I settled on one of the stools and watched as he turned the oven and stove back on and went back to cooking.
Okay, I had to derail my train of thought. I had a decent amount of brain cells and right now they were all obsessed with Ben Murphy.
"Did I tell you what happened Monday morning after you dropped me off?" I blurted out.
He glanced over his shoulder at me. "From your tone, it sounds like it was scary."
I nodded. "It was. Terrifying."
"What happened?" he asked with a frown. "Did someone mess with you?"
"You could say that," I answered. "But I can guarantee you wouldn't be able to guess."
"Okay, are you going to tell me?" he asked.
I couldn't read the expression on his face, but I continued because I couldn't just stop talking now that I'd brought it up.
"I had to take the trash out because I'd forgotten to do it earlier and when I came around the corner of the house, there was this big, I don't know,thingon top of the trash can. It hissed at me and stood up on its hind legs. Of course, badass that I am, I tried to run backward and fell on my butt. It tore off toward the street before I realized it was a raccoon."
"A raccoon hissed at you?" Ben asked, his eyebrows lowering. "Do raccoons hiss?"
"I don't know if all raccoons do," I answered with a shrug. "But this one definitely did. And then, after I went inside, Cam snuck up on me and scared the shit out of me. I told her about the raccoon and she says 'Oh, that's Gary.' She named the fat bastard Gary! And she's been feeding him!"
My voice had grown louder at this point and I was waving my hands around in the air. Ben watched me from the stove, his lips twitching.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm almost sorry I missed that," he said.
I made a face at him and he laughed with his head tilted back.
"You made it sound like something out of a nightmare, but I should have known it would be nothing more than an evil raccoon."
"Gary the evil raccoon," I murmured.
Ben was still grinning as he dished out the food.
"What's this?" I asked as he set the bowl in front of me.
"Jambalaya. Well, my lazy version of it."
Lazy or not, it smelled delicious. There was a slice of buttered garlic bread sitting on the wide edge of the bowl and my mouth watered at the sight.
"This looks amazing," I said. "And smells even better."
"It's probably mushy because it's been sitting on the stove for a while, but it should taste okay."
I glanced up at him. "The only things I've successfully cooked are macaroni and cheese from a box or canned soup. I normally have to go to a restaurant or order in if I want anything other than sandwiches and popcorn. I appreciate this more than you know, even if it is mushy."
Ben chuckled. "Good to know you're grateful."
I knew I should wait until he sat down with me before I dug in but I was hungry and he was taking too long. As soon as his back was turned, I lifted a huge spoonful to my mouth.
The flavors exploded on my tongue and I nearly moaned. I could taste tomatoes, bell peppers, and a myriad of spices. There was heat but not too much. It was perfect. It wasn't traditional jambalaya like I'd had in New Orleans, but it was still delicious.
"Like it?" Ben asked as he sat next to me.
My mouth was full so I nodded and gave him a thumbs up.
