Chapter 19
The Inappropriate Hot Chocolate Moan
JAMES
Should've donated it months ago. Didn't.
Clicking through to the details, a plan is already taking shape. Caleb's sweet tooth has become legendary. I've watched him demolish an entire package of Oreos during a study session without seeming to notice. And after the disaster with his family at the fundraiser, he deserves something fun.
"Hey, Em?" Calling across the common room, where Emily is draped across Drew's lap, highlighting passages in her textbook. Finals are mostly over, but Emily's already prepping for next semester.
She looks up. "What's up, James? You finally ready to let me help with your wardrobe? Because those hoodies have seen better days."
"My hoodies are fine. No, I found this hot chocolate competition happening in town this weekend. Think there'd be enough interest to organize a group? Like a pub crawl but for hot chocolate?"
Emily's eyes light up, and Drew groans. "Why'd you say that? Now I won't see her for 24 hours while she plans."
"Hot chocolate crawl!" She's already reaching for her phone. "That's genius! We can get a bus, make scorecards—"
"I was thinking maybe a few people could—" Oh shite, what have I started?
"No, no, this needs to be official." Her fingers are flying over her phone screen. "The freshmen need a post-finals celebration that doesn't involve drinking booze. Plus, at least ten guys who could use some holiday spirit are staying here over break."
Drew catches my eye with a resigned smile as Emily fires off text messages, already deep in planning mode.
"It's perfect timing, not too close to Christmas, so most people haven't left yet. I'll set up a signup sheet..." She's already lost in her planning world.
Leaving her to it, heading back to my room where Caleb is sprawled on my bed with his laptop, doing what he calls "pre-studying" for one of next semester's classes.
"Hey," I say, closing the door behind me with a soft click. "Any interest in a hot chocolate crawl this weekend?"
He looks up, his hair is mussed up in a way that makes him look soft and sexy. "A what now?"
"Hot chocolate crawl. The town is doing this competition, and Emily's organizing a bus. I thought maybe you'd want to go? It would be good camoufl—" The word dies in my throat. "Actually, that's... we don't need camouflage anymore, do we?"
His eyebrow goes up, and a slow smile moves across his face. "James Hunter, are you asking me on a date that involves sampling multiple types of chocolate-based beverages?"
My mouth goes dry. "Yeah. I mean, if you want. We're... we're dating now, right?"
"We are." He says it simply, like it's obvious, and the knot in my throat loosens. "Though I'd prefer to keep things relatively private. Not secret, just..."
"Not broadcast to the entire Greek system?" Relief floods through me. "Yeah, same."
"How many types of hot chocolate are we talking about here?"
"At least ten participating shops."
"Well." He sets his laptop aside with deliberate care. "I suppose I could make myself available. Someone has to be a guinea pig, and I guess it can be us."
Grinning, I know I've got him. Caleb might pretend to be calm and detached, but he has never met a dessert he didn't love.
By Saturday, Emily has transformed a casual suggestion into an event worthy of a Hallmark holiday movie. When I step outside the frat house, I find not a bus, but a decorated party bus with "PCU Hot Chocolate Champions" emblazoned on the side in temporary decals.
"What did you do?" I ask as she hands me a clipboard.
"Made it magical," she says with a wink. She's wearing a red sweater with actual blinking Christmas lights sewn into it, and a headband with reindeer antlers. "Now, everyone gets a rating sheet. We're judging on five categories."
Drew appears beside her, looking both amused and impressed. "She stayed up all night designing the scoring system."
"It's scientifically valid," Emily insists, handing out more clipboards as frat brothers emerge from the house.
The scorecard itself is elaborate with large glittery lettering:
OFFICIAL HOT CHOCOLATE RATING SYSTEM
"This is insane." Shite, don't laugh. That's all the encouragement she'll need to add fireworks or some nonsense.
"This is commitment," she corrects, then squeals as Caleb emerges from the house. "Caleb! Perfect timing. You're our celebrity judge."
Caleb, wearing the 'I Sleigh Under Protest' tee I'd gotten for him, freezes like a deer in headlights. "I'm what now?"
"Celebrity judge. Drew says you have the most experience eating sweets of anybody in the frat."
Caleb shoots Drew a betrayed look, but Drew shrugs. "You spent thirty minutes explaining why the dining hall cookies were 'pedestrian at best' last week. Own your food snobbery, man."
"It's not snobbery to have standards," Caleb grumbles, but he takes the clipboard Emily thrusts at him.
