Addison didn't think about her surprise encounter until later that night, after the bakery had been shut down and she'd dragged herself home. Working as much as she had the past few months left her constantly exhausted, but she'd never felt so accomplished in her life. She'd been dreaming about owning her own bakery for years...now that it was a reality, life was awesome.

That was, until she'd seen JC. She found herself frowning as she dropped her purse at the front door and walked slowly to the couch, collapsing on it and kicking her shoes off. Even though many years had passed - and many things had happened to the both of them - Addison had always felt like she hadn't gotten closure. One minute, there was an "us", and the next...well, no "us". She had a lot of emotions going through her right now, and she wasn't sure how to handle them. Excitement, butterflies, anger, borderline hatred...

"Hello? Earth to Addy?" Addison snapped out of her trance and looked up at her best friend and roommate, Grace Richards, who had wandered into the living room. Grace was the complete opposite of Addison: Grace was a Southern belle, born and raised in Savannah surrounded by the wealth and prestige of one of the town's oldest families. While Addison spent her youth as an only child in a suburb of Atlanta, Grace went to private school, traveled Europe and learned three languages. Addison had prom and Homecoming; Grace had cotillions and debutante balls. But when they'd met at church camp when they were 10, they were automatically inseparable. Addison still couldn't believe their friendship had lasted more than two decades, even if she and her parents had become more than just friends over the years.

"Oh. Hey Gracie Lou," Addison greeted tiredly as Grace sat down on the couch beside her, concern painted on her face.

"You look like shit. What happened today? Bad day?" Usually, Addison had some witty comeback when Grace's overly honest mouth spit out things like that, but tonight, her brain was elsewhere.

"I saw him today." She turned to face Grace as her best friend raised an eyebrow at her. "Josh." Grace's dramatic gasp made Addison smile a little and chuckle. "He came with Heather to the shop today."

“Oh yeah…I forgot she got into town today.” Grace leaned in closer, her face serious. "Did you punch him in the balls?" Addison laughed as she shook her head, grateful Grace was around to help diffuse tense moments like this. "No. Seriously Addy - did you?" Addison rolled her eyes as she got off the couch and trudged to the kitchen, digging through the fridge for food. She spotted Chinese cartons and grabbed them, checking its contents - broccoli beef and fried rice - before pouring them on a plate and sticking the plate in the microwave.

"Now now Grace. That's not nice," Addison replied as Grace joined her in the kitchen, hopping on the nearest counter. "And no. I didn't. We were...civil."

"It was awkward, wasn't it?"

"Very awkward," Addison admitted as she tossed the cartons in the trash. "We were both thrown off. Leave it up to Heather to not tell me that she planned on bringing her brother with her."

"Well, you know Heather – she’s all over the place and tends to forget important details like that. So...is he still hot?" Addison narrowed her eyes at Grace as she sat back down beside Addison, placing a bottle of water on the coffee table in front of them.

"God, Grace, did you seriously ask that question?! Why is that important?!"

Grace simply shrugged as she picked at her nails. "It's not. But I still want to know." Addison got lost in the memory of the JC she'd seen earlier that day, dressed simply in blue jeans, an Angels hoodie and matching Angels cap. He still looked as gorgeous - maybe more so - as she remembered. She'd felt that familiar jump in her heart that only he brought along, and it pissed her off that he still had that hold on her. "I see that look on your face Addy. Last time I saw it was that summer." Addison snapped out of her trance and looked at Grace, who looked sad and concerned. "You've still got a thing for him, don’t you?" Addison rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter, shaking her head.

"That man broke my heart Grace. I thought he could be forever, and he thought otherwise. The last thing I want to do is see him again." Grace gave Addison the 'I know you're bullshittin' me but I'm gonna leave it alone' look as the microwave rang out. Grateful for the opportunity to turn away from Grace's stare, Addison made slow work of grabbing her warm food, a fork, napkin and bottle of water. When she finally turned back to face Grace, her best friend was still giving her the look.

"You know I don't believe you. But I'm leaving it alone. For now." Addison smiled as she headed back to the couch to scarf down her dinner, Grace following behind. "But just so you know, I really don't believe you." Addison shot Grace a glare as she sat down and began to eat.

