CHAPTER FOURTEEN
1525 Words
She had cooked.
He hadn’t expected she would actually prepare a nice meal, the most tasty he’d had in a while. It was one thing to get takeouts and eat from restaurants, and it was entirely another to have a nice steaming bowl of tomato pasta served when you had planned on eating junk for dinner. They had eaten in silence, probably because he wanted to savor every bite, or simply because he knew proper table manners and etiquettes.
And when they finally cleared out the table Cam spoke first.
“So, you slay at parties, obviously you’re not struggling with your grades, and you cook too; it’s safe to call you the total package”. He said smiling.
She laughed.
“I try”. She feigned modesty. “I try”.
He shook his head chuckling softly.
“I can’t tell you just how much I appreciate this, Cat”. He said soberly. “It means a lot to me”.
She shook her head, she really didn’t see the big deal about making a pot of pasta, she loved cooking.
“It’s just a pot of pasta”. She told him. “No big deal”.
He nodded. Perhaps if she had known how long it had been since he ate a home-cooked meal she’d understand what he was on about, nonetheless, he let it be.
It was 8:29pm now, and though they were inside they could still hear the muffled sounds of rain falling heavily. Catherine wasn’t worried about staying out late, she was just not entirely comfortable being at a guy’s house at late hours, a guy she barely knew.
“So, while we wait for the rain to subside what would you suggest we do?”. She asked him.
He leaned into his chair casually.
“We could go to my gaming room and play some games or something”. He suggested. “Or we could sit here and talk about random stuff”.
She smiled and nodded. She was in no mood for games now.
“By the way, I’m sorry for keeping you out this late, didn’t think the rains would intensify”. He said.
She shook her head.
“Naah, I was in need of company”. She said.
“Glad you enjoyed my company”. He said smirking. “Haven’t met a single soul who hasn’t”.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here”. She laughed.
He raised his hands in surrender.
“I hear you”. He said, the smirk still plastered on his face.
She brushed some hair from her face, her ponytail had somehow loosened over the time and her hair was now falling freely to her back. She was running out of what to say, it was obvious she wasn’t the chatty type.
“So um, known the others for long?”. She asked him.
“Yeah”. He answered. “We met on our first day at St. Grace”.
That wasn’t so long ago since thy had just entered their third year, however she chose not to comment on it.
“Cool”. She said.
“You don’t seem to have friends”. He stated.
“Yeah, I don’t”. She said. “I suck at the whole friendship thing”.
He arched a brow.
“Really? Wouldn’t have guessed”.
She laughed.
“Seriously, you seem cool to me”. He said.
Yeah, cause there were no strings attached, she didn’t have to talk about her personal life, didn’t have to make any form of commitments, didn’t have get a constant reality check from him. It was easy to be cool with him.
“Thanks”. She said.
He waved her thanks off.
“So, you like to cook?”. He said.
She nodded, a new gleam in her emerald eyes.
“I love cooking”. She said. “I cook a lot in my spare time”.
“Nice. The pasta tasted great”. He said. “I’d expected nothing from a pro”.
She laughed, the sound of her laughter traveling around the hollow dinning kitchen.
“I worked at this restaurant, cooked almost every kinda food”. She told him. “From sweet and savory to spicy!”.
Sitting there she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic as she recalled her younger days before college, working at Jeffery’s for nine hours every day, doing something she loved in the small and stuffy kitchen of the establishment. She had loved her time there, had loved the people there, though she never associated with the customers she heard they were always warm and nice.
Cam smiled as he watched the gleam in her eyes brighten and her smile broaden, there was something contagious about her high spirits, for a person who rarely had something genuine to smile about he was beyond pleased to share in what little ecstasy she brought.
“I learned a lot there, I learned crazy recipes that I knew nothing about”. She laughed. “It was amazing”.
“Amazing”. He repeated quietly, his gaze fixed on her face, the deep and prominent dimples on both sides of her cheeks seeming appealing to him. He hadn’t realized she had such deep dimples; one would miss them ‘cause she barely smiled.
“I was at quite the star back there”. She said, her smile fading slowly as she realized how long ago that had been, how much had changed since then, she cleared her throat quietly.
He noticed the change in her countenance, guessing that she was conjuring troubled thoughts he decided to step in.
“I think we have a thing or two in common, you love the art of cooking and I….I love painting”. He said. “Though I didn’t work in a restaurant I’ve managed to get some cash out what I love doing and also learn some more”.
Her eyes lit up again and she practically gaped at him in awe.
“You paint?”. She breathed in disbelief.
He chuckled.
“Yeah. We passed by some of my works in the sensual hallway”. He said.
She laughed.
“We’re calling it that now?”. She joked.
He nodded.
“You seemed to like one of them very well”. He said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Color flooded her cheeks as realization dawned on her, it felt like a bucket of freezing cold water had been poured on her from above.
“I call that one Of Bitter and Sweet”. He said, a smirk curving his lips.
She was lost for words, unable to find what to say she stared at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She never would have guessed that he could paint talk less of guessing that he had painted that….
“Normally I’d explain why I painted it like that for better understanding, but you seem to understand it very well”. He said.
She tried coming up with something, tried forming a coherent thought but failed in doing so.
“Come on Cat, you’re just exaggerating the whole thing now”. He said snickering quietly.
She cleared her throat quietly.
“I….i don’t know what to say”. She stuttered. “Like, I wouldn’t have guessed”.
“Why? Cause I don’t go around wearing an artist’ hat?”. He said arching a brow. “But come on Cat, I live in this big and void house filled with sensual arts, I’m bound to produce a thing or two”.
She laughed as she nodded, though her laugh wasn’t one of humor, no, it was anything but that; it was simply to dissipate the tension building within her from simply recalling the painting, recalling those fingers around her throat.
“You seem flustered”. He stated.
She shook her head quickly.
“Not at all”.
“But you are”. He winked at her.
Once again, she cleared he throat. It was suddenly getting hot.
He chuckled.
“I don’t see the big deal about that one, it wasn’t even that erotic”. He said.
No? She didn’t want to see the others then else she’d be scarred for life.
“Might as well paint porn then”. She said.
He laughed.
“I like to hold myself on higher standards than doing that”. He said. “But if you want me to….”.
“No! Heavens no”. She cut in quickly.
Her reaction was amusing; he enjoyed every bit of it. She was like this either because she was new to the level of sensuality or because she was truly A shy person. Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to pry, watching her squirm as she did was interesting enough.
- Writer
