“You’re staring at that pan like it holds something precious,” he says with a grin.
“It is precious. If I burn these, the whole dish will be ruined.”
“There’s a fire extinguisher behind us, just in case.”
He chuckles, and I playfully glare at him before flicking my head to where his pan sizzles on the other hob. “Noted. How’s the sauce looking?”
“Pretty good, I think. Want to try?”
Before I can respond, he grabs a spoon from his pan and holds it out to me, his palm underneath.
I take the spoon, my lips brushing over it as I taste the sauce. My eyes widen. “You made this? It’s really good, Ben.”
He nods, clearly pleased. “Thanks. Now, let me try a vegetable.”
I wave him off. “I just sautéed them. Doesn’t quite count as making a sauce from scratch.”
He frowns. “Don’t put yourself down. You’re doing great.”
I stick out my tongue. “You’re doing better.”
He sighs and drags a hand through his hair. “Alright, confession time. This isn’t my first class.”
My mouth drops open. “How many have you been to?”
“A few,” he admits sheepishly. “My parents brought me the first as a gift, and I enjoyed it, so I kept enrolling in more.”
“So, you’re almost as much of a pro as the pro,” I tease.
He scoffs, shaking his head. “Hardly. But I’ve definitely picked up a thing or two.” He pauses, then asks, “So, what made you sign up for the class?”
I laugh. “Wasn’t the burrito disaster enough?”
He grins. “Well, I know most of these classes have waiting lists, and the incident, which we definitely don’t talk about anymore, was only a couple of weeks ago. So, there must be another reason. What else have you managed to burn?”
I chuckle. “Nothing too crazy. Okay, maybe everything from toast to pasta. But it was my friend who booked it. I was just dragged along.”
“So, you didn’t want to come?”
“Not especially,” I admit, pausing. “But I’m glad I did. Turns out, cooking can actually be fun.”
Especially when I’m cooking with him.
“I’m glad too, Ash,” Ben says, his voice low and sincere.
The gentle sizzle of the pans interrupts the moment, and I shift my focus back to the vegetables, giving them a stir just to keep my hands busy.
“Hard to believe we’re just over a week out from Christmas break,” I say, glancing over at him.
He nods. “I know. This year’s flown by. Got anything planned?”
“Just some nights out in Eden, my brother’s bar in Hope Creek, and I’ll be heading to my parents’ place on Christmas Day. It’ll be a full house. Two of my brothers have partners now, so it’ll be loud and chaotic. Just the way I love it.”
His brows lift in surprise. “Two of your brothers? How many do you have?”
“Four,” I say with a grin. “All older. I’m the baby of the family.”
Ben laughs. “That must’ve been... fun growing up.”