"For the love of Pete, Grace. I saw the man for 30 seconds today, and you act like I fell back in love with him. Can we please drop the subject?! I saw him, end of story."

"But - "

"Drop it, or I'm calling that ex-boyfriend of yours to tell him why you really broke up with him." Grace gasped loudly, her eyes wide as saucers.

"It's not my fault he wasn't good in bed but his brother was!" As Grace stammered through all the reasons why her latest man was not The One, she thought about JC one more time. She was a big enough woman to admit that, despite what her brain was saying, feelings were still there. She just hoped this encounter had been the last encounter.

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JC woke up the next morning after 10 am – which was very late for him. But, considering he’d tossed and turned until nearly 3am, it was expected. He had been more restless than anything and hadn’t been able to turn his brain off, which he hated. He was still tired, but he had things to do and couldn’t afford to sleep in any later. As he brewed a big pot of coffee, he saw a note his sister had left on the fridge.

I should be off by 7.  Want to meet for dinner? My treat for putting up with me for the next few days. Have a great day bro. – H

JC smiled as he re-read the note. Even though his sister had only been in town for a day – and she would be gone in the blink of an eye – he loved having her around. Being close in age, they had been inseparable growing up and were still close, even though they lived on opposite coasts. JC wasn’t a fan of only seeing her during holidays, so he wanted to take advantage of having her here as much as he could. He pulled his cell phone out of his shorts pocket and sent a text to his sister.

Let me guess – you went into work at 6, didn’t you? You work too hard, you know that? You name the place for diner. Remember to surface for food during the day.

He slipped his phone back in his pocket and grabbed the biggest coffee mug he owned as he waited for the pot to finish brewing. He dug through the fridge for his bottle of creamer, his eyes falling on a pink box that hadn’t been there before. He quickly remembered that Heather had bought cupcakes from Addison’s shop the day before, eyeing the box for a few seconds. Curiosity got the best of him, and he slid the box out of the fridge and opened it.

The cupcakes looked fantastic. There were all sorts of flavors, topping, wrappers…including a red velvet one. Smiling, JC picked it out of the box and stored the rest for later, opting to take a bite now than wait to pair it with his fresh coffee. The tanginess of the cream cheese frosting, paired with the light and fluffy red velvet cake, sent JC into food heaven. He’d eaten a lot of red velvet cake over the years, but this was the best damn red velvet cake he’d ever had. He even admitted that, while his mom’s cake was incredible, this might be better. It took a lot to top his mom’s cooking, but Addison had done it.

“No wonder Heather had a foodgasm in the car yesterday,” he muttered as he took another bite. The cupcakes were even better than he remembered, which didn’t surprise JC in the least. He’d known Addison for years, and she’d been baking for almost all of those years; it was only a matter of time before she’d set up shop somewhere and spoiled the world with baked goodness.

JC finished the cupcake in two more bite and tossed the wrapper in the trash as his coffee finished. He poured himself a cup and sighed, his mind going back to his encounter with Addison the day before. It’d blown his world to see her after he never expected to ever again. Heather hadn’t mentioned her in ages, and he thought she was still in New York City working as an up-and-coming defense attorney. To know she was practically in his backyard was a shock to his system and forced her back into his life when he’d pushed her out long before.

He carried his steaming mug of breakfast blend to the patio, enjoying the quiet of his Hollywood Hills neighborhood and the view it afforded him of Los Angeles. He typically used his free mornings – which were few and far between nowadays – to clear his mind. Today though, he could only think about Addison. The encounter had been on his mind since he’d left the cupcake shop, and it bothered him that he couldn’t let it go. They had been long over, and the look on her face when she’d spotted him told her that he was the last person she expected to walk in.

JC wished he could put together what bothered him so much about seeing her again. Maybe it was the fact that she’d been in LA for years and never mentioned it. Or that the guilt was still there, even after all these years. Or maybe it was the fact that, deep down, he regretted leaving her the way he had. She hadn’t deserved the abrupt cut-off with little logical explanation, but hindsight was 20/20, right? JC let his mind wander on for a few more minutes, enjoying his coffee and the quiet until his phone buzzed in his pocket.

How about The Federal Bar at 8?

