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.

with a sigh, I head to the bar where Chloe is standing.

register. “Hey, what’s going on?”

hovering over the register keys. “It’s been acting

evening.”

navigating through the system. A few prodded buttons and adjusted

the machine whirrs back to life, responding as it

been holding.

Abby. I thought I’d have to do all the transactions

her a reassuring smile. “Anything else

that’s it. But…” She

about the other night… I shouldn’t have

against the counter, crossing my arms.

her eyes earnest. “I’m your best friend, Abby,

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

the fears I keep buried deep down,

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.”

squeezing her hand. “I appreciate your concern, Chloe, but I’m not

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

beat, a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes,

reluctant nod. “I understand.”

my voice soft, before turning

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

another part is frustrated. This entire situation, I

between concern and independence,

friendship with Chloe. Our bond means

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

all those

broken. I’ve

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

that’s bad for

into my office chair, though, a thought

his lips. Our

spoken about.

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

…

with the last employees heading home