by Laura Burton
I laughed. “We’ll take it one class at a time. You paid for eight weeks and I don’t want to issue refunds.”
I smiled at him as our eyes met again and his grin spread. He gave me a nod and took another bite of his cinnamon roll.
“I’m pretty proud of this,” he announced.
“You should be. It’s delicious.” I took the last bite and put the fork down on my plate. “We’re going to have to do something or else we’ll sit here all day eating cinnamon rolls. I’ll be stuck seeing you every day next week.”
“Would that be such a terrible thing?” Charlie asked with a grin.
“No, it wouldn’t be terrible at all,” I admitted.
Charlie smiled and finished his cinnamon roll. He picked up his plate and took mine before tossing them both in the trash near the door.
I stood up and stretched out before heading to the bank of stoves. “I think today we’ll work on matching flavor profiles so you can get an idea of what goes together. It will help you when you’re building your own recipes.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get there,” Charlie confessed.
“You will. It won’t be overnight, but like with anything, if you keep practicing, you’ll get better. I also want to do some more cooking. Maybe have you make us some lunch,” I teased.
“You’re the boss,” he smiled.
I laughed and turned back to the stove, ready to dive in. I gave Charlie a verbal list of items he needed to find in the fridge and pantry, watching as he struggled to remember what certain vegetables were.
I smiled. He was really cute whenever he got flustered.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” He had his arms full as he brought everything back to the counter.
“I don’t know how I’m looking at you but I’m happy. You amuse me, Charlie. You get so stressed out over the littlest things,” I told him. I turned my attention to the items he placed down, moving the incorrect things off to the side.
“I’m glad I can make you happy,” he whispered.
I turned my head and looked over my shoulder at him. Our eyes met again, and I smiled, feeling the rush of butterflies.
Chapter 6
Mary
For the past few weeks, I had been going from the high school straight to the community center. It was now Tuesday evening and for the second night in a row; I wasn’t rushing out the door.
I didn’t even need to worry about making it to the center before six o’clock. The full day spent with Charlie on Sunday had worked out well. It might be something we make permanent or every other week. I don’t know if I could give up my weekends completely.
With no plans for dinner, I made one of the worst decisions possible. I looked at the neon sign as I pulled into the parking lot of my favorite grocery store.
Shopping while hungry should be a cardinal sin.
“You don’t even have a list,” I reminded myself as I parked my car and got out.
It was nice to have a free evening. The plan was to buy some fresh ingredients and see if I still had what it took to make it in the culinary world. Charlie’s question about my specialty stuck with me, and I wondered if I lost my edge.
I wanted to prove myself wrong.
With nothing but a shopping cart, I entered the produce section of the store and looked around. Something would speak to me, I knew it. There had to be something that would hit the spot, something I hadn’t had in a while.
“Are you stalking me?”
The voice was right behind me. Soft enough to give me goosebumps. I turned around, afraid of who I’d see, but was relieved to see Charlie standing there.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. My hand was on my chest, proving he had given me quite a fright.
“I’m shopping. What are you doing? Checking in to make sure I’m not pairing the wrong things?” He was teasing me, I could tell by the way the corners of his mouth curled up.
“I had no idea you were here. And really… if you pair the wrong things at home, that’s your own doing. This is all on you, buddy.” I tried to keep a straight face, but the smile broke through.
“It’s good to see you again,” he confessed.
I nodded and brushed some hair from my face. I tucked the strands behind my ear and looked away from him. Whenever he made the butterflies return, I felt shy. I didn’t know what to say. Words left me as if I didn’t spend most of my life in school.
“What are you up to?” Charlie asked, throwing me a lifeline.
“I haven’t had a free night in a while and I thought about cooking myself something I hadn’t had in a while,” I replied.
“Oh, yeah? I guess I’m the reason for your lack of free nights. Sorry about that,” he said apologetically. “What are you making?”
I waved him off, not thinking it was a bad thing. “I haven’t decided yet. I just got here and hoped the ingredients would speak to me.”
“That happens?” He sounded skeptical.
“Not all the time, but I used to walk into a grocery store and be inspired to make this or try that. I wanted to know what this tasted like with beef or lamb. It’s been awhile since that hit me and I had hoped it would return. So far, it seems to have left for good,” I said with a shrug.
“I wouldn’t give up hope. It’s like riding a bike, yeah? You just have to get back on and pedal away. Maybe I can help.” Charlie looked at me hopefully and I smiled.
“I appreciate that. Maybe I can…” I stopped talking when I realized what I was about to say.
“Maybe you can what?”
I had a feeling he wouldn’t let that go, and the butterflies in my stomach got worse. It felt like I locked myself in a closet and couldn’t get out. I was in a corner and had to tell him the truth.
“Maybe I can… you know…” I brushed some more hair behind my ear. “Cook for you if you were interested and don’t have any other plans.”
I rambled my words together. It was a terrible habit of mine and proof that I was nervous. I couldn’t even look at him as the silence between us grew longer.
