Her pasta boiled along beside her and she smiled. At last, a dish she could cook without being the worst in the class. From the corner of her eye, she watched her neighbour liberally adding cooking salt to the water. She was tempted to let him go, but it seemed too mean.
“I’m not telling you how to suck eggs, but you should check how much salt to use.”
“Really? Can you over salt water?” He peered into his saucepan.
“Trust me, you can do it without even trying. The pasta will only be fit for the rubbish afterward. Don’t ask me how I know this!”
She laughed and he grinned back at her before dumping his water in the sink.
Satisfied that she’d done a good deed, she turned back to her own sauce and gave it another stir. They were making garlic bread to go with their meal tonight, and she still needed to make the garlic butter. She peeled the garlic, wishing she could do what she normally did and crush it whole with the skin on. It took longer to pull the papery skin out of the garlic crusher, but it always felt like the lazy option. She crushed it and mixed it in with the butter. As she put it to the side, she glanced at the pot to see how much it was bubbling.
Hmm… probably best to stir it again.
The spoon had rested on the edge of the pot while she’d prepared the garlic butter, and when she lifted it now it was hot. She dropped it onto the chopping board to cool, which was when she noted the strange shape of it.
Was it like that before?
Rachel examined it closer, knowing what she’d find. The edge of the black plastic now had a hole in it and the handle had bent where the plastic had melted.
Typical. I do well with the food and destroy the utensils.
Raising her hand and biting her lip, she could have sworn she saw Jackie roll her eyes before she came to stand beside her. Every class resulted in a casualty of some kind and, while this was minor, Rachel had hoped to avoid destroying anything.
“I killed my spoon.”
“Well, that’s because it’s a salad server, dear, not a heat-resistant spoon.” She sighed as she surveyed the damage. “Just get a new one. Now you know why the class fee is so high.”
***
On Friday night, Rachel’s phone beeped at the exact moment her feet settled on the arm of her couch. She stretched back and prepared for her nightly call with Henry. “Hey.”
“Hey, This is becoming a casual phone call greeting.”
“Oh, I do casual well,” she joked.
“I find that hard to believe. Casual should not apply to us.” She could tell he was smiling but his words were serious. “Anyway, what are you doing right this second?”
“I’m about to watch a scary movie.”
“Is your front door locked?”
“No. Don’t worry it’s not that scary—I don’t need to lock up.” As she said the words, her front door opened and she watched, open-mouthed, as Henry rounded the corner of her lounge room. She spoke into the phone, “What are you doing here?” He laughed and hung up as she struggled to take in his sudden appearance. She dropped her phone onto the coffee table and stood up as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I can’t believe you’re back!”
“I know. I’m a genius and can keep a secret quite well it turns out. I only have until tomorrow night, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you.” He kissed her and she melted, touched that he wanted to spend all his time off with her. “Did you eat?”
“Not yet. I was going to make an egg on toast but then I couldn’t be bothered.”
“Can I take you to a real movie, then, and we’ll get dinner afterward?”
“Sure. We could do gold class and eat in the cinema.”
“Even better. Jump online and book, I don’t care what. Is it okay if I have a quick shower?”
“Of course.” He grabbed the bag he’d dropped when he came in and headed to the bathroom as she booked the tickets and emailed them to her phone.
The sound of the shower distracted her and she considered forgetting the movie and slipping into the shower to join him. He’d been strict with her up to now though, and quite adamant that they should wait. She only had him for twenty-four hours so she didn’t want to ruin it by pressuring him. There’d be plenty of time for that once he was home from Sydney for good.
When he emerged with a towel around his waist she nearly threw all those careful plans out the window. He was so tempting as water beaded on his chest that she had to turn away and busy herself checking the contents of her handbag. He didn’t miss her look, though, and she heard him smirk behind her as he got dressed.
***
When Rachel opened her eyes she smiled when she saw Henry asleep beside her. He’d crashed out as soon as his head hit the pillow last night. Whatever he was doing for work had drained him and he snored softly. She lay there watching him, reluctant to wake him before he was ready. She savoured the relief of not having to wake to an alarm whenever she could, and she didn’t want to ruin that for him on his day off.
Thirty minutes later he opened one eye and looked at her as she scrolled through her Facebook feed. His hand slid toward her and wrapped around her waist, making her breath catch and his next words surprised her. “I can’t wait until we sleep together for real.”
“You’re doing quite a good job of resisting.”
“Don’t be fooled. There is physical pain.” He grinned and she laughed as she threw back the covers.
“You can take care of that anytime you like, you just have to say the word. God, I sound like a hussy!” they both laughed as he assured her she was no such thing. “What are we going to do today, Mr Baxter? Do you have a plan?”
“Of course I do. We’re going on one of my spectacularly planned dates.”
“Ooh,” she let out a high-pitched squeal, “I love it when you make the plans.”
“I have noticed. Don’t have any breakfast. You’re going to need all available stomach space for this one.”
