A Baby By Bestie

20: Cravings

The entire house was flooded by the creamy and spicy scent of all sorts of pastry baking by noon. I had gotten used to it by then and it was actually easier to tolerate than the smell from breakfast. I sat quietly in the kitchen on the island like a good little girl, just watching my mother and fiancé at work. Or is it play? It's one of them, depending on how you view it. Speaking of view, there's something about watching your man move around the kitchen that I find quite arousing. I've been spending the past three hours watching Rick's sexy little butt whenever he turns his back to me while I picked at an unfrosted cupcake.

It was a birthday cake flavour but at the rate I was eating, I could barely taste it. Also, my brain was too preoccupied with watching Rick's every move that I didn't even recognize what I was eating. For the day, all I had after the orange juice was this snack, but I wasn't hungry, or maybe it was because I had an appetite for something else. I subconsciously bit my bottom lip as I watched him squeeze pink and blue icing on a batch of chocolate cupcakes.

"Are you okay dear?" Mom asked, pulling me out of my head. I turned to her only to find her smiling amusingly at me. "You look thirsty." 

I glared at her with my eyes and plastered on a fake smile on my lips. I was about to tell her I'm fine when the fridge door opened and the next second a bottle of water was placed before me. Rick kissed me on both cheeks before he went back to his cupcakes, smiling. Someone cracked up beside me and I just knew it was mother. I sent her another glare, about to reply something mildly rude when my bladder alerted me that if I don't get to the bathroom immediately, I'll have an accident. So I got my ass up and left them in the kitchen, one beside herself with humor and the other, completely oblivious.

I swear she just comes over every Sunday to make my life miserable! Ugh! The woman is like an annoying big sister that I never had! I did my business and walked back into the room, only to barge into their little conversation about the supermarket. There's always something about the supermarket, like a new strawberry stand, or double Oreos being sold out, or not enough Huggies products in the baby section. What are they bickering about now? The fact that the price of tissues have gone up by five cents?

"Hey, hun. We're going to Walmart. Wanna come?" Rick asked in his overly excited voice as I resumed my position at the table.

"She should, actually." Mother replied instead and I just imagine zipping my mouth shut, but I couldn't let myself do it for real.

"Why, mother?" I asked. I don't want to go anywhere.

She placed her hands on her hips in the "whatever I says goes" kind of stance and then spoke with finality. "Because, baby, how else are you going to find something that you'll actually eat these days?"

She glanced at my half eaten, sad looking pastry that has been sitting before me for the past three hours. The poor thing was from the first batch of cupcakes. They were for mom's book club's bake sale on Monday. They do it every year, and I used to love all the excitement at first but I had grown tired of it eventually.

I highly doubted what she said but I agreed anyway. "Sure mom. Let's go." I said with a tired voice and walked into Rick's opened arms as he led me out to the car.

After a few minutes of wandering around the huge commercial building, I had grown bored and tired of watching Rick and mother discuss prices and products of cake mix, cookie doe and garlic powder. In fact, it was starting to drive me insane as they'd stop and ask me my opinion every once in while and I'd pretend to know exactly nothing. I found myself hiding away in the cereal section, keeping an eye on them just so they won't accidentally leave me in there. Would they though? Probably, they don't seem to notice me unless they need a third opinion.

So far, I haven't seen anything I wanted to eat, neither have I heard my stomach complain. My feet were though. I was reading the labels on a cornflakes box when I spotted Monica a few rows down from me. That somehow made me even more eager to leave the place and to make it worst, she had obviously noticed Rick and mom exchanging comments on turkey bacons. I saw her grin and I just knew she was about to walk over to them, and that, for some reason, I didn't like the thought of. Why though? Isn't she completely harmless? She's fixing her hair. What are you doing, Ari, don't just stand there!

And, at that moment I did what could possibly be the most adolescent thing ever in the situation. I shoved the cornflakes back in it's place and made my way over to Rick, putting on my best puppy eyes face. I blurted out the first edible item that came to my mind.

"Sour Patch Kids." I said.

"What was that, beautiful?" His response was distracted as he passed something to mother.

I grabbed his shirt collar to get his attention. "I want to eat sour patch kids."

His pretty eyes lit up instantly and he placed a tiny kiss on my lips. "That great, hun. Let's go get some then."

He totally abandoned my mom and wrapped his arms around me as we went to the candy isle. We passed the cereal section and I took a quick glance over to find Monica's stunned expression as she stood rooted to the spot, holding a box of Lucky Charms. I might just enjoy those sour treats later.

On my way home, however, while listening to the two chatter in the front of my car, I had started to feel guilty. What harm would she really do anyway? She was probably just going to say hi.  Or try to make a spark. No. She probably knew about us before now. At least if she didn't she'd certainly know now. I should drop this territorial attitude. And probably apologize to Monica. Probably. Not. We got home way too fast and I was faced with actually trying the stuff I bought. I thought I would hate the sweets, but it turns out, they were pretty damn good. I spent the rest of the day munching on then until mother finally left.

I was eating by myself in front of the TV when Rick came to hug me. He placed a kiss on my cheek and I took a deep breath, loving the scent. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Okay. You?" Am I purring?

"I'm good. Just need a shower."

That made me perk up so fast, I almost choked on a candy. "Need some help with that?"

Rick chuckled as he went to claim my lips. "Sure, baby. Always."