JC had heard about the new NoHo arts district restaurant and had wanted to try it. Although it was a bit of a drive from where he was, he’d pretty much do anything for his sister at the moment. He typed back a response to confirm the dinner date as he finished the last of his coffee. JC forced himself to leave all thoughts of Addison on the patio as he exited, ready to start his day.

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“I need more triple chocolate ganache cupcakes!”

“Where are the sprinkles?! I need the sprinkles!”

“Are you sure this order was for three dozen cupcakes? I thought they wanted more?”

Addison’s shop, For the Love of Cupcakes, was buzzing. They had only been open for an hour, but the lunch crowd had drifted from the taco food truck parked across the street to her place, and they were slammed. While it was exciting to be this busy at 11:30am, it was also stressful. Addison was glad at that moment that she and her business partner, Miranda Phillips, had hired more staff than they’d intended. They’d be sunk without them.

Addison put the finishing touches on two dozen triple chocolate ganache cupcakes before plating them and walking from the kitchen to the storefront. She took a second to take the place in, her heart soaring with pride. The three counter workers were busy helping customers, a positive buzz in the air despite the line. Most people took advantage of the wait and canvased the four cases of cupcakes that were on display, oohing and aahing over what they saw. It pleased Addison that she was starting to recognize the faces of some of the regulars, a sign that people really liked them and were coming back for more.

It had taken months for her and Miranda to figure out how they wanted to design the place, which was housed in an old building that had been recently renovated as a part of the NoHo arts district’s rebeautification project. They’d gotten the place for a steal in comparison to what they would’ve paid elsewhere, and the faded red brick building suited them perfectly. The inside had been completely redone, with an artsy feel flowing from the district into their shop. The black and white walls were adorned in paintings from local artists, most for sale if someone was interested.  Old-fashioned chandeliers provided lighting, and Addison really liked the pairing of red chairs and the white tables with black tops. All of the tables inside were taken, as were the four all-white patio sets outside the shop.

“Oh thank God – the next three customers want this cupcake.” Miranda took the platter of cupcakes from Addison and went back to the counter, chatting happily with customers as she helped box up cupcakes. While Miranda and Addison had both gone to pastry school together, Addison was the better baker. Miranda enjoyed this type of interaction, and Addison preferred baking, so they meshed perfectly. She gave the place one more sweeping look before heading back to the kitchen to finish off the peanut butter and jelly cupcakes.

Addison was moving the cupcakes onto a tray when Brandy, one of the girls who ran the counter, stuck her head through the door. "Addison? A Heather Chasez is here for you. Want me to tell her you're busy?" Addison swallowed hard before shaking her head, wiping her hands on a nearby towel.

"Is she alone?" Addison asked. Brandy stuck her head back outside briefly then popped back in, nodding. Sighing with relief, Addison abandoned her station and followed Brandy up front, immediately spotting Heather through the crowd of people. It was hard to miss her, considering she nearly towered over people. "Can you bring two triple chocolate cupcakes to us please?" Addison asked before making her way towards Heather.

"Well hey there Ms. Cupcake," Heather greeted with a bright smile. She bent down to give Addison a hug, who glared up in return.

“Now why are you in here with those 5-inch heels? Let’s make me feel shorter, shall we?” Addison grumbled as they claimed an empty table in a corner near the front door. Heather laughed as she sat down and crossed her long legs. Addison still thought Heather had potential as a model, but Heather was never that type anyway.

“Oh hush. They’re not 5 inches...at least, I don’t think so. I’m sorry I caught you at a busy time.” Addison waved her hand nonchalantly to let Heather know it was fine. Brandy walked up at that moment with the cupcakes, and Addison chuckled as Heather’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God. I love you. You’ve must’ve caught my cupcake vibes or something.”

“You never turned down a good cupcake,” Addison pointed out as Heather made a grab for one of the cupcakes, ripping off the wrapper quickly and eating half the cupcake in one big bite. Addison raised an eyebrow, amused, as Heather made food love to the remainder of the cupcake, moaning in satisfaction when she was finished.

“I’ll save the other one for later,” Heather said quickly, dusting her hands of cupcake crumbs. “But right now, I have some news.” Addison felt her heart rate pick up. Was it JC? Was something wrong? Wait - why did her brain automatically go to him?

“What happened? Everything OK?”

“I’m moving to LA!” Addison breathed a visible sigh of relief, but now she was confused.

“Um...I thought you lived in New York?”

