Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

Chapter 103
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.

my laptop with a sigh, I head to the

register. “Hey, what’s going on?” I ask, striding

she mutters, her fingers hovering over

evening.”

start navigating through the system. A few prodded

as it should.

been holding.

thought I’d have to do

reassuring smile. “Anything else I can

it. But…” She hesitates, her eyes flickering

night… I shouldn’t have snapped at

against the counter, crossing my

it’s not,” she insists, her eyes earnest. “I’m your

I don’t want to see you get

echoing the fears I keep buried deep down, but I push them away,

married Karl once, remember? Learned my lesson the hard

to happen again.”

softly, “but it’s just… you deserve so much better,

him hurting you again.”

reach out, gently squeezing her hand. “I appreciate

I can make my own decisions, and I don’t need to

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

reluctant nod. “I understand.”

say, my voice soft, before turning

Chloe’s words reverberate in my head. A part

part is frustrated. This

balancing between concern and independence, friendship and

Chloe. Our bond means more to me than

same time, I want—no, need—her to trust me, to trust

Abby who fell for Karl’s charms all those

got my heart broken. I’ve

my friends

guy that’s bad

into my office chair, though, a thought

of his lips. Our intimacy in

spoken about.

mistake. A wonderful, horrible, delicious mistake. And it can’t

…

since fallen quiet, with the