My Roommate Is a Chef

Chapter 1

Brie’s Apartment – Brooklyn, NY

The sound of a suitcase zipping shut was way more satisfying than it should’ve been. Brie crossed her arms, watching her (soon-to-be-ex) roommate, Vanessa, shove the last of her overpriced skincare into a Louis Vuitton duffel.

“You’re really not going to say anything?” Vanessa snapped, flicking her perfectly straightened hair over one shoulder.

Brie shrugged. “What’s left to say? ‘Don’t let the door hit you on your way out’ feels pretty fitting.”

Vanessa’s lip curled. “You’re such a child. Just because you couldn’t handle a little honesty—”

“A little honesty?” Brie laughed, sharp and humorless. “Calling my followers ‘basic’ and my content ‘desperate’ isn’t honesty. It’s just bitchy.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. “Whatever. Have fun finding someone to cover my half of the rent last-minute.”

The door slammed behind her.

Brie exhaled, sinking onto the couch. Okay. Maybe she hadn’t thought this through.

Her phone buzzed—a text from her best friend, Maya:

>> How’d the breakup go?

Brie snorted. >> Like a Taylor Swift song. Dramatic exit included.

>> So… you need a new roommate ASAP?

Brie groaned. She did. The lease was in her name, and Vanessa’s half had kept things comfortable. She opened her Instagram, thumb hovering over a desperate “Roommate needed!” post—

Then another text popped up.

>> Actually… I might have a solution.

(Three days later)

Brie stood in the middle of her apartment, critically eyeing the space. She’d deep-cleaned, rearranged the living room, and even bought a new rug to erase any trace of Vanessa’s “cold minimalist chic” vibe. Now, it felt cozy again. Lived-in.

The doorbell rang.

She smoothed down her sundress (okay, fine, maybe she’d put in a little extra effort) and opened the door.

And—

Oh.

Oh no.

Standing in her hallway was a guy—tall, tousled blond hair, a faded band tee stretched over shoulders that had definitely hauled industrial-sized sacks of flour—with a duffel bag slung over one arm and a stupidly charming smirk.

“You must be Brie,” he said, voice warm. “I’m Jace. Maya’s friend?”

Right. Maya’s friend. The chef. The one who needed a place after moving to the city for a new job. The one Maya had described as “chill, clean, and easy on the eyes.”

Brie had assumed she was exaggerating.

She was not.

“Yeah! Hi!” She cringed internally at her own pitch. “Come in. I, uh—I cleared out half the kitchen cabinets already.”

Jace stepped inside, his gaze flickering over the apartment. “Nice place.”

“Thanks. It’s better now that the evil queen’s been dethroned.”

He laughed—a rich, easy sound—and set his bag down. “So, Maya mentioned you do social media stuff?”

“Marketing by day, influencer by… also day, honestly. It’s a blur.” She hesitated. “You’re cool with being on camera sometimes, right? No pressure, but I might be filming around and you might appear in the back anyway and—”

“As long as you don’t make me dance,” he said, deadpan.

“Not even a little TikTok trend?” She joked.

“I’d rather deep-fry my own hands.”

Brie grinned. “Noted.”

Jace hoisted his bag onto the kitchen counter—because of course he went straight to the kitchen—and unzipped it. Inside weren’t clothes, but… containers.

“What’s all that?” she asked.

“Peace offering.” He popped open a lid, revealing perfect, golden-brown macarons. “Heard your last roommate sucked. Figured I’d start off on a better foot.”

Brie’s stomach growled audibly.

Jace’s smirk deepened. “That a yes?”

She reached for one, then paused. “Wait. Did you make these?”

“Maybe.”

“Are you bribing me with baked goods?”

“Is it working?”

Brie took a bite. The shell cracked delicately, giving way to lush raspberry filling. Her eyes fluttered shut. “Oh my god.”

When she opened them again, Jace was watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite place—something between pride and… amusement? Interest?

“So,” he said, leaning back against the counter. “Roommates?”

Brie licked her lips, still sweet from the macaron. “Yeah. Definitely.”

And just like that—her life got a whole lot sweeter.