Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 66: Practice Makes Perfect
Abby

My office is silent as I scroll through the new emails that have landed in my inbox. My fingers drum on

the desk, anticipating the one email that I’ve been waiting for the most—the details of the upcoming

cooking competition.

And then, there it is, bolded and marked with high importance: Cook-Off Competition Details.

Taking a deep breath, I click on it.

The email is concise but packed with information. Attached to it is a long list, detailing every possible

dish that might come up during the competition.

My heart rate quickens as I scan the list. Some dishes I recognize, ones I’ve made a thousand times

over in my career, but others are unfamiliar, exotic even, presenting challenges I’ve never faced before.

I won’t know which three dishes I’ll be asked to prepare on the spot. Which means only one thing: I

have to practice all of them. Every single one.

Grabbing a notepad, I jot down a list of ingredients I’ll need for the more exotic dishes, then turn my

attention to the restaurant’s supplier portal, adding item after item to the shopping list. The ingredients

range from the ordinary to the obscure. Each addition of expensive truffles, caviar, and fresh scallops

makes my anxiety spi ke.

How can I perfect so many dishes in such a short time?

Once the orders are placed, I stretch and push back from the desk, glancing at the clock on the wall.

It’s getting late, but there’s no time to waste. Without a second thought, I pull my hair into a messy bun

and prepare to head to the kitchen to get started.

Before I can leave, however, a sudden page over the intercom draws me from my task.

“Abby, can you come up front for a moment? I need help with the register.” It’s Chloe, her voice

strained.

a sigh, I head to the bar where Chloe is

what’s going on?” I

fingers hovering over the register keys.

evening.”

the system. A few

machine whirrs back to life, responding as it should. Chloe releases

been holding.

thought I’d have to do all

I reply, giving her a reassuring smile. “Anything else I can help

her head. “No, that’s it. But…” She hesitates, her eyes flickering with an

I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Especially not over

crossing my arms.

her eyes earnest. “I’m your

don’t want to see you get hurt again, fall into another

fears I keep buried deep down, but I

“Chloe, I already married Karl once, remember? Learned

to happen again.”

know,” she says softly, “but it’s just… you deserve so much better, and I can’t

him hurting you again.”

her hand. “I appreciate your

don’t need to

of emotions swirling in her eyes,

reluctant nod. “I understand.”

say, my

to my office, Chloe’s words reverberate in

part is frustrated. This entire situation, I realize, is like

balancing between concern

Chloe. Our

time, I want—no, need—her to trust me, to trust my judgments and my decisions.

all those years ago, who got

I’ve

Why does it feel as though all of my friends just see me as a fool who would so

guy that’s bad for

down into my office chair, though, a thought comes to mind. A

me, the taste of his lips.

spoken about.

A wonderful, horrible, delicious mistake. And it

…

with the last employees heading home for the night. I’m