AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Bless you.”
“Funny.” Kojo grabbed two pans, eggs, and butter. “Means something like ‘glacier house’ since there’s a glacier gorge just a few steps away. UNESCO World Heritage status.”
Eric wasn’t intrigued. So what if he’d always loved mountains more than the ocean, drawn to skiing and rock climbing much more than to any type of water sport? Just … nope.
He stepped around Kojo to pour himself a glass of water. “And how did you find them?”
“Caterer dot com. They needed someone as soon as possible, and I needed a reason to quit. Perfect match.”
Well, now that sounded like a rather low bar.
“Did you checkwhythey urgently needed someone?”
“Yep.” Kojo let the ‘p’ pop like a bubble of chewing gum. “Talked to Adrian—the son of the couple who own it. Might be your type, bythe way.” A vague gesture that could mean anything. “Far as I could see, he’s got that whole smile and body thing going on.”
Eric set his empty glass down on the counter. “Most people have a smile and body thing going on.”
“Nice smile, good body,” Kojo clarified.
“Doesn’t explain why they urgently need a chef.”
“Family emergency.” Kojo cracked five eggs into a bowl in quick succession, then mixed in some herbs while butter slowly melted in the pans. “They had an Australian one before whose dad back home got diagnosed with cancer. The sous-chef’s been filling in, but she doesn’t want that level of responsibility.”
Fine, that sounded like a legitimate reason.
“You don’t speak any German.” Eric paused. “Or is it in the French region? And they’ve got Italian too, I think.”
“Don’t know, don’t care. Adrian and I spoke English.” Kojo bumped Eric over so he could grab more ingredients from the fridge. “Even if it was a problem, this is my chance to be the boss for a change. I’ll learn whatever language it takes.”
Eric wasn’t making a lot of headway with his quest to deviate Kojo to another plan, was he? Time to take a break and regroup. “I’ll jump under the shower. Thanks for getting breakfast ready.”
Kojo snorted. “Like I’d let you anywhere near this stove.”
Rude. But also fair.
“Back in ten.”
With that, Eric left Kojo in his element and went to get clean. He peeled off his running clothes, damp from a misty drizzle, and left them in a heap on the bathroom floor before he stepped under the spray. Afterwards, he pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans, washed so often they’d grown thin in places, and a hoodie that was a size too big on him. He had nowhere to be for the rest of the day and no one to impress—his keyboard didn’t judge him for skipping a shave.
When he made his way back into the kitchen, Kojo was about to dish up the eggs, mouthwateringly fluffy and sprinkled with bits of cheese, onion, and bacon. Eric prepared coffee for both of them because that was a task he could competently handle, and then theysat down at the kitchen table to sample the first few bites in comfortable silence, the drizzling rain outside a stark contrast to the Highlife playlist Kojo must have put on. It hinted that he was in a slightly nostalgic mood, an implicit nod to his parents, who’d chosen to retire in Ghana rather than stay in the UK.
All right. So. New tactic. Eric glanced over and found Kojo’s attention already directed at him, a tilt to Kojo’s mouth that said he was waiting for Eric’s next move.
“You do realise,” Eric began, “that I can’t just follow you halfway across the continent like some trailing spouse. Right?”
“And why the hell not?”
“One, they’re looking for a chef. Not a package deal that includes a bloke whose experience in the service sector is limited to waiting tables for a year at a student dive.”
“I told them you’re the kind of guy who washes both sides of a plate. They can’t wait to meet you.” Something about Kojo’s tone made Eric sit up a little straighter, over two decades of friendship having fine-tuned his ear to the nuances of what Kojo was and wasn’t saying.
“Ko. Jo.” Just the name, slow and pointed.
Because Kojo couldn’t keep a secret to save his life, it took three seconds before he caved. “I may have presented it as a wish to bring along my partner.”
“What partner?” It clicked. “Wait,what? You told them I’m your partner?”
“Implied, more like.” Kojo flattened his hands against the tabletop, grin unrepentant. “I told them I’d hate to make the move without the most important person in my life—you. Tell me, where’s the lie?”
