“No. For dinner.”
“Um…” She still didn’t know what he was asking. She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m grilling tonight. For dinner. Do you want to come over? For steak.”
He really wasn’t good at this. It almost made her laugh, but she was sure he wouldn’t like that. “That sounds great. What time?”
The furrows in his forehead deepened. “Six.”
“All right. What would you like me to bring?”
His eyes somehow narrowed further. “Yourself. Bring the dog, too.”
“Thank you. I’m sure Beau would love that. But I meant, would you like me to bring a salad or a vegetable or?—”
“I don’t eat rabbit food.”
No surprise there. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Your unbalanced diet is not my problem. And if I go to the trouble of making something to bring, which I’m going to, I expect you to at least try it.”
For the briefest of moments, she thought she saw a spark of something in his eyes. He grunted. “No broccoli.”
More amused than she’d allow herself to show, she nodded. “Okay. Did you like the brownies?”
“They really Katie Hepburn’s recipe?”
“To the best of my knowledge.”
He nodded. “They were good.”
Probably high praise from him. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll see you at six.”
Another grunt and he walked off the porch.
Chuckling to herself, she closed the door. Dinner with a man like that was going to take some work. He didnotseem like thebest conversationalist. Maybe they’d just sit in silence. That was all right, too.
She went straight to her laptop and searched for side dishes for people who hated vegetables. So many of them were variations on broccoli with cheese. Then she saw one that looked promising. It would require a trip to the grocery store, but that was all right. She could pick up the few things already on her list.
The washer didn’t need her to supervise it, and she could clean the bathroom when she got home.
She changed into more presentable clothes, put on her Chanel ballcap, kissed Beau’s sleepy face, and headed out.
As much as she liked Publix, she headed for Aldi instead. Their produce was usually good and the prices were better on her budget. That got her thinking about something she’d been ignoring for a while.
The thought that maybe she could get a book deal to write her memoirs. It would mean sharing her life with the public, though. And that would have to include how she’d lost her fortune.
What would a book deal mean financially? How much could she hope to get for an advance? She knew one model, who’d been married to a rock star, who’d gotten six figures. Blaise hadn’t been married to a rock star, although she’d dated a few. Jay was fairly well known in fashion circles, but would her marriage to him mean anything to the general public?
If she could get a decent advance, it would go a long way toward making her life more comfortable. Of course, she could still sell some things, but the things she’d held onto weren’t worth that much. They were more sentimental.
Except for her jewelry. She couldn’t part with the items Jay had given her. That would hurt too much. It would feel like losing him all over again. Maybe that was foolish. Maybe she was just making excuses, but after what she’d been through, she didn’t care.
Those beautiful things were worth more to her than anyone was willing to pay, even if they might bring in a few bucks.
She’d just continue shopping at Aldi’s.
For her own use, she got tomatoes, a head of lettuce and two cucumbers. For tonight’s dinner, she picked up a zucchini, a yellow squash, two sweet onions, a package of mushrooms, and a red pepper. Visually, the dish would be appealing, but she doubted that would be enough to get Brick to eat it. She picked up a small wedge of parmesan cheese. She had garlic and good olive oil at home.
She did a quick turn around the store and gathered the rest of her items. Toilet paper, eggs, a couple cans of tuna, butter, and a package of chicken breasts. That would get her through the next few days.
