asleep. Unlike Lee, the second person was curled up in a fetal position, the blanket covering every inch of them except for a small tuft of dirty blond hair peeking out of their blanket burrito.
And when I said burrito, I meant it. The blanket they were using looked like an actual tortilla. It was tan with weird brown spots that perfectly mimicked a tortilla’s toast spots. I was a little jealous of their blanket. Okay, a little more than a little jealous.
I wanted to be a burrito too.
The sound of eggs cracking against the counter reached my ears, drawing me back to my predicament. Staring at Lee, I bit my lip in indecision. I couldn’t help feeling like the first kid to wake up at a slumber party. I didn’t want to wake up my friend, but at the same time, I was too scared to move about in a house that wasn’t my own. Then again, it wasn’t Lee’s house either.
Rolling back over, I peeked over the couch once again and watched Carson moved about his kitchen with confident familiarity. Turning the heat down on the stove, he used a fork to whisk the bowl of eggs he’d prepared and then quickly dumped the yellow mess into the pan. With a few efficient swipes of his spatula, the scrambled eggs were nice and fluffy as he deposited them into a waiting bowl.
As he moved the dirty pan to the sink, I noticed another pan heating on the stove. Using his hand to test the temperature rising from the pan, Carson dropped a tortilla into the skillet, spinning it with his hand as he toasted one side and then flipped it over to get the other.
“Mmm.” I loved breakfast tacos.
I must have moaned louder than I thought because Carson turned and looked at me.
“Good morning,” he said, a warm smile dominating his expression.
“Good morning,” I parroted back.
“I hope you’re hungry.” He pulled the tortilla out of the pan, lifted a kitchen towel, and dropped it on a hidden plate before covering it back up. “I think I’ve made enough to feed an army.”
He laughed as he dropped another tortilla into the pan, but I didn’t get the joke.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep on your couch,” I started, but Carson lifted a hand and stopped me.
“It was no problem. Lee was downstairs and in no position to take you home anyway.” He grinned. “It comes with the territory. All my friends crash on my couch at some point or another.”
I liked that, that he thought of me as a friend.
A particularly loud snore ripped through the room. I laughed at the obnoxious sound Lee made as Carson sighed.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t woken himself up with that noise.” Carson pulled another tortilla out of the pan and then started the process all over.
“Can I help?” I asked, remembering how easy it had been with him the night before and wanting it back.
“Sure,” he said without hesitation. “Breakfast is almost done, but you can set the table and get our drinks ready.”
Standing up to join him, my bladder made quick work of announcing itself. I pointed down the hallway toward the bathroom door. “I’ll be right back.”
I darted down the hallway and into the bathroom. Stepping up to the toilet, I noticed a small basket on the back with a bunch of strange balls. There were light pink ones and rainbow ones, swirly ones and glittery ones. I leaned closer and got a rush of flowery, fruity air.
They were bath bombs!
I finished up and washed my hands, my eyes on the bath bombs the entire time. I’d never taken a bath with a bath bomb before. My parents had never liked it when my ‘girly’ side appeared, and I’d caved to their dictates rather than listen to them moan and complain. And with Neil—well, let’s just say everything had changed when I’d revealed my desire for more feminine, pretty things.
I dried my hands on the supplied towels and then gingerly reached for the bright blue and pink bath bomb. Lifting it to my nose, I inhaled, moaning at the earthy, minty aroma.
A sudden knock at the door startled me. I yelped and dropped the ball like a hot potato burning my hands.
“Mills, hurry up,” Lee pleaded from the other side of the door. “Law beat me to Carson’s bathroom, and I really, really, really need to pee.”
“Just a sec.” I reached down to get the bath bomb and grimaced at the sight of