him one. He bit into one and moaned over dramatically, mimicking what I would have done normally.

"Can I marry that box?" he asked with a cute pout. I laughed at his adorable Labrador impersonation and his newfound interest in my goodies.

"I'm afraid not. She plays for the other team," I deadpanned.

"She's such a tease then," he sighed. I smiled at his profile again and I felt at ease with him seated next to me.

He parked the car infront of the building and opened my door for me. My doorman was watching very closely, having promoted himself to my own private security after my little incident.

"Thank you for breaking me out, Eoin," I said. "I had fun today."

"You know it's always my pleasure," he smiled. We had one of our moments of silence, ones we had gotten used to sharing just looking at each other.

I pulled him into a warm hug, on my toes reaching up to his neck and I held on tight. The last person I had been close to wanted to rape me so obviously I was thankful for the next best thing, who treated me with the utmost respect and showed me a nice time.

"I won't mind if you don't let go. But I'm squishing your cupcakes and your doorman is about to break us up," he whispered into my ear. I laughed, embarrassed, and pulled away.

"Goodnight, Eoin."

He waited until I had gotten into the building before he drove off, cheerfully greeting my doorman.

"He seems nice," Bartlett said, approving of Eoin. He was.

I rode the elevator home clutching my cupcake box close to my chest, the scent of Eoin lingering in the air around me. My ears tingled from the all the whispering and my cheeks hurt from all the smiling I'd done throughout the day. I wasn't sure if he liked me at all but could it be that I had liked him all along?

I spilled out into the lounge and headed for Min's room, armed with my mood enhancers and ready to share on everything that had happened today. I walked into Rae sitting up beside her, looking like she'd been run over by a dump truck and crushed by the heartbreak express.

Min was seated across from her, paying close attention to her best friend and a box of colour coded tissues courtesy of her unconventional organisation.

"Min, what's going on?"

It took me a while to digest snippets of the conversation they were having and how miserable Rae looked. In our short but amazing friendship, I'd never known her to cry out her emotions. She was more of the punch or break something type, and preferring to express them on a piece of paper.

"...broke...broke up with him...because...he cheated," were the words mumbled by Rae, unable to control herself. The walls had collapsed so fast even she couldn't cope with the sharp pain and incessant headache making everything worse.

"Rae just broke up with Cameron, Zoe."