Chapter 15 - Nicole

October turned into November, and the chills set in, driving most of the college students indoors. Among them was Nicole, who found herself spending her time cozy in her dorm when not in class. It was a much more tolerable place to be than it had been earlier in the semester. Mainly due to Kate, who had made Nicole feel incredibly comfortable and at home. The cooking Kate had been providing was now driving Nicole to go after seconds and even thirds of the portions that Kate put in front of her. Homemade mashed potatoes, Pizzas, Sandwiches, Pasta, Mac and cheese, you name it, Kate could make it. It was always chased with the sweetest desserts and treats as well. Kate often insisted Nicole keep trying new things whenever she wasn't even hungry. Despite Nicole's weak protests, Kate seemed to be convincing Nicole more and more. Beyond that, the blender always seemed to be running, turning out healthy smoothies that only Nicole seemed to be guzzling down. Between meals, Nicole found herself napping a lot more. Since it was cold out and Nicole regularly had a good meal in her, it felt natural to sleep more.

Ever since the Halloween party, Nicole and Carl had spent the past two weekends just cuddling and having sex. Nicole felt weird that the only people she was spending time with regularly was Kate and her Boyfriend. It was far from where Nicole had imagined things going this semester, but the level of comfort both of them brought into her life made Nicole complacent. Sure, Nicole still had friends from classes and parties.. but the more time she spent around Kate and Carl, the more she realized how little those other people meant to her. Regardless of if Nicole realized it or not, all of her other 'friends' had always been just as shallow as she was and only valued the status symbol of being around someone so attractive and popular. Nicole was hardly the girl she was freshman year. No longer a cheerleader, no longer single, and some people were starting to notice Nicole was no longer a fitness queen. Though no one could deny she was drop-dead gorgeous and overtly confident about it, there did seem to be more reluctance to label her as someone at the top of the social pyramid. Seeing as Nicole could hardly find the time to care or be aware of her slight dip in popularity, it wasn't something that bothered her.

What was bothering her was her secret crush. Yes yes.. Carl was her everything.. but the cute guy working behind the counter at her favorite bakery was her fantasy. Ever since she had been going there to tend her sweet tooth, the guy hadn't even given Nicole so much as a second glance. It was beyond infuriating, too, since all Nicole wanted was the slightest bit of attention. If she got that, then she knew she'd be able to push this guy out of her mind, just like the hundreds of other guys drooling over her. Nicole was increasingly making more effort to do her makeup and find a cute outfit to get into before heading to the bakery. Yet even with the extra effort, the outcome was always the same. Nicole was just another customer to him.

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A week before thanksgiving, Nicole found herself in her favorite bakery, Dream Puffs, crammed into a tight dress, looking to impress. She was now going at least four times a week, mainly around the hours that her secret crush worked. Weirdly enough, the days and hours he worked were around the days and hours Kate had initially told Nicole to go. Go figure. Increasingly, as Nicole entered the bakery, the smells made her mouth water.

As Nicole approached the register, the handsome guy glanced up at her dismissively. "The usual?"

Nicole was taken aback. The usual? Did he remember her? Nicole blushed and giggled. "Umm.. yeah. Thank you." It felt like progress.

Without hesitation, Nicole peaked at the hunk's delicious backside as he walked away, collecting a series of baked goods and putting them into a bag for her.

Just like every time, he wordlessly slid the bag to Nicole and told her the price. Nicole handed him her credit card, hoping he would return the smile she was giving, but it never came. It was hard to gauge where this left things. Clearly, he remembered her, but why didn't he ever flirt with her? Nicole knew that if she was still single, she'd put much more effort into this, but alas, she held back.

After leaving the shop, Nicole returned home and started devouring her treats. Three cupcakes, a doughnut, a slice of vanilla cake, and... there was something new.. A chocolate muffin. Nicole had never ordered one before, but after eating it, it was now her new usual. As she ate and chewed, she thought about this nameless baker boy and the things she wished he would do to her. It was wrong to think about, but Nicole couldn't help herself. As she finished devouring her muffin, Nicole sent her boyfriend a text, asking him to come over. Even though she was stuffed full, she was in a mood to be filled differently.

While she waited, she warmed herself up. Wishing she could put a name to the thoughts she was having about the handsome baker.