AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I figured I’d order us some pizza. I’m sure that kitchen of yours is a mess.”
“What gave it away? The fridge and stove in the dumpster?” He raises an eyebrow and tries to keep a straight face.
“That and the fact that you spent most of the morning tearing out cabinets and hauling them out.”
“You’ve been watching me?” His eyes zero in on me with interest, not suspicion. His tone is light, slightly amused, and his lips twitch.
“I came to see what all the ruckus was about when it woke me up at the crack of dawn.” I try and struggle to keep my expression blank.
“I had a breakfast meeting with my electrician. Didn’t get started on kitchen demo until about nine.”
“Like I said, crack of dawn.” I shake my head. I’ve never understood how anyone would voluntarily wake up before noon on the weekend.
He harrumphs.
“How about that pizza? You’ve got to be starving after all that work you’ve been doing.” I pull out my phone, ready to place the order.
“Under one condition,” he says.
“If that condition is that you’re paying for food, it’s a hard no.” I know how to stand my ground. Besides, my parents raised me to always repay someone with kindness when they do you a favor.
Ryan shakes his head, his smile morphing into a smirky grin. “I’m tempted, but no. Didn’t you say there was something else wrong in this place?” He looks around, his eyes roaming across the kitchen cabinet doors that don’t quite shut all the way and the extension cord that’s plugged into the one outlet that works in the adjoining living room.
“There’s a lot wrong with this place,” I say. “I was trying to get Mr. Jones to have someone fix the handrail on the stairs.”
“Show me.” Ryan follows me out of the kitchen and back toward the front door. He pushes on the rail of the stairs that lead to the bedrooms on the second floor. It all but tears out of the wall. “This is a safety hazard. If someone fell…”
I nod, glad that someone agrees with me.
Without saying another word, Ryan pulls a few tools from his belt that look vaguely familiar.
It takes a trip to his place for some wood and a few extra-long screws, but by the time pizza is delivered, the handrail is more secure than it’s been in a century.
“Roasted red peppers and mushrooms?” Ryan eyes the large pizza I ordered for us suspiciously.
“You don’t like peppers and mushrooms?”
“They are fine, but where’s the meat?” he asks, pulling two large slices on the plate I put in front of him.
“I don’t eat meat. But I can order—"
“It’s fine.” He takes a big bite. “Is this a pizza thing or no meat at all?”
“No meat at all. I’m a vegetarian.”
He stares at me in disbelief.
“I stopped eating meat when I was in fourth grade. My friends and I watched a documentary about how they treat animals.” I shrug. What can I say? It made an impression and stuck.
“You’re never tempted?” He watches my face carefully, like my answer matters to him.
“Occasionally. Bacon still smells good, and sometimes I crave it when someone fires up the grill. Never enough to change my mind, though.”
“I can respect that.” He folds the rest of the first slice in half and eats it in three bites.
I watch him while he gives the next piece his full attention. All that construction work must burn through some calories. I notice his long eyelashes for the first time. And the man is built. But I knew that. He’d be perfect for one of the roles we’re auditioning for.
“Do you act?” I ask.
