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We stood there, staring at each other, both of us shifting our weight from foot to foot.
Cleo cleared her throat. “Do you want me to check the pantry and fridge first and make a shopping list?”
A barked laugh escaped my lips. “There’s absolutely nothing there. I mean, what kind of animal doesn’t even have ketchup?”
She smiled at me, clearly debating if taking this job was the right decision. I bet she thought she was working for Gabriel. I’d seen how all the women reacted to him at the reception. They didn’t care that they were attending his wedding; if he’d given them any sign that he was interested, they would have pulled up their skirts so fast they’d have been airborne from all the wind they created.
“Let’s go to the store, then. If you want to, of course. I’m more than happy to go for you if you let me know what you prefer.”
“Please take me with you.”Okay, that sounds a little too desperate. Pull yourself together, woman.“I mean, it would be great if I could come along. If you don’t mind, of course.”
The corners of her lips tipped into a tentative smile. “Not at all. I’d love the company.”
“Mr. Olysses didn’t mention anything about a credit card to you, did he?” It had just occurred to me that I had no way to pay for anything.
She gave me a full smile this time. “I have a credit card for anything I need to purchase for the house.”
And that was how I found myself walking up and down the aisles of a supermarket for the first time in my life.
I had no chill and grabbed everything I could. Chocolate? Definitely went into our overflowing cart. Ice cream? Make that three containers. Bread?Come to Mama.Bread had been in the number one spot of the list of things I hadn’t been allowed to eat while living with Aleksándr. Anything that included sugar wasn’t even worth mentioning because that was an automatic no.
“We should get dishes as well. And pans.” Skipping in front of the cart, I spotted the shiny display of “Buy two, get one free” chocolate mint cookies. Into the cart they went. “Do you know if there’s a kitchen store around here?”
Cleo followed me around, adding things here and there. “There’s one about five minutes from here. We can go there after we finish at the supermarket.”
Shooting Cleo a smile over my shoulder, I skipped off to the fruit section. A balanced diet was important, after all. “Perfect.”
We had to get a second cart once it became clear nothing else would fit. Cleo seemed very methodical, looking up recipes as she shopped, making sure she included all the ingredients.
“So, Cleo, where are you from?”
“Born and bred in Chicago. What about you?”
“Same. I’ve never even left the state.” Or the city. But that would be too sad to admit to a stranger.
I remembered Louisa taking me to Skydeck when I was about ten. It made me realize how big Chicago was. And how small my world was.
“My parents once took me to Canada. I loved it.” Her face fell, and she cleared her throat. “What should I make for dinner?”
Okay, I guess the getting-to-know-Cleo portion of the day is officially over.“Any chance you could make mac and cheese?”
I hadn’t had any since I was a little girl. But I’d always loved it, and I couldn’t wait to find out if it was as good as I remembered.
Cleo stared at me. “Mac and cheese? That’s all you want? I have no formal cooking training, but I can make you pretty much anything.”
“You can get fancy tomorrow. And I’m not picky. Just no tomatoes.”
I’d never enjoyed eating them, but when Father found out from our housekeeper that I’d left the tomatoes on my plate from dinner that night, he made me eat three huge ones.
I’d been seven at the time and small for my age. Eating three whole tomatoes that I detested had taken me until four in the morning since I hadn’t been allowed to leave the table until my plate was empty.
The memory stuck with me, so I avoided tomatoes whenever I could.
“All right. But don’t expect me to make you eat that artificial crap out of a box.”
I laughed, deciding right then and there that we were going to be friends. “Suits me. Now, how are your baking skills?”
We filled up the second cart and paid for our purchases. I then bought beautiful plates that Gabriel would most likely hate. They were cheap, they were colorful, and they came in boxes of ten. I bought three boxes, just in case we smashed a few or had guests.
