David Cook and cupcakes

Julie Stastny isn’t one to partake in the daily 2 p.m. breakroom ritual.

“Nothing against David Cook,” she said, “but I’m on a diet.”

Four days a week, at the same time each day, the two women working in the billing department at Todd A. Stastny’s medical practice in Blue Springs set aside their duties for a Hostess cupcake and a sit-down with Cook’s music.

“We’ve been doing it since David made the top 12,” said Alison Winklepleck, who pairs with Susan Caldwell (whose son is a good friend of Cook’s younger brother, Andrew) for about 15 minutes every day to listen to songs Cook has performed on “American Idol,” where he is a top three finalist.

The songs are downloaded to an iPod from the show’s Web site. With more songs added to the selection every week, Winklepleck said she stands by two tunes: “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera” and Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.”

“I look forward to them; I need them,” said Winklepleck, who has been watching “American Idol” forc five years.

She said she has been following Cook since the airing of his audition tape, when she first learned he was from Blue Springs. Not that it matters where he’s from.

“I think he changes up the songs better than anybody ever on the show,” Winklepleck said. “You never know what you’re going to get.”

But Winklepleck knows one thing: Every day at 2 p.m. she’ll get Cook and a cupcake.