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“I subsisted on instant soup and pasta all through school. Now that I’m not broke, I try to eat real food a few times a week. Tomorrow it will probably be tater tots. Don’t be too impressed.”
“Fair enough. I close up at five. I’ll be over shortly after.”
She stopped wringing her hands long enough to grab the bag off the counter top and said, “Kay. I’m gonna go put this away. I’ve got ice cream in here that’s gonna melt. See ya later.”
He moved to hold the door open for her when she grabbed her grocery bag, then watched her walk around to the side entrance of the building. Frowning, he went back to the counter. She’d seemed a little tense when she came in.
Maybe she was having second thoughts? He didn’t think so, though. She’d seemed relaxed this morning. He’d certainly need to investigate that later.
By five fifteen he was locking up the shop. He’d made a few more sales and booked an appointment with a bride. Not bad for a Saturday.
He dropped his laptop off at his place along with his phone and wallet. Locking the door, he walked across the hallway and knocked on the door. He heard her muffled, “Just a minute.”
He stood there, waiting. Finally he heard a muffled curse along with the flipping of the locks. When she opened the door, she said, “C’mon in.”
“Did I come at a bad time?” he asked.
She waved him off, and said, “No. Not at all. I was in the middle of stuffing the pork chops, so I had to wash the stuffing and pork off my hands.”
She was still tense, he realized. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, he asked, “What’s with the fidgeting?”
She blinked and then looked down to where she was wringing her hands. A second later, she laughed and asked, “What fidgeting?”
He patiently said, “Tell me what’s on your mind, Princess.”
She took a deep breath and said, “Last night and this morning were great, but you basically told me you didn’t have anything to offer, so I guess I’m wondering what we’re doing here.”
“That’s not what I said at all,” he said, “But that’s beside the point. What do you want to be doing here?”
“I’d like to see where it goes,” she said.
Stepping forward, he put a hand on her cheek and said, “Okay. Good. That’s what I want, too. What I meant last night was that I wasn’t sure what I had to give. I wouldn’t have been with you at all if I didn’t at least have the inclination to try, though. You make me want to try.”
Her features softened. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked almost shy when she said, “Okay.”
He brushed his lips against hers before pressing his mouth chastely against hers. Then he pulled her the rest of the way into his arms and said, “I had a depressingly dried-out peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Tell me more about this dinner.”
She shifted so her cheek lay against his chest and asked, “So, you’re just here for the dinner, huh?”
A grin spread across his lips as he said, “Nope. That’s a nice side benefit though.”
She pulled away from his embrace and moved back toward the kitchen as she said, “Stuffed pork chops and mashed potatoes, and I decided on roasted asparagus.”
He peered down at the counter and saw an array of herbs and seasonings on the counter. He said, “By the way, there’s an herb garden on the roof. Feel free to use it. I doubt I could go through it all myself.”
“Cool,” she said. “Thanks. What are your thoughts on Gorgonzola?”
“I don’t think about it often, but when I do I wonder what the hell it is,” he said, smirking.
“It’s like blue cheese but Italian,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Interesting,” he said. “I don’t mind blue cheese. Why do you ask?”
“I’m going to roast it on the asparagus,” she said.
He looked at her and said, “I’m sure it will be okay.” He couldn’t imagine the combination in his mind. He was not at all sure it would be okay.
She smiled at him, clearly seeing that he was uncertain. “I’ll make some without, but if you like blue cheese, then you’ll like this. I promise.”
