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Beth was a baker, and Rio loved sweets. Their relationship was a match made in heaven. He loved to taste-test everything Beth made. He was like a kid in a candy store and somehow, no matter how many desserts he devoured, he always stayed lean. Beth hated it.
Like this morning: after polishing off his third banana nut cookie after a banana nut muffin, he grinned at her.
“Hey, it’s basically like having three bananas. You know, potassium’s good for you.”
Beth scowled. “That’s not even close to being the same thing, Rio.”
He smirked, reaching for another cookie.
Beth crossed her arms. “I bet you can’t go one day without sweets, honey.”
Rio raised an eyebrow. “Oh, mama… seems you don’t know me as well as you think you do. What do I get when I win?”
Beth shrugged, mimicking his smooth drawl. “Bragging rights, darling.” Then, lowering her voice, she added, “And I’ll let you lick chocolate off me after I make your favorite double chocolate brownies.”
Rio’s grin turned wicked. “You’re on.”
Beth couldn’t believe he actually took the bet especially since tomorrow was the PTA bake-off, and he’d volunteered to be her helper-slash-taste tester.
Oh, revenge was sweet.
The next morning, Rio woke up on cloud nine. He didn’t even look at the muffins. Just poured himself a cup of tea and smiled smugly. He had this in the bag. He could already taste his prize chocolate and Elizabeth. He smacked his lips.
As he was daydreaming about his victory, Marcus, Jane, and Emma came bouncing into the kitchen, chattering about cookies and cakes.
Rio frowned. “What are you kids talking about?”
Marcus laughed. “Dad, today’s the PTA bake-off! You forgot? You’re Ms. Beth’s helper and taste tester, remember?”
Rio’s mouth dropped open. From the living room, Beth burst out laughing.
“Something wrong?” she called sweetly.
Rio narrowed his eyes. “You planned this?”
Beth pointed at herself innocently. “Me? Never. You volunteered weeks ago. It’s not my fault you forgot, I just took advantage of the opportunity.”
“You’re not playing fair,” he grumbled.
She kissed him on the cheek. “All’s fair in love and war, honey. Let’s go, everyone the bake-off awaits.”
Rio held strong for all of twenty minutes.
Then the chocolate chip cookies broke him.
Beth caught him mid-bite, crumbs on his lips, guilt all over his face.
“I knew it!” she laughed. “You lose, Rio.”
He just shrugged, leaning close with a lazy grin. “Can I still lick chocolate off you later?”
Beth smirked. “Dream on, Rio. That’s not how bets work.”
Later that night, when Rio was licking chocolate off Beth’s fingers, he didn’t feel like a loser at all.