When several seconds passed, I took a chance and glanced at him. He stood there with a big smile on his face. I didn’t know what it meant.
“You can say no,” I said.
“I’d love that,” Charlie replied, speaking over me.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Are you crazy? I would love to try something you made. I know that whatever you create will be a thousand times better than anything I’m going to prepare,” Charlie said. He seemed excited, and I wondered what I got myself into.
“This isn’t going to be anything super fancy. Don’t expect filet mignon with lobster,” I chuckled. “In fact, I don’t even know what I’m making yet.”
“Good thing I’m here to help,” Charlie said with a smile. “What do you always say? Start with protein. What are you in the mood for?”
“Hmm,” I said as I thought about it. “Let’s go look at what they have.”
Charlie followed me to the meat section of the store and I examined the cuts of beef. He stayed quiet as I picked up different ones and put them down. When I remembered he was there, I explained what I was looking for. The fat marbling and how I want it to be more uniform in some cuts instead of bunched together in others.
When I saw the perfect piece of flank steak, I got an idea. I grabbed some prosciutto before pushing the cart back to the produce area.
“I’m going to assume you thought of something,” Charlie laughed as he followed me.
“I did,” I replied as I put the items I needed into my cart.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Get some sliced provolone cheese, please.”
Within ten minutes, I was paying for the groceries and Charlie was carrying the groceries out to my car.
“I’ll follow you,” he said as he put the bags into the trunk.
I nodded and thanked him. “I don’t live that far away, over on Spruce.”
&
nbsp; We parted ways, both getting in our respected vehicles. I backed out and waited until I saw Charlie behind me before heading out of the lot. I took a few turns and made it onto my street.
When I pulled into my driveway, Charlie parked along the curb in the front. I got nervous. He would see my home and I hadn’t had strangers in it for a while. All I could do was hope I had left nothing embarrassing out.
“Let me get that!” Charlie said as he ran up the driveway. He stopped me from pulling out the bags of groceries, insisting that he carry them in.
“I can do it,” I told him.
“I know. I want to, though. You’re making me something delicious. I can do the heavy lifting,” he replied with a shrug.
“You don’t know what I’m making yet,” I pointed out.
“No, but you’re going to be eating too so it has to be good.”
“You have a point,” I countered as I led the way to the front door. I got it unlocked and tossed my keys on the nearby table.
“Please make yourself at home. I can give you a tour in a second but I need to get the meat started or else we won’t eat until midnight,” I said. I gave him a wave to follow me into the kitchen.
He sat down at the island while I got busy getting everything prepared. The oven was on. I put the potatoes I bought in the oven and then I washed my hands.
“I’m making Italian stuffed flank steak with potatoes. I was going to make home made au gratin but I think we’re going to have regular ole baked potatoes. The meat is going to take a while to cook and so will the potatoes. Once they are done, I don’t want to do more,” I explained as I worked on my garlic mixture.
“It sounds perfect to me,” Charlie said.
Everything became automatic as I chopped up shallots and fresh parsley. There were other herbs I threw into the mixture and gave it a stir.
After I butterflied the meat, I spread the mixture over it and layered the prosciutto and provolone cheese. I glanced up at Charlie as he watched me. I wondered if he was learning anything.
I got the meat rolled up and into the pan before putting it into the oven. I let out a sigh of relief, not remembering the last time I worked so fast on a dish.
“Wow,” he chuckled. “You looked like a professional.”
I laughed. “I don’t think I looked that good, but thank you. Let me clean up and I’ll show you around.”
He helped me bring the dishes over to the sink and even loaded them into the dishwasher while I washed my hands.
“As you can see, this is the kitchen.” I made a pose like I was Vanna White and he laughed. “It’s not as big as I would like it but it’s perfect for me.”
I showed him the backyard, or what he could see in the light from my back porch. I didn’t realize it had gotten dark so quickly, but Charlie didn’t mind. He complimented my flower garden off the patio.
“That’s the extent of my green thumb,” I laughed as we walked back into the kitchen.
“You mean, you don’t grow your own herbs and vegetables.” He was teasing me again, and I chuckled.
“Unfortunately, no. Between my time at the school, and grading papers here at home, I don’t have a lot of time to do household chores. Growing anything is very limited, and it doesn’t include things I hope to eat.” I walked through the kitchen to the living room, showing him the space we had walked through to get to the kitchen. I pointed out the guest bathroom, my office, and the door to my bedroom.
My house wasn’t huge by any means, but like the kitchen, it was perfect for me.
“You have a lovely home,” Charlie commented when we returned to the kitchen.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile, finding myself glad he was there.
“That… I can’t believe I get to eat that,” Charlie said as I pulled the meat out of the oven.
I put the pan down next to the potatoes that were cooling and smiled. It looked great, and I hoped Charlie liked it.
I grabbed one of the plates I had set out and put a piece of meat on it, then a potato. I added some asparagus before pushing it toward Charlie.
