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In the kitchen (where he always somehow ended up finding her), Jules was busy stirring up trouble --- or rather, stirring up what was meant to be tomorrow night's goodies for the potluck they were having at work.

Cookies, brownies and all sorts of various themed goodies were either spread out among the countertops to cool off or were safely sealed and packaged away in their dedicated containers, awaiting their big moment to shine on the buffet table in the employee's break room.

She was putting the finishing touches on the chicken tortilla soup she'd made, pouring the contents of the pot into the adorable little cauldron-styled container she'd picked up at one of the knick-knack stores she'd been out buying supplies at. It worked perfectly for their spooktacular theme and... from the sound of things, she had the perfect guinea pig arriving to test some of her creations on.

"Last I checked, people were supposed to wait after knocking, not simply let themselves in."

She'd left her door unlocked, amid the back and forth from car to kitchen with all of the groceries and it seemed Jimmy Dallas had no issue when it came to taking advantage of her guard being down.

Of course he didn't - it was Dallas, after all.

"But I suppose I could feed you. You're not bleeding all over my hallway this time, are you?"

Smirking, she refused to budge from where she stood - she wasn't about to let this big 'ol cowboy think he had the upper hand, even if he was a good foot or so taller than her.

Tilting her head up, one hand moved up to gently boop the wandering ranch owner on the tip of his nose.

"Sounds pretty judgmental coming from a guy who's about to benefit from all of this witch work, don't you think?"

Returning to her handiwork, she was quick to fetch a bowl - for him, not her - and spoon before scooping some of the fresh soup up and offering it to the handsy gentleman behind her. She'd done enough taste testing while it was still in the pot to have her fill but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to siphon a little bit for a friend -- what her coworkers didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"We've got a potluck at the hospital tomorrow and I volunteered to bring a few things."

Few had turned into half a dozen, but who was counting?

"So you've got lucky timing, if you're in the mood to eat, mister."

Her nose wrinkled at his punny sense of humor but it didn't sway her from standing nearby, watching and waiting for the inevitable, baritone-drawl of praise that would surely come after he tasted her cooking. She was spoiled with it - hearing people appreciate her hard work was simply one of the reasons she continued to---wait, what was that face for?

She looked at him, deadpanned, then scoffed softly.

"Har har, really funny Dallas."

His Halloween jokes were going too far. If he didn't like the soup, he could have just said that, instead of teasing. But no smile broke out across his face; in fact, he was actually looking at her with suspicion. Her!!!

"Wait... you're not joking, are you?"

Snatching the spoon from his hand, she dunked it into the bowl and scooped up a mouthful to slip between her own lips. Almost immediately, the spice and heat of the tortilla soup she'd worked so hard on was nowhere to be found, replaced with the sweet, too sweet taste of none other than candy corn.

But she... but she hadn't used candy corn in any of her cooking! How in the world could the non-sweet treat end up tasting the sweetest? She'd washed the cauldron thoroughly before using it as a container.... and the soup had tasted like soup when it was still in the pot....

"I don't... I don't understand..."

She looked absolutely crushed. The soup was ruined, no doubt because of some weird film that somehow stayed on the stupid cauldron.

"I'll make you a sandwich or something -- I-I'm sorry, Dallas, I had no idea it would taste like that, it wasn't like that earlier."

Almost immediately, she began buzzing around the kitchen in search of some quick substitute she could offer her guest, cheeks red with embarrassment.

The stronger of the two caught her in his arms, halting her panicked scampering around the kitchen. She'd been wandering like a chicken with its head caught off, trying to think of something with nutritional substance that could make up for such a horrible, vile tasting excuse of a soup.

"Dallas, I don't---"

Flustered thinking was soon quieted as he stroked her hair, Julianne slowly starting to relax within his grip as he soothed her with his... well, his almost gentlemanly offering. There was some subtle subtext going on in his suggestions that weren't very subtle at all but he didn't seem pissed about it. In fact, he almost seemed as though he were concerned for her.

Jimmy Wayne Dallas, worried about a woman?

"I'll check," she said quietly, reluctantly pulling free from his arms as she made her way back to the stove. "I don't want you to have to subject yourself to that again."

The cauldron, to no surprise, tasted of candy corn again.

The small puddle of broth in the pot, abandoned on the stove, also tasted like candy corn.

What was surprising was when the water she'd poured from the sink into a glass also tasted of candy corn. Instead of washing her mouth of the taste, it only added more to it.

Oh god --- what in the hell was happening to her?


"It's no use." As hard as she tried to not sound defeated, she was, in fact, feeling very defeated. "I can't even get the taste out of my mouth, let alone out of the stupid pot."