After checking with Griff and Jamieson, I leave them to finish up.
I have dinner to cook and a date with a man I can’t stop thinking about.
I’ve just finished getting dressed after a shower when the doorbell rings.
Tater, as usual, runs to the door without barking. Her tail wags furiously as she waits to greet whoever is on the other side.
Diamond stands on my step, and Tater immediately barks for his attention as I motion for him to come in.
“Hi, little miss. I brought you something.” He reaches down to scratch her ears quickly before standing up. “Couldn’t leave my favourite girl out.” His gaze skims down my body. “You look nice, and it smells amazing in here.”
He looks more than nice. Dressed in slim-fit jeans and a faded rodeo T-shirt that fits him perfectly, he kicks off his runners at the door.
“Thank you. Nothing better than tomatoes and garlic.”
“I hope it’s okay to give her a toy with a squeaker?”
Laughing, I nod. “Oh yes, it’s her favourite.” From the bag he carried in, he pulls out a plush dog toy shaped like a cowboy boot and squeaks it. Tater, of course, loves it and immediately carries it over to her spot in the living room to chew the shit out of it.
In the kitchen, I have the ingredients ready for making gnocchi, and the fresh tomato sauce simmers on the stove. My boxes are still piled all over the place, but I found what I needed to cook and eat dinner. Thank goodness I paid attention when I labelled boxes.
And I found the most unexpected gift Diamond left behind.
As he slides onto a stool at the kitchen island, I tell him that.
“I wasn’t expecting to find a gift from you after all you’ve done. Thank you.”
He smiles, and I notice his cheeks are sparkly. Like maybe he has a moisturizer with extra shimmer, and I sort of want to tell him he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever met, but he speaks first.
“I did some research, and roosters are a symbol of protection and prosperity in Italian culture. I know it’s supposed to be on a pitcher, but I couldn’t find one. Plus, I thought this one was cute.”
The ceramic rooster he left in a bag on the counter has a small tile around its neck that readsRhett’s kitchen. It’s very artsy. All brilliant blues and reds, and it stands out in my brown-and-yellow kitchen. A lot like the man himself.
“I hope it protects you, Rhett.”
“I’m sure it will. You didn’t need to get me a gift. You’ve already done so much.”
A silence passes, and I clear my throat. “Would you like some sparkling juice? I got two flavours.”
“Whatever flavour you’d like is good. Are you teaching me to make anything tonight?”
After pouring our sparkling cranberry juice into wineglasses, I lean against the counter. He raises his glass to clink mine. “To new beginnings.”
“New beginnings,” I echo. “I can teach you, or you can just watch and help next time. I’m starving.”
With a laugh, he agrees to watch, and I get to work. Mixing the flour and riced potato with an egg, my fingers are on autopilot as I form the dough ropes and cut them into pieces. Each dough piece creates a small pillow, and we chat as I work.
“You know I wasn’t actually going to go on a date with that guy, right?” he asks as I work. “I was faking giving him a number.”
“I was 99% sure, but when he looked at me like he was about to win, I couldn’t take it.”
“Take what, exactly?”
The pot of water boils, waiting for me to drop the fresh pasta, and I wait to form the right words before continuing. Turning fully to him, I meet his gaze. “I couldn’t take not being the one you’d choose.”
He sips from his glass, and I know I need to tell him how I feel out loud, but the words sit on my tongue, and I turn back to cooking. The gnocchi only need a few minutes to cook, and I busy myself preparing the bowls like my grandfather taught me. I place a fresh basil leaf on the side, and I draw a line of hearts at the side of each bowl with fresh basil paste.
Diamond remains quiet until I place a bowl of pasta in front of him. He thanks me, then I sit next to him with my own dish.
