CUPCAKE

"Ms. Pretty Kaye, have you heard the news?" Jestoni wiggled his brows excitedly as he asked Kaye.

"What news?" Kaye looked at him with curiosity in her voice.

"I heard that a new dessert factory will open this morning at ten. I have verified it and it's confirmed. You'll love it. Why don't we go there later?" Jestoni knew that his friend likes food so much. She would rather eat to her heart's content than find a boyfriend. Well, that was before she found Ivan.

"Why not?" Kaye's eyes twinkled with happiness. For her, food is life. She would try various types of food and recreate them for her personal taste buds. Now, she has Ivan to eat those foods with her which made her more excited.

After her shift, together with Jestoni, she went to this new dessert factory. It was a luxurious building with a fairytale motif. Sweet's Tea House was it's name. Their food display could melt your heart into a puddle of honey. Kaye's mouth watered by just looking at them.

"Wipe your drool." Jestoni joked at her since she looked so infatuated with the desserts, but Kaye glared at him in return.

Kaye looked at the display one more time deciding which one she's going to buy. Remembering Ivan who's got allergy with strawberry, she chose those that are made from chocolate. "I'd like to get two Golden Phoenix Cupcake, Frozen Haute Chocolate Cake, two Almond Chocolate Spring Cupcake and two Matcha Oreo Cupcake for takeout."

"You're buying a lot. You sure would finish that?" Jestoni was wide-eyed listening to the order she gave to the girl behind the display case.

"Are you doubting my stomach capacity?" this time it was Kaye who joke at him, which was half true. Kaye could eat a lot more than normal people could.

When she got her order, she wanted to pay using cash but her money wasn't enough. Staring at her wallet, specifically the one she got from Ivan, made her smile. She took the card and swiped it like it was her own. 'I think he'd regret giving this to me.' Kaye laughed evilly at the thought. After checkout, she waited for Jestoni to finish before going home.

Ivan woke up happily that morning. Last night, when Kaye left the apartment, he checked his phone for that voicemail she sent him, ignoring his sister's message for the first time. He smiled like a fool listening to her voice asking his whereabouts. He listened to it over and over until he fell asleep.

He was humming while brushing his teeth when he remembered something which made him laugh heartily by himself. "Wife. Sounds nice." he uttered to himself.

When Kaye arrived home, Ivan was already working on his tablet with some files while that systemic voice reads it to him.

"I'm home. Have you eaten?" Kaye announced her arrival while unstrapping her shoes before changing it to her indoor slippers.

"I haven't. I just woke up." Ivan replied to her without looking at her.

Kaye didn't say anything. She walked directly to the kitchen and placed the food she bought before going inside her room to change.

Ivan was going through his mails and have the screen reader say it to him when he heard a statement from his card that made him smile. 'She bought something using my card.' Ivan noted mentally. He didn't say anything when Kaye started checking her fridge for ingredients or when she started cooking until they were about to eat did he speak.

"You used my card." It was not a question but a statement that Ivan uttered softly to her.

"I did. Are you regretting it now? I wouldn't pay you back for that." Kaye was being shameless to her roommate. He wouldn't see her anyway.

"I'm actually glad. I thought you wouldn't use it." he responded back before putting a spoonful of food to his mouth.

"It's not everyday someone would give me their money to spend so why not?" she put a viand on her plate while answering him. "I'm sure you'll like what I bought with your money." she added before eating her food.

"I believe it's food." Ivan chuckled after she said it to her.

"I hate you. Can't you pretend to be surprise that it's food?" Kaye was sulking that Ivan knew she's really into food.

"I will do it next time." Ivan compromised just to make her happy. Whatever she wanted to do, he'll be there to support her.

"Right. Let me get it for you." Kaye stood up and took out the cakes she placed in the refrigerator. She gave him the Golden Phoenix cupcake. "Don't worry, I didn't buy anything with strawberries."

"That's thoughtful of you." Ivan said to her with a tease mixed in a velvet voice. Kaye turned red in embarrassment.

"Should I buy strawberries next time and put it in your food?" she threatened him, though she wouldn't dare do it.

Ivan's laughter echoed inside their apartment. He laughed at her meaningless threat. Kaye just smiled looking at his happy face. 'How I wish to see you like this, always. Sad to say, you have someone you belong to.' but these thoughts no longer affect her since she decided to live in the moment and let go when the time comes.

"Aren't you afraid I would spend your money carelessly?" she asked him after he calmed down and started eating the cake.

"This is delicious." Ivan exclaimed taking another bite of the cake. "Can you get this again next time?" he asked her in return.

"Sure." Kaye agreed seeing him eat the sweets merrily. "There are other kinds of desserts I bought. We'll have those later." she told him before she ate her fill.

"I will just work hard to earn more money for you." Ivan told her seriously before wiping his mouth with a tissue.

Kaye was confused with his statement so she didn't speak for a while. She finished her food first before responding to him, "What are you talking about?"

"You asked me what if you'll spend my money carelessly, so I'm telling you that I'll work hard to earn more money for you." Ivan repeated himself with a bright smile.

Kaye rolled her eyes, grabbing her water to drink but her face was still burning. "I shouldn't have bought that cupcake for you. You're being crazy again." 'Your choice of words is weird.' she added mentally while she's fanning herself with her hands.

Ivan laughed again. He had already lost count to the number of times she made him laugh after he returned home yesterday.