A Pirate's Crush

1. My Heart Has Gone Rogue

"Jeanie, is the icing almost ready?" Dunkerque asked, diligently frying donuts.

"Just about," I said.

"Could you bring it over, please?" Dunkerque asked.

I set the bowl of icing on the counter next to her. She delicately ran a finger around the edge, gathering a small sample to taste.

"Hmm..." she said, smacking her lips. "Maybe a teeny bit more mint extract. Say... an eighth of a teaspoon."

I nodded, fetching the small bottle of mint extract and the one-eighth teaspoon. I carefully measured the exact amount and poured it into the bowl, mixing thoroughly.

"I thought I followed your recipe to a tee," I said.

And yes, this is Dunkerque's personal recipe for these donuts.

"Oh, it's not your fault," Dunkerque said. "I undermeasure flavorings on purpose so I can adjust as needed. Like tuning an instrument."

"Ah... that makes sense," I said, finishing mixing up the icing. "Alright, try it now."

She ran a different finger around the edge and gave it another taste test.

"Perfect!" she said. "I can handle the donuts from here. It's best to add icing when they're hot. In the meantime, would you mind preparing the tea?"

"Sure thing," I said.

I found the electric kettle and filled it with water. Meanwhile, Dunkerque fished the first batch of donuts out of the oil and onto a wire rack. A beautiful set of dark chocolatey pastries that would make anyone's mouth water.

I brough the kettle to the island counter, plugged it in, and turned it on. Now I wait.

"Thank you so much for helping," Dunkerque said. "An extra pair of hands makes everything much smoother."

She speaks as if I made a big contribution. All I did was the icing, and I just followed her recipe. She even pre-portioned some of the ingredients ahead of time and did everything else. Nevertheless, I don't mind lending a hand.

Also... I knew exactly why these donuts were being made. Or rather... whom they were for.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Hello?"

*gasp*

"Bonjour, Commander!" Dunkerque said. "You're just in time!"

...merde. Shit.

My cheeks lit on fire. He only said hello, but that's all it took to fill my stomach with butterflies. I knew he'd be coming by, and I still wasn't ready.

Meanwhile, Dunkerque gestured for the commander to come closer, smiling like nothing was wrong.

But why would she think anything's wrong? It's not like she has a huge crush on him or anything.

The commander didn't even glance at me as he walked to Dunkerque. And then they shared a hug.

I know it's only a brief hug between friends... but it still stung to watch. I could almost feel the warmth... if I pictured myself in Dunkerque's place...

...what the... ugh! These stupid, mushy thoughts! He always does this to me! Why the hell would he hug me anyway? That'd be... weird.

...hngh... why did that thought feel like sucker punch to my heart?

Suddenly, the kettle whistled sharply, and I flinched.

Oh right. The tea.

I turned off the kettle and took it off the base, and the whistling stopped.