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“Where did you get all the crockery so soon?” I asked.
“I raided Steph’s kitchen. She was more than happy for me to take what I needed when she knew what I was doing. She’s a little over excited that I have moved into the flat.”
“I can imagine her enthusiasm. She was keen for me to give you a chance. Why don’t you have your own place?”
“I’ve been abroad for a few years. This past year I’ve been in Kenya, there’s never been a need to buy a house until now.”
“Why now?”
“I want to settle down and stop living out of a backpack. Helping the charity is a passion of mine but I miss Brighton, and I want to sleep in my own bed.”
I listened as he told me about the project he worked on in Nairobi. The hardships the school faced appalled me and my passion for making the charity ball a success increased. The young girls that were forced into having sex too young and falling pregnant as they couldn’t afford to say no, devastated me. My upbringing was horrendous, but it paled in comparison to the young girls in poverty over in Nairobi.
“What?” I asked when he stopped speaking.
“You look like you're enjoying that food. I don't know anyone who has enjoyed my food that much before you.”
“Well stop gawking and eat yours before it gets cold,” I said.
He smirked and then twisted his fork into the spaghetti, bringing a huge fork full to his mouth. Now it was my turn to watch him eat, he wolfed down his dinner in record speed.
“Damn it,” he yelled. He banged his plate on the table and stood up. He rushed over to the oven, opened the door and black smoke billowed out of the oven door. “I forgot the fucking garlic bread,” he showed me baleful eyes. “I’ve ruined your brand new cooker.”
“It doesn’t matter, you’ve cooked excellent food and dished up generous portions. I will be full to bursting by the time I’ve finished this plate.”
Callum took the garlic bread out of the oven and looked to find my kitchen bin. I didn’t have one. He stomped out of the kitchen and looked over the veranda wall, throwing the rock hard garlic bread baguette into the skip. I laughed, with a mouth full of food, barely keeping it in my mouth. As soon as I swallowed, I let a guffaw out. I hadn’t laughed in a long time. Callum’s face was a sulky schoolboy who had broken his favourite toy.
“Don’t pout, I’ll let you cook for me again, you’ll have time to make up for the lack of garlic bread,” I said. I took Callum’s plate and mine into the kitchen and dropped the crockery into the sink. At least I had washing up liquid and cloths. I could wash as he cooked.
“I’ll cook if it means that you will get decent food and the bonus part will be that I get to spend time with you,” he grinned, his triumphant sexy smile.
“You can cook while I decorate your flat, I need to get the walls done first. When will you move in your furniture?”
“I have none, I must buy what I need first. A bed is a priority. Or I could share yours?”
“Easy there handsome, I’m your landlady,” I tried to chastise him, but I still smiled at the thought.
When he learned of my hearing problem, I didn’t think he will be so keen to bed me. He seemed the commitment type of person, and no one had so far wanted to have a deaf girlfriend.
“Worth a try. I’m heading back to Elliott and Steph’s place until I can buy furniture. I’ll be back in the morning to make a start on the flat. Don’t worry about painting the walls, Scottie and I can do that when I return. He’s my new apprentice, I need to keep him busy. His first lesson can be painting and basic repair work.”
“I have all the paint, you just need to maybe buy the brushes and the floor coverings and probably a whole load of other things too,” I said realising that I had only half thought through what was needed.
Callum stepped closer, just inches away and lifted my chin when I had turned away to gaze at the rows of paint on the veranda.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it, I took the flat on knowing what needed doing. I’m a carpenter by trade, I can get this place fixed up in no time and then start on the repairs needed in the shop downstairs, if that’s what you want.”
This guy was too good to be true, there had to be a catch. There had to be, no one was this nice, except for Steph and Elliott.
“Yes to the flat, maybe you could teach me a few things too when I’m here. No to the shop downstairs, I can’t afford that at the moment.”
“We’ll talk about it another time. I’ll see you in the morning, Adaline.”
He left all the stuff he had brought with him and left me alone on the veranda. I felt cold without his presence.
Adaline
I had to go to the hotel and talk to Adrian Summers, the event manager for the charity ball. To say I wasn't looking forward to going was an understatement but after looking through all the emails, it was a necessary evil. When I got nervous about meeting new people, I got clumsy. Cutting my finger was a case in point. My swollen eye was another, I didn’t develop a black eye and could look respectable, walking into a five-star hotel. After Callum left last night, I’d put a bag of ice on my eye and cheek.
