She pauses and then says with true feeling, “He’s kind of like family. Heisfamily. I guess I just forgot.” After a long silence, she asks, “We have to talk about the house and what really needs to be done.”
“I’m no expert, but I think there’s a lot to do for resale. Not merely repairs, but upgrades. The kitchen and the bathrooms are a wreck. The living room is dank. Someone could easily die on our dock.”Fuck, this omelet is insane. I’m a goddess. Okay, not really, but it’s a win for me.“Someone’s at the door.” A white lie isn’t going to kill anyone. “Gotta go. I’ll text you when I know more. Talk to you soon.”
I make myself a second omelet to prove to myself that I can do it. Generally, omelets look complicated and irritatingly frustrating, but I have cooked something that’s not burned or otherwise gross. That is truly delectable.
This is winning,
When I hear Danny’s truck pull up to the house, and I whip open the front door to see that the early evening light casts a beautiful glow on this beautiful boy, his tool belt in hand and his undeniable masculinity rushing in my direction. I’m a sucker for such a hot view.
Shallots rushes ahead, gives a solid shake, and throws water everywhere.
“Sorry. He took a small trip to the lake before I could stop him. He doesn’t swim, but he likes a dip.”
I laugh. “I should probably follow his lead. I haven’t had a real swim yet either.”
Danny claps a hand over his heart and feigns collapsing from this news. “What? My God!”
“I will, I will. But brace yourself because I have huge news.”
“That ridiculous BMW has been picked up, and you are driving a real car?”
“Funny, funny.” It’s hard not to jump up and down, but I control myself. “I made scrambled eggs. And omelets.” It’s as though I’m making some kind of weird confession. “And they were not gross. I did it.”
“Let’s hear it for eggs!” His confused high five and beaming smile are everything.
It was silly to mention the eggs and too sweet that he cheered me on the way he did.
As he steps in farther and looks around, he says tactfully, “Oh. I haven’t been here in a while. This kitchen is…unique.”
“I know. I didn’t think anything of it when I was a kid, but it’s weird, I agree. Blame it on my grandfather. But, yeah, it’s a wreck.”
Danny shrugs. “Well, I still want an omelet, no matter the kitchen. Show me what you can do, girl!” He takes off his tool belt and rolls up his sleeves. “Let’s go for it!”
So, I do. I go for it. Now that I have an audience and someone who is going to eat something that I’m cooking, I’m a bit nervous. But I plow ahead and literally hide behind my hands when I serve him. My back is toward him while I listen to him eat. The sound of the fork clinking against the plate is moderately reassuring, but it’s only when I turn around that I find relief.
Danny lifts his empty plate. “For real? That was fantastic. Seriously fantastic. Shitty kitchen or not, you did it.”
It takes everything for me not to go all wildly giddy and bear-hug him. I cooked well, and I fed someone, and I made him happy. This success feels stupidly huge, but I refuse to tear up while I rinse his plate.
“Mary Ann says you’re coming out to the bar tonight, right?” he asks.
“If that’s okay, yeah.”
“Of course! Okay, walk me through this house, Chef,” he says. “I’ve seen the kitchen, so I want to see what’s next.”
“Oh, this should be fun.” The momentary high I got from my mild cooking success is going to end.
And it does.
If it wasn’t so horrifying, I’d laugh at how many times Danny tries to suppress his sharp inhales or cut off his groans as he makes notes.Tiles. Stairs. Windows. Roof. Walls. Bathroom. Laundry. Porch. Dock.
Apparently, I’ve turned green during this house tour because Danny puts an arm over my shoulders. “Yeah, it’s a lot, but it’s totally doable. And I’ll talk to Paul, but I think the house is sound. You’re probably not looking at structural shit. And I don’t think a lot of hidden costs, okay? Purely work ahead. Updating. A bunch of design choices. Paul is going to come out tomorrow, late morning, but he wanted me to take a first look.”
All I can think about is how my mom is going to freak the hell out.
Danny’s arm is still around me, and that’s likely the only reason I don’t fall apart about the state of this house.
When we leave, Shallots trots out my front door, not a care in the world, but Danny halts. “Oh. Damn. I just realized that I didn’t plan very well, and I can’t leave my dog in my truck all night. Any chance he can stay here for a few hours?”
