"Kris! What are you doing here?" I called out, perhaps a little too forcefully.

Kris spotted me behind Iter, and maneuvered her way with the box around the bemused god, over to me.

"Mai! You're looking well!" Kris beamed at me, looking me up and down over the top of her box. "I was in a baking mood last night, and ended up making way too much. So I thought you could help me finish off the extras." Her eyes were a little too bright.

Kris bakes?

Kris was all smiles as she swept past me. "Do you mind if I take these to the kitchen? Some of these taste better warmed up."

But her advance to the kitchen was stalled abruptly. Bushra had followed the commotion and was standing in the entrance to the hallway, watching inquisitively.

I couldn't see Kris's face well from behind, but her back was suddenly tense.

"Uh, hi. I'm Bushra," Bushra said with an awkward wave. Then added, "Mai's partner," as if that explained anything.

"Partner!" Kris echoed, more loudly than necessary. Kris craned her neck back to look at me. Her smile was still in place, but it was frozen now, and didn't match the widening of her eyes.

"This is the colleague I mentioned before," I responded to Kris' unspoken question. "She wrote the app that we're basing our business on."

Kris' brows went up even higher, but her mouth made an 'oh' of recognition. Immediately, her smile was back in place, although her eyes were narrowed.

"Oh, so you're Mai's coworker," she said, turning back to Bushra. "Kris Doughtery." She shifted the box to cradle it with her left arm, and reached out to Bushra with her right. As Bushra took her hand in response, Kris added, "I'm Mai's good friend since we were kids." Kris quickly released Bushra's handshake. "Well, I suppose I made enough for one more. Excuse me," she said as she bustled off to the kitchen.

Bushra looked like she'd swallowed something unpleasant. "Your good friend has a lot of energy," she remarked quietly.

Not knowing what to say, I smiled, perplexed, and followed Kris. I noticed Iter elected to remain with Bushra.

Kris had set down her box on the kitchen table. She stood staring at the open box with pursed lips and a slight wrinkle to her forehead. She looked up when I came in.

"So, whaddya bring?" I started lightly, unsure of my friend's mood.

"Well, you know, a bit of this and that." Her face relaxed. "Once you get started, it's hard to stop."

I'd never had that experience with cooking of any kind. In the box were a number of items, filled to the brim and stacked on top of each other. I saw what looked like lemon bars, scones, mini fruit galettes, and some tiny quiches in cute little round tins. It was incredible.

"You made all this?" I breathed, in awe. "I never knew you baked."

"Really? I started in college, once I had a place of my own with an oven. It was a more economical option to eating out – at least, that's what I thought at the time." She paused in wry remembrance. "Turns out you waste a lot of ingredients in the beginning. But it was a surprisingly relaxing break during finals." Kris made a somewhat embarrassed smile. "You can work out a lot of frustration with a spatula and a whisk."

"It looks amazing," I replied honestly. My stomach was stirring in anticipation.

Kris' overall body language softened, a pleased smile forming. "Wait until some of it is warmed up. Can I use your oven?" Without waiting for permission, she walked over to look at the oven's controls.

"So you came by to feed me baked goods?" I considered. "Isn't it Monday? Don't you have to work?" I looked at her, concerned

"I told them I'd be in later," Kris responded over her shoulder. "I said I had a doctor's appointment." She finished setting the oven temperature, and turned back to the box on the table. "Here, you can start on these while I get the others warmed," she said, as she started apportioning the various items. "Can you bring me some plates?"

✦ ✦ ✦

The smell of buttery crust and savory ingredients began to waft in from the kitchen. I was currently finishing off a glazed doughnut that Bushra'd brought while sitting on the couch. Bushra was seated awkwardly next to me, as Kris walked in with a plate and set it down in front of us. Then she made a motion for me to shift over, and sat down to my other side. I felt like the filling of a sandwich. Kris leaned over and pulled a lemon bar off the plate.

"Feel free to help yourself," Kris directed to Bushra with a breezy smile.

"Uh, thanks," Bushra replied, and leaned over herself to grab what looked something like a pecan pie, but in bar form. She bit into it carefully, but soon began taking even bigger bites, eyes wide with appreciation. "Thish is good!" She mumbled through mouthfuls.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Glad you like it," Kris replied. She nibbled her own lemon bar with a satisfied expression. She seemed to notice the box of doughnuts for the first time. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd already brought food." I looked at her to see if she was being catty, but her expression was honestly apologetic. She looked over at me, "My food will keep until tomorrow, we should eat the doughnuts first." I guess baker instincts aside, Kris had the frugality of an accountant at heart.

"No, its fine, I just picked those up on the way over. This food is amazing!" Bushra exclaimed, reaching for a lemon bar of her own.

"Between the three of us, we're plenty to tackle these treats. Let's make it a brunch." I smiled.

"Three of us," Kris repeated in confusion, then looked over at Iter. "Are you not joining?" Then she directed the question back to me, "Is Iter not joining us?"

"Uh," I looked over at Iter and saw him smiling in a relaxed pose, but the discomfort in his eyes was clear to me. "Iter was about to step out. Sorry," I looked back at Kris, "We weren't expecting company this morning."

"We…" Kris breathed, but Bushra seemed to start at that.

