I jerked at the sound of my door and spun around. I smiled as Colin came through the door.
“You’re back!” I jumped from the chair and threw off my headset before hugging Colin tightly.
He leaned down and kissed me. I moaned into his mouth. My heart was bursting with joy that he actually came back. “Of course, I’m back. It took longer because I picked some things up for dinner. Tell me you like pasta,” he said, breaking the kiss.
“I love pasta. I’m so happy you came back,” I said quietly.
“I’ll always come back,mon chou,” Colin replied.
I pulled back and tilted my head. “Okay, what does that mean? Why are you calling me a shoe? I tried looking it up, but I don’t think I’m spelling it right.”
Colin chuckled. “It’s spelled: m-o-n c-h-o-u. It means my sweetheart.”
Butterflies filled my stomach, and a wave of giddiness rushed through my body. No one had ever called me a sweetheart before. I smiled, leaned up and kissed him again. “I love it,” I said.
Colin abruptly pulled back from our embrace and cocked his head. “Do you hear something? It sounds like someone yelling your name.”
My eyes widened. “Oh shit.” I turned around and picked up my headset. Sure enough, Zeke was yelling for me. I pressed my mic button. “Sorry, Zeke. I’m here.”
“Jesus, Reg. You had me worried something happened,” Zeke said.
“Sorry,” I paused and glanced back at Colin. He smiled and gave me a tiny nod before going toward my kitchen. “Sorry, Colin is back.”
“Hell yeah! I told you he’d be back. You were worrying over nothing. I’ll let you go, but I want details later…well, not all the details,” Zeke replied.
“Later, Zeke. And thanks,” I said before disconnecting and turning back toward Colin.
“How’s your friend?” Colin asked as he pulled a pot and skillet from one of my cabinets.
I rose from my chair and leaned on the little kitchen counter. “Zeke’s my best friend. He helped me sort some things out. What are you cooking?”
“Pasta Carbonara. What did you need to work out,mon chou?” He turned and filled the pot with water from the sink.
“A lot of things happened today and I needed to work things out. I was worried….” I couldn’t believe I was going to admit my fear. I shook my head. “I’ve never had carbonara before. How’d you learn to make it?” I asked, changing the subject.
Colin flipped a switch on the stove before turning to me and walking around the nook, evading my personal space. He raised his hand and gently stroked my cheek. “What had you worried?”
I closed my eyes. “I-I wondered if you’d come back. I was scared it was a one-off.”
“Oh,mon chou,you’re not getting rid of me that easy. I know we just met, but I feel that we were made for each other,” Colin replied.
I opened my eyes. I was surprised because I’d felt the same way since meeting him. It was something I was petrified to admit. “I feel the same way.”
Colin’s smile was instantaneous. He leaned down and kissed me fiercely. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him close. I was in heaven. My life was finally turning around. I never wanted to let him go.
Popping sounds had Colin and me jumping back. “Merde,” Colin whispered under his breath. He hurried back to the stove and lowered the heat on the overflowing pot.
Turning around, he gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I’m usually an excellent cook and don’t burn water.”
I laughed. “It’s okay. I don’t cook and do burn water. Besides, we were distracted.”
“That’s very true. It was a perfect distraction,mon chou,” he said as he began chopping bacon.
I couldn’t stop smiling at the term of endearment, especially now that I knew what it meant. “That’s French, right?” I asked.
Colin nodded. “It is. I was born and raised in France.”
“That’s amazing. I was born here in Chicago.” I stopped talking as a dreadful thought entered my mind. Colin turned to face me at my abrupt silence. “What’s wrong?”