“I did - until about an hour ago. The company I’m here to help out likes my work and wants me to work for them - with higher pay, less work and more opportunities to work my way up. So I’m going to finish the audit but put in my two weeks while I was driving over here. Of course, they’ll scream conflict of interest or whatever, but the audit will be spotless, and they’ll have no room to say anything.” Addison shook her head and grabbed the remaining cupcake, taking a bite as Heather squealed in protest.

“You just dropped a bomb that you’re moving from New York to LA basically on a whim. I deserve some chocolate. I thought you’d outgrown this Heather.” Her friend shrugged and smiled sheepishly, which caused Addison to shake her head even more. Heather had always been the impulsive, whimsical one. Yale had been a last-minute decision. Her move to New York had come together in three days. But now that they were older, wiser, Addison thought that this phase was gone. Obviously not.

“I know, I know. But this opportunity is just too great to pass up. And, I’ll be here with you and Grace and Josh...I missed being near the people I care about the most.” Addison froze at the mention of JC’s name, almost forgetting that the two pretty much came in this neat package when they were in the same city. Heather was the reason she had met JC in the first place, a fact she was trying desperately not to regret at the moment.

“So...when do you start at your new job?”

“Next week. I leave for New York on Thursday to pack up - they’re going to pay my packing fees; how awesome is that?! - and I’ll move in with Josh on Sunday. I start Monday.” Addison sighed heavily as she finished the cupcake, mustering a smile for her friend who was obviously thrilled to be moving.

“Well. Congrats Heather. They’re going to love you. And, it’ll be great to have you back - Grace will be thrilled.”

“Oh, I already told her,” Heather said as she stood up. “She was more than thrilled. We’re having dinner tomorrow night, if you’re free. I have plans with Josh tonight, which is when I’ll break it to him that he’s getting a roommate.” Addison chuckled nervously at the mention of his name again, a sinking feeling in her stomach weighing her down. “Well, I’ve got movers to call. Tomorrow night, OK?” Addison nodded with a smile and gave Heather a hug before watching her exit the shop. “Bring cupcakes!” she shouted back before the door shut. Addison took a few seconds to gather her composure before heading back to the kitchen.

Son of a bitch.

With Heather moving to LA, she knew that seeing JC on a regular basis would be impossible. And, the fact that Heather probably had no clue what had gone down between them that summer meant that she would keep trying to put them in situations where all of them were together.

As Addison went back to mixing icing, she tried to calm the internal freak-out she was having. It shouldn’t bother her that JC would be making his way back into her life, should it? It had been ten years since that time, and the fact that it still bugged her to be in his presence was ridiculous. They had practically been kids back then, but they were adults now. They should be able to hang out without Addison wanting to slap him multiple times...

Right?

“Addison! PB & J, please!” Miranda’s desperate call for more cupcakes snapped Addison out of her trance. She started to ice the remaining cupcakes and forced her conversation with Heather out of her mind. Everything would be fine. Just fine.
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JC parked his Jeep as far from the entrance as possible, which made Heather fuss. Oh well - she’d get over the walk.

“You shouldn’t have worn those damn heels if you didn’t want to walk,” he told her as they headed across the long parking lot behind the restaurant’s building, JC taking in the sights. Even though it was a Tuesday night, he was impressed at the number of people around. He could hear a saxophone in the distance and see people heading towards a nearby art gallery. He’d never been to this place before, but he knew he’d be back.

“You know me and heels - we’re peas in a pod.” JC rolled his eyes as they walked up to the entrance of the restaurant and stepped inside. The dark wood floors, maroon walls and hints of browns and golds gave the restaurant a dark, sexy appeal. Their hostess walked them past two different bar areas, both packed with Dodgers fans watching their team take on the Phillies, and to a secluded area near the back of the massive space.

“Enjoy your meal,” the petite brunette with the bright red lipstick and sizable chest said with a smile, winking at JC as she walked away. JC turned discreetly and watched her, appreciating the way her hips swayed and her ass jiggled as she walked.

“God - have you not changed a bit since we were kids?” Heather spat at him disgustingly as she opened her menu. JC grinned as he followed suit, scanning through as a waiter walked up and introduced himself as Pat, Matt...something.

