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“Helluva way to start the day,” I said to the cats as Lulu trotted into the kitchen, tail high and crooked. They meowed and circled as I opened a can of lamb pâté and divided it between their bowls. I rinsed and refilled their water bowl then put the kettle on to boil.
Leftover bacon went into the microwave, followed by grain-free apple-plantain fritters. Aithan wandered into the kitchen, barefoot but dressed for the gym as I was microwaving a cassava flour English muffin. His hair was wet and he ran a hand through it, slicking it back.
I stared. Fuck me, he was so damned sexy.
He caught me looking. “Whaaat?”
I smiled. “I like having you around in the morning.”
He returned my grin. “I like being here. It’s a helluva nice way to start the day.”
“My sentiments exactly.” I poured cold brew into a cup and topped it off with hot water. “For you, sir.” I passed him the mug. He took a sip then set out plates and silverware at the breakfast bar.
The bacon and fritters were plated, along with fresh blueberries and the first muffin while a second cooked.
“Honey, ghee, or jam?” I asked.
“All?”
I nodded. “Good choice.”
The microwave beeped and I plated the second English muffin then sat beside Aithan. We ate in companionable silence while the cats bathed.
“I’ll be at the gym all day.” He indicated his empty plate. “And this was amazing. Best homemade breakfast I’ve had in a long time.”
I smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Come back any time. I’m batch cooking and baking all day, so there’ll be lots of delicious food in the freezer.”
“You do that every weekend?”
“Every other. But I’ll make more this time, since I expect to have a regular visitor.”
He sipped his coffee and nodded. “Yep, you’ll have company. More than you can stand. Kick me out when you get sick of my face.”
I kissed his cheek. “Never. I can’t imagine tiring of this amazing man.”
After Aithan left for Blue Water, I went grocery shopping. I didn’t need staple items, but I was low on meat, vegetables, fruit, and avocado oil. Back at home, I gathered all the ingredients I needed to cook four breakfast dishes to spread throughout two weeks. I had a large freezer in the garage. It held ingredients for my meals then held the pre-made meals once they were cooked.
After making all my breakfasts, I’d go on to make lunches and dinners, plus snack foods and desserts. I had this down to a science with specific meals I enjoyed enough to eat over and over without losing my mind, and snacks and desserts to help me through the rough days, like when I had PMS so bad I could kill and stuff the body in the freezer to be eaten later.
Once I got the bacon and a dozen sweet potatoes into the oven, I mixed up a huge batch of pork sausage patties — I made the best, hands down — and got that frying in leftover bacon grease. Between the bacon and the smoked salt I used in the sausage patties, the house smelled delicious.
It felt good to be busy. It stopped me from scratching the scab that Tristan had gouged into my psyche and kept me from chewing on my own insecurity over Drew’s continued silence.
I plugged in my phone and started an audiobook — a romantic fantasy narrated by my friend Amanda Bright. She’d asked me to give it a listen and provide feedback. She was in her second year of pro work and I was her unofficial mentor.
Amanda’s husky British accent filled the kitchen:
“It was the kind of night when thieves and lovers slipped through open windows, taking what wasn’t theirs. The kind of night when kings felt their mortality while plotting assassinations and sorcerers brewed potions and raised the dead. The kind of night when Halina jerked awake, unsure if she’d called out in her sleep, struggling to escape the nightmare that had wrapped her in her worst fears.”
I cooked, baked, and listened, making notes of what worked and what she needed to focus on improving for the next title. Overall, the narration was excellent and I was absorbed in the story while making sweet potato brownies. So when my phone rang, I jumped a little and stared at it in confusion.
Then I saw the caller ID. I paused the book and answered on the third ring.
“Drew! Where’ve you been? I was starting to worry.”
“Ah, hell, Brick. I’m sorry. I dropped my phone in the toilet and had to wait four days to be sure it was totally dry before using it. Plus, Livi made a fucking mess of my apartment. I had to meet with building management and grovel so I didn’t get booted outta my digs.”
“Oh, man, that sounds awful.”
