Jesamae stepped into her kitchen. Her hands settled on her hips as she surveyed the brightly lit space. A smile slowly crept across her lips as her spirits swelled. Tonight was her first free night in a log time. Tonight called for music. Turning from her workspace, she crossed to the audio system in the living room. Jesamae spun the volume dial as it woke and her song swelled until it almost hurt.

Dancing her way past the couch, she returned to the kitchen. Jesamae sung along loudly, allowing the power of the lyrics carry her away. The fridge door she flung open in time to a particularly explosive verse. She swung her hips to the words as she pulled out eggs and butter. She kicked the door shut as she belted out her favorite line.

The whole wheat flour and sugar were in their proper spots, but she had to hunt down the baking soda. She needed baking powder, but what was the difference really? She knew you could sub one in for the other, so she wasn't concerned. She also didn't have vegetable oil, but melted butter was close enough. They were both fats. And white sugar would do in place of brown. She remembered to turn the oven on when she located the cooking spray.

She grabbed her largest mixing bowl and shoved the ingredients aside to make room for it. Her measuring cups were where she thought they were and she started dumping everything into her bowl. Jesamae got egg on her hands when she cracked them, so she washed while her butter melted in the microwave. She added the almond liqueur last without bothering to measure. She could eyeball it. She took a shot straight from the bottle before putting it away.

Jesamae carted her mixing bowl with her as she danced through the kitchen. When everything was combined, she poured it all into her baking pan and tossed the dishes into the sink. She'd clean them in the morning. She sashayed her way back to the fridge to fetch herself some juice.

The front door opened and her housemate stepped in. "Jes!"

Jesamae spun into the hallway and grinned. "Hey Summer!"

"Why is the music so loud?" Summer demanded as best she could over the din. Her eyes widened in horror. "Don't tell me you were baking!"

Jesamae beamed even wider. "I made brownies! Oh, hey, it's cool to use hot chocolate instead of cocoa powder, right?"

Summer sighed and shook her head with a loving smile. She tossed her coat and purse aside, then kicked off her shoes. "Come on." She grabbed her best friend's hand and headed for the living room. "We'll see what you came up with later. Let's dance."