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.

the

“Hey, what’s going on?” I ask, striding up to

she mutters, her fingers hovering over the register keys. “It’s been

evening.”

start navigating through the

whirrs back to life, responding as it should.

been holding.

Abby. I thought I’d have to do all

problem,” I reply, giving her a reassuring smile.

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

I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Especially not

crossing my arms. “Chloe, it’s

“I’m your best friend, Abby, and

to see you get hurt again, fall into another

buried deep down, but I

Learned my lesson the hard

to happen again.”

it’s just… you deserve so much

him hurting you again.”

her hand. “I appreciate your

decisions, and I don’t need to be monitored or told what

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

reluctant nod. “I understand.”

you,” I say, my voice soft, before

office, Chloe’s

is frustrated. This entire situation, I

between concern

don’t want this to strain my friendship with Chloe. Our

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

for Karl’s charms all those years ago, who

my self-worth and got my heart broken. I’ve grown, learned,

Why does it feel as though all of my friends just see me as

guy that’s

down into my office chair, though, a thought comes

his lips. Our intimacy in the kitchen, which we

spoken about.

delicious mistake. And it

…

with the