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.

laptop with a sigh, I head to the bar

register. “Hey, what’s

fingers hovering over the

evening.”

the system.

back to life, responding as it should. Chloe releases

been holding.

I thought I’d have to do

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

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

about the other night… I shouldn’t have snapped at

counter, crossing

earnest. “I’m your best friend, Abby,

I don’t want to see you get

keep buried deep down, but I push them away, offering her

Karl once, remember? Learned my lesson the hard way.

to happen again.”

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

him hurting you again.”

gently squeezing her hand. “I appreciate

don’t need to be monitored or

gaze for a beat, a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes, before she gives

reluctant nod. “I understand.”

I say, my voice soft, before

as I make my way back to my office, Chloe’s

is frustrated. This entire situation, I

balancing between concern and independence,

strain my friendship with Chloe. Our bond means more to

trust me, to trust my judgments and my

Abby who fell for Karl’s charms all those years ago, who

got my heart broken. I’ve grown, learned,

of my friends just see me as a fool who

guy that’s

my office chair, though, a

of his lips. Our intimacy in the

spoken about.

horrible, delicious mistake. And it can’t happen

…

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