The Vampire's Pastry Chef (ONC 2022)

9 - There's a Millionaire in my Kitchen

There was nothing in Autumn's meager wardrobe that screamed Food Network chic. In any case, most of her outfit was going to be covered up by an apron. So she grabbed the first clean shirt she saw and tossed it on with her one and only pair of jeans. The apron was hanging up in the kitchen and still had streaks of flour and blood on it with chocolate stains across the front. Well, it was too late to throw it in the wash.

As she walked down the stairs, she thought about what Corbin had said to her the other day. Were they really similar? Even if his story was true, the difference was in the fact that Corbin was successful and she was not. Most days, she felt as if she was just spinning her wheels. Whatever the outcome of these little "dates", she just hoped to walk away with her dignity—and a paycheck.

By the time Corbin arrived at eight, Autumn had a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls keeping warm under a cloche. Dusting her hands off, she took a deep breath and went to answer the door.

The first thing Autumn noticed was the bouquet of pink roses in Corbin's right hand. Second was his outfit: grey trousers paired with a light blue button-down shirt that was slightly open at the collar. Autumn took a slight step back. Was it hot in here or was it her?

It was the oven.

Definitely the oven.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, turning the exact shade as the flowers. "Thank you." She honestly wasn't expecting anything.

Corbin smiled, holding them out. God, why did he have to look so endearing? "I have some for Jordyn, too," he said, revealing three multi-colored daisies with a white rose in the middle in his other hand.

Autumn took the rose bouquet and promptly stuck her nose in the middle. Oh, they smelled nice. Better than the cooked blood she'd smelled recently. "She's still sleeping and probably won't be up until noon. Oh, please come in," she added hastily.

"Stayed up too late watching movies?" Corbin inquired, shutting the door behind him.

"I wish." Autumn laughed wryly. "She streams."

"Streams?" he asked as they walked to the kitchen.

"Yes, she's been playing video games with a group of friends over Twitch for the last year."

"I confess, I have no idea what that is," Corbin said and took a seat at the kitchen island, laying Jordyn's flowers on the countertop.

"It's a website where people can watch other people play video games."

"They do?"

"Yes. It's absurdly popular with kids." Autumn slid behind the counter and grabbed two tall glasses from a cabinet, filling them with water. "She doesn't have a large following, but she's doing well so far." If anyone in the family could be successful, Autumn hoped that it was her daughter.

"Interesting." Corbin leaned on the counter. "I'll have to look into that."

"I'm warning you, it's a big rabbit hole." Autumn popped the flowers into the glasses and set them next to the sink. They were simple arrangements, nothing over the top—and they did look very lovely. She did notice that he chose smaller bouquets over those that were more elaborate and expensive, which she appreciated.

He smiled. "I like learning about new things."

"Well, when Jor gets up, you can pick her brain as much as you'd like." Hopefully, the kid remembered their talk from the day before and didn't pester Corbin into buying her followers subscriptions. "I wasn't sure what you liked to eat for breakfast, so I just made more cinnamon rolls." She gestured to the cloche. "But if you're sick of them, please tell me."