by Cassie Rocca
Liberty was different, though. Knowing that she wasn’t particularly attractive back then, she had concentrated on her other qualities, like her intelligence and curiosity. She used to come over to the boys’ house with her cousin, but would usually stay in the garden reading a book. Zack didn’t remember how it had happened exactly, but at some point the two of them had started spending time together, and Liberty had become his official taster. He’d always looked forward to hearing her useful suggestions, and was also happy to discover that she appreciated his cooking. He would never forget the joyful expression that appeared on her face every time he presented a new dessert to her, and that reaction was enough to make him feel really proud.
Her last evening, during the party, Brad’s best buddy Bobby had ruined everything with his big mouth. He had hurt Liberty’s feelings, and Zack hadn’t done anything to make him stop. Half an hour after the scene in question, he had heard that she had gone home on her own. He had gone back to the garden only to find the cupcake he’d made for her squashed on the ground, and he had realized immediately that he wouldn’t be seeing her for a while. What he hadn’t realized, at first, was that she had left town altogether.
A week later, her cousin Tammy had returned to the villa by herself. Zack had asked her where Liberty was, and she had answered coldly, “She went to spend the rest of her holidays with her grandparents because she was sick and tired of having to deal with stupid, arrogant people.”
Zack had given up the idea of seeing her again that summer, and had decided to apologize to her – and for his brother – as soon as he saw her again in school. But Liberty had never showed up again in Chicago, and what he had said earlier was the truth: he had missed her.
She had completely ignored his admission and was now deliberately avoiding him. He realized that Liberty Allen was somehow still mad at him. That idea was both funny and sweet, but he wanted to talk about it with her as soon as possible. And maybe he even had an idea how to make sure that they did.
Candice was sitting at a small white wooden table near Zack – where he had put her in charge of taking the peas out of their pods. She loved to help him in the kitchen, and was a very fast learner who always did what he asked her to well, even though she was still only five. He looked over at his adorable daughter and asked her, “Would you do me a favor, sweetheart?”
“Sure, Daddy!” she replied with an irresistible toothless smile.” I’m sorry I’m taking so long, but these peas are really hard to shell!”
“Don’t worry about it, babe, there’s no rush. I know it’s a pretty tough job.”
“But when you’re at the bakery, you’re always telling them off for being too slow!”
“But it’s different with them,” laughed Zack. “I pay them to be quick.”
“They hate it when you get mad, you know,” she told him in a conspiratorial whisper.
Zack forced himself not to laugh and started whispering too. “That’s what I want! If they’re scared of me, they’ll work even faster!” He gathered the peas Candice had shelled for him and put them in a pan. “Okay, babe, these are enough. Now, will you do me that favor?”
“Yes! Shall I start making the mix for the cake?” asked Candice very seriously, standing up from her little chair and walking towards him. She couldn’t really make cake mix, of course, but she liked to repeat whatever she heard in the bakery, where she spent a lot of time. Zack never told her that she couldn’t cook yet – instead, he always tried to find something to keep her busy.
“It’s still too early for that, but I really need you to do something else for me: you should go and tell our guests that the food will be ready soon. And, please, tell Liberty to come into the kitchen for a moment.”
“Who is Liberty?
“She’s that beautiful lady with the blonde hair.”
Candice nodded. “The Snow Queen!”
“Why do you call her that?”
“Because she’s like that story you read me sometimes when I go to bed, Daddy! That lady looks like The Snow Queen.”
Zack tried not to laugh again, “Maybe you’re right! But she’s not mean, you know? She’s just a little shy.”
“The Snow Queen isn’t mean either! She just needs someone to warm her heart.” And with that, Candice turned on her heels and trotted off towards the other room.
His little princess really was as sweet as her nickname suggested, and she had a strong sense of justice too. Nothing and nobody could discourage her and she always managed to see the positive side of everything and find something good about everyone. He was amazed by how affectionate her character was, especially considering that she had grown up without her mother. Zack had loved her unconditionally though, right from the moment he had held her in his arms for the first time, and he was committed to giving her everything she needed to become a happy, fulfilled woman.
Liberty entered the kitchen, making him forget about whatever he’d been thinking.
Despite her frown and the austere way she was dressed, she was nevertheless undeniably sexy. Her grey cigarette trousers highlighted her long legs while her white blouse, buttoned up all the way to the top button, clung sensually to her ample bosom. Her long hair, gathered up in a ponytail, shined like gold and looked as smooth as silk.
If she could combine the way she used to smile with the way she looked nowadays, he thought, she would be absolutely irresistible.
Candice was holding her hand and almost dragging her towards her father. “Here she is, Daddy.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. You can go back to talk with our guests now, I’ll finish up here,” Zack replied while looking at Liberty.
She crossed her arms over her chest and followed the girl out of the room with her eyes, then she turned back to look at him. He was becoming more and more impatient to talk to her.
“Do you need a hand to prepare the plates?” she asked, out of politeness.
