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Come over and let me cook for you.
Juliette
Say less, I'll be there.
I smiled to myself, knowing I had her coming to me. Thor looked up at me and grunted as I got up from the couch and successfully managed to disturb him. The rink Juliette worked at was only about a twenty minute drive. I imagined she would stop at her place before heading across the hall to mine. Being neighbors with her was honestly like a blessing and a curse. I loved having her this close, but equally hated it because it was torture being this close and not being able to reach out and touch her. I wanted her in my space.
I texted Juliette back to tell her to drive safely before heading into my kitchen to see what food I even had. Cooking was weirdly something I really enjoyed. It was something I could do for her, so I wanted to. I wanted her to come over and just relax. We both lived fast, busy lives and I wanted some time to slow down. I wanted to enjoy the ride instead of just racing toward whatever our destination was. I wanted to enjoy her.
After rifling through my pantry, fridge, and freezer, I ended up with the ingredients to make an entire meal. I decided on an easy salmon dish with a side of vegetable medley, along with a type of pasta that came from a box with a little packet of seasoning. As much as I did enjoy cooking, sometimes shortcuts like that were needed. I grabbed all the pots and pans out that I needed and got things set up on the stove before I began to start chopping the vegetables.
When she finally ended up knocking on my door, I already had the salmon in the oven, the vegetables were cooking on the stove, as well as the pot with the pasta. Her fist was soft as she knocked on the other side and Thor heard it immediately. He bound through the condo, his nails scratching the wood floors as he skidded to a stop and ended up sliding directly into the wall.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I wiped my hands on the hand towel hanging from the stove and made my way over to the door. Thor was back on his feet, his tail wagging as I pulled the door open and smiled at Juliette. Her eyes were wide, head tilting to the side.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
Thor squeezed past me and began to push his body against her leg, demanding her attention. Juliette bent down and pet him as she looked up at me, waiting for an answer.
“Thor heard you knock on the door and wasn’t able to stop in time before he ended up colliding with the wall.”
Juliette laughed softly as she stood back upright. Her eyes were shining and I resisted the urge to reach out and stroke the side of her face. She was so goddamn beautiful, she would never fully understand the effect she had on me. I think it was safe to say that I was completely obsessed with this woman.
“Come in,” I said to her as I pushed the door open farther and stepped out of the way. She walked past me, her shoulder brushing against my chest as she entered my condo. My eyes traveled up and down the length of her body, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw what she had changed into. She was wearing a pair of black sweatpants, along with a hooded sweatshirt. I loved her like this, when she dressed for comfort.
I loved the thought of her being comfortable enough with me to not worry about her looks. Juliette Anderson could be wearing the most hideous outfit and she would still be the most beautiful person on this planet.
“It smells really good," she admitted as she walked into the kitchen. I had kicked the door shut behind me and Thor and I followed after her, both completely smitten. Juliette stopped by the stove and looked around at everything. “I didn’t know you were all about cooking like this.”
I had a bottle of wine out already, remembering her preference for red. I reached past her and poured us each a glass before handing one to her. “It’s something I enjoy doing sometimes.”
“Thank God,” she laughed into her glass of wine before tipping it back. I watched, mesmerized as her throat moved with her swallow. She looked back at me. “We need one of us to be a good cook, and I can tell you it is most definitely not me.”
“Is that so?” I asked, a smirk pulling on my lips as I slowly sipped my drink. “Do you plan on the two of us having dinner like this more often?”
Juliette closed the space between us, her toes reaching mine as she threw one arm up over my shoulder. Her fingers drew circles along the nape of my neck. “Maybe I do.”
“I will cook for you every night, my love.” My hand reached for her chin and I tipped her head back before dropping my lips to hers. The kiss was slow and torturous, yet sweet and tender. My lips moved away from hers, brushing against them as I spoke. “All you have to do is say the word.”
She placed her other hand to my chest and a playful grin danced across her plump lips. “Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, playboy. I need to see how well you cook before I make a commitment like that.”
I grinned back at her. “Fair enough.”
Juliette stepped away from me and I turned back to the stove to check on everything. She hung back for a moment, watching me as Thor went and sat down on the floor beside her feet. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Shaking my head, I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Nope. I want to do this for you and I want you to relax while I do it.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” she said with a chuckle. “My knees aren’t happy with me today, so I’m more than glad to sit down.”
“Where do you want to eat?” I asked her as I turned the burners off and grabbed my oven mitts. Reaching for the stove, I pulled the door open and grabbed the hot pan from within. I set it on the counter on top of the trivet before looking back at Juliette.
She shrugged and glanced around before looking at the barstools at the kitchen island. “There?” she suggested while pointing at the two seats.
“Perfect,” I agreed with a nod, she moved to sit down. Letting the food cool, I grabbed two plates and silverware and set them in front of our seats. The softest of smiles was on her face as she watched me bring each dish over and place the food on our plates.
We were both quiet as we began to eat. Another thing I loved about Juliette was that she didn’t give a shit about eating in front of me. Some of the other girls I had “dated”—if you wanted to call it that—in the past had always been weird about eating. They’d pick at their food or order shit that was barely a meal.
Not Juliette. She dug in like she was starving and barely stopped to even breathe. She wasn’t here to try and impress me. Juliette Anderson didn’t truly care what other people thought of her, and I fucking loved it. She was unapologetically herself and you either loved her or you didn’t. Whichever you choose, it didn’t bother her at all.