As the bus fills with brothers, I see that about half the frat has shown up, impressive for a Saturday morning when they could be sleeping off finals. Gavin bounds up last, wearing a Santa hat and a sweater that reads "SLEIGH ALL DAY."
"Hot chocolate time!" he booms, high-fiving everyone within reach. "I've been fasting since breakfast to prepare my palate."
"That was literally two hours ago," Kai points out.
"Two hours of palate cleansing!"
Emily claps her hands for attention. "Okay, champions! We have ten stops, each offering its signature hot chocolate. You'll have fifteen minutes at each location. Rate honestly and thoroughly, and may the best cocoa win!"
The bus erupts in cheers as we pull away from the curb.
Our first stop is Beans & Books, which has been decorated for the competition with elaborate cocoa-themed book displays and paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.
"Welcome to our 'Literary Libation!'" The barista announces as we crowd in. "A dark chocolate base with hints of orange and cinnamon, topped with a quotation printed on rice paper."
Elijah stares at his cup with that serious look he gets. "The garnish is a Dickens quote. Nice touch for a bookstore, but it's kinda falling apart in the whipped cream."
"Three reindeer for Christmas spirit," Taj decides, making notes.
"The mouth feel is decidedly silky," Mike announces, acting as snooty as any wine sommelier ever has.
Watching as Caleb takes his first sip, his eyes closing briefly. When they open, he’s caught me staring again, and the corner of his mouth quirks up.
"Verdict?" I move in to hear his answer.
"The orange is too subtle. The cinnamon overpowers it." He takes another thoughtful sip. "But the chocolate quality is excellent. Seven out of ten."
Emily leans over. "Look at him getting all professional. We should get you on one of those cooking competition shows!"
Caleb rolls his eyes, but I can tell he's pleased.
As we move from shop to shop, Caleb gradually relaxes, getting more animated with each new hot chocolate. By our fourth stop, a café offering a "Peppermint Blizzard" with crushed candy canes and mint chocolate chips, he's arguing passionately with Kai over the proper consistency of whipped cream.
"It should hold its shape but still melt seamlessly into the chocolate," he insists. "This is too stiff. It's like drinking around an iceberg."
"Thank you!" Kai exclaims. "Finally, someone who understands the importance of proper whipped cream structural integrity!"
Drew sidles up to me as we watch the debate unfold. "Your boyfriend’s having fun."
"He's not my—" Stop, because he is. Boyfriend. The word is still strange, but it's good. "Yeah, he is."
Drew takes a sip of his hot chocolate. "Haven't seen you this happy in...well, ever, actually."
Risking a glance at him. "What do you mean?"
"Come on, James. You've been in the frat for three years, and this is the first time you've participated in something that wasn't mandatory or charity-related."
"That's not true. I went to the Halloween party."
"Only because Gavin ambushed you into going." Drew sends me a knowing look. "You used to practically live in the computer room. Now you're out here, drinking hot chocolate and looking at him like he hung the moon."
Heat floods my cheeks, and it's got nothing to do with the hot chocolate. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's known you for years." Drew claps a hand on my shoulder. "It's good, man. He's good for you. And honestly, he's been good for the frat too."
"How so?"
"Did you know he's been tutoring all the freshmen through their intro to law class? They were all freaking out about that final until he stepped in. Now half of them are considering pre-law."
Wait, what? Caleb, grumpy, leave-me-alone Caleb, has been tutoring the freshmen? The same guy who complained for twenty minutes about "intellectual mediocrity" last week? Except... that tracks, doesn't it?
And he did help fix Jaren's essay structure without making him feel stupid. All those times he disappeared after dinner. He wasn't avoiding people, he was... helping them? Something he never mentioned. Typical.
Drew continues, "Plus, he's got that whole terrifying efficiency thing going. Got the alumni database organized in like three days."
"Yeah, he's..." I watch Caleb explain something to Emily, waving his hands around, his face all lit up. "He's something else."
By our seventh stop, a small bakery offering "Mexican Hot Chocolate" with chili and cinnamon, the bus has become so much louder. The sugar high is hitting everyone hard, and the ratings are becoming more creative.
"This one's worth at least eight thousand Instagram followers," Taj declares, snapping photos from multiple angles.
"I'm giving it five candy canes for sugar rush potential," Elijah announces. "I can already feel my pancreas crying."
Emily is documenting everything, her phone constantly out. "This is going on the frat Instagram," she tells me. "Best engagement we've had all semester."