Page 43 of Frosting and Flames

I stuff my keys in the bottom of my purse as I exit the car and shake my hands out.

It’ll be fine.

It’ll be fine.

I silently repeat the mantra to myself as I climb the porch steps, following Jae to the front door.

“How’d your date with Nick go yesterday?” Jae asks as I fumble around in my purse, pretending to search for my keys.

“It was great. Really romantic.” Okay, that sounded normal enough.

“Oooh, how so?”

Of course she’d ask me to elaborate. Should I say we went out somewhere? Wait. Kyle can check the camera. What was I doing last night?

Oh, that’s right. I stayed late at the bakery, prepping for today. Thank God.

“He made me dinner at his place,” I tell her. “Lit candles, got my favorite wine, made my favorite meal. The whole nine yards.” And all things Kyle could never put in the effort to do. “He’s so thoughtful and considerate.”

I pause, thinking about it. Nickisthoughtful and considerate. Helping me out at the bakery. Listening intently to me. Standing up for me to Kyle.

“Did you…” Jae trails off suggestively, a twinkle in her eye.

Whoa. We didn’t discuss anything about that.

“Jae.” I don’t have to act any for the blush to appear on my cheeks.

“How big is he?”

“Oh my God,” I half-sputter, half-laugh. I dig around in my purse for real now, but my keys seem to have vanished. “I’m not answering that.”

“Okay, tell me when to stop.” She holds her hands together, then slowly widens the gap between them. “This big?” She spreads her hands wider. “This big?” She keeps increasing the distance. “No, there’s no way he could be this big. That’s physically impossible.”

I grab her hands to make her quit, suppressing a laugh. She doesn’t need any encouragement.

“Is he bigger than Kyle?”

My mouth drops open. I can’t believe she went there. By the smirk on her face, she’s loving this line of questioning, though.

Should I play along and be that mean? If I say yes, it could very well haunt him for the rest of his life.

But it only takes me a moment of remembering what he did to me to go there, too. “He’s not only bigger, but he knows how to use it better, too.”

My hand finally closes around my key, and I jam it into the lock, ignoring Jae’s guffaw. Once we’re inside, laughter erupts from both of us. I can’t believe I said that.

“You’re a terrible influence,” I say in between spurts of deep belly laughs. I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this. It feels good.

“No, that was amazing.” She wipes at her eyes. “I pray he saw that.”

I check my phone, but there are no outraged texts. Then again, he’d have to admit he’s spying on us if he knew about me and Jae’s conversation.

I hold my hands to my cheeks, my face burning with heat. I’m half-filled with exhilaration at my daring, half-filled with a dawning sense of chagrin. Nick would be mortified to hear how I spoke about him.

“You can’t tell Nick about this,” I whisper to Jae, as if he can overhear me. “I just implied I not only slept with him, but was measuring his dick, too.”

She shakes her head, looking at me like I’m a sweet summer child. “Trust me, I don’t think he’ll mind.”

“You wouldn’t mind if some rando told other people they slept with you?”

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