“No, thanks, I’ve got everything under control. Cooking for eight people is nothing compared to my usual working day.”
Liberty raised an eyebrow. “Your daughter said that you needed me.”
“Well, I asked you to come before but you blatantly ignored my invitation, so I had to use my secret weapon,” he joked. “Nobody can resist Candy!”
Liberty took a deep breath and replied, “So, what is it that you want, Zack?”
“Just to have a chat! I like talking while I cook, don’t you remember?”
“Well, in that case, you should have called Cade. Or Clover – she loves chit-chatting.”
Zack looked at her with his big dark eyes and smiled, trying to get her to lower her defenses. “Come on, Libby! We haven’t seen each other for so long, and you were the last person I was expecting to see here!”
“I wasn’t expecting to see you either. Clover never mentioned your name when she talked me into coming here.”
“What does that mean? Wouldn’t you have come if you’d known who your host was?” he asked, although something told him that he had guessed correctly.
She shrugged and looked around her. “It means I wasn’t expecting to see you, that’s all. I don’t have any reason to avoid you, do I?”
“No, you don’t,” he said with a low laugh. “Will you pass me those vegetables, please?” he asked, indicating a plate near her.
In order to hand him the plate, Liberty was forced to move a few steps closer, and for a moment, Zack could smell her myrrh perfume. But she immediately retreated to a safe distance again.
“So, you own a shop in New York,” he said to break the ice. “Where did you come up with the idea for that?”
She was still trying to play it cool, but he sensed that she was actually just trying to think of an answer that would kill the conversation for good. Zack realized that she absolutely did not want to talk, but that only made him more persistent – they used to be friends, for heaven’s sake! Why wasn’t she as happy as he was that they had bumped into each other so unexpectedly?
/> “It all happened completely by chance, to tell the truth. It used to be my grandparents’, and I used to work there to pay for college. They were real traditionalists, but I was younger and knew more about what was going on in the industry, so when they retired, I took over the shop and made some changes, expanded, started attracting a different type of client. And that was it.”
“I always thought you would become an artist,” Zack smiled. “That was your dream, wasn’t it?”
“I grew up, and so did my dreams.”
“So you don’t write and draw anymore then?”
Liberty continued to look everywhere except at him. “Yes, I do – just not for myself anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that my shop offers a vast range of gifts and special services, including the option to commission poems, stories and comics,” she sighed. “My clients want to give their loved ones a book or a comic – the type of thing they could never do by themselves – as a Saint Valentine’s present, or an anniversary or birthday gift or for some other special occasion. They tell me their stories and dreams and I turn them into novels or drawings. We offer original and unique presents, that’s our motto at Giftland.”
“Well, it’s still artistic work, and it’s certainly unique,” he replied, before asking her to hand him a big knife with the intention of forcing her to move to the side of the kitchen which wasn’t visible from the other room. “How long have you known Clover for?”
“About four years,” she replied, before adding. “If you’re going to try and grill me so you can decide if she’s good enough for your friend, save your breath: Clover is an amazing person, and Cade is lucky to have met her.”
“I never doubted it. The truth is, I really like Clover and I can see how happy Cade is with her. I don’t really need to know anything more than that to approve of their relationship.” Zack gave her a sideways look. “Jeez, Miss Liberty, you’re like a cup of whipped cream that’s gone bad! What the hell has happened to you?”
She shrugged again. “I was never much fun to be around. I’m sure you remember how unpopular I was as a teenager – hardly anyone wanted to spend any time with me.”
“Well, I did,” he pointed out, grabbing her arm to pull her closer. “Let’s see if I can cheer you up a little.” She gave him a surprised look when she found herself so close to him, but he avoided her eyes and concentrated on the food he was preparing. He took an appetizer filled with cheese from the worktop and held it out towards her full lips. “I’m sure you’ll like it, but try it and tell me yourself.”
“Actually, I—” she began, jerking her head backwards, away from it. Her eyes were wide open in fear, but her nostrils couldn’t help letting in that lovely aroma of spicy cheese. Fifteen years ago she would have eaten it without a second thought, and she would have probably even moaned in pleasure, but things had radically changed.
Zack was confused by her reaction, but remained determined to have her taste his appetizer. “Oh come on, tell me I haven’t lost my touch in the kitchen!” he joked. “I have guests, and wouldn’t want to disappoint them!”
“This is your job,” she snorted sarcastically, “are you really this insecure?”
“I don’t have a restaurant, I have a pastry shop! Come on, eat it!”
“No, I don’t want to, and—”
Zack didn’t let her finish her sentence and put the appetizer into her open mouth. He saw her glaring at him and had the impression that she was about to spit it back in his face, almost like Candice would when he tried to make her eat her greens… But Liberty was too elegant for such a thing. Or at least he hoped she was.
He decided not to get offended and smiled at her, waiting for her to finish chewing. “So, do you like it?”
“It’s a bit tasteless,” she grunted while she quickly moved out of his reach.
