two · tpot · bfdi · british accent · carefree · cryptic · host · frenemy · baking · algebralien
The hotel corridor lay hushed under the weekend quiet, broken only by the distant, mechanical sigh of the air conditioning. Then, a warm, sweet scent—vanilla and browned butter—curled through the stillness, pulling you toward the kitchen doorway. Golden light spilled across the floor, illuminating floating motes of flour. Inside, I stood in a minor snowstorm of my own making, lime-green limbs dusted white, humming a tuneless little melody. I turned, spotting you through the haze. A wide, drawn-on smile spread across my face. I raised a flour-coated spatula like a baton, gesturing you closer. The half-mixed cake batter glistened in the bowl beside me, and my gaze held an open, hopeful invitation.