When Christian finally got home he took a picture so he would never forget how his crush gave him a beautiful (albeit ridiculous) apology cake before slicing it. Liam, who had come into the kitchen to get a drink, saw it and squinted to read what it said.

“‘Sorry I fell on you and bled on your suit’? What sort of cake is this?!”

“An apology cake. She didn’t need to apologize though; it wasn’t her fault,” he said with a fond smile on his face.

“…what happened exactly?”

“Two days ago someone I know fell down the stairs at the subway station and knocked heads with me so she got a bloody nose. She got really woozy so I stayed with her until someone could pick her up.”

Liam shook his head in disbelief. “Always in hero mode, aren’t you?”

“Force of habit.”

He eyed his brother more skeptically after a moment. “No, that’s not it. You’re too happy about this cake for it to be just anyone. You like this girl, don’t you? Is she the one that made my birthday cake?!”

Christian had no idea how he came to that conclusion but he wasn’t wrong. There was no hiding anything from Liam.

“…yeah. So?”

“So ask her out, stupid. She must like you at least a little to go to the effort of making you an entire cake. You could use a social life more than anyone else I know. Ask her out, retire from hero life, and start giving Mom grandchildren so she’ll get off my back about settling down.”

Their mother hadn’t given Christian too much grief since she was too proud of him for being both a lawyer and a hero. She mentioned it maybe once or twice a year on holidays but that was it.

“She’s been bothering you about that?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “You really are clueless. I’m twenty-four, didn’t go to college, manage an electronics store, and mooch off my brother for cheap rent while saving up for my own place. She bothers me about a lot of things.”

“There’s nothing wrong with managing a store. You’re on track to become a general manager eventually,” Christian said supportively. He meant it too.

“Tell that to Mom.”

“I will.”

“Thanks. Really though, ask her out. Don’t be lame and go looking for fights all weekend for once. Can I have some of this? You aren’t going to be able to eat a whole cake by yourself.”

He laughed. Of course his brother was trying to get cake out of him by pretending to be supportive. He had already been planning to share. He wanted to make sure the cake was fully enjoyed before it went stale.

“Go for it.”

Liam grinned at him. “Sometimes you’re not that bad, Chris.”

“Gee, thanks,” he deadpanned, making his brother laugh too. Much as they might not see eye to eye they were still friends. That was more than a lot of siblings could say.

“So what’s this girl’s deal, anyway? She obviously works in a bakery.”

“I’m not telling you unless you promise not to tell Mom. I don’t want her breathing down my neck about grandchildren either.”

Liam sighed. “You take all the fun out of everything! But fine. My lips are sealed.”

“Her name is Avery and she works in the bakery on the first floor of the building I work in. She’s beautiful, funny, and the only thing in my life that isn’t boring and predictable. Are you happy?”

“…you seriously call fighting villains boring and predictable?”

“Yes. The only one that isn’t is Nox but that makes him all the more exhausting,” Christian said with a sigh.

“Well, you do complain about him the most. Seriously though, Chris. Get a life outside of villains, will you? If she’s that interesting ask her out and be done with it already. Mooning over her from a distance won’t accomplish anything. You’re thirty; don’t be a baby,” Liam scolded.

“You really think I can get a girlfriend as a hero though?”

“Getting one won’t be as much of a problem as keeping one. But it doesn’t hurt to try at the very least. It’s not like she would know you’re Mercury either. No one would ever guess a lawyer would be a hero. Especially since you wear fake glasses.”

Keeping a girlfriend would definitely be a problem. There was the whole issue of his secret identity on top of the fact that weekends were when villains seemed to be most active.

“But if I do ask her out and it goes badly it’ll be super awkward whenever we run into each other,” Christian pointed out.

Liam huffed. “Don’t be a chicken! Ask this girl out or I will just to annoy you.”

He scowled at his brother. There was a good chance that wasn’t an empty threat knowing Liam. He was going to have to go through with it no matter how terribly inexperienced with these sorts of things he was.

“Fine. I’ll do it the next time I see her. I need to thank her for the cake, anyway.”

“Good. This is amazing cake, by the way. I hope she does end up becoming your girlfriend so I can have more of it in my life,” Liam said before taking another bite.

It WAS amazing cake. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting, matching the vibe the decorations had going on of being red and white. Christian didn’t know when he would have the chance to thank Avery for it since he didn’t see her every day.

He was in luck though. She happened to be working the counter the next day. She seemed a bit sheepish when she saw him and he realized she was probably embarrassed about sending the cake since she had done it without showing her face.

“Hey, Christian. What can I get you today?”

“Just a croissant. I still have plenty of cake left at home. I have to say, I’ve never received an apology cake before. It was kind of amazing,” he said with a smile.

Avery seemed relieved. “Oh yeah?”

“Definitely. I’m going to demand all future apologies from people be made to me in cake form. I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard so thank you for that. You really didn’t need to apologize though; I know it was an accident. I’m glad you seem to be feeling better.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal. Stuff like that happens all the time. Well, not all the time but I am used to it by now. Anyway, your total is $2.07.”

Christian inserted his credit card into the chip reader and she cheerfully handed him his receipt and the bagged croissant. Their interaction was about to end and he still hadn’t done what he meant to do. He was afraid that Liam would follow through on his threat.

“Um…do you maybe want to go to dinner after work on sometime this week?” he asked quickly after mustering up all of his courage.

Avery blinked at him in surprise. “Like a date?”

“It doesn’t have to be if you don’t want that! I would like to spend more time with you though. You’re really cool, Avery. Sorry if that’s weird. Actually, it’s totally weird. I’m going to go now.”

Christian lost his nerve so fast that if Liam was here he would laugh at him without mercy for about five minutes. He was such an idiot. He saved women all the time without breaking a sweat; why couldn’t he talk to one in a normal context?

“Hang on!” she called after him as the next customer approached. “Wait a minute and don’t go anywhere.”

He immediately froze in his tracks and didn’t move until she was done handling a few transactions with people that showed up out of nowhere and formed a line. She beckoned him over and he walked back robotically.

Avery tilted her head and regarded him curiously. “Angelo said you only helped me because you were interested in me. Is that true?”

“No!” Christian blurted. “Of course not. I would have helped you even if you were a perfect stranger because you were hurt. But uh…is Angelo the guy that picked you up? I’m really sorry that I didn’t check to see if you had a boyfriend first.”

She snorted. “He’s definitely not my boyfriend. He’s more like my cousin since we were raised together.”

Relief flooded through him. He wasn’t her boyfriend. That didn’t necessarily mean she didn’t have one though. “…and you’re not seeing anyone else?”

“Nope. The real mystery is why you want to ask me out after I humiliated myself beyond redemption in front of you. Care to elaborate for me? Because I have to admit I’m really confused.”

“You didn’t humiliate yourself beyond redemption! I really enjoyed talking to you. I always do.”

Avery raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. I’ll bite. I don’t have any plans this Friday if you don’t.”

Technically speaking, Christian didn’t but he would most likely have to ignore several distress calls via his sixth sense in order to go to dinner with her. That might make things difficult but he would deal with it if it meant he got to have some fun for once.

“I’m free! What kind of food do you like?”

“I see more customers coming outside the window. I’m going to give you my number now so we can talk about this later. Are you ready?” she asked.

He scrambled to get out his phone and create a new contact. “Ready.”

“347-281-5569. Text me later so I’ll have yours.”