Behind him, the sound of a pan clattering against the stove broke the quiet.
"s**t," Lauren muttered, laughing under her breath.
Larry turned, watching as she waved a hand through a plume of smoke rising from the skillet.
Her hair was a mess, her oversized hoodie slipping off one shoulder.
She looked nothing like the polished version of herself the world saw, but in this moment, she was the most real thing in the room.
"You good over there, Chef Ramsey?" he teased, forcing a smirk.
Lauren shot him a glare over her shoulder, but it lacked any real heat. "Just me accidentally proving to you why you should never let me near a kitchen unsupervised." She scraped the burned eggs onto a plate, wrinkling her nose. "I swear they looked fine two minutes ago."
Larry huffed out a laugh, but t
