Ch.6, Pt.5: “He wants to know if I can cook…”
“He wants to know if I can cook, Noodle. We’ll show him. Actually, I better go inside and check on things.” Katherine went into the house, Noodle close behind. As she was turning up the heat under the sauce, and setting a big pot of water to boil, she heard the truck start and pull away back onto the driveway. Moments later, Rick came in with an armload of wood and put it beside the black woodstove. He stood up, unbuttoning his rough lumber jacket. Underneath, he was wearing an attractive dark red sweater.
“Where can I wash my hands?”
“You can use the sink, or the bathroom’s at the top of the stairs.”
As Rick moved to the sink Katherine said “Thanks for the wood. How much is it?”
“Free.” Rick eyed a plate of celery, carrots and olives. “May I?”
“Help yourself. But I want to pay for it. You can’t bring me all that wood for free.”
Rick took an olive and put it close to Katherine’s lips. “Hush,” he said and put it in her mouth. “You will, but not with money.” As Katherine’s eyes grew wide, he indicated the table and said “This dinner, remember? What did you think?” He grinned and put his hands lightly on her hips. “Maybe I’ll like your idea better.”
As a rush of heat flooded through her body, she turned primly away from him back to the stove. “You were also going to light the woodstove for me, I recall.”
“Whenever you like.”
“First I thought we might have a little frozen vodka with the olives.”
“I’m game. What do you mean frozen vodka?”
Katherine squeezed past him and went to the fridge. “Vodka from the freezer, with a twist of lemon, in chilled glasses.”
Rick watched her pour. “Straight vodka? In a shot glass.”
She offered him the plate of olives and celery and handed him a glass. “Try it.” She picked up her glass and clinked his with it.
“Cheers,” he said, holding his glass high as she took a sip from hers. Then he put his lips to his glass. “It’s very nice. I’m used to it with tonic, so I never noticed how it tastes.”
“I think of vodka as more of a sensation than a taste,” Katherine said pulling out a chair for herself and inviting him to sit down. “It’s a lovely burning feeling and then it takes your breath away. It’s particularly good with spicy olives.”
“Cold and two kinds of hot,” he murmured, reaching for an olive. “You know, Kate, you’re spoiling me. Beats macaroni and cheese out of a box.”
Katherine smiled but said nothing, thinking of how she sometimes would gorge on the comfort of that food. The two sat in comfortable silence a few moments, relaxing with their drinks. Katherine felt warm in the face and wondered whether Rick’s cosy sweater would feel scratchy. He drained his glass and turned to her. “Well, Kate, let’s start that fire.” For a split second she stared at him without comprehension. “Got any newspaper?”
“Have I got newspaper.” She indicated Noodle. “Actually, I don’t have as much as I used to.”
Rick crouched before the woodstove and began arranging paper and kindling, talking about the benefits of log cabin versus teepee kindling structures. Katherine knelt close by, trying to concentrate on his instructions, but she was distracted by his profile and the way his dark brown hair contained specks of gold and curled over his collar when he bent to look inside the stove. He seemed only interested in what he was doing, and oblivious to her, while she smelled his warmth and stared at his hands. Suddenly there was a clatter on the electric stove and steam from the boiling water shot up. Katherine darted to the stove and saw the sauce spitting like a small volcano. After she turned down the heat under the pots and began stirring, she nodded encouragingly at Rick.
“With the damper open all the way, you can light the fire,” he said and struck a match.
“We can eat whenever you’re ready,” she said softly.
“Great. I’ll just keep one eye on the fire, and as soon as it’s ready I’ll load the firebox.”
“Right. Load the firebox when it’s ready,” repeated Katherine uncorking a bottle of wine.
Rick shot her a glance and then smiled. “You’re not really taking this in, are you?”
“Sure I am. Most of it. Yeah, I think I can remember how it goes.” She frowned. “It’s just that there are a few distractions.”
“Of course, with all the cooking.” He took a glass from her. “At least you can’t do too much damage. The worst thing that can happen is that the fire won’t start.”
Katherine filled two plates with fresh pasta and then spooned on a colourful sauce of peppers, onion, mushrooms and herbs. “Looks fabulous,” Rick said as she brought the plates to the table.
“You did say you liked Italian food.” She handed him a wooden board with a hunk of parmesan and a small grater.
“Delicious,” was Rick’s comment after grating the cheese onto his heaped plate and digging in. “What kind of sauce is it?”
“Just a bunch of vegetables and fresh herbs.”
“It’s great,” he said chewing. “No meat?”
“No. I’m vegetarian.” The first hurdle, Katherine thought. Let’s see if he clears it or shies away.
Rick stopped chewing a moment, looked thoughtful, then shrugged and said “When it’s this good, you don’t miss the meat.”
Katherine inclined her head at the compliment and poured out the wine.
“How long you been a vegetarian?”
“I guess since sometime in my adolescence, althought I never really ate much more than hotdogs and hamburgers and the occasional piece of roast beef.”
“Ever miss it?”
“Bacon,” she said after sipping the wine. “Crispy, salty bacon. But I think that’s really because bacon is a lot like potato chips.”
“Like chips, do you?”
“A very bad habit I can’t break.”
“Even when you can cook this well?” He lifted his wineglass in a toast to the food. “I’m impressed, Kate.”
She lifted her glass in acceptance of the compliment, saying “I’m glad.”
”I better check on that fire,” Rick said opening the stove door and adding several pieces of wood. “Now that should burn nicely for a while.”
“So Rick, you know where I work, but I don’t know what you do.”
“Boring. Nothing nearly as interesting as what you do. I teach at the community college.”
“What subject?”
“Landscaping. You know, I love this food. Even the pasta without the sauce is delicious.”
“Would you like some more?” she asked, noting that he was changing the subject. “I should warn you that there’s a Caesar salad next, plus dessert.”
“Then I’ll hold for the Caesar. I love Caesar, in case you didn’t know.”
“I’ll know for next time.” Katherine began clearing away the plates.
Ch.6, Pt.6: “Does that mean you’re willing to see me again?” » »
Oh Gloria,
I have stacks of books I haven’t read, want to read, need to read. sigh.
Now . . . after finally reading only one chapter - from the middle of your book - I am totally intrigued!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, its flow, your choice of words, playful style and delightful character development. I liked the gentle romance - refreshing!
Thanks for adding more to my reading pile.
sigh
Jennifer
Sorry, Jennifer! (Not really.) Thanks for the delightful comment.