Love a man who can cook!
Let’s connect over lunch!
Em rolled her eyes because as popular as Ethan was during his prime Nosh Network show, his popularity now soared right past that. Which was great for him. Celebrities loved this kind of explosion. He must be relishing the attention.
And as much as Em appreciated that Fiona had made a best friend in his daughter, she sort of wished it wasn’thiskid. But a week in the same class, living on the same street…well, the math pretty much mathed and Em heard all about Annie on the regular. Annie and her social media prowess.Yeesh. Wasn’t that a whole thing? Such a little internet savant, that one.
And since Annie was Ethan’s munchkin, it was going to make avoiding him long term a lot more of a task.
Today, while Annie and Fiona played together at Ethan’s, Em finally unpacked the box with her Pyrex dessert pan and got down to business. The treats she owed him as promised. Once she paid up, she could officially move on from the night thathad never happened.And she could start pretending he didn’t live so close by.
“Hey, can you take these to Annie’s dad and walk back with Fiona?” Emmaline asked Barbie as she brought in yet another box from the garage.
How many boxes did it take to move a person across the country with mini-me and the apple of her eyeballs?
A-freaking-lot, that’s how many.
But they’d taken a mini-break to make an entire pan of gluten-free, salted caramel, Rice Krispies Treats. “I just need to wrap them in foil or something.”
She’d tucked some elusive foil around this kitchen somewhere. Not where she checked in the drawers, but nothing was organized quite yet. The stuff was definitely here, though. She remembered unpacking it.
Barbie made gigantic eyes at Em. “Youcan take them.”
Em rummaged through the last drawer, then closed it with her hip. There was no foil. Damn. Em stopped searching and closed her eyes so she could take a reprieve from the moving mess.
“No one can take them, anyway. I have nothing to wrap them in.” She tossed her hands in the air too dramatically, but whatever.
“Just take him the pan,” Barbie said, using that tone a person couldn’t argue with because they’d lose. “I bet he’ll even give it back.”
That wasn’t the issue. Not really. The main issue was that Emmaline wanted to drop and dash.
“I am avoiding him. For all the reasons you already know.”
“So you can draw sketches of him instead?” Barbie asked, pure bullshit innocence.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Em knew exactly what Barbie meant. Em’s muse spoke to her and, when her brain had had enough drag-and-drop, she started sketching out a little story with a chef who only sort of looked like Ethan. Only sort of!
She thought she’d tucked those sketches away, but obviously Barbie saw them.
“Have you considered jumping him?” Barbie asked, as serious as Em was about getting the cabinets organized ASAP.
“No!” She couldn’t tell Barbie thatof course, she’d thought of it.
Look at him! He was precision gorgeous. But Em would have to get her eventual post-divorce benefits with somebody else. Preferably, someone who lived a completely normal life and who didn’t live nearby.
“You need to spread your legs so you can spread your wings,” Barbie said, all cheerful.
Then they engaged in a quiet stand-off. Neither said anything, but Barbie gave Em the look. The one that matched her tone from moments before.
“Not with him.” Em stood firm.
Barbie continued giving her that same look.
“Maybe with someone else,” Em conceded.
Barbie nodded, smiling like a villain.
“But I’m still not taking Ethan the pan. Because then he will have to return it, and it’ll be a whole thing.”
