by Kara Jimenez
She pointed to the drawer beneath the microwave. “The utensils are in here. And yes, why?”
“Well, I have chickens and I always have way too many eggs, since it’s just me. I could bring you some.” He found a fork and started whisking the eggs together.
She leaned against the counter, watching him work. “That would be great.”
He smiled. “No problem.” He handed her the bowl and she dumped the contents into the pan, making a sizzling sound.
“So, what is this? Are you trying to be my perfect guy or something, to make up for your weirdness before?”
“Maybe I am your perfect guy,” he said with a wink.
“And you ruined it. That right there just made you completely un-perfect.”
A pleasant chuckle filled the air. “Well, nobody’s perfect.” He shrugged, the smile still on his face.
Why did he have to keep confusing her with his conflicting behavior? She took out a wooden spoon and stirred the eggs around in the pan.
“Bee?” A tiny voice came from the other side of the counter.
“Owen, you’re awake.” She walked around and scooped him up. “Want to help me make breakfast?”
Owen nodded and she handed him the spoon, helping him stir the eggs while keeping his arms a safe distance from the hot pan. Levi leaned against the counter and watched her, causing her movements to become clumsy. “There’s some cantaloupe in there we can eat,” she said, dropping the wooden spoon on the floor as she pointed to the fridge.
Levi handed her the spoon back and then retrieved the cantaloupe.
When the eggs were cooked and the smell of warm bread drifted from the toaster, the three of them sat down at the kitchen table.
“I think this might be even better than barbeque chicken pizza.” Levi scooped a hunk of egg into his mouth.
“I said you’d love that pizza.” She pointed her fork at him. “You have to learn to trust me.”
He chuckled. “Who says I don’t trust you?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Why were you watching me?”
His face fell and he looked down into his plate. “I still can’t tell you.”
“Exactly.”
Frowning, he pushed the eggs around on his plate.
They finished their food and he helped her clean the table, carrying dishes to the sink. While they were distracted, Owen poured milk all over his booster seat.
Levi laughed when he saw the mess. “Is this what kids are always like?”
“This is nothing.” She rolled her eyes.
Bianca’s mother came downstairs dressed in short shorts and a tight tank top. She came to a halt when she saw Levi in the kitchen.
“Mom, this is Levi. Levi, mom.” Bianca pointed to them as she said their names.
Levi stuck out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Mrs.—”
“Lisa. I’m not an old lady.” Her mother shook his hand. “My, you are a hunk of man, aren’t you?”
Bianca covered her face with her palm. “Mom, seriously?”
The voice of a rapper begging his baby for ice filled the room. Everyone turned toward Bianca’s phone, ringing on the countertop next to Levi’s hand.
“Nice ringtone,” he said, barely concealing his laughter. He lifted the phone to hand it to her, glancing briefly at the lit screen. His humor dissolved. Swallowing hard, he held the phone out to her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to look,” he mumbled.
She took the phone and read the screen. Peter. Her gaze shifted back up to Levi. Tension radiated from his body. Tapping the ignore button, she shoved the cell into her pocket.
“Who was it?” Her mother asked. “Stephanie?”
“It was nothing, mom.” She picked up a sponge from the sink.
Levi shifted his weight. “I should probably go. It was nice to meet you, Lisa.”
“You too, honey,” her mother answered.
Bianca leaned against the sink, holding the wet sponge. “Thanks for… everything, Levi.”
Holding her gaze, he finally said, “Bye, Bianca,” and walked through the living room and out the front door, shutting it quietly behind him.
She turned back to the dishes. Peter had the worst timing. The sponge circled on the plate she held. Should she feel guilty for liking them both? No, she didn’t like Peter anymore after yesterday. Well, he was still really hot. But he was a jerk. Her head tilted to the side. Except when he acted nice. She shoved the plate into the dish rack. Why did guys have to be so confusing?
After finishing the dishes, she took Owen into the living and set him in front of his toy trains. She sat and played with him a few minutes before a knock came from the front door.
“Did Levi forget something?” her mother asked.
“I don’t know.” She pulled the door open.
Standing on the welcome mat, Peter leaned against the door frame, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, his bright blue eyes sparkling.
“Hope you don’t mind me just dropping by. I tried to call but you didn’t answer,” Peter said, his voice rich and deep like dark chocolate mousse.
Bianca’s heart jumped in her chest. What was he doing here? And why did he always have to look so good? It really wasn’t fair. “I don’t want to talk right now.”
His hand ran through the dark strands on top his head and he bit his lower lip. “Hey, I’m sorry about yesterday. You’re so beautiful, I just got overwhelmed.” He started to reach toward her, but pulled his hand back.
A twisting sensation filled her stomach. “You know, that sounds like such a line.”
He grimaced and broke eye contact, turning toward her new cold frame.
Her mother poked her head through the door. “Who is it?” Her eyes widened when she saw Peter and a smile spread across her face. “Well, hello.”
“Mom, give us a minute.” Bianca pinched the bridge of her nose.
Her mother gave her a playful nudge and went back in the house.