“You gotta fix your own potato,” I told him. “Eat up while it’s hot.”
I got my plate together and added some cheese and sour cream to my potato. My stomach was growling, unable to wait any longer to dive in.
We sat down across from each other at my small dining room table and I watched Charlie as he took the first bite of his steak.
“Oh man,” he said, covering his mouth. He chewed his mouthful and shook his head at me.
“No good?”
“Are you kidding? This is incredible. You gotta teach me how to do this,” he said before taking a bite.
I laughed and ate myself. I hadn’t realized how worried I had been. Now that I knew he liked it, I could relax and enjoy myself.
A comfortable silence settled over us as we ate. The only sound was forks and knives scrapping against plates.
“I’m going to ask you again and I hope I get a different answer this time,” Charlie said as he broke through the quiet.
“What’s that?” I asked before taking a bite of my potato.
“Will you let me take you out?”
Chapter 7
Mary
I turned to look at my back one more time. Normally I don’t have a problem deciding on what to wear but since this was a date, and I hadn’t been on one in a while, everything had to be perfect.
Charlie wouldn’t tell me where or what. All he told me was to be ready by one and prepare to be gone all afternoon and most of the evening. He had me curious and my imagination went crazy trying to picture all the possibilities.
With one last look, I smoothed out my simple floral print dress and wondered if it was too basic. I sighed and hoped that if we were going to the playhouse, he’d warn me to dress up.
With the decision made on my outfit, I slipped on my flats and touched up my makeup. Never being one to do too much, I was terrified I didn’t know what I was doing. The last thing I wanted was to open the door and Charlie mistake me for a clown.
The doorbell rang when I thought about changing my outfit for the second time. I looked at the clock and realized it was ten minutes before one. He was early—a good thing—but in this case, I hope I didn’t want those minutes to quickly change into something else.
I rushed out of my bedroom and to the front door. With my hand on the knob, I took a deep breath and then opened it with a smile.
“Good after… wow, you look beautiful,” Charlie greeted. A blush hit my cheeks as his eyes washed over me. It felt like he had never seen a woman in a dress before. Any compliments from him, though, I’ll take.
I bashfully brushed some of my brown hair behind my ear and smiled. He looked comfortable in a pair of fitted jeans and a polo shirt. I’m really glad I didn’t dress up.
“You look as handsome as ever,” I said automatically.
Charlie grinned. “So you think I’m handsome? I think I’m moving up on your list.”
“What list?” I asked, ignoring the rest of his statement.
“The one of people we’re poisoning,” he laughed.
I laughed with him, grabbed my purse, and stepped out onto the front porch. I shook my head as I locked up.
“You’re the only one with that list, buddy. Don’t be saying we and poison in the same sentence. You’re going down on that ship alone,” I teased.
We walked together down the sidewalk and to his car. He opened the passenger door for me and I thanked him as I slid inside.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked as soon as Charlie pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.
“Nope,” he answered with a big smile. “You’re going to have to wait and find out.”
“Boo. You’re no fun.” I playfully pouted with my arms crossed over my chest.
Charlie laughed. “Besides, if I tell you, you might think it’s a stupid idea and insist I take you home.”
“I mi
ght think that when we get there,” I pointed out, teasing him again.
“True but at least we’re there. I have a better chance of convincing you to stay,” he grinned.
“I don’t know about you, Charles Willow. Poisoning people and taking others off to who knows where,” I said as seriously as I could before laughing.
“I swear, I’m not a bad guy.” He glanced at me quickly before he turned and made it onto the highway.
I stared out the window as we traveled along the outskirts of the city. I could see downtown in the distance and my mind went over new possibilities. As much as I said I didn’t like surprises, deep down, I enjoyed them—as long as they were positive in nature.
We made it off the highway and down a long street in an industrial part of town. I didn’t know where we were going and was tempted to ask when I saw a Ferris wheel in the distance.
I turned to look at Charlie, but he kept his eyes on the road. He turned a few more times, and we pulled up to a large parking lot. After he paid for us to park, he pulled in and took the first spot he could find.
“I hope the county fair counts as something you enjoy attending,” Charlie said as he turned off the car. He paused a moment before looking at me.
“I love it!” I said excitedly. “I haven’t gone since I was a kid, but I always enjoyed it. I hope you plan on doing everything including the rides.”
Charlie looked instantly relieved, and I leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Come on. We gotta get inside.”
As we walked to the main gate, I wrapped my arm around Charlie’s. When we got closer, I could pick out the smells that reminded me of the fair. Deep fried goodness, sugary sweetness, animals. Fun.
Charlie paid for our tickets and handed me mine before we went through the turnstile. I got more excited when I saw the booths in front of us, the rides in the distance and the barns lining both sides of the booths.
“Where should we start first?” Charlie asked.
“Let’s look at the animals. We can take a peek at the booths on the way to the barns. You never know what we might find,” I suggested.