"I'm sorry, I showed up without any warning, either. If it's not a good time, I could find somewhere else… " Bushra's words trailed off, and I could tell she was searching for alternatives. She didn't slow down eating, though.

"No, that's not what I meant, you're both welcome to stay! Iter has something else planned, that's all." Yeah, spending the next hour not eating food was likely at the top of Iter's plans. I glanced his way for confirmation.

"You are correct. We should be making Our exit from this gathering." He stood and gave a small bow to Kris and Bushra. "Please, enjoy your repast. We shall meet another time."

"Sorry, Iter," Bushra apologized unconvincingly over a mouthful of galette.

Kris smiled in bemusement, then looked over at me. I realized belatedly that she was seeking a translation. "Oh, he said to enjoy ourselves, and he'd see you both another time."

I saw Bushra looking quizzically between Kris and me, but I ignored it for the moment. I stood up and walked Iter over to the front door. Under my breath, I added, "Sorry, I didn't mean to send you away. But, you know… "

"As delicious an experience as it appears, We are quite relieved to avoid a meal, or at least, it's ingestion." He brushed aside my concerns genially. "We shall return after your repast is complete." He opened the door, gave a reassuring smile, and walked out. I wondered for a moment where he would go.

Feeling like a mother sending her child out on their first errand alone, I returned to the front room. Kris was already standing, and moving toward the kitchen. "The quiche are probably ready," she said as she slipped by.

I returned to my seat on the couch in the middle, a little awkwardly close to Bushra while saving the other space for Kris. I picked up a pecan bar to chew on in the silence. It really was amazingly good. When did Kris learn to do this? I recalled I hadn't woken up early enough for my run this morning I glanced down at my belly as inconspicuously as possible. I promised myself I'd go running later today.

Bushra seemed to have no such concerns as she polished off the galette. "So what's Kris do?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, Kris is a finance controller." Seeing Bushra's blank expression, I added, "She's like a lead accountant for her division." I guess Bushra didn't deal much with accounting as an engineer?

"Hm," Bushra grunted thoughtfully. "Is she any goo…" She began, when Kris returned.

"I'm pretty damned good, as it happens." She smilingly set the second plate next to the first, this one with the mini quiches artfully arranged.

"Ah, sorry, I was just…" Bushra waved her hands in a placating gesture, but Kris seemed unperturbed.

"They're a bit hot, but help yourself." Kris set down a stack of paper napkins she must have brought with her; I didn't recognize them. She then sat down next to me, gingerly took a quiche and held it with a paper napkin. She then levered it out of the small aluminum tin and carefully took a bite.

Bushra watched with some trepidation, but also anticipation. She quickly grabbed a napkin and quiche, and raised it to her mouth. "Mmm, so good!" She licked the flakey crumbs of crust off her lips and looked at the remaining quiche with admiration. "If you're accounting's half as good as your baking, you must be a genius!"

Kris seemed a little discomfited by the praise. She used a finger to elegantly wipe a few bits of crust from the lifted corners of her mouth and finished her quiche. "So," she began, "Mai has told me barely anything about your app. What's it do?" She smiled at Bushra politely.

✦ ✦ ✦

The sun was high enough that it no longer shone through the blinds, but the daylight bathed the room in a golden glow. The front of these old Victorian buildings were often chilly in the winter due to all the windows, but the sun had warmed the room nicely. Well, I'm sure the baseboard heaters helped, but that was more prosaic than I was feeling.

The impromptu brunch buffet had wound down, but Kris and Bushra were now actively discussing the app. Even the doughnuts had been demolished. I'd taken out some orange juice and sparkling Moscato that I had in the fridge to assemble some make-do mimosas, and empty glasses now littered the table. Combined with the sunlight, carbohydrates, and lack of sleep, I was feeling a bit floaty.

Each of the other two seemed to have their professional switch engaged, leaning forward on the couch to talk animatedly across me. Bushra waxed enthusiastically about the features and architecture of her application. Kris interjected from time to time with questions about where and how the app was hosted, how it was accessed and installed, and what kind of usage it had. I added my thoughts from time to time regarding user behavior and future enhancements that I'd gathered in my last sessions. It was more like a business meeting than a brunch, though the tightness of my slacks at the waist disagreed.

"So," Kris leaned back. "What are your plans now?" She looked back and forth between Bushra and me.

"Well, Bushra may not need to… " I began, thinking about our prior conversation. It hadn't been resolved entirely yet, but we likely weren't under the threat of legal action anymore. Bushra had a lot of different options in that case.

"I might have a source of funding I didn't have before." Bushra interrupted, a wolfish grin on her face. "And we have some leverage with our old company now, too. Things are looking up!"

"Hunh?" I blurted, but Bushra ignored me.

"How about you?" Bushra directed her gaze at Kris. "We could use some pretty damn good financial advice. Are you available to consult?"

I must have been gaping like a fish, but Kris returned Bushra's grin with a impish one of her own. "Perhaps. My rates are pretty damn steep, though." She picked up the last bite of lemon bar and popped it in her mouth.

Unsure what was happening or how, I was about to interject when the following notification appeared in my field of view:

A new Party Member request was received.

Accept? Y/N