“Oh my God. That’s so good, Ben. I need to take a picture. No one is ever going to believe I cooked this.”
He laughs as I reach under the counter for my purse and pull out my phone. I see there’s a message on the screen from Ivy saying she won’t make it, but as the class is almost over, I kind of guessed as much.
I snap a couple of pictures before pushing the phone into my back pocket.
“I hope you’re going to credit me when you tell everyone of your culinary masterpiece,” Ben says, amusement lacing his voice.
I nudge him with my elbow. “Obviously. Believe me when I say, if you weren’t here, it wouldn’t have turned out like that.”
He shakes his head. “You should give yourself more credit, Ash. Come on,” he says, nodding to the plate. “Let’s eat before it goes cold.”
Ten minutes later, the class finishes. I leave my apron folded neatly on the counter next to Ben’s, and we head out together into the cool night air.
“So,” I say as he holds the door open for me. “Do you have more classes booked?”
“Yeah, a couple after Christmas,” he replies, smiling. “You should see if they’ve got any spots left. You had fun, right?”
We pause on the sidewalk, and I glance up at him. I did have fun. More than I expected, but it wasn’t really about the cooking. It was this… being here with him. Spending some real time with him outside of the teachers’ lounge, where our conversations are light and sometimes flirty, but never like this. Never with this much spark.
“I had a great time, Ben. Maybe I will check if there’s space, on one condition.” I grin. “We have to share a workstation again. I can’t be trusted on my own. I’d probably set the place on fire.”
He rubs his jaw, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. “Hmm… I don’t know. If it’s a Mexican class next time, things could get dangerous. I’m not sure I’m willing to take that risk.”
I pull a face, and he chuckles.
“All jokes aside,” he says, his voice softer now, “I had a really great time too. I’d like it if you signed up again.”
“I’ll definitely think about it,” I tell him, even though I know I’ll be on the phone first thing in the morning to see if they have any free spots.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at work, then,” he says, hesitating before stepping forward and brushing a soft kiss on my cheek.
I nod, my skin tingling from where his lips just were. “See you tomorrow. Night, Ben.”
“Night, Ash.”
I practically float to my car, calling Ivy the moment I pull away. I spend the entire drive home filling her in on everything that happened tonight. She knows I’ve had a thing for Ben for a while, and after hearing the details, she’s convinced the feeling is mutual. But he’s my boss, and that’s a line I’m not about to cross... at least, not unless he makes the first move.
God, I hope he makes the first move.
CHAPTER ONE
Ashlyn
A week later
It’s the last day of the semester before Christmas break, and I’m kneeling on the floor of my classroom, trying to sort the chaos of glitter tubs and glue pots, when a knock sounds on the door. I glance over my shoulder and smile when I see Ben leaning against the frame.
“Am I interrupting?” he asks, his eyes flicking past me to the mess scattered across the floor.
I laugh. “No. Come in. We made Christmas cards today. It always ends in a glitter explosion.”
I gather the last of the supplies and drop them onto one of the low tables before standing up.
“You’re covered in glitter,” he says, giving me a once-over that feels a little too slow to be innocent.
“Occupational hazard,” I murmur, brushing at my black pencil skirt, even though I know it’s pointless.
Since the cooking class last week, Ben’s been stopping by my classroom almost every day around this time. The kids have all gone home, and most of the staff too, but somehow, we always end up talking, just the two of us.
