“I do insist,” she replied, trying to sound convincing. “Anyway, I’d hate to risk getting food on the sheets.”
Henry still looked a bit hangdog, so she tried to change the subject. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?”
“Absolutely,” he said, even as he tried to rearrange the tiny benchspace so he could cram some plates onto it. “I really want to do this for you. It’s the least I can do.”
“It’s not,” Luna said, sitting down at the table. “But I appreciate the gesture. If thereisanything I can do, though, please just let me know.”
“Sure thing,” Henry said, a little distractedly, as the toaster popped and very nearly sent the toast flying onto the stove – only quick reflexes on Henry’s part stopped the toast from meeting a sticky end, and Luna thought that she probably ought to stop distracting him.
She fiddled with her camera while she waited, the intoxicating smells and sizzles of her impending breakfast setting her stomach to grumbling. Luckily the camera seemed to have come through its ordeal yesterday intact – it was a little dinged-up, but it still turned on fine and her photos were still there. Still, it was a good reminder to back up her photos ASAP.
She pointed the camera in Henry’s direction, idly taking a few photos to check that everything was still working in that respect, then flicked through the results. He even photographed well, looking as effortless as a model.
Is there anything he can’t do?!
Probably she would make a killing on her article about the festival if she included some pictures of a gorgeous hunk cooking her breakfast, but no, she would never do something like that to him.
Besides,a surprisingly possessive voice said inside her head,you’re not sharing him with anyone.
Before she could get too caught up in wherethathad come from, Henry came over bearing a tray full of breakfast goods, including two plates piled high with steaming hot breakfast, a pot of tea, a French press full of coffee, two cups and even a tiny jug of milk and bowl of sugar.
“I wasn’t sure how you liked your tea, so I just got everything,” Henry said, and Luna smiled helplessly.How has this guy not been snatched up yet?!
“Thank you,” she said honestly as she took the nearest plate. Everything on it looked and smelledamazing: the piles of bacon still sizzling slightly, the bread toasted just how she liked it and topped with an egg done over easy, the king oyster mushrooms grilled to golden buttery perfection, the cooked cherry tomatoes showing just the tiniest hint of char along the edge of the skin. The whole thing was topped off with an artful arrangement of fresh basil leaves and a side of fresh goat’s cheese.
Luna thought she might die of happiness right here and now.
Sure, she had overindulged yesterday, but that was then. This was now, and she’d gone to bed early. She suddenly realized that she wasravenous, and this was exactly what she felt like eating.
“Are you sure you work in security?” she said, genuinely impressed. “Because it seems to me that you’re actually a chef or something.”
“What? No,” he said, looking baffled. “I can barely cook at all. I just kind of looked at what was in the fridge and then fried it up. Also,” he said, looking embarrassed, “I checked online how best to cook everything and what order to cook it in. I normally don’t care much when it’s just me and just throw whatever in the pan and hope for the best, but I wanted it to be as good as possible for you.”
Perfect! He’s perfect!! Maybe I’m still asleep, and this is all a dream. That’s the only explanation.
“Well,” Luna said, “I’m pretty sure it’s actually delicious, but if you’re not sure, I’ll check for you.” She paused, realizing that he was still hovering there with the tray. “Also, please sit down? I’m sure I’ll enjoy it more if you’re eating as well.”
“What? Oh, yeah. Sure.” She hadn’t thought it was possible for Henry to be any more attractive than he already had been, but holding a tray of delicious food that he’d made for her, wearing an apron, and obviously flustered? Luna just wanted to throw him onto the bed, yank the apron off, and ravish him silly.
She supposed she would have to settle for eating the delicious breakfast he had made for her, and she sawed into the thick, crispy toast, spreading some of the goat’s cheese on top and then using it to stick a little bit of everything onto the toast so it wouldn’t fall off, before popping the whole thing into her mouth.
It was even more delicious than it had looked, if that was possible, and she moaned happily, eyes closing in bliss.
“Incredible,” she said, feeling a bit bad for talking with her mouth full, but it reallywasthat good, and she wanted him to know. She opened her eyes to see Henry looking relieved, if still a little apprehensive, and she nudged his plate toward him.
“Eat up,” she ordered. “You don’t want to let it go cold. And I don’t want to be eating without you.”
She watched as Henry tried out some toast and bacon with what almost looked like trepidation; after a few chews, he looked surprised.
He swallowed the mouthful. “That’s… actually not bad,” he said. “I really didn’t think I could cook.”
Luna grinned. “You’re a natural. It really is good.”
The two of them tucked into their breakfasts together, falling into a silence that was easy rather than awkward, broken only by the sounds of eating and the morning songs of birds outside the window.
It felt like no time at all until they were almost finished, and Luna found herself regretting it. Yesterday she had been desperate to get to the festival and try all the different food, but now all she wanted in life was to sit here with Henry, enjoying his quiet companionship… okay, and his amazing food.
Still, she supposed that she had to get to work at some point, especially since yesterday had been such a disaster.
