Chapter 3

Did she think he wasn’t going to show? He was only five minutes late. Did she really panic that fast?

A small ache hit his chest.

He didn’t know why, but he felt bad for her.

She had to pay someone just to sit across from her and make her feel seen tonight.

Life couldn’t have been easy on her...

“Jefferson?” she asked when she reached him, her eyes sparkling.

He nodded. “Y-Yeah, that’s me—”

And then she crushed him in a hug. Hard.

His eyes went wide as her... well, all of her pressed against him. Chest to chest. Belly to belly.

It was a full-on bear hug and he couldn’t breathe.

“I’m so glad you came,” she said, still squeezing like she was trying to pop him open.

“Uh… well, I was… paid to come.”

Ah, crap.

Why would you say that out loud?

Turns out dating someone you didn’t personally ask out—or weren’t even sure you wanted to date—was harder than it sounded.

He’d struggled with women before, sure. Their lack of personality or self-absorbed ways had been deal breakers.

But this? This was a new kind of hard— because he had no idea what he was walking into.

He finally breathed when she let go, but her hands still gripped his arms. Her grin stretched wide as she spoke again.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, her voice carrying a playful, hopeful tone, clearly fishing for a compliment.

He paused, his eyes locked onto her, unable to tear them away.

Actually… Tasty Cake wasn’t just cute. No, she was something more, something captivating. She was downright enchanting.

Her cheeks, flushed with a natural pinkness, made her look almost like she had just stepped out of a painting. Thick, dark lashes framed her light brown eyes, which sparkled with a quiet, inviting warmth. Her nose was small and perfectly upturned, giving her an innocent, almost mischievous look. And those lips… soft, inviting, and subtly pouty.

She wore barely any makeup, but her features seemed to glow all the more for it, as though her beauty was a secret only the brave could appreciate.

And the scent. He inhaled deeply, and instantly, the sweet, addictive fragrance wrapped itself around him like a spell. It was the kind of scent that didn’t just linger— it haunted you, lingering in the air long after she was gone.

So, no. She didn’t just look okay. She looked… incredible.

And he wasn’t about to pretend otherwise.

"You look incredible," he admitted, and the moment the words left his mouth, she flashed a radiant smile.

"I'm glad," she replied, before finally releasing him from the tight hug. "I'm TeeCay—though that’s not my real name, by the way."

"Is your real name Tasty Cake?" he asked, half-joking.

To his surprise, she burst into laughter. The roundness of her cheeks grew even more pronounced as she laughed, her eyes watering from the intensity of it.

Her laughter was contagious. Even the other diners couldn’t help but glance over, their faces brightening as they caught the sound, while some of them even joined in her laughter.

This was the first time he had heard such a genuine, carefree laugh from a woman. Most of the women he had dated barely opened their mouths when they spoke, smiled, or laughed. It was almost as if they were all pretending to be demure, acting as though a lady should always be composed, covering her mouth when speaking or laughing.

He found it strange, and honestly, a bit ridiculous. Mouths weren’t meant to be covered. They were meant for expression. To speak. To smile. To laugh.

And this girl—Tasty Cake—well, she had it right. She didn’t give a single fuck about any of that.