Page 59 of Shapes of Love
“I’ll flee,” Asher says, pulling away and grabbing a sleeve of tinsel to defend himself. “Take this before I regret it.” He pulls a box out of the stocking and hands it to me. The smell of butter, sugar, and azahar water wafts through the air as I uncap the lid. Inside there’s a doughnut-shaped dessert I recognize immediately. A Spanish roscón. Asher stares at it judgmentally. “It’s not perfect, but I think I got the flavor right. You told me it was your favorite holiday sweet from Spain, right? I had my guy send me the recipe. Hope it’s sweet enough. There are also tiny personalized figurines hidden inside.”
“You made this?”
Asher rakes his fingers through his undercut, clucking his tongue. “I was going to fly one out, but it would have gone stale, so I baked it at Kai’s place. Or tried to. His oven is prehistoric—”
I pull him into a one-armed hug. Roscones take hours to make. The fact that he bothered to get the recipe makes my chest tighten.
“It’s not a big deal. I can show you how to make it, if you want.” He pouts and looks away. “I’m sure Sonia would like it, too.” He turns to Kai and extends an arm toward the stocking. “But first, my present. Come on. I’ve been waiting for ages.”
“Jeez. Here you go,” Kai says, handing it over. He fidgets with the string of his hoodie, watching Asher as he tears through the wrapping. Inside there’s a sketchbook. When Asher flips it open, Kai’s drawings spill across the pages. He’s drawn the three of us as turtles, Asher’s favorite animal, and chronicled our London escapades. There’s the time we went to the London Eye, three little turtles looking out of a giant Ferris wheel. Us bouldering, singing karaoke, experimenting with horror prosthetics on set.
Asher chews on his lip, leafing through the pages with a vacant expression.
“It’s silly, I know,” Kai says, tensing. “But we said handmade or under fifty dollars, so—”
Asher looks down and scrambles to his feet. “Excuse me,” he mutters, clearing his throat. “I need to, um, use the loo.”
He rushes upstairs without another word. Kai turns to me with a panicked look. “You think he didn’t like it?” Ishrug, confused as well. “Shit.” Kai gets up. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”
“Hey.” Sonia appears on top of the stairs, brows knitted in confusion. “Why is your friend crying in the bathroom?”
I can tell by the death grip Mia keeps on my arm that she’s playing it cool when she meets Asher. We’re getting ready in my room before heading to her cousin’s New Year’s Eve party. I’ve been ready for hours, opting for loose jeans and a crop top. Asher, though, that’s another issue. In an Armani suit, he looks ready to attend the Oscars, not an informal get-together, so Kai let him borrow his leather jacket to help find some sort of fashion middle ground. Mia showed up a few minutes ago to do her makeup at my place and snag the freebies I get from brands.
“Nice to meet you. Sorry, your name was?” Mia asks. She gives Asher’s hand a casual shake. She’s clad in a two-piece dress, her hair falling past her shoulders in loose curls.
“Asher.” He’s still wearing designer pants, but with Kai’s jacket draped over his shoulders, he looks more casual. “You’re Mia, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Is cool… Is cool…” She waves a hand and sits in front of my vanity, feigning nonchalance.
“She’s freaking out becauseFridayis her favorite show,” I tell Asher, quelling a laugh.
“Sasha, que te mato.” Mia whirls around, a wild look inher eyes as she points a brush at me. She clears her throat and faces Asher. “I mean, I’ve watched a few episodes…”
“Don’t let her lie to you. She’s watched the entire show twice,” Kai chimes in from the other side of my en suite bathroom.
“That’s it, I’m ending your life.” Mia jumps up from the chair and pounds on the bathroom door. “Or worse, I’m posting your drafts. I remember your phone’s password.”
“I mean,Friday isa good show,” Asher says. “I don’t blame you. I’ve watched it three times.”
“Of course you have,” Kai scoffs. “Did you skip all the other scenes and just watch yours?” He steps out of the bathroom, wearing a loose white shirt paired with an oversized jacket of the same color that he stole from Asher, a touch of eyeliner framing his eyes. “How do I look?”
“Hot as fuck,” Mia cries, high-fiving him. Kai gives her a finger heart.
“You look, um, all right. Glad my jacket suits you,” Asher says. His back is to us as he looks at Kai through the mirror. “Don’t ruin it. White stains easily, and it’s expensive. The fabric was actually a gift—”
“Forget it. I’m changing.” Kai groans, locking himself in the bathroom.
“No! Keep it. You’ve already worn it, so I’ll have to wash it anyway and—” Asher trips over the bed, landing on the rug with a thud.
When Mia bursts into laughter, so do I, and even Asher snickers, smoothing his clothes back into place. Suddenly I remember something Rosa said to me at the auction. Thathome is nothing but yourself. This is the most at home I’ve felt in years. I would be happy if I could just have these moments with my friends for the rest of my life.
Mia’s cousin’s place is already bustling with people by the time we arrive. Spending New Year’s at Toni’s has become a recent tradition. He invites both Mia’s extended family and mine to his house, since he’s engaged to my cousin Malvin.
Malvin, my aunt’s eldest, used to babysit me and Sonia a lot when we were little. Mia and I take a lot of pride in the fact that he and Toni met thanks to us, even though it was an accident. A few years ago we both needed a ride to Six Flags during the summer and our parents couldn’t take us. Mia convinced Toni to take her, and Malvin drove me. They ended up spending the day with us, sparked up a conversation, and the rest is history.
In the living room, the furniture and potted plants have been pushed aside, making way for the dance floor. The warm glow of the fairy lights spills into the yard, where tables with an array of homemade foods and nonalcoholic drinks have been laid out. Malvin has put the booze in one of the upper cabinets, since there’s a fair number of little kids scattered throughout the party.
Asher points at a table full of food. “Kai, look, a salad bowl, your archnemesis.”
