Not that she had anything to do with it, of course, but maybe it was time to redirect my attention to the contestants and momtestants.
I stuck the frosting to chill in the fridge, then pulled out the cupcakes and set them on racks to cool before frosting them. As I flipped to an empty page to document what I’d done, I came across my suspect mind map. The lines crisscrossed the page so much, I worried I’d have to resort to a corkboard and red strings to map things out. But then I noticed a bubble that stood alone. Winnie Pang. She was friendly with the other moms but didn’t seem to belong to any of the cliques. Yet her work at the salon probably meant she was privy to tons of gossip. I tapped my pen on my notebook, trying to come up with a good excuse to pump her for information.
My timer went off and I got up to finish the cupcakes. As I piped the ube condensed milk frosting on top of the cooled cakes, I realized these cupcakes were the perfect way to not only apologize to Adeena and Elena for standing them up, but also a way to grease the wheels at the salon. If I offered to pay for their manicures, I could enlist their help to eavesdrop on the salon customers while also advertising the shop. My godmothers would’ve been the more effective choice, but I’d rather down a quart of whole milk and deal with the lactose-intolerant consequences than allow them a chance to comment on my appearance and style choices—more than they already did anyway. Plus, I still wasn’t speaking to Ninang June.
The doorbell rang and I put the finished cupcakes in the fridge to let the frosting set before hurrying to let Jae in.
“I come bearing brews and treats for Longganisa. There was a gourmet pet store by the restaurant I went to last night and the salesperson promised these treats were both delicious and diet-friendly.” Jae held up a four-pack of beer, a bottle of Adeena’s cold brew, a bag of Elena’s calming tea blend, and a box of organic dog treats. “Where should I put them?”
I led him into the kitchen, where Longganisa lay in wait. As soon as he stepped in the room, she pounced on his legs, barking and nudging him until he’d set down everything and stooped down to pet her. “Hey there, Longganisa. I missed you, too.” He held out a treat and she went still. “Son jooseyo.” She put a chubby paw in his hand and received a treat in return.
I laughed to myself at this scene as I washed my hands and got dinner ready. Jae had taken Nisa out one day when I was sick, and his mom had taught my dog the command for “paw” in Korean. Which was adorable in itself, but it wasn’t until Jae translated and explained his mom had been politely asking my dog to “please give me your hand” that I melted.
While Jae entertained Nisa, I finished up our dinner. After panfrying the chicken pieces in a bit of oil, I added one of the juicy legs to a steaming bowl of freshly made white rice and steamed broccoli drizzled with toyomansi and sesame oil. I inhaled the rising fragrance and grinned. Before I even tasted it, I knew this was it. This was Mommy’s chicken.
Jae washed his hands and popped the top on the coconut porter he’d brought, toasting me with the can. “This smells amazing! I didn’t know you could cook. I thought baking was your thing.”
I clinked my can against his, then savored a large bite—which confirmed that yes, I’d gotten the recipe right—before responding. “I’m an OK cook, but it’s not really my thing. Tita Rosie’s food is amazing, so I never really had to learn. I usually only cook if I’m craving something other than Filipino food, like pasta or whatever. But there’s always so much food in this house it feels wasteful to make anything else.”
I took a sip of the beer he brought and the notes of coconut, coffee, dark chocolate, and brown sugar coated my tongue. “Oh my gulay, this is amazing!”
Jae grinned. “I knew you’d like it. I tried it last night at this Hawaiian restaurant I went to with Beth and had to get some for you. It’s almost like a dessert, isn’t it?”
So while out with Beth, he not only bought treats for my dog but me as well? That had to be a good sign, right?
“I bet we could make ice cream floats with this at the Brew-ha Cafe. Ugh, I wish we could afford an ice cream maker. But I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Maybe for the Founder’s Day celebration.” I speared a piece of broccoli. “So did Beth tell you anything about how the case is going?”
Jae took a swig of his beer. “She spent the first twenty minutes of dinner complaining about the lawyers involved with his will reading, which I guess happens tomorrow. Then she complained about the incompetency of the SPPD, considering no one has been taken into custody yet. She rounded out the night by complaining about Valerie all through the dessert, then leaving early when she got a call.”