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The way he raised an eyebrow at his statement made me want to laugh, but I rolled in my lips, nodding for him to continue.
“We always had chefs or caterers if there was an event or someone important over.”
The flickers from the candles he had laid out between us and the soft hum of the music in the background cocooned me in a cloud of intimacy. And I didn’t remember the last time I felt both so comfortable and turned on simultaneously.
“But I’ve always enjoyed food from different cultures, and when I was at college, I spent a lot of time trying every food truck or pop-up cafe within a five-mile radius. There was this one particular Vietnamese stall that I went to every Friday for lunch, and the old lady who ran it said I stopped by so often that I might as well be in the kitchen.”
His eyes shone with fondness at the memory.
“So eventually, I asked her if she could show me how to cook some of them, and she did. That became a habit, and now and then, I’d ask or watch how the different vendors prepared and cooked and started practicing them at home on my days off. I’m sure you can relate to working long hours, and it isn’t always possible, but I try to mix things up. So, I’m not always getting takeout.”
Listening to him open up always felt like I was privy to a glimpse no one else saw. And it sent a warm feeling right through me.
“Besides, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t spend much of my free time with others. I’ve always been used to my own company.”
I felt a pang of sadness, and I remember him telling me how much time he spent alone despite having a larger family. But I wanted to keep the energy positive and not dwell on the negative.
“Well, I’ve seen you frequently in your spare time. So, you can’t say it’s only your own company you keep.”
I gave him a megawatt smile, letting him know I was teasing.
“But that’s because you are special and important.”
He clinked his glass with mine, and I bit my lip, holding back my smile, and continued with my meal.
I wasn’t ashamed that I finished every single morsel. The guy really was an amazing cook.
“Dinner was delicious. I’m extremely impressed. Is there anything you can’t do?”
I threw his words back at him.
He made a gorgeous warm Thai salad, followed by a Miso Cod Fillet with sautéed green beans and sesame Pak Choi. He’d taken note of my love of Asian cuisine.
“I remember going to Thailand in my early twenties and falling in love with the food there. Luckily, there are now amazing Asian restaurants here in the city. And some of them offer cooking lessons to their regular customers.”
“You are full of surprises.”
And I meant it. Whenever I thought I had him worked out, he would do or say something unexpected.
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Taking our drinks, he headed towards what I presumed was the lounge. With everything being planned, I wasn’t sure what to call it. I sat on the plush couch as Rhett walked over to the glass door in front of us, which led out onto his balcony. The view was breathtaking.
“Let me know if you feel cold, and I’ll close the door.”
“I’m good. The view here really is incredible.”
He sat next to me, one leg propped underneath him and his arm resting along the back of the couch. His hands are just millimeters from my shoulder.
We’d been talking for quite some time, comparing embarrassing college stories and funny incidents at work. There was no pressure. Simply two people getting to know one another.
“Unlike you, I never really had a dream career or job.”
“What? Not even when you were little? You didn’t want to be a firefighter? Astronaut? GI Joe? Rock star?”
He laughed, but there was no humor behind it.
“I guess where I’d always been told what I was meant to do, who I was meant to be, I never spent any time wondering… thinking of anything else.”
