How To Bake The Perfect Apple Pie - Gina Calanni

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another email. It’s almost as if it’s taunting me. Like it knows that it’s yet another email from my mother. A wedding theme possibility, no doubt. I swear the moment Jack and I became engaged my mom went into full-on planning mode. I think she has even put off her annual Valentine’s Day cupids and hearts ceremony. It’s still January, but usually by this time she’s sent me several pins for her Valentine’s Day Extravaganza board so I too can appreciate all the possibilities of her decorating themes and parties, costumes and cards. When it comes to holiday planning my mom goes all in. All in. As in dressed from head to toe in…interesting décor.

      I click on the message.

       “Dearest Lauren,

       I’ve created a Pinterest board for you and Jack. No need to thank me—it was a lot of fun to do. Well, actually I’ve created several Pinterest boards for you. Currently, there are ten different boards with various themes. I’ve pinned over a thousand pins in only a few hours! Anyways, I know you’re at work but when you get a chance, I think it would be a good idea to narrow down the theme so we can focus on building the best wedding for you and Jack.

       All my love,

       Mom”

      I roll my eyes. I cannot believe…well I can believe it’s just ten Pinterest boards of wedding themes, but over a thousand pins? It’s just too much. We don’t even have a date yet. I would think picking a date and maybe even a location would be the starting place for planning a wedding, not the theme. But my mother, my dear sweet mother…she is a theme enthusiast.

      I type back.

       “Wow, Mom, that’s really impressive. I’ll have to check these out at home. Busy day here at the office.

       Love,

       Lauren”

      I slide my chair back and lift the stack of chosen résumés off my desk. My fingers are tingling with excitement. I hope Javier will be pleased with my choices. I turn the knob of my office door and step out onto the grey carpet.

      “Oh hey, Lauren, are you done interviewing for your team?” Leena, standing outside my office, raises her eyebrows at me.

      “Leena, hi. Yes, I think so. How was your holiday?” I close the door to my office to cut our eye contact. My chest tightens. I hope Leena doesn’t ask why she wasn’t offered an interview. I don’t want to lie to her, but her sales and resolution time are not great. They don’t even compare to the stack of candidates in my hand.

      “Uugh, it was horrible. I didn’t get any of the gifts I wanted and my boyfriend forgot to pay the gas bill so our heat was off until the twenty-sixth.” She rolls her eyes.

      “Wow, I’m sorry. That must have been very cold.”

      “Yeah…but we had each other to keep us warm.” Leena flips her shiny auburn hair over her face. “It must be tough for you to be alone over the holidays.” Leena’s eyebrows furrow together.

      I’m not going to tell her about Jack. For one it’s none of her business and two, she will then know that we are engaged and will ask questions about where he lives and works. These answers will only fuel more questions from her, which again I have no interest in answering, and a lot of them I don’t have the answers to. My chest tightens further.

      “I was with my family. Excuse me.” I force a smile and push past her. I don’t want to be late for my meeting with Javier. As I make it to his door it opens before I knock.

      “Perfect timing, we are going to meet with Elaine for lunch. Do you have everything you need?” Javier cocks his head to the right.

      “Oh…uh, let me go and grab my purse—just a minute.”

      “Good idea, since you’re paying.” Javier lets out a loud barrel of a laugh.

      My eyes bulge. “Ha, good one.” I turn and rush back to my office. Javier could be the figurehead for Dad Jokes.

      I slip into my office and grab my purse from my drawer. I move the mouse over the pad and type in my password. I want to take one last peek at my inbox. I’m waiting on some stats from Q1. There’s only one email and it’s from my mom. Argh. I slam ctrl alt delete down so fast the keys stick a little.

      I make my way back into the hallway and Javier is chatting with Leena. Great…no doubt she is questioning him about my team. I know Javier trusts my judgment but I wouldn’t put it past Leena to try and lean into his ear and offer up herself for one of the spots.

      “Ready?” I raise my eyebrows at Javier.

      “I’m starving. First day back from the holidays I’m always famished. Though I could stand to lose a few holiday pounds.” He pats his tummy and we head towards the elevator. As we turn the corner, Leena is still where we left her and her fake smile has been replaced by a scowl.

      Javier pushes the button of the elevator. We’re on the fourth floor. Elaine rushes up to meet us. She reminds me of a value brand Lucy Liu.

      “So glad I caught you. How about we ride together? I just got my car detailed over the weekend. I’ll drive,” Elaine says, as we enter through the open elevator doors.

      “Fine by me,” Javier says.

      “Me too.” I smile. Elaine is about the same age as me, but she transferred in from another division and has been a manager for a little over a year. We’ve exchanged general greetings in the walkways before but nothing more than that.

      We make our way to Elaine’s car and the lights flash from the front and rear of her jet-black Mercedes XLS. Javier opens the passenger side and immediately I am a third wheel. I’m not entirely sure why Elaine is going with us.

      “All right, where should we eat? I’m only eating clean this month, so how about En Salatas on 10th?” Elaine puts the car in reverse and steers the vehicle out of the garage.

      Javier lets out a sigh. “I guess…I need to cut back on the calories, but a salad? Do they have anything else? I need something with meat.”

      “Javier, you might want to consider a healthier lifestyle and go vegan…at the very least try for Meatless Monday.” Elaine stops the car at the red light in front of us.

      Javier lets out another barrel of a laugh. “Elaine, not only are you ranking in every level as an ML Manager, you are funny to boot. I like it.” Javier runs his hand through his dark hair. “I do, but seriously do they serve meat?”

      “I think they have grilled chicken there.” I offer. Even though I’m like a child in the back seat, I’m not going to sit back and be quiet while the adults chat. I fiddle with the straps on my purse.

      “Hmm…grilled chicken. I guess I can try that.”

      “Perfect, because we are here.” Elaine takes a right into the parking lot of En Salatas and finds a space in the very back of the parking lot.

      “Why did you pass up those other spots?” Javier glances back at me with a raised eyebrow.

      “We can use the exercise walking, don’t you think?” Elaine turns the car off and we all get out.

      “I suppose a bit of a walk is healthy.” Javier kicks a chunk of gravel along the path.

      “Lauren, have you been here before? They have several lighter calorie options.” Elaine blinks her eyelashes at me.

      I alternate between biting my cheek and tongue. Is she insinuating that I need to opt for lighter calorie options? I did indulge over the holiday but it was a non-calorific item…Jack. I sigh. I can imagine him here. He would scoff at Elaine’s comments and definitely her lunch choice.

      “Oh, great, do you have a favorite?” I beam back at her.

      Elaine laughs. “I always opt for the lighter calorie options wherever I dine as it is the

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