Bianca stepped out to the patio, shutting the door behind her. She crossed her arms and glared at him. Was he really sorry? He had pulled away, but not until she practically screamed for him to stop. But, it’s not like he could have actually done anything right there on the crowded street.
“I Googled your blog,” he said.
She dropped her arms. “What did you think?”
“I don’t cook, but it all sounded delicious. You need better photos though.”
“Yeah, well, we already established that I don’t have any photography skills.”
“But I do.” He raised his eyebrow in a suggestive glance.
She studied his face. Could she trust him? Her blog needed better pictures, if it was to be successful. And then there was his charming smile and sapphire eyes that set her body on fire. She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers.
“I have my camera in the car.” He nodded toward the street where his silver Ferrari sat along the curb. “I’d love to try your blueberry muffins. You could make a batch and then I’ll take some photos.”
No, she couldn’t let him worm his way back in so fast. “Maybe, but not today. I need a little time to think. I’ll call you.” She stepped back toward the house.
“I’ll wait,” he said. “I’m really not the jerk you think I am and I’m truly sorry about the market.”
She nodded, suddenly remembering what Levi had said. “I heard you were married?”
Peter sucked in a short breath, holding it. “Who told you that? Levi?” His face grew hard and his lips pursed in a straight line.
She bit the inside of her cheek. “Yes.”
He closed his eyes and his face relaxed. “I was. She… died. It was a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.” She turned toward the door.
He placed a hand on her arm. “I loved her and I’ve been living my life trying to escape that, trying to numb myself. But ever since I met you, I feel like… like I can live again.” Waves of grief filled his deep blue ey
es as they stared into hers, unblinking.
She broke his focus, looking down at the empty pots lined along the patio. He’d turned really intense, really fast.
“I… I’ll call you.” She stepped back into the apartment and shut the door.
Leaning her back against the wood, she tried to process what Peter had said.
“Who was he?” her mother asked from the futon.
“He’s just… his name is Peter.” She rubbed her hand over her forehead.
Her mother stood and walked toward her. “Is everything okay? What happened?”
Bianca shook her head. “It’s fine. He was just being really... intense. It caught me off guard is all.”
Her mother studied her face, placing a hand on Bianca’s shoulder. “Intense how?”
“I’m fine mom, really.”
“Okay.” Her mother dropped her arm and then raised her eyebrows. “He was cute. I can’t believe you had two guys over here in one day. It’s not like you, but it definitely makes things interesting around here.” She winked. “Keep it up.”
Interesting was an understatement. Bianca trudged upstairs to her bedroom and pulled out her phone to call Stephanie.
The next week at work, Bianca concentrated on spreading the dark red sauce around a circle of dough when she heard a familiar male voice.
“Bianca.”
She turned and found Levi leaning against the front counter, a carton of eggs in his hand and the light from the overhead lamps dancing in his gray eyes. Her breath caught. Would she ever get used to his rugged good looks?
“I brought your eggs.” He smiled, holding the carton out.
She dropped the sauce brush and reached for a nearby towel to wipe her hands before coming to the counter.
“Thank you, you’re so sweet.” She took the eggs. “I can’t wait to try them. Are your hens free range?”
He scoffed. “Of course. You think I keep them locked up all day? Although, I might have to start for a while. There’s a mountain lion that keeps coming around. He already got three of them.”
She crinkled her nose. “That sucks. Wait, he doesn’t come around when you’re out there does he?”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ve got my rifle. But I have to admit, I’m quite pleased that you care.”
“Well, of course, I don’t want you die.” She opened the carton, admiring the rows of brown and white eggs.
“Don’t worry, there’s no danger of that,” he said.
She closed the carton and fiddled with the cardboard corner. “Do you want to… do something sometime? Hang out?”
A cheesy grin spread across his face. “Are you kidding? Of course I do. You think I bring eggs to just anyone?”
She giggled, covering her mouth and feeling like a silly schoolgirl, then took a deep breath, reminding herself to act like a normal adult.
He smiled along with her. “Well, actually I do bring eggs to anyone who wants them, but I don’t usually enjoy it so much. Usually my customers aren’t so pretty and I make them pay. But, I’m rambling. Sorry. What do you want to do?”
She shifted her weight, thinking. “If it’s not rainy tomorrow, we could play disc golf?”
“I’ve never actually done that. Is it fun?”
“We could do something else if you want, but I think it’s fun. My best friend Stephanie and I always go. It was a big thing in high school. I’ll teach you.”
Kate entered the kitchen and began working on the pizza Bianca had left abandoned on the prep counter.
She mouthed a quick “Thank you,” to Kate, then turned back to Levi.
“Yeah, we could do that. Just don’t laugh at me, okay? There are lots of other things I’m good at.” He winked and smiled broadly.
“So I’ve seen. There’s a nice course at Willamette Park. Do you want to meet me there?”
“I can pick you up.”
Peter had insisted he drive and that hadn’t turned out well, but her gut told her she wouldn’t have to worry about that with Levi. Hopefully, her gut was right. “Okay, pick me up at four?”