“Can anything top those burgers we ate in Rosebud?”
“I believe a donut festival is the one place that can.” He pulled on his pants and dug around in his bag for a clean shirt.
“Yum. Donuts!” she grabbed a dress and closed the bathroom door behind her. “I’ll be ready in record time if there’s donuts,” she called out.
Henry had planned to take the tram and they walked to the nearest stop holding hands. His finger rubbed against the back of her knuckle as they chatted about what they’d been doing while he had been away. Their time apart hadn’t dampened their ability to hold a conversation and they discovered they had plenty to talk about, despite the nightly phone calls between them.
“Where’s the donut festival?” Rachel asked as they took their seats on the tram.
“About half an hour away on the tram. We have to switch in the city.”
“Okay, I hope you know where we’re going.”
“I have it all on an app on my phone. Otherwise, we’d be lost and would have had to drive.” He laughed as he looked out the window. “Don’t worry, I have it all under control.”
“Are you sure it’s under control?” she asked twenty minutes later as they crammed onto the second tram with dozens of other people. “Are we all going to the same place?”
“I hope not.” He laughed as they were shoved closer together to allow as many people onto the tram as possible. “Look at that.” He inclined his head and she looked in the direction he indicated.
A pug had been brought onto the tram. It was wearing a tiny batman costume and the owner had placed it on their lap. The dog panted and drooled as the surrounding passengers all reached out to pat it. Rachel smiled as she watched it enjoying all the attention. “How cute. I love dogs in clothes.”
“I find it a little bit creepy. We have to go eight stops, then we get off.” They laughed and Rachel watched the signs at each stop, trying to count them all.
“I’m hopeless at keeping track. When we don’t stop at each one you can’t see wha
t number you’re at.”
“I know. I was hoping some of these people would get off and we could move closer to the door.”
“I suspect we’re all going to the same place.”
“No way. Donuts can’t be that popular. I saw a note on the internet that it was on. This many people could not have seen it.”
“Okay, you’re in charge, but you’ll find I’m right.” She smirked to herself and didn’t bother to tell him that the couple standing near her had just been discussing what donuts they were going to have.
A few minutes later, they had their confirmation. As they looked out the window of the tram they could see a lengthy line of people forming on the side of the road where the donut festival was happening. They still had three stops until they were due to get off, but it soon became apparent that the line for the festival was more than a kilometre long and growing by the minute.
“Uh, Henry. Do you have a plan B?”
“No, but I’m about to get one. There’s no way I’m lining up with a thousand people just to get a donut!”
“Thank God. I thought you might have insisted.” As she spoke, the tram stopped and more than half the people disembarked. Empty seats were now theirs for the choosing and Henry grabbed her hand and moved her to the front of the carriage.
“We’ll continue onto the café district. It’ll be better there.”
***
The crowds at the end of the tramline were equally ridiculous and Henry let out an exasperated sigh as they stepped onto the platform together. “Damn, everyone has decided to leave the house today!”
“I would have thought you were used to the crowds. Isn’t Sydney just as busy as this?”
“Some parts are, but where we’re working it’s quieter and out of the city. Besides working sixteen hours a day it’s been fairly quiet. Come on, we’re getting lunch and a donut if it kills me!”
They walked down the street and found a restaurant with room to squeeze them in. The sidewalk tables were packed full of people and the occasional dog on a leash. Prams pushed through the crowd as parents, young people and older couples all ate lunch in the warm sunshine. Henry and Rachel found themselves tucked inside right at the back of the restaurant.
Rachel flicked through the menu and struggled to choose from the vast selection. She giggled as Henry scrolled through his phone with a frown on his face. “What are you doing?”
“I’m looking up the donut festival to see if the line was crazy because it just opened, or if it was another reason.”
“You don’t like it when your plans don’t come off, do you?”
“I do not. I was trying to make a good impression and I’ve been thwarted. Ahh… here we go, there’s loads of complaints from people. Apparently, the venue only fits about three hundred and they’ve had two thousand show up. Perfect, it wasn’t me, it was them!” he slipped his phone into his pocket with a satisfied grin. “Now I can relax.”
Rachel’s giggles grew into laughter and she swatted him with her menu. “You know you don’t have to try to make a good impression on me. I think we’re past that, don’t you? You’ve even met my parents.”
“I hope we’re past it and I hope you can meet my mum soon, too.” He took her hand across the table. “But, just in case, I’ll keep trying for a little while longer.” He opened his own menu, “Oh, look! They serve a donut dish for dessert. We’re in luck!”
She smirked at him and returned her attention to the menu. Hanging out with Henry always made her smile and she was thrilled they’d had this unexpected day together.
***
The smoke alarm was beeping—screaming—at her to stop burning the food. She flapped at it with a tea towel and it stopped squealing for a moment. As her arm lowered, the shrieking started up again and she covered her ears, instead. After five minutes of shouting, the alarm refused to turn off.
