“This is amazing,” Ciaran said.
“Thank you,” Geoff said. “I enjoy woodworking.”
“You designed this?”
“I did.”
“I’m speechless,”
Geoff smiled and led Ciaran into the dining room, which had been decorated in a similar style. They’d attached the dining table to the floor, but the chairs remained loose. The chandelier hung down, its yellow lights dancing on the tabletop.
“Dinner is ready,” Teddy called from the kitchen doorway.
Geoff motioned to a chair and went into the kitchen.
Ciaran looked at the place settings. Pink roses decorated the edges of the sky-blue plates. A smaller plate and salad bowl sat on either side of the plates, along with two forks, a butter knife, a water glass, and a wineglass. The wine glasses resembled goblets from a fantasy movie.
Teddy and Geoff walked out with a pan of lasagna, a basket of bread, a garden salad, two bottles of dressing, and a bottle of wine.
“That smells wonderful,” Ciaran said, as they set the food on the table.
“Thank you,” Teddy said. “I hope you enjoy it.” He cut the lasagna and placed a piece on each plate.
“Help yourself to some bread,” Geoff said, passing the basket to Ciaran. “There’s also some salad. We have Thousand Island and ranch dressing.”
Teddy poured them each a glass of wine.
“Sorry, I should have asked,” Teddy said. “Do you drink?”
“Yes, thank you,” Ciaran said.
Ciaran grabbed a piece of French bread and filled his bowl with salad.
He scooped a forkful of lasagna onto the bread and took a bite.
The food melted in his mouth. The combination of the spices in the lasagna and the bread blended to create a combination he’d never tasted before.
“What is in this lasagna?” Ciaran asked.
“I use a combination of Italian seasoning, bay leaves, nutmeg, garlic, onion, and a few other spices. What I do is let the beef marinate for a few hours with the spices before I cook.”
“Whatever you did, it’s the best lasagna I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you,” Teddy said. Ciaran looked up to catch him blushing. He wondered if he got compliments often.
They continued to eat in silence, with the food taking center stage.
“So, what do you do for work?” Geoff asked while Teddy cleared the plates.
“I’m an independent contractor for web design and photography,” Ciaran said. “Companies hire me to make their sites beautiful and user-friendly.”
“Nice,” Geoff said. “Maybe we should hire you to redo our website.”
“I heard that,” Teddy called from the kitchen. “There is nothing wrong with our site.”
“He did it,” Geoff whispered.
“Isthere something wrong with it?” Teddy came out, drying his hands.