Zack saw her licking puff pastry crumbs off her lips and chucked. “You liar,” he muttered while he watched her going back to the other room, walking in that stiff way of hers which still managed to be intriguing. He tasted one of his appetizers, just to be absolutely certain that they were good as usual… and they were.
Damn him! How dare he force her to eat? Becoming a father had made him even more determined to make people eat his dishes, apparently. He’d always had this habit of making her taste everything without even asking if she wanted to, but now he was really going too far. And just how arrogant must he be to be sure she’d appreciate anything that he’d made?
To be fair, she’d never refused any of the food he’d offered her back when they were teenagers. She actually looked forward to spending the afternoon with him, back then. But things were different now – many years had passed and they were practically strangers. Zack was a fool if he thought they could just resume their friendship as if nothing had ever happened.
Had he really forgotten the way his friend and brother had humiliated her? And how he hadn’t so much as lifted a finger in her defense? On the contrary, he had even promised everybody that he would marry the most beautiful woman on earth, one day.
He’d never really cared for her, otherwise, knowing about her weight problems, he would have never given her so much food on occasions like Thanksgiving Day. She was his personal guinea pig, that was all, but she had no intention of allowing him to treat her that way ever again.
The night she had walked out of the Sullivan’s house, she had promised herself that she would never again eat anything that Zack had made and she was still committed to maintaining her word. Over the next two days, while she was forced to live in his house, she would eat only the bare minimum for survival, and she would carefully choose the least elaborate dishes – the ones that the least possible preparation had gone into.
She wasn’t going to let that man bewitch her with his delicacies a second time, that was for certain! While she thought that, though, she realized she was still savouring the delicious flavour of the appetizer Zack had forced into her mouth, so she swallowed down a whole glass of water in a single gulp. She hated his talent for cooking delicious food!
“Is everything OK?” Justin whispered in an ear.
“Yes, everything’s fine,” she lied, smiling distractedly. “Zack just needed some help, but he should be able to manage now.”
“Didn’t you know that Clover’s friend was also an old friend of yours? You looked totally surprised to see him.”
“I had absolutely no idea, otherwise I would have booked a hotel or just declined her invitation,” Liberty muttered while she refilled her glass with water.
Justin clearly found her reaction strange. “Does that mean that you don’t like him?”
“Not much, no.”
“How come? He seems like a very well-mannered, hospitable guy. What did he do to you?”
You can never just take my word for it, can you? thought Liberty. Her boyfriend wasn’t able to not behave like a lawyer, always asking questions, even about the most trivial stuff. “His brother and his friends were pretty mean to me back in high school. They used to tease me and make fun of me the way hormonally unbalanced teenage bullies do. Zack reminds me of that period of my life, and it’s a period I’d just rather forget about.” She gave Justin a vague smile, and joked, “May I go back to my seat now, your honour?”
“Ok, but you can’t leave the country,” he replied.
Zack came out of the kitchen carrying a large tray full of colorful plates, one for each guest. Liberty heard her stomach grumbling with hunger, and felt her nose twitch again at the delicious perfume of the herbs he had used to garnish the pasta salad.
He started handing out the plates while she desperately tried to come up with a convincing excuse not to eat anything. She couldn’t invent an allergy or food intolerance, because her friends all knew she hadn’t any and because in any case it would exonerate her only from a few types of food, not from all of them.
She couldn’t come up with anything and was forced to swallow a couple
of mouthfuls. She avoided all the pieces of pasta and ate only some vegetables. She could feel Zack’s eyes upon her, but decided to ignore him and keep her own eyes on her plate.
Then came other dishes, and she acted in the same way, eating a little and then offloading most of her food to Justin when Zack wasn’t looking. Her boyfriend ate everything quite happily, while she was forced to drink a lot of water to avoid feeling hungry.
All things considered, in the end she managed not to eat too many calories. Zack wasn’t happy at all about it though… “Liberty, you hardly ate anything. Was there something wrong with the food?” he asked, while serving her a cup full of ice cream and whipped cream sprinkled with cocoa.
“No, there was nothing wrong with it,” she said, trying not to show her irritation. Zack raised both his eyebrows and looked at her, followed by all the others. Now she had everybody’s eyes on her. Say something, damn it! she thought, and then pulled a very sad face and said, “I’m sorry but I’m still getting over a really awful dose of flu and I think my stomach is still a bit delicate.”
“You should have told me, I would have made something a bit less rich for you!” said Zack with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Would you like some chicken broth? The one I make is delicious, isn’t it sweetheart?”
“Yes, it is!” replied Candice, clapping her chubby hands and looking at him with adoring eyes. “Can I have some too?”
“You’ve eaten enough for a dragon, babe! If you carry on like this, your tummy’ll pop like a balloon!” Zack told her with a smile.
Liberty suddenly became stiff. “Eating too much is bad for you. You get fat and ugly, and everybody bullies you,” she said, unable to stop herself. Candice was looking at her in confusion, but Liberty continued regardless. “You’re a very pretty girl, and it would be a real shame if you spoiled that pretty face of yours.”