AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do you have experience making cookies?” she asked.
“I do,” he confirmed.
“Does this look like a good recipe?”
He scrolled through it. “The ingredients are right. But I have a technique I like to use that enhances that cookie experience.”
“Enhances, huh?” She snickered and the sound filled his chest with something like joy.
He could do this. He could be better. He could be the friend she needed without making it about himself.
“We brown the butter,” he explained, backing away. “Where’s the…?” He spotted the butter on the counter. “Get a saucepan and a whisk.”
She closed the cookies in the oven and hopped up on the counter, bare legs swinging back and forth.
His gaze caught on her tan, smooth skin for longer than he’d intended and he shook himself out of it.
Gorgeous pop star is gorgeous,he reminded himself.
“Why the sudden urge to start baking?” he asked, hopping onto the counter across from her while they waited for the first tray of cookies to bake.
She tucked her hands under her thighs and chuckled. “My sister called me and said she wanted to make cookies when they come to visit. And I thought I better have some idea of what to do.”
“When will they be here?”
She shrugged and looked away. “I don’t know yet. We have to make sure everything aligns. I miss them,” she ended softly. She took a deep breath and forced a small smile. “Hopefully soon."
He hoped so too. He remembered how she’d spoken about them six months ago. How much affection and love had shone through then and now.
“When did you see them last?”
“Last February. They came up to New York for my birthday.” Her eyes sharpened on him. “Your birthday is in February too, isn’t it?”
He nodded once.
“What did you do?” she asked. “Big party for turning thirty?”
He swallowed. Two things happened inside him he didn’t expect. One, her remembering his birthday caused his chest to compress with what could only be described aslonging. And two, she remembered how old he was, which sent a surge of dopamine through his brain. Which didn’t make any sense and yet he wasn’t surprised.
“No big party,” he replied, keeping his voice even. He frowned, trying to decide how much to reveal. “My mom…” He sighed. “She has a tendency of making my birthday about her and causing a whole drama. So, I don’t celebrate on the day anymore. Nikki and I do something stupid the week before. This year she gave me a makeover.”
Zara bit her lower lip even as she smiled. “I’d love to see that.”
He chuckled, remembering how much fun they’d had. “I’m sure she has a picture she’d be more than happy to show you.”
She stretched her leg out and tapped his knee with her toes. “Sorry about your mom,” she said, softness stretching through her gaze in his direction.
He shrugged like it was no big deal. But the truth was stuff with his mom always stung. She was hismom. Even though she hadn’t always acted like it.
“What did you guys do for yours?” he asked instead of dwelling on his sad musings.
Zara’s expression turned reflective and she hummed. “Promise not to make fun of me?” she asked.
He scoffed. “I feel like that’s a given.”
She rolled her eyes. “They stayed for the weekend and we watched Lord of the Rings in the theater room in my place in NoHo.”
He grinned. “Nerd. Which one?”
