I grunt out a laugh as I slump onto a stool. “You really do drive a hard bargain.”
“I know how to get what I want,” he says with a grin. “Now, soup.” He turns to the stove, ladling a steaming portion of a creamy golden liquid into a blue bowl. “This is my grandmother’s recipe, and she swore by it. Said it was better than penicillin.”
“So I’ll be right as rain by morning, will I?” I don’t really have the energy for jokes, but I force a smile, and Dom returns it sympathetically.
“You poor love,” he says, his eyes moving over my face. “You work too hard.”
“Nurses work too hard,” I croak in reply. “I’m just posing for a camera, I’ll be fine.”
Dom rolls his eyes. “Come on, eat. It’ll do you good.”
I scoop up a small amount with my spoon, and obediently pop it into my mouth.Oh, fuck me. If I had the strength, I’d probably slap the table. My eyes flutter closed and I can’t resist humming a little. Even with a blocked nose and a reduced sense of taste, the soup is delicious.
Dom is leaning back against the counter, smiling smugly, and raises his eyebrows. “Good?”
“You bastard.” I shake the spoon at him. “Of course you’d be good at cooking.”
“I had good teachers.”
“Yes, I can see that.” I down another three spoons before I look back at him, his beard twitching as his mouth shifts. “You look altogether too pleased with yourself.”
“It’s nice to see someone enjoying my cooking. I don’t have too many people to cook for these days.”
“How does anyone divorce you when you can cook like - Is that a lasagna?” I jab my spoon in the direction of the dish cooling beside the stove. I stare back at Dominic. “Did you make me a whole lasagna?”
“I did. I’ll portion it up so you have it ready in the freezer, it tastes better after it’s cooled anyway. Pop it in the oven at 180 for half an hour when you get home from work, and you’ll have yourself a proper dinner.”
I give up on the spoon and cup the bowl in my hands, drinking the soup down. It must be some magical recipe, because I already feel a little better.
“I can’t believe you made me a whole lasagna,” I mutter, licking my lips and gazing around the kitchen. “And all that food in the pantry, what’s all that?”
Dom casts a glance over his shoulder. “Oh, just easy breakfasts, some canned drinks, things like that. Char told me you’re terrible at taking care of yourself so-”
“Char? My Char?” I put a hand to my chest. “My best friend Char? You talked to her?”
Dom rubs the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle. “Maybe.”
I cross my arms over my chest, sniffling and trying not to cough. “Why are you two talking about me?”
“Because she was worried about you, and she’s not here to look after you. When you said you were ill, I asked her if you were any good at looking after yourself, and she told me in no uncertain terms that no, you’re not.” He shrugs. “So I thought I’d come and help out.”
“I can look after myself fine,” I mutter, before I’m accosted by a sneezing fit, which sends Dominic darting across the kitchen to push a box of tissues under my nose. I glare at him once I’m done, feeling snotty and pathetic and awful, while he looks all calm and groomed in his tight white t-shirt, tattoos on display. “I can, you know.”
“The state of your pantry says otherwise,” Dom says with raised eyebrows. “Nothing but dog food and some mustard that went out of date five years ago.”
“I don’t cook much, no one ever taughtmehow.”
The look on his face has me clamming up instantly - concern,knowing. I don’t like that he knows just enough about my life to know things weren’t good for me, but not enough to not ask questions.
“Your parents, they never-”
“I was with them til I was 13, Dom.” I get to my feet, snatching up the bowl and stalking to the dishwasher. “Not a lot of time to teach me much.” I pick up the kettle and move to fill it in the sink, but Dom’s in front of me, towering over me with a frown.
“I’ll do that.”
I jut out my chin at him, holding fast to the kettle. “I can fill a bloody kettle, I’m not dying.”
“All the same, I can do that.” He wraps his enormous hand around mine, and we stand like that for about 15 seconds.