“Four’s good. I still don’t have your number, though.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket.
She told him her phone number and then added, “You should wear boots or some sort of solid shoe, the grass might be wet.”
He nodded, still looking at his phone.
A vibrating sensation in her pocket startled her. She pulled her cell out, glancing at the lit screen. The text message read, Can’t wait for tomorrow.
“Now, you have my number too,” Levi said.
His smile made her dizzy. She gripped the edge of the counter.
A teenage boy walked into the parlor, standing behind Levi and waiting for his turn at the register.
“Did you want to order food, Levi?” she said.
“I don’t have time today. I just came by to give you the eggs.” He glanced behind him. “I guess I’ll let you get back to work. See you tomorrow.” The goofy grin remained on his face as he stepped backward and nearly tripped over the boy behind him. Levi’s cheeks turned pink. “Sorry, man.” He turned to walk forward.
“See you tomorrow.” She gave him a little wave and watched him walk out the door before turning her attention to the waiting customer.
When she finished talking the boy’s order, she joined Kate at the prep counter.
“Did you just agree to go out with that stalker guy?” Kate eyed her.
“Well…” She tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, but there was none. He was still the guy she found sitting outside her apartment. “Yes.”
Kate threw the extra pepperoni back into the container. “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking that he’s actually a pretty nice guy.” Bianca opened the cupboard to get some dough. “You don’t even know him besides what I told you of that one incident. It was a little weird, but everything else I’ve seen of him is really sweet.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Nice guys don’t stalk women.”
Bianca spent the next day mixing up new recipes, interspersed with digging through her closet trying to find the perfect outfit to wear for her afternoon with Levi. She shouldn’t have bothered since he’d already seen her in sloppy pajamas and unkempt hair, but she did. A pretty floral blouse caught her eye, similar to the one she’d been wearing the first time she met him, and she paired it with dark skinny jeans. Luckily, her green rubber boots would match the blouse perfectly. Setting the clothes across her bed, she went downstairs to check the cookies in the oven.
The scent of oatmeal and chocolate drifted through the kitchen. She’d made up a recipe that morning for a chocolate chip cookie sweetened with mashed bananas instead of white sugar. While scooping the warm cookies from the pan, her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a text from Peter.
Will trade camera skills for muffins ;) Just let me know when.
His camera skills would be really helpful. She glanced at the cookies cooling on the counter. He could probably make them look scrumptious. But it was his other skills that worried her.
She ignored the message and continued scooping cookies as Owen ran into the kitchen reaching and grunting toward the tray.
“Hot, O, you have to wait for them to cool.”
Instead of waiting, he collapsed onto the floor, crying. She lifted him into her arms and carried him around until the cookies cooled. When she finally handed him one, he took it with greedy hands and a toothy grin. Little monster.
After setting Owen at the table, she took a cookie for herself to try. Not bad. Actually, pretty good. The chocolate chips added just enough sweetness so the sugar wasn’t missed.
She placed several cookies in a plastic container to take to the park and set the others on a plate to photograph. She took a deep breath, and aimed her simple, point and shoot camera at the plate. The photo was average. If only Peter hadn’t reminded her how easy it would be for him take the photos. Maybe it would be worth it, just for the blog’s sake.
Surely he wouldn’t try anything again so soon. After all, he was trying to make it up to her and she really wanted this blog to take off.
She posted the picture along with the new recipe, and then ran upstairs to change for her date with Levi. Was it actually a date or were they just hanging out? She wasn’t entirely sure, but her swirling stomach made it feel like a date. After dressing and giving her makeup a touch-up, she headed downstairs to wait.
Her mother leaned back in the futon, watching TV. “Pretty, Bee. Where are you going?”
“To play disc golf with Levi.” She shoved the cookies into her shoulder bag along with the discs.
“Oh, good. I like him,” her mother said.
“What are you doing today?”
Her mother pulled Owen up on the cushion to sit beside her. “I have a friend coming over later.”
A friend. Great.
A knock at the door interrupted them.
“Okay. Well, have fun, Mom. Bye.” She opened the front door.
Levi stood on the porch, the goofy grin still plastered across his face. Had his facial muscles relaxed at all since the last time she saw him? He wore a crisp white button-up shirt with jeans and an unzipped, chocolate-brown bomber jacket that made her want to reach out and stroke the soft leather.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Are you ready to learn the thrilling game of disc golf?” A matching goofy grin spread across her own face.
“Thrilling? If I wasn’t before, I certainly am after that description.”
She followed him down the stone path to his truck. The navy blue paint sparkled in the sunlight. Had he washed the truck for their date?
He held the door open and she slid into the khaki upholstered seat, waiting for him to get into the driver’s side.
“I brought some cookies.” She held up her bag after they’d buckled.
“Yum. Did you make them yourself?”
“Sure did, I used bananas instead of sugar.”
He glanced toward her as he pulled out onto the road. “That sounds interesting.” A chuckle broke through him. “Actually, that sounds really weird, sorry.”
She shook her head. “I told you, you have to trust me. I know food. Have I told you about my blog?”
