Jordan POV
"Stop laughing!" I scolded her, though I was already on the verge of laughing again.
Melissa had shown up at my place unannounced, with a bakery bag in one hand and a mischievous smile in the other. I wasn't expecting her, but I loved having her there that morning. As soon as I opened the door, the first thing she blurted out was:
"A crazy part of me hoped you wouldn't be home. Just in case… I brought breakfast."
I rolled my eyes and let her in. She dropped the bag on the kitchen table as if it were hers, and I immediately set water on the stove for coffee. Melissa began pulling out croissants and pastries, lining them up in no particular order. Better not to think about the sugar bomb we were about to consume first thing in the morning.
She sat down casually, as if there were no formalities between us. As if it were normal for her to always be around. As if we hadn't only just met recently.
It was strange having Melissa there—she was younger than me and yet somehow pulling me into sharing… what? Adventures? Embarrassments? I'd never really had that with friends before. Always colleagues, never true camaraderie. I'd been shy at school. And yes… blushing easily wasn't a new trait. I still had my moments. I never thought of myself as especially social. And the fact that I had a knack for disaster didn't help.
And suddenly, there we were: me serving her coffee, her biting into the first croissant with that look of someone expecting juicy gossip. Since I'd arrived at the restaurant, she'd been the one dragging out my "disaster chronicles." Was she waiting for another one? Well, I swear, I hadn't seen this one coming.
Tripping, falling off chairs, spilling wine—sure. But kissing Lorenzo and not liking it? That had never crossed my mind. Just looking at him, it seemed impossible.
I told her. I told her the night had gone well… I really stretched that part out, I'll admit. I described how he'd prepared everything and how the food was amazing. But I think she knew I was stalling, dodging the part that mattered most—or least, depending on how you looked at it. She said I was dragging my feet on the part she cared about.
"We danced a little… one thing led to another and well… he kissed me," I confessed. Her eyes lit up, happy for me—at least until I added: "I didn't like it, Mel." I started explaining, trying to describe the weird tongue battle.
She went serious for about three seconds. Three. Then she exploded with laughter.
"Don't laugh," I grumbled, trying to look offended, though I was smiling too. "It's not that funny."
"From your point of view maybe…" She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and laughed again. Melissa had that gift—making me feel light, relaxed, even when I was baring my most embarrassing moments.
"Okay, seriously." She straightened up like she was about to deliver a professional analysis. "I find it hard to believe that a snack like Lorenzo doesn't know how to kiss. Are you sure?"
I shrugged.
"I don't know… maybe it was me… maybe I just couldn't keep up with his tongue."
Melissa nearly spat out her coffee. She started sipping again, tapping the table as if she needed support. Of course, I ended up laughing with her—it was impossible not to.
"What a waste!" she groaned between giggles. "A man like that and he kisses badly? That should come with a refund."
I threw a balled-up napkin at her, but she caught it mid-air, still laughing. Quick reflexes, Melissa.
"Was it your first kiss?" she asked suddenly.
"No."
"Then you've managed to sync with someone else's tongue before!" she teased with that sly look.
"Yes," I admitted, crossing my arms.
"How many?"
"Melissa!"
"I just need to know if the problem really is him!"
"Mel!" I exclaimed again, but she only lifted her shoulders innocently. I sighed, defeated. "Two."
"Only?!" Her eyes widened. "And that's including the—"
"No. Two without him," I corrected quickly. "Do you think the problem was me?"
She set down the croissant she hadn't finished. We were nibbling and drinking coffee as we talked, sitting at my kitchen table. She leaned forward, suddenly serious for a moment.
"Does it matter? Do you want to kiss him again? Do you feel attracted enough to give him another shot? Look, Lorenzo is gorgeous, but sometimes that's not enough. Sometimes… there's just no chemistry. Or physics. Period."
I bit my lip. She spoke with an irritating level of confidence.
"You talk like you've had loads of experience…"
Melissa laughed, nudging me with her foot under the table. "I've kissed more than you, at least." She laughed again, then paused, eyes narrowing almost inquisitively. "Jordan…" she said slowly. "Are you still a virgin?"
I choked on my coffee, coughing and waving my hand while she laughed harder.
"Melissa Kane!"
"What? Legitimate question!" she said between laughs.
"No," I admitted eventually, blushing down to my ears. It hadn't been the best experience… but yes, I had lost my virginity with my ex. Still, what slipped out of my mouth next shocked both of us.
"But… I don't think I've ever had an orgasm." Did I just say that out loud? Shit.
"F@ck, Jo! You think? If you're not sure, then you didn't. What kind of men have you been dating?"
"Uh… the kind who are handsome but kiss badly…" I shot back, already laughing, covering my burning face with my hands. "And who don't know how to give orgasms."
We both burst into laughter, so hard my stomach hurt. She sat back down and we laughed like children.
"Stop laughing!" I scolded again, but I was laughing too.
We finished our sugar-bomb breakfast, talking casually but intimately. I could feel our friendship growing, stretching deeper. Melissa told me about her boyfriend too—it was still new, but she seemed genuinely happy.
But as she talked, my mind drifted. Back to the dinner. To Lorenzo. To that strange goodbye. After dessert, I'd left too quickly, blurting out "I really have to go," without excuses, just desperate to put space between us. And, above all, to avoid another kiss.
I sighed deeply.
"I should've listened to Chef Adam," I murmured, not realizing I'd spoken out loud.
"About what?"
I looked up and found Melissa watching me, curious. Did I say that out loud?
"Oh… about romances in the kitchen," I explained, swallowing hard. "I feel uncomfortable about meeting Lorenzo tomorrow… after… after our dinner. I shouldn't have agreed." At the time I hadn't thought. Maybe that's why my life is a disaster—because I never think before I act. Never think about consequences. But honestly, what for? Even the most improbable scenarios always seem to happen to me anyway.
"Just act normal!" she told me, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "It's your workplace, Jo. I don't know… pretend nothing happened."
I nodded. Easy to say. Hard to do.
"Now I'm curious," she said suddenly, swirling her empty coffee cup and staring at me like she wanted to drag out a secret.
"About what?" I asked, wary.
"About Chef Adam."
I raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"
Melissa leaned closer, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. "Do you think he kisses well?"
"Melissa!" I exclaimed, red. "He's our Chef!"
She just shrugged, amused, still in high spirits.
"I knew Adam before he was the Chef," she said, winking. "Family friend, remember? I bet he kisses well."
My eyes widened, incredulous. Melissa laughed again, getting up to refill her coffee as if she hadn't just dropped a bomb.
I stared at her, speechless. But that question… it kept echoing in my head. Why? I didn't know. Did I even want the answer to that question? No, of course not.
"Jordan!" Her voice snapped me back to reality. "I think your phone's ringing."
I stood to grab it from the bedroom. And when I saw the name flashing on the screen, a mess of conflicting feelings swept over me.
I didn't want to answer.