Maraschino, Chapter 5
Here you are darlings, a brand new installment
Title: Maraschino
Chapter: 5
Rating: Adult
Maraschino
Chapter Five
“Grant, cut it out or you’ll burn your fingers.” Autumn scolded as she smacked Grant’s hand away using the spatula in her hand. She scraped one of the freshly baked cookies off of the tray and carefully set it down on the yellow flowered plate she bought specifically for cookies.
“I’ll be fine.” Autumn hit his hand with the spatula again before she scraped the last cookie off onto the plate. She petulantly stuck her tongue out at him as she offered the plate to Melanie who was sitting at the kitchen counter with her head in her hands.
“Cookie Mel?” Autumn prodded, haphazardly waving her spatula around at Grant.
“I don’t deserve cookies.” Mel said pitifully.
“I’ll take cookies.” Grant said reaching over her shoulder. Autumn smacked his hand away and frowned at him before beaming brightly at Mel.
“They’re triple chocolate.” Autumn said as she waved the pate around near Mel. Mel looked up, sniffing the air conspicuously.
“Okay, but just the one.” Mel reached out and pulled the biggest cookie she could see off the plate.
“Can I have a cookie yet?” Grant asked as Autumn set the plate down.
“Yes.” Grant reached around Autumn and picked up a cookie before happily biting into the warm softness.
“Go to work.” Autumn told him as she glanced at her watch. Grant kissed her cheek and picked up another cookie before he made his way out her apartment, tucking his car keys into the pockets off of his work pants.
“Grant!” Autumn hissed hurrying after him. She pulled him close and began to tuck his shirt in as he happily munched away at the cookie, slowly turning around. When she eventually had his shirt tucked in properly She leant up to kiss him goodbye on the cheek. Grant accidentally got cookie on her shoulder and he brushed away the crumbs, his thumbs brushing lightly against her skin.
“Have fun at work. Will you be here tonight?” Autumn asked him as she reached up to fix the collar of his dark blue work shirt.
“Nope. We’re having another intervention with Anthony.” He answered.
“Okay well call me tomorrow. Now go.” Grant swallowed his mouthful of cookie and leant down, kissing the corner of her mouth.
“Bye baby. See you later Mel.” Grant said as he left the room, gently closing the door to her apartment behind her.
“What else did I say?” Mel ask as Autumn slid onto the bar stool next to her, reaching over the counter for a cookie.
“Not much else. But I’m pretty sure he got a good look of your knickers.” Autumn told her before she bit into the cookie.
“So I said something about how I didn’t think his intentions were on the level and I flashed him.” Mel groaned as she finished off the last of her cookie. Autumn patted her back sympathetically, as embarrassed about Friday night as Mel was.
“Basically. But to be fair I flashed you when I was trying to get your hose off.” Autumn offered as she took another bite of her cookie.
“Thanks for your help by the way. And I already thanked Lucy on Saturday. I still can’t believe you guys took it in shifts sleeping with me.”
“We didn’t want you to vomit in your sleep and choke.”
“Oh gross. Thanks for the thought but.”
“No problem, have you thanked Dominick for carting you up the stairs?” Autumn asked, trying to sound casual.
“I was going to do that today but I was kind of hoping you would come with.” Lucy turned towards her, pouting prettily as she waited for Autumn’s response.
“What for?” Autumn asked. Her heart beat escalating at the thought of facing Dominick again.
“Well Lucy said you guys knew each other so I figure it won’t be as awkward.” Mel offered as she ran her fingers through her hair.
“We went to the same high school, had a couple of classes together.” Autumn shrugged as she began to pick apart her cookie with her fingers.
“Please come with me, I’ll feel better if you do.” Mel begged.
“If I do will you stop looking at me like that?” Mel pouted some more as Autumn’s heart rate increased.
“Of course.” Mel said sweetly as Autumn slid off the stool and went to the cupboard to fetch a container.
“Give me a minute we’ll take cookies.” Autumn told her as she began to pack some of the cookies into a clear container that her sister had given her when she had first moved out.
“Thanks Autumn.” Mel said as she finished off the last of her cookie.
“It’s alright.” Autumn said as she tightly clipped the lid on the container. She crossed the tiny kitchen and washed her hands before quickly wiping them on the skirt of her yellow sundress.
“Have you seen my shoes?” Autumn asked as she grabbed her keys and the container off of the counter.
“By the door.” Mel said as she slid off the bar stool and began to pull the legs of her tiny shorts down. Mel was thin and pretty and if Autumn was any younger she would have been jealous. Mel grinned at her as Autumn slid her thongs on and opened the door, tapping the container full of cookies against the wall.
“I shouldn’t have eaten that cookie. It’ll put my calorie count over.” Mel said, causing Autumn to laugh as they made their way up the narrow hallway. Mel held the door open to the stairwell and Autumn entered it, pausing to savour the cool air in the windowless area.
Autumn’s thongs made an irritating smacking noise against the stairs as the pair made their way down the stairwell to the ground floor. The plastic container full of cookies was hot in Autumn’s hands as Mel kept up a healthy stream of chatter about her job as a secretary.
“And on Thursday Pam from accounting spent like forty three minutes in the boss’ office and she came out fully dishevelled and happy and Pam is never happy. She’s always like Melissa where are the Canterbury reports and I’ll be like it’s Melanie and she’ll be like I don’t think your skirt is appropriate for work.”
“Just because she comes out dishevelled and happy doesn’t mean something’s going on.” Autumn pointed out.
“Well Katie’s sleeping with him and she always comes out of his office happy and with messy hair. And Katie got a pay rise like three weeks after they started doing the dirty. And she isn’t even that good a secretary. I end up shouldering her work half the time.”
“That’s appalling Mel and mostly illegal.”
“Did I tell you about Patrick and Gretchen?”
“Not yet.”
“Well they’re sleeping together.”
“It’s like a soap opera only real.” Autumn commented unintelligently as she held open the door to the ground floor. Mel giggled as they stepped out into the heat. It was a humid, overcast day and Autumn grunted as she fanned her neck, making her way to the door of Dominick’s apartment.
They stopped in front of the wooden door, Autumn keeping a tight grip on the clear lunch box filled with cookies. Mel looked at her and Autumn blinked back, trying to ignore the anxious bubble that was rising in her stomach. The sound of thongs against the pavement caught Autumn’s attention and she glanced over her shoulder as Mel groaned, knocking on the door.
“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” Autumn muttered as she turned around. Sarah McKinnon hadn’t changed much. She was still much shorter than Autumn and she was still very pretty, but the look she gave Autumn took her right back to high school and Autumn could almost feel herself being belittled again.
“Your hair looks better this colour.” Sarah commented coolly as she stopped behind them, arms crossed beneath her breasts. Mel stepped aside politely as they waited for the door to open. Sarah stepped between them, forcing Autumn to step aside to make room for her.
“I like your shoes.” Autumn replied lamely as she indicated towards Sarah’s jewelled flats.
“Oh, they are cute.” Mel muttered from the other side of Sarah.
“What are you doing here anyway?” Sarah asked as she reached up to pound her palm on Dominick’s door.
“I live here. What are you doing here?” Autumn asked.
“I’m here to pick up my son.”