Page 38 of A Scoring Chance
“I called Alise to ask her what you like, and she said comfort food, so that’s what I told Ollie. Your guess is as good as mine about what’s in here.”
“I told you I hate surprises…”
“Even when we can be surprised together?” He smiles a panty-melting smile, complete with two perfect dimples on each cheek. God, those dimples are gonna be the death of me. Seriously, Darius has a small but faint one on his right cheek. All he has to do is flash it in my direction, and I immediately cave, giving him whatever the hell he wants.
“The verdict is still out.” I laugh, dropping onto the blanket across from him. “However, anything Ollie makes is guaranteed to be delicious in my book.”
“Let’s see what he planned for us.” Cooper pulls containers out of the basket, placing them in various locations on the blanket.
The most amazing smells assault my senses as he picks through the basket. Each container is, thankfully, admitting a distinct scent, some meaty and savory, others with a sugary saccharine smell. Whatever Oliver chose for us from his menu is bound to be amazing if it tastes even half as good as it smells.
My eyes scan over each container, trying to get a peek at what’s inside, but the covers are the same black color as the containers. “I can’t believe you convinced Oliver James to make us lunch.”
I’ve wanted to eat there since I saw Oliver on theTodayshow last year. His passion for cooking was sparked by his mother, but instead of going to some fancy culinary school, he wanted to stay close to his family, choosing to go to Portland CommunityCollege for two years before working his way up the culinary ladder and finally being made executive chef at The Silver Spoon two years ago. He’s one of the youngest ever executive chefs in the world, and I get to eat his masterpieces like this is a regular occurrence.
“It’s no big deal. He has some free time before the restaurant opens for lunch.”
“Stuff like this doesn’t happen to me, Cooper. I know this is probably a regular, everyday occurrence for you, but for me, this is a big deal.”
I fidget in place, trying to find the words to convey exactly how much this means to me. Ever since I laid eyes on Cooper, it feels like my entire existence has flipped into overdrive. I was content with my life, going to work, taking care of Ma and Darius, and sometimes having time for a movie night with Alise. I was content, but then in came Cooper Hendrix, turning my world upside down and making me want things I have no business dreaming of. I don’t deserve them, not after what I’ve done.
“I understand. I didn’t intend to overwhelm you. I just want to make you feel special on your very special day.” Cooper stops what he’s doing, reaching over the basket to grip my hand.
“It’s just the day I was born.”
Today is just like any other day. Maybe when you’re younger, birthdays are a much bigger deal. But the older you get, they become just another day. There are birthday parties and sleepovers with friends when you’re younger, but the excitement of turning one year older dies down, the older you get. After my eighteenth birthday, I stopped celebrating them altogether. I try to have lunch with Alise and grab a drink if possible, but nothing elaborate. Now it’s just another day that passes. Nothing special to celebrate.
“Which deserves to be celebrated.” I open my mouth to rebut his statement, but he shakes his head. “Birthdays are a big deal in my family. Bigger than Christmas, if you can imagine that.”
“Wow.”
I can’t even imagine going all out like that for my birthday. We didn’t even do anything elaborate on my birthday when I was younger. Suddenly, I’m picturing Cooper growing up, his bedroom full of colorful balloons and his parents standing at the end of the bed, holding a sign that saysHappy Birthdaywritten in bold letters. I chuff softly, wondering what it would be like to be celebrated like that by your family instead of whispering about it behind your back.
Don’t get me wrong. Ma and Darius aren’t like that. But everyone else knows that my birthday isn’t a cause for celebration. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for the fact that I was even born. If I hadn’t been, Darius and Ma’s life would be drastically different.
Cooper gives my hand another hard squeeze, breaking my melancholy mood. Right now, a gorgeous man is feeding me lunch from one of the best restaurants in the city. The least I can do is give him my full attention. I can wallow later, and Lord knows I will. I do it every year.
“Stop complaining, and let me spoil you as rotten as I can on such short notice. Trust me, this is nothing compared to what I could do with some time to plan.”
I still can’t get over the fact that Oliver and Cooper are friends. Close friends, judging by the lengths Oliver went through to help Cooper surprise me for my birthday. If this is the best he can do on short notice, I don’t even want to know what he’d do with some time to plan. I don’t think my heart and mind could take it. But I resign myself to enjoying today. It’s going to be such a hardship.
“Okay. Spoil away.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about. Grab a container and dig in. We aren’t leaving here until you’ve taken a bite of every dish.” Cooper smiles, handing me one of the smaller round containers wrapped in foil. It’s still warm to the touch. Must be a soup or stew of some kind. “You aren’t allergic to anything, are you?”
Cooper’s entire demeanor changes as he looks over my face with concern, no doubt beating himself up over the possibility of me not being able to enjoy the feast he had prepared for us. Every single emotion is written on his face as he switches from basic concern to downright terror that I’m going to tell him something terrible and ruin everything.
Usually, this is a blessing, knowing exactly what someone is thinking, but with Cooper, it’s a curse. How am I going to continue hiding away my emotions when he’s wearing his right there on his sleeve for me to see? Ma was right. At the very least, Cooper Hendrix is attracted to me, but it could be more. And that terrifies me. I’m gonna owe Ma that dinner.
“Nope.” His shoulders sag in relief as I peel back the foil around the container and lift the lid.
I remove the lid and am immediately assaulted by the earthy, slightly sweet aroma that can only be described as a mushroomy scent mixed with fresh thyme and white wine. If I had to guess, it’s probably a type of mushroom soup with caramelized mushrooms sprinkled along the top.
“Thank goodness. I didn’t even think to ask Alise that before ordering food.” Cooper hands me a spoon with a napkin.
“Even if I had allergies, it wouldn’t matter. Oliver prepared enough food to feed an entire army. How the hell did he expect the two of us to eat all this?”
I waste no time digging into my soup. The minute the warm liquid hits my lips, I barely suppress the moan of pure bliss threatening to escape my lips. The earthy-with-a-hint-of umami flavor makes my taste buds explode as the creamy liquidslides down my throat. The dominant flavor, as expected, is mushrooms. But I also taste hints of paprika, giving it a little kick at the end that I don’t hate. I don’t hesitate, scooping up another mouthful and shoving it into my mouth, my eyes drifting shut as I try to find any other flavors I might have missed.
