Roshan raised a brow. Just then, the kitchen doors swung open. The butler brought a pair of sizzling plates to the table. The aroma was mouth-watering. I practically had to suppress a moan as I saw the dinner in front of me; cheese-stuffed filet mignon on a bed of caramelized onions with a side of roasted mushrooms and vegetables.
"Oh my god. This smells so fucking good." I realized I swore and blushed. "Oops, sorry."
Roshan just laughed. "Hey, there's no kids around. Swear as much as you fucking want."
I joined him in laughing. As much as I loved spending time with my daughter, sometimes it was nice to take a break and hang out with another adult, especially one whose company I enjoyed as much as Roshan's.
I dug into my food wolfishly but also savored each bite. After surviving off alphabet soup, canned beans and cupcakes for so long, an incredible meal like this was paradise.
After clearing off my plate, I sank back into my chair with a sigh. "That was literally the best dinner I've eaten in my life."
Roshan beamed. "Really? Then I need to invite you over more often."
My cheeks warmed up. That meant he wanted to have dinner with me again.
"Ah! Now that we're done eating, it'slater." Roshan grinned like a Cheshire cat."What's in the bag?"
I guess there was no wriggling out of this one. I picked up the bag and handed it to Roshan sheepishly. "Here. I made these for you."
Looking like a kid at Christmas, Roshan dug into the paper bag until he found the white box inside. There was a kid's sticker holding the lid together and a sticky note on top saying"To Roshan, From Chris + Zoey."
When Roshan opened the box, his dark eyes lit up like fireworks on a black sky. "Oh, Chris... You two made these for me?"
The scent of the cupcakes I'd made wafted over. There was a whole array of them, a dozen cupcakes each with a different flavor and appearance.
"Zoey put the sprinkles on. The rest was me."
"Chris, these are amazing," Roshan murmured, his voice full of emotion. "I can't believe you did this just for me."
"Me? All I did was bake some cupcakes 'cause I know you like them. You're the amazing one who threw this fancy dinner for me!"
We looked at each other for a moment before bursting into embarrassed laughter.
Why did it feel like we were mutually flirting? We couldn't be, right?
Roshan met my eye then slowly packed up the box and stood up from the table. He called over a butler and murmured something in a language I didn't understand. The butler nodded and began clearing the table.
"Come with me, Chris," Roshan said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "There's something I'd like to show you."
I followed along, wondering how many more amazing surprises he had in store.
* * *
We climbeda set of marble stairs and exited a door that led to an open space full of greenery. I realized we were on a rooftop garden.
"Oh, wow," I said. "How many gardens does this place have?"
"Just two, don't worry. This is the more private one." He nodded over the edge of the balcony railing. I saw a few figures down there laughing and playing. Zoey was one of them.
I smiled. "It's awesome that she found kids her own age to play with." As I remembered what I'd said earlier, my cheeks flushed red. "And I'm really sorry I assumed that about you and your friend..."
Roshan grinned. "It's all right. He's an alpha too, and an old friend. And by old, I meanhe'sold as hell."
I chuckled. I felt silly for assuming that, but it relieved me to know they weren't together.
But why did I care? Roshan and I weren't in a relationship, except as an employer and employee...
I watched Roshan out of the corner of my eye, waiting to see what he'd say next. But he was quiet. Had I said something wrong or was this just a normal lull in conversation? Ugh, I wished I wasn't so awkward around him, but he made me all flustered.
