oxford comma [l.h.]

january-chocolate cake

luke met heidi in january. heidi lived in ireland in a very small village-y type town, near a quaint little church and some woods. she really liked living there. it wasn't secluded since there was a market very near to her but it also wasn't bustling like it was in london, where her parents lived. she lived in london for about six years, but she was american, originally from colorado. living in europe was much better to her.

she took a year out from university in order to establish herself, but so far she sort of just sat around and watched netflix as well as occasionally refilled the automatic cat feeder and emptied the litter box for her cat india.

luke worked for the postal service and came by heidi's house almost every day at 2:45 to deliver her mail. he simoltaniously hated and loved returning to heidi's every day, because the drive was a shitfest but she was wonderous.

"sup, pouty lips," she said, again and again.

"good afternoon," he always replied, his heart thumping in his chest.

sometimes he would be handing her a package and their hands would brush, and luke would always look up at her and smile and she would crack a smirk and go "shitface. i'll see you tommorow." luke knew she didn't mean it. he just liked having a nickname.

one day, however, luke decided he was going to do something. he had to.

it was new years day. he knew she hated new years because she seemed like the kind of person to hate commerical holidays.

he knocked on her door, as always, and watched her open the door. her face lit up and a smile played at her lips as she gazed down at luke's gift.

"you fucker. come in," she smiled, taking the chocolate cake and setting it on the coffee table.

"now would probably be a good time to tell me your name, pouty lips," she chuckled, brushing her long brown hair over one shoulder.

"my name's luke. but you can call me anytime."

"let me ask you something, luke," heidi began, picking her cat up off of the floor. india purred under heidi's soft hand as luke gulped back his awkward response.

"what does a girl need to do around here to get better wifi, you know what i'm talking about? these are trying times out here in the wilderness, iscolated from all humanity except for a cat and anytime," she smirked, the cat jumping out of her arms and hissing.

"you dumb cat," she mumbled under her breath.

"anytime?"

"you said I could call you that, pouty lips," she said, walking closer to him. "you wanna share some cake?"

luke turned the words over in his brain and realised he probably shouldn't have tried a pick up line on this girl. "s-sure," he stuttered. oh my god, did i just stutter? he thought to himself.

heidi's eyes went wide and bright as she removed the plastic wrap carefully wrapped tight around the thing. luke felt like his heart was going to explode. it looked much more appetizing at his house with the plastic covering up all its flaws.

heidi smiled down at it, and in her heart, genuinely thought it was beautiful. no guy had ever been brave enough to approach her, let alone bake her a fucking cake. but heidi knew she had to keep her guard up. after all, he was just a guy.

"i know it sorta looks a little lopsided, but i wanted to bake it myself because i didn't want to buy it because i had to carry it here and i thought i would have to work but i didn't so it was okay after all because i could just come here on my own and not have to wait the whole day just to give it to you and it might have gone bad so i really hope you like it because i-"

"i love it," she interupted, fighting the grin at her lips. "i'm going to grab a knife, but the remote's on the couch, put something on?" she exclaimed, walking to the very small kitchen and grabbing some bowls and a knife.

"sure," luke replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

as he sat down, he came to realise that the entire house smelled like a mix of lavender and cotton. he felt like saying something but thought he might have been the only one to notice.

heidi ran back over and jumped onto the couch like she had known luke her whole life. "here. i got forks too," she announced, setting a bowl in luke's lap. "bowls are better. nothing can spill off of the sides."

luke didn't want the heavy weight of being judged by his movie decision so heidi put an audrey hepburn movie on. halfway through, she went, "i just love audrey. especially in this movie. she's just amazing," she vowed, setting her empty bowl on the table.

"wait, you're american," luke noticed out loud, twiddling his thumbs.

"last time i checked," she retorted playfully, scooping chocolate cake into her mouth.

"but you-"

"holy fuck luke," she interupted, her mouth dropping with cake still inside.
"this is the best cake i've ever tasted," she finished, closing her mouth to chew again.

"wait really?"

"oh fuck yes," she replied, stuffing some more cake into her teeny tiny mouth.

luke was happy that he had made her happy.

"so, do you maybe want to be like, friends?" she asked with a mouthful of frosting now. "because i could really use some."

luke tried so hard to hold back his laughter but it got to be too much as he watched her tie her hair up in a ponytail and still manage to dip her head into the bowl to get more cake into her mouth.

"what are you laughing at, pouty lips?" she asked, smiling and slapping luke's arm.

"stop calling me that!" he laughed.

"but yes. friends."