Page 5 of Dessert Flirt Repeat
I nod, my eyes burning with tears yet again.
Tori sets the takeout on the coffee table and pulls me into another hug. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
I sniffle and manage a meek “thanks.” Even though I don’t believe her, I’m still heartened by Tori’s support, how angry she is on my behalf, and how she’s just as heartbroken as I am over this mess.
She pulls her phone out of her pocket and pulls up TikTok. “I was so excited to show you this, but then Ben decided to be a monstrous dickhead, and now this doesn’t seem all that fun anymore.”
She shows me that Sweet Cheeks has been tagged on TikTok in a bunch of videos.
“People are loving your new unicorn swirl flavor.” She tilts her phone screen so I can see it. A sad smile tugs at her lips. “Kinda cool.”
I feel myself brighten the slightest bit watching people’s faces light up as they try my signature summer flavor: strawberry and blueberry sherbert swirled with vanilla ice cream and pop rocks sprinkled throughout.
I turn to Tori. “That’s really awesome. Thank you.”
“Now if one of these videos could go viral, that would send you a wave of new customers, which would result in tons of business. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.”
I let out a sad laugh. “That would be a dream come true.”
Tori points to the container of food. “More?”
I shake my head. “I’m too stressed to eat.”
She hops up, darts to the kitchen, and returns with a bottle of wine. “Alcohol?”
“God, yes.”
* * *
Two bottles of wine later I’m comfortably drunk and lying on my couch. Tori left to go home so now I’m scrolling TikTok to distract myself from my dumpster fire life. God, I love the randomness of this app. On my FYP, I watch some dude pull off what seems like a complicated dance routine effortlessly. Then I watch a group of drunk partygoers group-hug, then fall into a nearby pool, then laugh hysterically. Then I watch a woman lip-sync a scene from a Disney movie while cuddling her cat.
And then I see my favorite TikTok account has just posted a new video. His name is Gage Grant, and he posts videos of himself cooking and plating elaborate dishes with a sexy twist: he’s usually shirtless and performs suggestive movements with the ingredients. I think back to the video he filmed of himself leaning over a metal bowl, whisking heavy cream into stiff peaks, all the while flicking his impressively long tongue. He never speaks. And he always kicks off his videos with a sultry scowl or cheeky smirk, then gets right into the cooking and plating.
He’s pretty much everyone’s fantasy come to life: a hot, ripped guy who lives to pleasure you…with food.
I tap on his video and watch with wide eyes as he plates what looks like a fancy deconstructed ice cream sundae. Two oval scoops of vanilla ice cream rest on one side of the plate. On the other is a pool of hot fudge, poured into a perfect circle. In the middle is a delicate cloud of whipped cream. Around it is a thin ring of finely ground peanuts. As Gage works his expert hands around the dish, he displays that insanely sexy scowl. He’s shirtless, as usual. God, even in the dim lighting of his kitchen, he looks incredible. His tan skin practically glows. There’s lean muscle everywhere—neck, shoulders, arms, forearms, chest, stomach…
I shake my head, mesmerized and mystified. How is this guy ripped when all he does is whip up rich, calorie-laden dishes day after day?
He sprinkles edible gold flakes on the plate. The video ends with him running a hand through his short-cropped jet-black hair. Then he looks at the camera and winks.
I swallow back the saliva that’s pooled in my mouth. I skim the caption.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream…and then we head to bed and I make you scream even louder #wet #dripping #yum #melt #sosweet #sweetcheeks
I can feel my cheeks heating. I wonder if he’s as good in bed as his food and his captions make him out to be…
Judging by the thousands of comments his video already has, everyone is convinced he is. I skim the comments. There are endless flame and mind-blown emojis, proclamations of love, and even a few “will you marry me?” requests.
I laugh to myself. This guy probably doesn’t even read the comments. I’ve noticed he hardly ever replies.
My phone buzzes with a text from Tori.
Tori:Tell me you’ve seen Gage Grant’s latest TikTok??
Me:Obviously lol
Tori:Ice cream this time! And the hashtag #sweetcheeks! Can you believe it? It’s like he’s channeling you lol