“Can I bring you guys drinks while you’re perusing the menu?” JC saw Heather bat her eyelashes and rolled his eyes, returning his attention back to his menu. She was about to work her woman charm, and he wanted no part of it. He heard her order him a beer and herself a margarita - “And keep them coming,” she’d added with a bright smile - and waited until their waiter walked away to turn his attention back to his sister.

“God - have you not changed a bit since we were kids?” he spat back at her, an amusing tone in his voice. Heather rolled her eyes but smiled. “So, how was work today? Get a lot accomplished?” He noticed Heather start fiddling with her black linen napkin nervously and heard her clear her throat.

“Well, I - ” she started. JC immediately thought the worst and leaned in closer.

“What happened? Did you get fired? Wait – you’re not pregnant, are you?” Heather’s laugh rang through the empty space.

“No! I’m not pregnant, Josh! I’m moving!” JC raised his eyebrows, setting his menu aside.

“Moving? Where? I thought you loved New York?”

“Well, I did.” JC rubbed his face roughly, knowing where this conversation was going. Heather did this every other year, it seemed like - she got tired of her life, and she made a “change” of some sort. Usually, this change wasn’t thought out all the way - from spur-of-the-moment trips to foreign countries to moving apartments on a whim to acquiring random pets and antiques, Heather had been through a lot of “changes” over the years. She’d been quite content for a couple of years now, so JC thought she’d outgrown that phase.

“What do you mean, you did? Did New York suddenly change on you?” Heather glared, sensing the irritation in JC’s voice.

“I got a great job opportunity this morning - and I start Monday. I’m moving...here.” JC’s eyes went wide, not expecting to hear that.

“You’re joking, right?” Heather’s nervous laugh told him otherwise, causing him to groan. “Are you serious Heather?! You’re moving here to take a job you got today!? I think this tops the cake for you sis, seriously.” JC wished his beer was in front of him at that moment; he really needed a drink.

Heather leaned in closer, a pleading look on her face. “Just hear me out Josh. It’s a great opportunity with a great company, and it won’t be as stressful as what I’m doing now. I hate what I do, and you know that.” JC couldn’t argue with that notion. He’d watched Heather struggle through her work the past two years, knowing she dreaded getting up every morning. She had a good job with a good company though, so she sucked it up and went with it. Well, she had – until now, apparently.

“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, really want to do this?” A slow smile crept across Heather’s face as she nodded. Their waiter came back with their drinks then, JC turning his attention to his beer and his thoughts for a few moments.

He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit his excitement about the sudden change. It’d be great to have family on his side of the world, especially his sister. Of course, that meant he’d probably be around Addison and Grace more, but he could live with that. Well, he was pretty sure he could live with it, at least…although the thought of being around Addison full-time again made him nervous.

But, he and Addison had been so long ago that being around her shouldn’t bother him anymore. Sure, they hadn’t seen each other – at all – in between the break-up and the sudden meeting the day before, but so what? They were mature adults now, and they could handle being around each other. They had started out as friends first, and their history went way beyond that summer.

As JC watched his sister flirt her way into a free margarita and the waiter’s number, he made up his mind. He was going to make this situation as uncomfortable as possible, and he was going to be excited about his sister’s move. JC took another swig of beer as the waiter retreated, red in the face. “You made that college boy blush. How cute.”

“He’s 28 and an aspiring actor,” Heather retorted, sliding the piece of paper the guy had written his number on in her clutch.

“Wow. You’ve barely been in this town, and you’ve already fallen for the stereotypical struggling actor who waits tables in between walk-on roles. Good job.” Heather rolled her eyes as she finished her first margarita and reached for her second. “Hey. I’m glad you’re moving out here.” Heather’s eyes lit up with her smile.

“Thanks, Josh. I’m excited to be moving here.”

“I’m sure that means you’ll be staying at my place for the foreseeable future.” Heather batted her eyelashes innocently, causing JC to shake his head. “I’m gonna have to lay down some ground rules if that’s the case, missy. You may be 34, but you act like you’re 15.” Heather huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.

“You’ve always treated me like I was way younger than you. News flash Chasez – I’m not.” JC laughed to himself as he watched his sister grumble to herself across from him. He knew the next few weeks, months, would be interesting. But, he had his sister back as his sidekick – and at the moment, that was what mattered to him the most.