Everyone in the class was staring at Rachel and Jackie came toward her with a wild look in her eye as she wielded a broomstick in front of her.
Oh God, she’s going to hit me!
Jackie pushed past her and with a swift movement, she smashed the broomstick into the detector on the ceiling. She bashed it several times, muttering under her breath about finding herself a new job. When the siren had stopped, seemingly for good, she turned back to the class. Rachel took a step back—the wild look in Jackie’s eyes had everyone paying attention.
“Just once, I’d like to get through a class without something going wrong—without one of you setting the room on fire.” She glared at each of them in turn as she rattled off their crimes. “I’d like all the utensils to survive a single lesson.”
Uh oh, that one was for me.
“Maybe we could go for a whole sixty minutes without a pan boiling over or a bowl being knocked onto the floor. There’s not a full set of crockery anywhere in this kitchen, and this class is to blame for a chunk of that. I’ve been cooking for thirty years and teaching cooking for more than fifteen of those, and I have never seen a bunch of misfits quite like all of you.” She took her apron off and threw it on the nearest counter. “Class is cancelled—I’m done. You can all go home and get some lessons from your bloody mothers, who should have taught you this stuff in the beginning!”
They all took another step back as she stormed past them to the reception area. They watched through the glass as she collected her handbag and left through the front door. The bang of it closing behind her told them her decision was final. The teacher had left the building.
Everyone stood, looking at each other with their mouths agape. Guilty eyes slid to the side, each looking at someone else. None of them had come through this class without creating a problem for Jackie. They had, indeed, melted things: utensils, butter and sugar, instead of creaming them with a beater, and one participant had even melted their synthetic shirt to the edge of the gas cooker. Her screams had been followed by laughter from the class, once they’d confirmed she wasn’t injured. There’d been no laughter from Jackie that night.
***
“Your teacher quit?”
“She did. I wasn’t the one to cause the actual brain snap that resulted in her leaving, but I had a part in it. My own disasters paled in comparison to the others, though. All I did was melt a spoon, buy the wrong vegetable, and try to cut the end off my finger. The others had a variety of misdemeanours. One set fire to a curtain when he sprayed cooking oil too near the gas flame. Another knocked their entire pan of bolognaise sauce to the floor while jumping away to avoid a knife spearing him in the toe when it rolled off the counter.” Rachel took a sip of water and grinned at Lori, “We all helped clean that up. One woman in the class couldn’t stay off her phone. Her dad signed her up, but she wasn’t into it at all. She blew the top off a can of condensed milk she was boiling to make caramel sauce, and the lid embedded itself in the wall right by her head. We never saw her again.”
The two women were having a Sunday lunch at their favourite rooftop café. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining. They’d managed to get a shaded spot in the corner and were catching up after a busy week. Lori struggled to believe the stories from the cooking class.
“You know, if I hadn’t seen you in action, I would accuse you of making it up.”
“People tell me that all the time. Even I laughed hysterically when you found those carrots in the microwave! I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.” They both giggled as their waiter took their order and left. “I can say that I tried, though. I still can’t cook, but I know I’m not the worst out there.”
“That’s so hard to believe. I’d hoped you were an anomaly. It was quite endearing when I thought there was only one of you. Now, I’m not so sure. You should hurry up and come clean to Henry, so he can teach you a few things.”
“Hmm…”
“Uh, oh. What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” She glanced casually around the restaurant, hoping Lori would drop the subject. When she looked back to find her friend
watching her with her head tilted, waiting for an answer, she gave in. “He didn’t call me last night.”
“And?”
“He’s called me every night since he left. I know he’ll be home as soon as he can, but it made me worry. I don’t know why he’s there or who he’s with, and now he missed our call.”
“It’s probably nothing. I’m sure he had to work late.”
“Or he met someone and he was with her.”
Lori laughed and Rachel looked at her, shocked that her friend would be so mean. “You’re hilarious. Henry hasn’t met someone else. I already told you: you didn’t see how he looked at you when he thought you weren’t watching. He only has eyes for you.”
“Yeah, well, that was before he spent a month away, enjoying his freedom. We’re fake-engaged, remember?” She tried not to laugh as Lori spat her drink out on the table. “Everyone forgets we’re engaged.”
I just hope he hasn’t.
Chapter Nine
“Hi, Rachel. I only have a few minutes. Could you pick me up from the airport tonight?”
“You’re coming home?”
“I am, but only for the weekend again. We’re finished here and I’ve managed to get on the next available flight. I land just after six. Could you get me?”
“I can! I’ll wait in the pick up area. I’ll also book us somewhere to go for dinner, if you’re not too tired.”
“I’ll never be too tired to see you, but do you want to stay in, instead? I haven’t seen you for weeks, and it is Friday night.”
“I’m aware of that, but I’m not cooking. We can get a quick bite to eat and then go home.”
“Alright, fiancée, you’re the boss! I have to rush, but I’ll see you tonight.”
Married This Year 2: Simmering Love Page 9