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.

laptop with a sigh, I head to the

what’s going on?” I ask,

this da mn thing,” she mutters, her fingers hovering over the register

evening.”

her and start navigating through the system. A few prodded

responding as

been holding.

Abby. I thought I’d have to

her a reassuring smile. “Anything else

But…” She hesitates, her eyes flickering

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

crossing my arms.

“I’m your best friend, Abby, and I’m just…

get hurt again, fall into another toxic

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

married Karl once, remember? Learned

to happen again.”

deserve so much better, and

him hurting you again.”

“I appreciate your concern,

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

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

reluctant nod. “I understand.”

you,” I say, my voice soft, before

make my way back to my office, Chloe’s words reverberate in my head.

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

between concern and independence, friendship and

this to strain my friendship with Chloe.

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

those

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

all of my friends just see me as a fool who would so

that’s bad

though, a thought comes to mind. A memory, rather.

me, the taste of his lips. Our intimacy in the

spoken about.

mistake. A wonderful, horrible, delicious

…

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