like—”
I turned the mixer back on.
My twin tapped her foot then pulled the plug out.
“Hey, I’m cooking here!”
“You don’t just like Jonathan, you have a full-on crush on him. Yes, you do! Admit it!” she cried.
“Shh,” I said. “That’s not true.”
“You’re doing nice things for him, and you were just daydreaming about him,” she said, accusingly.
“You couldn’t possibly know that,” I scoffed.
“I’m your twin,” Lilith said. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“I don’t have a crush on him. I may be, admittedly, a little intrigued by him, but he is a fine male specimen.”
“Besides,” Emma said, “she can’t like him or be in a relationship. She’s going to be literally on the other side of the country in Los Angeles come New Year. A man like Jonathan is not going to want to do long distance.”
“We have to exorcise your obsession with him then. You won’t be able to concentrate on the internship if you can only think about him,” Lilith said as I took the cinnamon buns out of the oven.
“I’m not obsessed,” I countered. I spread the cream cheese frosting on while the rolls were still warm.
“Just sleep with him,” Emma suggested, snapping pictures of the cinnamon rolls. “It’s probably not going to be that good, because guys like that only care about themselves. He’ll do a few crappy porno moves, ejaculate, and not get you off. You’ll be so mad that he’ll be exorcised right out of your head.”
“I was thinking candles, incense, and holy water,” Lilith said, “but yeah, I suppose hate sex could work.”
“I’m not sleeping with him,” I told my friend as I pried a few rolls out and arranged them on a plate.
“I better take these over there. Keeley probably has her claws in him.”
I raced across the street to Jonathan’s condo building. My mind was spinning. I should have been asleep; I had been up all night. Instead, I tried to mentally prep myself for what I was going to say. I didn’t want to look stupid on camera. Should I go for resting bitch face or a death glare? Maybe Jonathan wouldn’t acknowledge me at all.
The elevator doors opened. There, in the foyer, was Jonathan. He was shirtless, barefoot, and wearing gray sweatpants. He was also snuggling a familiar gray-and-white British shorthair to his chest.
He looked up, a bright smile on his face. It quickly fell when he saw me.
Told you not to get obsessed. So much for sleeping with him.
“I brought apple-caramel cinnamon rolls,” I said lamely. “Guess we should go and get this over with.”
28
Jonathan
I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting when I saw Morticia. After she had so lovingly decorated my condo, I had thought maybe there was something there. But now she was looming in the elevator doorway, scowling at me.
She said she didn’t like you. Just let it go.
“Where did you find Cindy Lou Who?” Morticia asked.
My mouth quirked. “Cindy Lou Who?” I looked at the cat. Her wide blue eyes blinked back at me. “Yes, I think you are a Cindy Lou Who!”
“Sorry,” Morticia said in a rush. “I’ll text my sister to come pick her up. It was a disaster last night with the tree. We couldn’t get it in the Uber, and we had to take a train. Then there was a crazy woman who said we had to take the cat because she was a poor little rich girl, and her rich owner had died, leaving her penniless.”
She reached for the cat.
I cradled Cindy Lou to my chest. “No, this is my cat.”
“You can’t have that cat,” Morticia said flatly.
“What are you going to do with the cat?” I teased lightly, “Aren’t you homeless?”
“I’m not homeless,” she said through gritted teeth. “I am currently consciously uncoupled from my former residence.”
“She’s homeless,” I said to Cindy Lou, nuzzling the cat’s nose. “But she brought cinnamon rolls, so I guess she can stay.” I set the cat down then stole a cinnamon bun off the plate before Morticia could stop me and took a bite. “Holy shit!” I sank down to the floor.
“Are you all right?” Morticia asked in concern, hovering over me. “I didn’t actually taste them yet, which I should have; it’s a cardinal sin.”
I took another big bite then held out the rest of the fluffy cinnamon bun and grabbed her chin.
“Eat it,” I ordered.
Morticia took a bite.
“Fucking amazing.” I sighed and polished the rest off. “Life changing.” I grabbed another cinnamon bun.
“You’re supposed to eat that in front of the