Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Larkin laughs so hard she has to grip the counter. “You’re full of it.”
“I’m full of passion,” Morri corrects. “And maybe a little bullshit, if we’re being honest.”
He slides onto a stool, crosses one leg elegantly over the other, and looks around the bakery like he’s inspecting the set of a play he once starred in. “Tell me everything—who’s married, who’s scandalous, and has Lowe finally forgiven me for the donut incident?”
I blink. “Donut incident? What’s the donut incident and how have I never heard of it?”
“Oh, dear Lord,” Larkin says, covering her face. “Not this again.”
Morri looks delighted. “Oh, this again always. You see, darling, when I first came to Whynot, Lowe Mancinkus and I didn’t exactly… connect. He thought I was too big for my britches, and I thought he was the human embodiment of a tractor commercial. There was tension.”
He pauses for dramatic effect, folding his hands on the counter. “So, I did what any self-respecting artist would do—I staged a peace offering.”
“Peace offering?” I ask, pretty sure it was anything but.
“Indeed. I filled a dozen of her finest cream-filled donuts”—he gestures to Larkin—“with mayonnaise.” Morri leans toward me, puts his hand against the side of his mouth as if he’s telling me a secret. “And just so you know, Lowe hates mayonnaise with an undying passion.”
I gasp, horrified and delighted all at once. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, I did. Presented them to Lowe myself. Said they were a gesture of friendship.” Morri presses a hand to his chest, feigning emotion. “He took one bite and gagged so violently I thought I’d have to call an exorcist.”
Larkin shakes her head, laughing. “I think I heard him retching all the way over here.”
I’m cackling so hard my eyes water. “That’s evil.”
“Effective,” he says proudly, then purses his lips and wrinkles his nose. “But he got me back. Dyed my shower water red in retaliation. Long story short—we’re friends now and I tolerate him.”
Larkin slides a plate with a cupcake in front of him. “You’re friends with him now because your best friend, Mely, fell in love with the man, so you had to learn to co-exist.”
“Po-tay-toes, po-tah-toes,” Morri says with a wave.
“You see,” I say, picking at a few crumbs on the table, “this is what I miss about small-town living.”
“Honest to God… it’s why I keep coming back.” Morri plucks a fork and scrapes a tiny bit of the frosting before licking it. He moans so loudly an older woman near the window snorts coffee up her nose. “Still perfection.” He sighs. “I might move here permanently just for your buttercream.”
“Please do,” Larkin says. “I need someone to keep life interesting.”
He points his fork at me. “And how’s your love life, darling? Any good prospects in our nation’s capital?”
I blink. “Um…”
“She has a date,” Larkin blurts, clearly enjoying herself. “Tomorrow night.”
The shock is evident on Morri’s face. “Stop. You’re kidding. With whom?”
“Sam,” Larkin says, flashing a grin that promises nothing good.
Morri clutches his chest. “Oh, he’s one of my favorite people. I love hanging out with him at Chesty’s.”
“You hang out at Chesty’s?” I ask in awe.
I’m given a chastising look. Morri waves his hand down his stylish frame. “I may look like I belong at the Met Gala, but honestly… I love hanging with riffraff, and Chesty’s is full of that type.”
“Then you’ll have to let me buy you a beer,” I say, all neighborly.
Morri’s face scrunches. “Eww… I don’t drink beer. It’s very bloating. But I’ll let you buy me a White Claw.”
“Deal,” I say.
“So, let’s talk more about Sam. The man’s hotter than July asphalt in Carolina,” Morri declares. “I’m officially invested in this romance. Do you need a stylist? Emotional support gay? I can do both.”
I guffaw so hard I nearly spill my coffee again. “I think I’ve got it covered, but I’ll keep your number handy.”
“Do,” he says solemnly. “And keep your expectations high. Nothing good ever started with low expectations. Especially when you two fall into bed. You make sure that man takes care of you.”
“Morri!” Larkin yelps, looking to the older woman who heard every bit of it but is pretending not to.
He smirks. “What? I’m just sharing wisdom I’ve learned from all my failed relationships.”
I’ve fully dissolved into giggles and Morri grins back at me with a wink. We chat about New York City where he was born and raised, and that leads into talk about DC.
Morri finishes his cupcake, stands and straightens his scarf. “As much as I’d love to stay and stir the pot, I have an engagement this evening. Floyd’s taking me to a drag show in Raleigh.”
“I still can’t get over Floyd going to drag shows with you,” I say.
“Oh yes,” Morri says as he saunters to the door. “He’s become one of my dearest friends.”
Larkin’s shaking her head, still smiling. “Don’t you two cause trouble.”