I peer down at the bag, then gaze around. “Would you like some help?”
His eyes radiate shock. “Hell yeah.” His brows pinch together. “I’m starving, though. Can you cook?”
I can’t stop the big cheesy smile from taking over my face. “Yes, I can.”
He looks to the ceiling and closes his eyes. “Finally,” he drawls, “a woman that can cook.” He looks back at me. “Can you cook something edible for breakfast for the men?”
My lips mash together as I try not to laugh at “edible.” I look to the right and then point to the left. “Is the kitchen that way?” I tilt my head toward the left, guessing it might be through the lounge.
He chuckles and nods. “Yeah, you can’t miss it.”
I stroll through the house and into the kitchen. Like the rest of the house, it’s dark wood. It contains black stools with worn wooden tops. My hand travels over the counter. It’s smooth with a raised surface from the natural wood. The appliances are chrome and state of the art. It has two massive double-door fridges and a coffee machine. I’m in love. There’s a buzz of excitement when I see the gigantic oven and cooktop.
“Mornin’,” a cheery voice says, making my heart skip a beat. Viper stands a few feet away, making coffee.
I attempt to smile because I want to be polite, but Elena said to stay away from him. “Good morning.”
He frowns. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He sounds sincere, and it surprises me.
“It’s okay.”
After the machine finishes adding the coffee to his mug, he adds two teaspoons of sugar. “So what were you smiling at before I bothered you?”
I consider whether to tell him, but I fold. “This.” I gesture at my dream kitchen.
He sips and looks at me over the brim of his cup. “The kitchen?”
I sigh. He clearly doesn’t get it. “I love cooking. This is a chef’s dream.”
His lips curve up. “Well, I’m hungry, so go for it.”
Excitement returns as I search through the fridges, which are full of food. I pull out the easy things like eggs, sausages, and bacon. Then I move to the oversized pantry, where eight people could easily fit in. My mouth presses into a hard, flat line at the state of the pantry. It’s a mess, with pieces of food left on the cupboards. It needs a deep clean. Food containers have been strewn about, so it takes longer than needed, but I grab all the ingredients necessary and put them on the counter. I drum my fingers on the table and turn to Viper.
“Pans?”
“Ahh...” He shrugs. “Fuck if I know.” He turns to the lounge. “Mercedez, where’s the pans?”
There’s mumbling, and the one with Twitch stumbles in. Her mascara is smudged underneath her eyes. There are remnants of red lipstick around her lips. She rubs one of her eyes. “What did you say?” she asks in a croaky voice.
“Where are the pans?”
She points. “It’s the bottom drawer toward the end.”
I lean down and pull the large drawer open and curse at all the kitchen pots and pans carelessly thrown in. There is no order for anything.
“Are you all right?” Viper asks.
“I hate a messy kitchen.”
He snorts. “You’re going to hate it here, then.” He looks at Mercedez and points to the overloaded sink with dirty dishes. “Can you wash up?”
She yawns and moves slowly to the sink.
Another young woman bounces into the kitchen, walks straight to Viper, stands on her toes, gives him a peck on the lips, then turns. “Hi.” She smiles, walks to me, and hugs me.
I stand motionless, feeling awkward.
When she pulls back, she says, “I’m Candy. Do you need any help?” I go to answer, but she keeps talking. “I can clean with Mercedez,” she offers. She links her hands in front of her. She glances at Viper, then back. “Or I can cook?”
