Page 89 of All at Once

I shift my focus back to Enrique as he bites down on his lips. “I know it’s not ideal,” he says, “but I’ve run out of other options. I’ve tried to rearrange the staff as much as possible so that we have more help, but even with you both helping it might not turn out the way we had hoped. And this is a really big wedding. My dad was counting on me for it. I told him I could handle it, but I underestimated my workload, and I’m kind of freaking the fuck out—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help,” Luca cuts him off as his friend’s voice was increasingly growing with panic. “I can’t promise that they won’t taste like shit though, but I’ll try my best.”

“Ah, thank you.” Enrique breathes in a deep sigh of relief before going in to hug Luca.

“I’ll help as well,” I offer.

Luca doesn’t bother to look at me and instead just looks at Enrique and says, “I don’t think that’s necessary. I can work on them alone.”

I scoff to myself at his lack of subtlety.

Enrique also scoffs, but in a friendlier way than me. “While that’s generous of you, I don’t think you can bake twenty cakes in the next 12 hours.”

Luca’s brows immediately furrow. “Cakes? Like full on large wedding cakes?”

“Twenty?” I chime in at the more jarring revelation.

Enrique quickly shakes his head. “Oh fuck no. Not wedding cakes. Thank God the wedding cake was already prepared in advance. The bride and groom specifically requested different pastries for each section of the ceremony, and one section has these cakes they want. Here, I have the recipe written down somewhere.” He shuffles through a pile of papers on the counter and then hands us a long sheet. “Chocolate cake with a raspberry filling.”

Luca reviews the ingredients with apprehension. “I don’t think we can finish this on time.”

“Just try your best,” Enrique encourages. “At this point even if you manage to make even one it’ll be better than nothing. And one more thing.”

Luca glares at Enrique. “I’m this close to changing my mind.”

I take this opportunity to piss Luca off for ignoring me this entire time. “I’m not. What is it?” This time heactuallyrolls his eyes.

Enrique hesitates, “You can’t use the kitchen here. Our staff needs it.”

Now Iwantto change my mind as well.

Luca raises his shoulders, while scanning the kitchen. “Where are we supposed to go then?”

“All the ingredients are here,” Enrique explains. “So if you don’t mind baking them at your apartment. If you come over my dad will find out.” He gives Luca a knowing look.

I didn’t know that Enrique still lives with his parents. Hearing this somehow makes me feel more normal for also living with my parents until I was 24, given how most people I knew in college continued to live by themselves or with roommates even after graduation.

Luca accepts the recipe Enrique is holding out for him and says, “If my oven breaks, you’re making me dinner for the next month.”

I don’t why, but this makes me smile inside. For somehow feeling included in his joke since I now know Enrique’s a really good cook.

Enrique grins so wide that it looks like he could cry at any second now. “You guys are the best. Thank you so much. I have to go meet with the wedding planner right now so just text me if you need anything. I’m probably going to sleep for 30 minutes if I’m lucky tonight.” He kisses my cheeks hastily, and then pats Luca on the back before running out the kitchen.

Luca immediately begins searching for the ingredients, while obviously making sure to keep his back faced away from me.

“So when are we starting?” I ask.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he says.

“No, I mean, when are we going to your apartment?”

“I’m surprised how okay you seemed at the idea.” He turns around. “You know? Since you don’t trust me and all.”

“I’m helping Enrique.Not you,” I say, matching the bitter glint in his eyes.

He cocks his head smugly. “Even if it means being around someone who’spretendingto care about you?”

I feel my nails press into my palms as I clench my fist. “Sucks hearing how someone really feels about you right to your face.Doesn’t it?”

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