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“It’s mac and cheese,” Trent answers, before I can. “Audrey keeps making buckets of the stuff using different ingredients every time. She’s been cooking it night and day for weeks now.”
My cheeks flame at that. Yes, I have been at the kitchen night and day trying to perfect mac and cheese. I make it, try it, but for some reason it doesn’t taste how I want it to. Lord knows, I keep trying. In the end, I put some oregano, dill, and thyme in it, and that seemed to be the closest match I could get to the taste I was after.
“Can I try some? Smells delicious.”
“Sure,” I respond, nipping out back to spoon some into a bowl and bringing it out to this man who’s intriguing me more by the second. For some reason, I don’t want him to leave, so I’m eagerly handing over the bowlful to delay him walking away.
And I have no idea why.
He places his coffee cup down on the counter and blows a forkful of mac and cheese to cool it. I watch as he takes a bite, his eyebrows raising as he chews.
“I know someone who would love this. In fact, he’s due to pop in any moment.”
Just as he says this, the door opens and my heart jumps into my mouth. It would just be that perfect moment for whomever he’s referring to to make an entrance. Instead, it’s Victoria coming in to relieve me of the afternoon shift.
“Good afternoon!” she sings as she enters, her eyes immediately clapping onto Jack, her mouth slightly apart, already drooling over him. “Well, hello there,” she drools, before approaching the counter. “My name’s Victoria. What’s yours?”
Just like Victoria. Straight to the point. No messing. I’m sometimes jealous of how forthright she is. I could never have that much confidence.
“Jack…”
“Hands off, red-head, he’s mine,” Trent sasses at Victoria, causing Jack to smirk.
Victoria fake pouts back at Trent. “No fair, you never share.”
I watch as she walks around the counter, grabbing her Full of Beans apron along the way.
“I never share with you since the time I offered you some of my Skittles and you ended up eating all the red and orange ones.”
“Okaaaayyyyy,” I draw out, rolling my eyes at Jack. “I’m sure Jack really wants to hear all about Skittlegate.”
“I bet it’s never a dull moment working here,” Jack notes, taking another bite of his mac and cheese.
On a smile, I shake my head. “No, that’s one thing that’s for certain.” It’s then I remember something. “I’m sorry to hear about your sister.”
Jack purses his lips before responding. “It’s okay. I’m not a huge fan of my sister. I was once, but now she’s turned into this… I don’t know what to call her. A monster? Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
I shake my head. “Of course not. It’s not my place.”
“I wish the whole thing would disappear, but she’s getting way too much attention now. She was always one for attention. A lot of people think she’s bipolar, because she went through this phase of being nice to everyone, and now she’s like a devil woman.”
His eyes closely watch mine as I take in everything he says. It’s kind of strange that he’s just… offering me this information about his sister when to him I’m a random stranger. I could be anyone, someone who would say anything to the press to earn a few bucks. Luckily for him, I’m not like that. Maybe he just needs to vent, and I’m the closest person to whom he can. Who knows?
“That must be hard for you and your family.”
“Ah, they don’t care,” he replies, waving his hand. “It’s Eli and his mother I feel sorry for. Eli divorced her yesterday but will still have the press talking about all that trouble with her and his father.”
Immediately, I’m zapped into a memory of me sitting at a kitchen island with this man sat opposite me as we talk. I can’t place the memory, but the fuzzy picture is there somehow.
“Are you sure I don’t know you?”
I’m being rude now, completely disregarding the troubles with his sister. However, Jack smirks and is about to say something when the door opens.
My heart stops.
The world stops.
Strolling into my shop like a lovely summer breeze, Eli Prescott practically hovers over to the counter, and all the while he never once takes his eyes off me.
