"She grew up on a dairy farm," I explained.
"I think Jack likes you more than just milk—am I using that metaphor correctly? I'm assuming he bought you that ridiculously expensive coat I saw on your Instagram."
"Yeah," I grimaced. "It was too expensive."
"You should gain something out of dating a billionaire," Nina said. "If he wants to shower you with expensive gifts, let him."
"That coat is beyond expensive. It costs more than the prize money for this bake-off."
Once we had all our ingredients, we lined up to check out. I tried to be sneaky about buying my ingredients for the muffins and the bake-off separately, but Hartleigh still wormed her way beside me.
"I know you're buying things for Jack." She looked at my hand. "Is that his credit card?" She tried to snatch the heavy black metallic card from me.
"That's not yours, Hartleigh," I warned.
"It should be," she hissed. "Our parents want us to be together."
"Don't argue with her," Nina told me. "Grow up, Hartleigh. No one believes you're going to marry Jack."
"I will," she protested, "as soon as Chloe is gone and he will stop being so distracted. She's trying to sabotage my relationship with him."
"Excuse me?" I screeched. "I'mtrying to sabotageyou? I know you did something to my egg whites. You're trying to sabotageme!"
"You can't prove anything!" she shrieked. "It's bad karma. You are stealing my boyfriend."
"He's not your boyfriend!" I yelled at her. I couldn't believe I was in a screaming fight with Hartleigh in the middle of the nicest food shop I had ever been in.
"He is, but you're leading him astray," she cried. "You and those sexy outfits. I bet they aren't from your fans. I bet you buy them yourself. Why else would anyone send that to you? You're not even that pretty!"
"Cut it out!" Dana yelled. "Honestly. You two are like little tween girls fighting over who has the biggest crush on a boy-band pop star."
There was a Santa Claus standing across the street. I saw him when I left the shop. He waved, and I sagged.
"Chloe!" Cody called. "Chloe!"
Needing him to stop drawing attention to me, I jaywalked across the street and was almost hit by a taxi.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"Please," he begged. "I'm hungry and cold. I slept outside last night. Can't you spare something for your cousin?"
"You and your junkie friend just spend anything I give you on drugs," I spat.
"I promise I won't, Chloe, honest. We're family. We help each other out."
I shook my head. I needed to stop enabling him. "We're family, but you stole from me. You stole all of my life savings," I said.
"And I'msorry," Cody said. He sounded annoyed and exasperated, as if I was the one at fault here.
Kevin, his junkie friend, walked up. He was also dressed in his dirty, shabby Santa costume. I hated to say it, but this whole business with the Santas was almost making me wish for a little less Christmas in my life. Maybe I should go to the Bahamas to escape the insanity. Oh, right, no I couldn't, because I had no money, so I was stuck here being stalked by Santas.
"You could help your cousin out," Kevin said. "We know all about you and your billionaire baby daddy."
That last bit of his comment caused my thoughts to come to a screeching halt.
"Excuse me," I hissed.
"I heard the rumors," Kevin said. "I can read. It's all over the internet."
