The taste of rum flowed over his taste buds, followed by bacon. The surprising combination of flavors made him forget what he’d been thinking. He smacked his tongue inside his mouth.
“See?” Max grinned and took another bite of his.
“What do you think?” Zoe asked, nodding her head. “I could like bacon more if it always had rum flavoring.”
“Aye. ‘Tis growing on me.” Noah glanced at Caitlyn and her team.
She hadn’t tasted hers, but both Heath and Finn had already finished their servings. He pushed his team’s container their way and reached for hers.
“Rum and bacon? This is a great idea.” Heath exclaimed after taking a bite. “So many people use maple flavoring with bacon that it’s almost cliché. I need to tell my sister. This would be an exceptional addition to our summer events. Now you have to guess what ours is.”
Max was the first one to take a bite. “Jalapeños? I like it!”
Caitlyn laughed.“This has to be the most eclectic selection of flavors I’ve ever heard of. Leave it to the interns of REKD to be so creative.” She sampled the rum and bacon flavored onefirst. Even before the chemo, her stomach hadn’t tolerated spicy foods very well. She hadn’t tried any since.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she slid the spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She’d always been fond of rum raisin, so she found the familiar taste of the rum pleasing. The rum and bacon flavors did blend nicely, but it wasn’t something she would ever choose.
“Well?” Max asked.
Caitlyn popped open her eyes, surprised to find everybody watching her. She shrugged.
“And what are you meaning by that?” Noah asked.
She took another bite to see if she’d like it any better, but it was still just okay. “It means it’s not bad.”
“Notbad?” Heath cried.
“Well, I’m not really the target for anything with bacon. It’s something I have in common with Zoe. It’s not our fave. Sorry.”
Everyone started talking at once, arguing about the virtues or the health hazards of eating bacon. It was a lighthearted debate, like the book discussion had been, and they ate as they talked. Caitlyn would call the activity a success.
“Are you not going to try your own team’s submission?” Noah asked, indicating the mixer with the chocolate ice cream.
“Have you tried it?” she asked.
“Not yet. I’m not that keen for jalapeños.”
“I’ve never had any because I don’t do spicy hot foods. Finn seems to like them well enough.”
“Oh, aye.” Noah chuckled. “He’s always been one to go after foods with a bite. But you haven’t answered my question. Will you be trying your own team’s creation?”
“I triedyourteam’s.”
“Aye and said ‘twasn’t bad. But yours?”
“Haveyoutasted it?”
“I’ve been waiting foryou.” Noah pulled the container between the two of them. “Let’s be doing it together.”
Caitlyn did a mental count of how many antacids she had back at the condo. “All right.”
“Caitie’s going to try the jalapeño chocolate with me.”
Her heart gave a little twitch at the nickname. He hadn’t used it since just before he’d ghosted her. What did it mean that he was using it again? Could she handle it if he decidednotto hate her anymore?
Everyone had turned their attention to her and Noah. She gave a mental groan but picked up a new spoon and scraped it along the sides of the mixer. The others must have liked it because there wasn’t a great deal left. Good. Noah did the same before holding it up, looking at her expectantly.
“Together,” she said.
