Page 94 of Delicious

“Don’t you want to bake cupcakes with my dad?” Peter asks.

Yes, yes, I do.

We wander out of the school gates and turn up the hill towards home. It’s about a twenty-minute walk. I pick them up in the car when the weather is bad, but today is what Dad would call T-shirt weather.

“The real question is, why are you two so keen for me to bake cupcakes with your dad?”

They glance at each other.

“We think you’d make a good team,” Elliott says.

“One of you has to know how to make cupcakes,” Peter says.

“Or you could learn together.” Elliott grins.

“Uh-huh. Why do I get the feeling there’s more to it?”

They turn on their most innocent expressions, which makes me even more suspicious.

“Well, assuming I can shuffle my clients around, I’m happy to help your dad make cupcakes. Also assuming he wants my help.”

“Leave that to us.”

“Riiiight… What are you two up to?”

“Nothing,” they say in unison.

Suspicious.

“We’ll ask him when he picks me up,” Peter says.

“Wait. When do you need the cupcakes by?”

Elliott shoves the letter into my hand, crumpling it in the process. “Tuesday.”

“Handy. I assume we’re also expected to buy cupcakes at the bake sale?”

“Of course.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course. It would be faster to buy cupcakes from the supermarket.” And there would be less risk of me giving anyone food poisoning. I’m not a bad cook, but baking is a whole different ball game.

“That’s cheating,” Elliott says.

“Everyone will know if you bought them,” Peter says.

“How?”

“It’s obvious.”

“How?”

“The shop-bought ones always look—” He clamps his jaw shut.

“Better?” I offer.

“No. I wasn’t going to say that.”

“I bet you weren’t.”

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