When we walked into the kitchen, Claire told me to relax at the bar while she finished cooking. As I sat on a barstool, she grabbed an apron and put it on top of her sundress. As she tied it around her waist, I couldn’t help but think how domesticated she looked, like she should be someone’s sexy wife rather than a seventeen year-old girl. I wondered if the impression would have crossed my thoughts if Earl hadn’t placed the idea of inspecting her as possible wife material in my mind.
“I don’t know much about cooking, but is there anything I can do to help you?”
She smiled at my offer. “Nah, I’ve got this. I’ve been knowing my way around a kitchen for a long time.”
She looked so comfortable and confident as she whirled around the kitchen in her designer apron that said,“Queen of Everything.”
“I take it you enjoy cooking?” I asked.
“I love to cook and try new things. I mess up every once in a while, but what cook doesn’t?”
No one had taken the time to show me how to cook anything, so it was sort of a learn as I went kind of experience for me and most of the time it wasn’t pretty. “I mess up more than occasionally.”
She turned the oven light on and I watched her sundress climb the back of her thighs as she bent over to peek at what was in the oven. “Maybe I can teach you some things.”
I liked the way that sounded. “I’m up for it anytime.”
I convinced my eyes to look away from her hemline just in time for her to not see my stare when she turned around. I reminded myself of what her boundaries didn’t include and decided I was unnecessarily torturing myself by looking at her like that.
“It’s almost done.” She placed two plates on the counter, then filled our glasses with ice. “Do you want a soft drink or sweet tea?”
“Water is fine with me. I don’t make a habit of drinking soft drinks and you shouldn’t either because they’re not good for you.”
She whirled around and looked at me. “You’ll smoke cigarettes that give you cancer, but you won’t drink a cola?”
“I didn’t say I never drank them. I said I don’t make a habit of it. And by the way, I quit smoking. I haven’t had a cigarette since Tuesday morning, four very long days ago.”
“What made you decide to quit?” She smiled, knowing she was my only reason.
Instead of worrying what she might think, I laid it all out for her because I wanted her to see what I was willing to do for her. “I’m doing it for you, Princess, because it’s what you want and I want to make you happy.”
She walked over to where I was sitting on the barstool, wrapped her arms over my shoulders and stared at me for a moment before saying, “Thank you for doing it for me, but thank you more for doing it for you.”
I took her face between my hands. “I would do anything for you because that’s how much you mean to me.”
A serious look came over her face and it worried me a little, then she said, “I broke it off with Forbes today.”
I wanted to jump up and down, maybe even do a cartwheel, but I convinced myself to remain calm. “How’d that go over?”
“Let’s just say it didn’t go well.”
My heart sped and my back stiffened as I sat more upright on the stool. “Did he hurt you? I’ll kill him if he laid a hand on you.”
“No. It was nothing like that, but he was really upset. I’m pretty sure he suspects I’ve been seeing someone. He knows my parents are gone, so I completely expect him to drive by tonight looking for the mystery guy and when he sees your truck, I’m afraid he’ll have a come apart. He really, really hates you.”
“Well, I’m not in love with him either and he can have a little hissy fit on me, but he better not so much as look at you wrong or I will take him out.”
The timer went off on the oven and Claire gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. The lasagna is done and I’m ready to eat. Are you hungry?”
I nodded and said, “Starving.”
“Good, because I have plenty.” After taking the lasagna out of the oven, she cut two servings and placed one on each plate next to salad and garlic bread. “You can take our drinks to the dining room if you’d like. I’ve already set the table, so have a seat and I’ll be there in a minute.”
I went into the dining room and sat with extreme care to not spill our drinks because the formality of the room made me extremely nervous. When Claire came into the room, she placed my plate in front of me, then lit two candles on the table and sat in the chair next to me before saying, “Bon Appetite.”
Claire’s lasagna was fabulous, so she passed the wife material inspection by Earl’s standards. “This is delicious. Who taught you to cook so well?”
“My mom taught me a lot about cooking, but she cooks traditional food. She’s afraid to try new foods, so I watch cooking shows because I like to try new ingredients. Sometimes it turns out great. Other times, not so much, but I’m learning what not to try. I kept it traditional for you since this was your first time to eat my cooking. I didn’t want to scare you off.”
I don’t think she could scare me off if she fed me live bear. “Thank you for the invite and for going to the trouble of cooking for me. Everything has been perfect.”
“The night isn’t over,”she said, then blushed a deep crimson before looking down at her plate.
“You’re blushing.”
She covered her face with her hands. “And you’re pointing it out.”
“Only because I’m intrigued about why. Tell me,” I coaxed.
She peeked through her fingers at me. “Later, okay?”
Although the curiosity of finding out what had her so anxious was killing me, I reluctantly agreed to drop the subject for the time being. “Okay, but I won’t forget.”
We finished dinner and I volunteered to clean, but she only agreed to allow me to help. When we finished cleaning, we went into the living room and sat side by side on the couch. She flipped through the channels until she came across a movie only a chick could want to watch. “You want to watch this?”
“It’s Princess choice night since you cooked all afternoon for me. We’ll watch whatever suits your fancy.” I reached for her feet and said, “Here, put your feet in my lap and I’ll rub them for you because I know you stood on the ceramic tile a lot in the kitchen today.”