Un-intended

N I N E

"Luca, everything okay?"

"Nah. I need a huge favor, I'll compensate."

"What is it?"

"I'm having a dinner party for a business deal and my dessert lady pulled out. Can you make one of those pound cakes? You can even attend the dinner. I just need something to help woo them."

"Of course. My grandmother always said that food is a way to a man's heart. If they are men. Anyways! Yeah, when is the dinner party?"

"In three hours."

"What! I can't make a pound cake in three hours. I have to get the ingredients and it takes a minute."

"Please. You can send a list to my assistant and she grab it. I wouldn't ask if you weren't my last resort."

"Wow. That makes me feel better." I sarcastically said. "Fine. I can be there in twenty."

"Perfect send the list, it'll be here." Luca hung up the phone.

***

"Thank you again." Luca walked in.

"No problem." I shrugged while pouring the flour into the bowl. "Hey, so I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"The other day when I asked if you were in this, you remained silent. Has your answer changed?" I questioned.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh okay." I nodded.

"How have y'all been doing?" He muttered while grabbing a bag of chips from the cabinet.

"Y'all?"

"You and the twins. I guess. I don't know."

"I don't know. I feel regular. I don't think I've accepted that I'm, um, pregnant or whatever." I grabbed the sugar.

"Right. Right." He nodded.

"Not late!" Jordan walked in. "Who's this?"

"Luna." I held my hand out.

"Lulu! I've heard so much about you from Pierce. All good things." He pulled me in a hug. "It's about time I meet the lovely lady who's carrying my brothers' child!"

"Children." Luca sighed.

"What?" Jordan questioned while walking towards the refrigerator. He grabbed a bottle of wine.

"It's twins," I mumbled.

"Ah! Amazing!" He squealed. "I'm excited about this cake. Luca raved about."

"I didn't rave. I just said it was good." He crossed his arms.

"How can you just pour stuff in without measuring? I honestly will screw everything up." Jordan leaned against the counter.

Luca cleared his throat before walking out of the kitchen.

"You just know when to stop. I like to say my grandmother tells me when to stop." I chuckled.

"Your grandma taught you how to bake?" He questioned.

"Yes." I smiled. "She taught me everything. How to bake, cook, and sew."

"You know how to sew?"

"You don't?"

"Not all gay people can sew." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry, I swear I didn't mean it like that." I apologized.

"I'm messing with you." He winked while grabbing a glass. He popped open the bottle and poured it into the glass. "Does Pierce speak about me a lot?"

"Yeah."

"Be honest. Sometimes I feel like he doesn't take me seriously."

"Why do you say that?" I slowly said while whisking the flour and baking soda together.

"Permission to speak freely?"

I nodded.

"He just seems like the player type. I don't know where his head is and when I ask him, he gives me a runaround answer. I just don't know." Jordan sighed.

"Well. Be patient with Pierce. He's been through a lot with relationships. He sort of has some trust issues that he's working over. Can you hand me the carton of eggs?"

Jordan handed me the carton.

"Issues like?"

"I don't want to give away too much, because that's his business. Pierce came with me and Jorja from the south. Growing up in the south, being gay wasn't an option. It wasn't celebrated or accepted. He just has trust issues with whose intentions are genuine or not."

"Oh." Jordan nodded.

"But that doesn't mean he won't be open to you. He's like a flower. If you water and nurture him, he'll open up to you."

"Noted." He nodded. "I like you, Lulu."

"I like you too Jordan." I smiled while cracking the eggs in the bowl.

"What's your number, we need to start hanging out." He handed me his.

I dusted my hands off at my side before typing in my number. He smiled before shoving it into his pocket.

"I have to get some papers together." He sighed. "We have to sell one of our parents' companies and it's always a bittersweet moment."

"Yeah? Why not keep it."

"Too much to handle. We've started opening our things and it's been hard to maintain them." He shook his head.

"What were the companies?"

"Well, they acquired their success through a sports agency, which we'll keep. Their other side businesses are small, not that much value." He shrugged. "I'll see you later for the dinner?"

"Oh, I'm just making the cake and leaving."

"Well, catch you later Lulu." He waved before walking out.

"Hey." Luca walked in. "If you want to stay for dinner, you can."