Chapter One
It was a cold and dreary January evening and I didn’t want to leave the warm two-bedroom flat I shared with my roommate Savannah. If only I’d stocked the cupboards on my way home, but that would have been too sensible. I had to brave the elements to get everything I needed to make lentil soup—my student diet staple—then return home to my crock-pot and space heater. My roommate was lounging on the sofa, reading a textbook on the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, which I’d sold to her for a few bucks after I’d taken that particular anthropology course.
“Want anything from the store?” I asked, applying layers and layers. I had long johns beneath my jeans and about three different sweaters underneath my parka.
“How about cake?”
“Cake?”
“Yeah, like from the frozen section. Maybe chocolate,” she said, looking up. Our living room was cozy with just the reading lights on and she looked so comfortable in her sweatpants and slippers.
“You really want frozen cake in the middle of January?”
“Sure. Why not?”
I shook my head at her. I’d never understand how she could embrace the temperatures. In the Michigan winter, I was dreaming of tropical vacations and had cut out pictures of the sun to put up in my room, just so I’d remember that seemingly long lost concept called summer.
“See you in a little while,” I said and closed the door behind me. The chill burned my face as I marched through the snow-laden streets to the market.
* * * *
Blasted with heat upon entering the store, I hurried to take my scarf off and open my parka so I wouldn’t start sweating. Basket in hand, I picked out carrots, potatoes and onions for the soup, then went to the frozen foods section for cake.
Thinking about the essay I still needed to finish that night, I stood mesmerized in front of the cheesecakes and pies. I hadn’t been prepared for the vastness of the aisle, the magnitude of possibilities.
“What are you going to choose?”
Jolted back to reality, I looked toward the source of the question. It was Jeff from my old high school, sporting a friendly and confident smile. I hadn’t seen him in years and here he was, looking just as drool-worthy as he had back then.
“Huh?” Get it together! I hugged him, and tried to recover from my awkwardness. “Jeff!”
“Rachel,” he said. “What dessert are you going to choose? What’s your favorite?”
It was just like him to be so casual. It had been ages since we’d last seen each other. I was self-conscious that he’d caught me without any makeup or anything and he looked like he had come straight from a job downtown.
“Uh.” I tried my best to pull it together. I had not considered, even remotely, that I would see the big crush of my teen years while out dressed as the Abominable Snowman. “It’s for my roommate, actually.”
“What does she like?”
“She said to bring home some kind of frozen chocolate cake.”
“In January?”
I laughed. “That’s what I said. She’s crazy, right?”
“Sounds like it, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t even want to open the freezer door.”
“Smart of you. Besides, if you want a good chocolate cake, this is not the place. Follow me.”
Jeff turned on his heels and made his way out of the frozen aisle. Did he really expect me to follow him?
I quickly caught up. “Where are you taking me? How have you been?”
He stopped in the store’s bakery section.
“I’m well. I’m glad to see you,” he said. “Your friend is dead wrong about chocolate. The best cake is carrot and this one is surprisingly good.”
He reached for a packaged one and put it into my basket.
“Carrot is my favorite,” I said.
“Then you have good taste.”
“I don’t know if Savannah likes it, though.”
“Well, if she doesn’t, won’t that be a bonus for you?” His devious grin sparkled like he was picturing me purposely disregarding my roommate’s request so I could
It was a cold and dreary January evening and I didn’t want to leave the warm two-bedroom flat I shared with my roommate Savannah. If only I’d stocked the cupboards on my way home, but that would have been too sensible. I had to brave the elements to get everything I needed to make lentil soup—my student diet staple—then return home to my crock-pot and space heater. My roommate was lounging on the sofa, reading a textbook on the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, which I’d sold to her for a few bucks after I’d taken that particular anthropology course.
“Want anything from the store?” I asked, applying layers and layers. I had long johns beneath my jeans and about three different sweaters underneath my parka.
“How about cake?”
“Cake?”
“Yeah, like from the frozen section. Maybe chocolate,” she said, looking up. Our living room was cozy with just the reading lights on and she looked so comfortable in her sweatpants and slippers.
“You really want frozen cake in the middle of January?”
“Sure. Why not?”
I shook my head at her. I’d never understand how she could embrace the temperatures. In the Michigan winter, I was dreaming of tropical vacations and had cut out pictures of the sun to put up in my room, just so I’d remember that seemingly long lost concept called summer.
“See you in a little while,” I said and closed the door behind me. The chill burned my face as I marched through the snow-laden streets to the market.
* * * *
Blasted with heat upon entering the store, I hurried to take my scarf off and open my parka so I wouldn’t start sweating. Basket in hand, I picked out carrots, potatoes and onions for the soup, then went to the frozen foods section for cake.
Thinking about the essay I still needed to finish that night, I stood mesmerized in front of the cheesecakes and pies. I hadn’t been prepared for the vastness of the aisle, the magnitude of possibilities.
“What are you going to choose?”
Jolted back to reality, I looked toward the source of the question. It was Jeff from my old high school, sporting a friendly and confident smile. I hadn’t seen him in years and here he was, looking just as drool-worthy as he had back then.
“Huh?” Get it together! I hugged him, and tried to recover from my awkwardness. “Jeff!”
“Rachel,” he said. “What dessert are you going to choose? What’s your favorite?”
It was just like him to be so casual. It had been ages since we’d last seen each other. I was self-conscious that he’d caught me without any makeup or anything and he looked like he had come straight from a job downtown.
“Uh.” I tried my best to pull it together. I had not considered, even remotely, that I would see the big crush of my teen years while out dressed as the Abominable Snowman. “It’s for my roommate, actually.”
“What does she like?”
“She said to bring home some kind of frozen chocolate cake.”
“In January?”
I laughed. “That’s what I said. She’s crazy, right?”
“Sounds like it, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t even want to open the freezer door.”
“Smart of you. Besides, if you want a good chocolate cake, this is not the place. Follow me.”
Jeff turned on his heels and made his way out of the frozen aisle. Did he really expect me to follow him?
I quickly caught up. “Where are you taking me? How have you been?”
He stopped in the store’s bakery section.
“I’m well. I’m glad to see you,” he said. “Your friend is dead wrong about chocolate. The best cake is carrot and this one is surprisingly good.”
He reached for a packaged one and put it into my basket.
“Carrot is my favorite,” I said.
“Then you have good taste.”
“I don’t know if Savannah likes it, though.”
“Well, if she doesn’t, won’t that be a bonus for you?” His devious grin sparkled like he was picturing me purposely disregarding my roommate’s request so I could
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