Two months later

 

Seung:

 

I came home a few days after Mardi Gras, and she returned a month after that having settled her family’s estates.

Dylan is with his father for a month because of spring break so it has just been the two of us.

Desiree left for Korea straight from New Orleans, so I do not have her here either.

We have grown into having a real friendship since New Orleans and everyday it is getting better.

She even talks to me at work now!

Boy you should have seen the faces of our co-workers, if their mouths could have fallen open any bigger flies would have moved in.

She cooks almost every evening much to my delight.

A man could get used to having a beautiful, sweet smelling woman cooking him delicious food every night.

Well she is not exactly cooking for me as it is more of me benefitting from her generosity.

It is Friday night and on Fridays she usually experiments with a new recipe.

Because we do not have to get up early the next morning, we have been making a night of it.

Last week she made the most delicious polenta dish.

 

She served it with succulent and tender braised short ribs, garlicky fresh green beans, homemade sweet yeast rolls, her signature fruit lemonade and for dessert apple pie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and a salted caramel drizzle.

When I tell you I was good, that would be a gross understatement.

She should have been a chef.

I am fresh out of the shower laying on the couch flipping channels.

If I admit it, I am waiting for her, she said she had some important business to take care of.

To be honest I am beginning to worry it is nearly 7pm and she left work at 2.

It is not like she must check in with me, but she has in the past when she was going to be late.

“I wonder if I should call her or.” I say to myself as I hear the garage door opening

There she is! I jump up and run to the kitchen, grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and lean against the counter and take a sip.

She comes in with an arm full of groceries panting from the exertion.

I quickly grab a few bags out of her hands.

“Why didn’t you call me I would have come out to the garage to meet you.” I say.

She walks to the counter and sits down the remaining bags and takes a deep breath.

“Whew, I will next time usually Dylan brings in all the groceries for me.”

“We have an arrangement I cook; he cleans."

"I keep forgetting he’s gone when I go out and shop for the month."

"I thought I could handle it, whew chile that was work!” She chuckles.

I sit the remaining bags on the counter and walk to stand in front of her.

 

Her locs are in a high ponytail with a few escaping from the elastic band giving her a y disheveled look.

She is trying to catch her breath and I am momentarily caught up in the rising and falling of her chest.

I quickly look away chastising myself for looking to begin.

I grab a bag and quickly begin unloading the groceries to keep myself from grabbing her off of the stool and kissing the breath from her.

She turns facing me and begins to help.

“So, what did you do today?”

“Nothing much, I swan for an hour and lifted weights for another, took a shower and had a snack.”

“Truth is I was waiting for you; I was just about to call you and check on you when you walked in.” I admit shocking myself.

She looks at me side eyed and laughs.

She walks over to me putting her hands on my face almost causing me to pass out.

“Aww did I starve you Choi?” She asks eyes twinkling mischievously.

I look into her eyes then down to her glossy lips and gulp.

She smells like lavender and vanilla and it is making me dizzy in the best way.

I gulp and swallow.

“Well I had a bowl of ramen an hour or so ago, so I am good.” I say softly.

She scoffs turning her lips up prettily.

“Like I said I starved you.” She says removing her hands and walking to the cabinet.

 

“Because I am coming in so late don’t have a new recipe to play around with tonight, but if you don’t mind waiting a little bit longer, I’ll whip us up something after I take a shower.”

She turns looking at me over her shoulder.

“Of course, I don’t mind, you’re feeding me delicious food.”

She laughs prettily and I grin.

“So, I have been craving steaks and gravy, do you mind that for dinner?”

My stomach began growling violently as a response.

She giggled putting her hand over .

“I guess I have my answer, can you chop up these veggies for me? Or is that asking too much of you.”

She grabs an onion, bell pepper and some celery out of the fridge handing it all to me.

“Hardy har har, you got jokes I see, I am Korean I can at least chop vegetables.” I say rolling my eyes dramatically.

“Alright, cool do you think you can venture to cook the rice or is the rice cooker too advanced for you?” She grins eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Oh, you’re going in for the kill, now aren’t you? What self-respecting Korean doesn’t know how to make rice?”

She full on laughs at that.

“I am just messing with you Choi lighten up will ya?”

“Anyhoo I’ll be back shortly, preheat the oven to four hundred degrees for me too pretty please.”

“Got it.”

“Thanks, I’ll be back shortly.” She heads downstairs her ponytail swaying with each step she takes.

“Hmmpp she’s hilarious asking me I can cook rice?”

“I’ll do her one better I will cook these steaks too.”

I may not be the best cook, but I can make an excellent steak, that is the one thing I retained from watching all those food network shoes with Desi on Saturday mornings.

I grab some mushrooms, garlic, and butter out of the fridge and get started.

 

Forty-five minutes later:

 

“It smells heavenly in here Choi what are you doing?”

She walks into the kitchen and peeks over my shoulder as I am pulling the most delicious smelling steaks out of the oven.

“Wow that smells delicious, you did that?” She asks sounding shocked.

“Yep.” I reply giving her a toothy grin.

“I thought you said you couldn’t boil water?” She asks raising her eyebrows.

“No Desiree said that, but I am a guy and what guy doesn’t know how to cook a semi decent steak?”

She laughs, “This is true even my brother can make a mean steak.”

I shrug, “It’s in our DNA.”

“Well since you pretty much made the meal, I will just make the gravy, a vegetable side and whip up some cheesy garlic biscuits really quick."

"How does that sound to you?” She asks smiling that smile I love so much.

“That sounds wonderful are you making strawberry lemonade as well? I ask hopeful.

“Do you want me to?” She looks at me and smirks.

 

“Yes please.”

“I made some this morning check the back of the fridge behind my green juice.”

I look in the fridge and sure enough there is a huge pitcher filled to the brim with floating strawberries, lemon, and orange slices.

“How did I not see this earlier." I ask removing the jug from the fridge and placing it on the dining room table.

“I don’t know but I am glad you didn’t otherwise it would be almost gone!”

“You ain’t lying.” I chuckle.

“I will set the table while you finish up everything.”

“Cool.” She says getting to work.

Before I know it, she has ma