was a sperm bank baby, so I really don’t know anything about my dad, which means I probably have daddy issues. And I’m on scholarship, which means I probably have a complex about money.” Devon stopped. Why was she telling Hutch all this? The cookies might have brought him in, but psycho-babble would definitely send him running out the nearest door.
“Impressive,” Hutch said as he poured the batter onto the hot frying pan. The hiss pulled Devon out of her inner monologue. “Sounds like someone spent a little time in therapy. What’s with the sperm bank thing? You have two moms?”
“No, just the one.”
Hutch nodded and scanned the shelves for something above them, but Devon wondered if he was avoiding eye contact.
The pancake blobs simmered in the pan. The smell of peanut butter made Devon’s mouth water. She grabbed a spatula on the shelf behind her and went to work flipping the pancakes over. Hutch stepped back, letting her slip in between him and the stove. She could feel his eyes on the back of her head. And then his hand was on the back of her neck, gently smoothing stray strands of hair into place. Maybe she hadn’t scared him away. Maybe he was pitying her now. Maybe there was something else going on.
Stop thinking, she thought. Devon turned around to face him.
Hutch’s lips curled into a slight smile. He stroked her hair away from her face and brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm again. Devon’s heart thudded. He reached for her chin and pulled her face toward his and kissed her. It wasn’t the usual teenage boy tongue-groping kiss she expected. He pressed his lips against hers and lingered softly. Devon closed her eyes. The electricity in her body relaxed into a warm glow.
He pulled away and Devon realized she was standing on her tiptoes. She slowly lowered her heels to the ground and opened her eyes to Hutch. He was watching her, smiling, waiting.
Devon smiled back. Hutch exhaled.
“I’ve wanted to do that all week.” Hutch reached around Devon and turned off the burner.
“All week?” The red glow pulsed through her body again.
“Since our first day assembly. You sat in front of me. Red shirt with the corner of your shoulder poking out.”
“So you’ve been planning this mission since then?” Devon laughed. The fears she had before, the tension in the air, all of it vanished. This adventure was theirs now, as if they’d planned it together all along.
“Yeah, that’s it. I willed you to arrive in the Dining Hall with cookies tonight.”
“Well, I willed you to make Nutter Butter pancakes. I guess we’re even.” Devon raised an eyebrow at Hutch. Up until now, Ariel was the one who raised her eyebrow whenever she flirted with guys. It was Ariel’s way of acknowledging she may be crossing a line, but happily crossing it anyway. Ariel reveled in kicking up trouble, the kid that can’t help splash in a rain puddle. Now it was Devon who’d splashed.
Hutch grabbed a plate from a nearby shelf, and Devon slid the pancakes from the pan onto the plate. “And the most important part of this nutritious meal.…” He wandered back into the walkin fridge. Devon hoisted herself onto the counter. “Jackpot!” Hutch reemerged from the fridge carrying two glasses of milk. “The culprit that started this whole mess.”
Devon felt herself grinning stupidly. She handed him a fork.
Hutch shoved an oversized bite of pancake in his mouth. “Dude, that is amazing. Just wait.”
Devon took her first bite. She wasn’t even thinking about pancakes, but the crunchy peanut butter cookie bits melted into the pancake flavor perfectly. “Wow, Nutter Butter pancakes. Officially a thing now.”
“See, I told you. Hold up. I think we gotta go next level.” Hutch pried open the tin of chocolate syrup and dipped a spoon into the goo, drizzling it over the plate. “NOW it’s a thing. Just needed the chocolate to call out the peanut butter, you know.”
“You think we could get the kitchen to make these again?” Devon asked.
“I’m sure if you smile that smile of yours, my guess is you could get the kitchen to do just about anything you want,” Hutch said as he stuffed an oversized bite in his mouth.
It never occurred to Devon before that she was a girl that could get guys to do things for her. What was it like to wield that kind of power? She’d seen Ariel use her feminine ways to get free coffee at