Page 56 of The Chef

“Thanks for not being married.

“Again, shut up.”

I forget about the soup as thoughts of Cliff consume me. His muscles. His smile. His jawline. The intensity in which his brown eyes stare back at me.

He really does look like Superman.

His biceps are the size of my body. His lips are full and welcoming.

And he’s staring right back at me. I’m lost in his penetrating gaze.

“Pretty good?” I ask, my breathing shallow.

“I’d say even more than that.”

I forget about everything. The soup. The menu. My niece and nephew playing outside. I’m just focused on Cliff Finn and the electricity between our touching hands.

He leans in closer, and I don’t stop him.

His lips partly open, full and wet, and I let his face lean towards mine.

One thought screams repeatedly through my head.

He wants to kiss me, he wants to kiss me, he wants to kiss me.

And then he says it.

“Would it be strange if I said I want to kiss you, Bay?”

“Honestly, it wouldn’t be the strangest thing you’ve said to me.”

I suddenly know that everything in the last few days has been leading up to this. Cliff’s acted so strangely around me simply because he fancies me.

And I fancy him.

“Well, then. Bay, I want to kiss you.”

“I want you to kiss me, Cliff.”

And, with his body enveloping mine, I let him.

And Cliff and I kiss.

18

CLIFF

I wave at the car from the doorway and I see Bay’s little niece - Pearl, I think her name is – excitedly wave back at me from the front seat, her pigtails flying around with the biggest smile on her tiny face.

I’m not the biggest fan of kids, but even I have to admit she’s very sweet.

I wait for the car to turn the corner before I shut my door and let out a sigh of relief.

They’ve gone.

Wow. What a morning this has been.

I didn’t expect that Bay would arrive at my doorstep with two kids in tow. Two kids that I thought were hers. I didn’t expect them to go running around my place. I didn’t expect to get so embarrassed finding out I was wrong, that Bay wasn’t married with a secret family.