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Once she collects herself, she asks again, “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
Fifteen
Fingers in my cookie jar
Parisa
Everything tells me I should turn around and run out of this place, but a part of me trusts Seth. Okay, a huge part. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be here, hand gripping his, and I wouldn’t let him tie me up with his bow ties. As we continue down the hallway, the murmur of voices becomes louder and louder. Once we reach the end, we turn left through a narrow doorway and the loud clatter echoes around us. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the bright overhead florescent lights. I take in the small commercial kitchen, if you could even call it that. All the appliances look as if they’re at least twenty years old. The pale yellow tile is either purposely that color or has discolored over the years.
“Seth, what are you doing here? It isn’t Wednesday.” An older woman with salt and pepper hair greets Seth with a hug, then her gaze drifts to me. “And who is this?”
Seth smiles at her. “Maggie, this is my friend Parisa. Parisa, this is Maggie. She’s the one who keeps this place from crumbling to the ground.”
“You give me too much credit,” Maggie says and then turns to me. “I’ve been working with Seth’s parents since they started The Lilith House.” Her attention shifts back to Seth. “So, what brings you two here?”
“We’re here to help. I know it’s not my usual night, but I’m sure you can find a place for us.”
“Well, you know we can always use the help.”
“How about me and Parisa work the line? That way, you and Wade can get a head start on tomorrow’s prep and dishes.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. You know where to find the aprons.”
Seth rests his hand on my lower back and directs me to the far corner of the kitchen where a collection of aprons hangs on a rack. He plucks one off for me and places the loop over my head. I secure the ties around my back as Seth grabs an apron for himself. He then opens a drawer and pulls something out.
“Uh, what’s that?” I point to whatever he’s holding.
“These sexy things are called hair nets. See why you needed a hair tie. Makes wearing one of these much easier.” Seth stretches the elastic to fit over the top of my head. I finish tucking in all the loose strands. In the meantime, he does the same for himself.
“With the apron and hairnet, I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands off you.” I step into his space and trail my fingertips down his chest.
Seth grabs my wrist to halt my movement as his eyes narrow into slits. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
“I never do.” I flash him a devious smile.
Seth tilts his head to look at the ceiling, his nostrils flare with a few deep breaths before his gaze meets mine. “You really like to test my patience. But we’re here to serve others dinner.” He leans down, his hot breath tickling the shell of my ear. “But later, I’ll have you for dessert.”
My cheeks heat and I bite my lip at the thought. The simplest words out of his mouth have a way of igniting the butterflies in my stomach. I’ve dated plenty of guys, but none of them have made me feel like this. He’s always finding a way to touch me, telling me all the things he wants to do to me because if he doesn’t get them out, he might not do them. And that thought has me clenching my thighs together. But wait…are we dating? Before I can think on this too much, Seth interrupts my thoughts.
“They already have most of the food out, but take these utensils and follow me.” Seth bends down and places a chaste kiss on my lips and gives me a handful of metal spoons and tongs. Then he exits through a door off to the side and I pick up my pace before he can get too far.
After the buffet trays are set up on top of the banquet tables, I stand next to Seth. He’s serving turkey and ham while I’m in charge of peas and potatoes. The makeshift dinner area is about half the size of a gymnasium. Worn cafeteria style tables form rows throughout the room, leaving just enough space to walk between them. A line of hungry guests starts to form in the hallway just outside the cafeteria. I wipe my palms on my apron, unsure why my nerves are getting the best of me. I’m just serving food to a bunch of hungry people. But this is something that’s so important to Seth, and I don’t want to mess up.
Once the line is allowed to enter, I instantly put a friendly smile on my face. But after I see the way Seth interacts with everyone as if they are old friends, I no longer need to fake my smile. Even though everyone here may not be able to afford a warm meal, Seth treats them all as if they’re just regular people. No judgment. And that makes me fall for him even more.
“Parisa, this is Mr. Rickett. You gotta watch out for him. He’ll try to sweet talk you into getting extra potatoes.” Seth points his tongs at Mr. Rickett as a smile tugs at his lips.
“Hey now, you can’t be giving away all my secrets,” Mr. Rickett says to Seth before bringing his attention to me. “You can call me Lenard. So, what’s such a pretty lady doing hanging out with this one?” He hikes his thumb toward Seth.
“I can’t hang out with pretty ladies?” Seth asks.
“Well, I’ve never seen you bring any around here before.”
“Fair enough, Lenard.”
“You can still call me Mr. Rickett. Only the pretty girls can call me Lenard.”
