Page 98 of Recipe for Rivals
“No, but I almost did when we were putting it together at your house.”
She threw her head back and laughed, pouring the sound into me like a funnel directly into my heart. “If you want the puzzle, it’s yours.”
“Maybe I do.” I smiled at her. It wasn’t really the puzzle I wanted.
At some point, I needed to figure out where she was at. At some point, I could ask her on a date. My pulse increased at the thought. “Are your cookies ready for Saturday?”
“No. I won’t finish them until tomorrow. But they’re almost there.”
“What shapes did you choose?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” She flashed me a smile, then looked over her shoulder, ostensibly to check the other tables.
“Are you planning to stick around for the auction Saturday night?” I asked lightly, rotating my coffee cup slowly.
Nova’s eyes fell on my face and held. They seemed a darker brown than usual, more direct and questioning. She nodded. “I thought about it. Gigi is taking my kids for a sleepover so I can have a night off. She spoils me, but I couldn’t help accepting her offer.” She rolled her eyes. “Ben cut the arms off Alice’s pink monkey the other day as payback for the melted Chewbacca, and it’s been World War Three in our home ever since. But they seem to get along great when Gigi’s in charge. Her house is Switzerland.”
“Poor Peaches,” I said, pulling a tired smile from her lips.
“Nova, dear,” Flora called from the counter, her greedy eyes soaking us both in. “Can I get a refill?”
“Of course.” She shot me a smile before leaving.
Nova had the night off on Saturday. She had a babysitter already and was considering staying at the fundraiser. I didn’t know if she’d told me that as a hint or just to make conversation, but if ever there was a time to ask her on a real date, this was it.
I would need to set up and take down in the school gym, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t bring a date.
Chad and Travis got up to leave the diner, making my entire body tense and my jaw throb from muscle memory. Chad didn’t scare me, but I’d been sucker punched once already, and I wouldn’t put it past him to do it again.
“Keep walking,” Travis muttered when Chad slowed at my table.
“I’m good,” Chad said, his hand up. “Just wondered if you’ve had any jaw pain this week?” He gave me a falsely sympathetic look, like we were twelve in the cafeteria at school.
“I feel great,” I said, sipping my coffee and offering him a wide grin. The yellow bruise blended into my skin okay, but I guessed the fluorescent lighting made it look worse. “Might want to practice fair fighting for our rematch, though. You can’t steal a win in a boxing ring.”
“Let’s go,” Travis said, forcefully pushing Chad toward the door before he had time to react.
Chad looked furious.
I didn’t feel any better, though.
Nova watched them leave, approaching with my plate of steaming food. “Everything good here?”
“He’s just a sore loser,” I muttered. I really should have kept my mouth shut.
“Didn’t he win?” she asked.
“Not really, and he knows it.” A cheater wouldn’t ever betruly satisfied with his trophy. Maybe he’d fake it around town, but when it was me and him, I could see how it rankled. I breathed in bacon and eggs and syrup. “Smells amazing.”
“You should be glad Dal is back there this morning,” she muttered. “I’m not really cut out for this whole diner cook thing.”
“I thought you liked to cook?”
“Baking is different,” she said, looking at me like she expected me to understand. I did, sort of. Baking and decorating desserts wasn’t the same as cooking eggs and fried chicken on command. Diner cooking was probably even more monotonous.
“Hey,” I said, gathering her attention right before she turned away. It was all or nothing now. She wasn’t immune to me, obviously—which didn’t mean she wanted to date me, of course, but I wouldn’t know for sure until I tried.
“Yeah?” She tilted her head to the side, her ponytail swishing with the movement. I wanted to run my hands through her silky hair.