In the Blink of a Decade

Sunday Breakfast

As I walked back up to the cottage I forced myself to focus on something other than Casey. It was my morning to cook breakfast, and I started running through the steps I needed to take to feed everyone.

I had planned to make bacon and cheese quiche with fresh fruit salad. The great thing about quiche is that it reheats well in the microwave, so anyone who sleeps in can just pop it in to the microwave and enjoy it when they wake up.

I debated in my head if I should go upstairs and shower and change before I started to cook, but decided to get the quiche in the oven and then freshen up for the day while they bake.

I enter the cottage and it is still silent. Everyone else must still be asleep. Perfect, I thought, no competition for the shower.

I head into the kitchen and dig around in the fridge for all the ingredients that Fisher had unpacked for me yesterday. Without too much effort, I was able to pull everything I needed out.

I then start digging around in the cupboards for a frying pan. For a big kitchen, the cupboards are mostly empty. What a shame, if this is my kitchen I would have filled it with every gadget my inner chef could possibly dream up.

I manage to find a frying pan, tongs, a cutting board, chopping knife, large mixing bowl, whisk, plate and paper towel and get to work. I put the bacon in the frying pan to get it cooking on the stove while I chop up some onions and mushrooms.

I turn to the stove to get the oven pre-heating and frown. It is far more complex than my plain white appliances at home. After some fiddling I manage to get the oven turned on and pre-heating……I hope.

As soon as the bacon is crispy I set it on the plate with the paper towel to cool down and start to saute the onions and mushrooms in the bacon fat.

I had bought pre shredded cheese to save me some time and I line my pie crusts with cheese.

I break a dozen eggs into the mixing bowl, add in some cream, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and whisk it all together. I then pour it into the two pie crusts I had pre baked.

I chop up all the bacon into bits and add them back into the onion and mushroom mixture, which I pour onto the top of the quiches.

I put them into the oven and turn to the sink to clean up all the dishes.

As I turn around I see Casey leaning against the doorway watching me with a blank expression on his face.

How long has he been watching me?

I don’t know what to say so I walk to the sink and start getting it filled with water and soap to clean up the kitchen.

Casey doesn’t speak. Instead he walks into the kitchen and starts to collect the dirty dishes and sets them on the counter beside me.

Finally, I have to break the silence “How long were you standing there?”

Casey grabs a towel hanging off of the oven door and smiles at me. “Long enough to remember that you are in your own bubble when you are cooking….You always did look happy in the kitchen.”

I blush.

Damn it.

“I was that oblivious?” I ask.

“No, you were that in your element” he replies.

I don’t know what I am supposed to say to that so I focus on washing the dishes. Casey seems to sense that I am not up to speaking so he stays quiet and dries the dishes as I wash.

When I finish washing I turn to leave the room and head upstairs for a shower and say “thanks for the help”. On my way out the room.

“Any time” he says.

I head up the stairs and go to my room to grab my toiletries and a change of clothes. Everyone else seems to still be asleep so the bathroom is all mine. I guess there are perks to not being able to sleep.

I shower quickly and get dressed. I brush my teeth enjoying getting any last remaining hungover taste out of my mouth. I brush my hair and put it in a bun wet. I know I will be back in the lake so there is no point in trying to blow dry it pretty.

I head out of the bathroom, quickly put my toiletries back in my room and head back to the kitchen to get started on the fruit salad.

As I am walking through the living area I can see Casey outside. It looks like he is about to get into the hot tub. Good I think. I can finish getting breakfast ready without him staring. As I am about to enter the kitchen I see him taking off his shirt and freeze.

Holy s**t. Damn. Wow. Is it possible he is better looking now than when we are younger?

He starts to get into the hot tub and I realize I am standing stock still oggling him. I shake my head commanding myself to keep moving and head into the kitchen.

I start making the fruit salad but am finding it very hard to concentrate. All I can think about is Casey in the hot tub sans shirt and I am starting to feel a little sexually frustrated.

Somehow, I manage to get the fruit salad assembled and I check on my quiches in the oven. I would say they need at least another 15 minutes in the oven.

How am I going to stop thinking about shirtless Casey?

Wake and bake!!!

I head up to my room and dig in my purse for the little box I packed with pre-rolled joints. I grab one out and a lighter and head downstairs.

Damn, Casey is still in the hot tub.

Guess I will just have to focus on the lake and not him.

I head out onto the deck, lean over the railing and light my joint taking a long hit.

I am just exhaling when I hear the door open behind me and “Hell yes, put me in coach” from behind me.

I turn around to see Fisher standing there with a smile on his face. I hand him the joint and say “Good morning.”

“I knew I missed Canada for a reason” he said before he took a long puff.

We stare out to the lake in silence passing the joint back and forth until its gone.

“I better go check on breakfast” I say turning back to the cottage.

“Shelly, are you okay?” Fisher asks.

I turn back to him “I always am” I say and head into the cottage.

I go to the kitchen and check on the quiches. They look perfect so I turn off the oven and start searching for oven mitts.

I can feel the effects of the weed and I must be making a lot of noise because Casey comes into the kitchen in his bathing suit and says “I think you might need a hand. You are about to wake up the whole house.”

“Noooo, I just need to find the oven mitts” I say.

“I got this” he says. “I don’t think you should be getting hot things out of the oven right now.”

Casey finds the oven mitts and retrieves the quiches from the oven. “Better?” He asks.

“Just peachy” I say with a smile.

Casey stares at me for a minute in silence. “How about I get breakfast on the table. Go sit out with Fisher, I will bring it all in.”

“Thanks” I say heading to the dining room.

I can hear people coming down stairs and Hallie pokes her head around the corner to see Fisher and I sitting at the table.

She comes into the dining room and wraps her arms around me from behind giving me a big hug.

“Thanks for bringing up my clothes and leaving me water and medicine” I say.

“That wasn’t me” Hallie replies.

“Than who did it?” I ask.

“I did” Casey said setting the quiches on the table.

I look over at him frowning. Huh?

“That was nice of you” I say.

“I remembered wine gives you a headache when you drink too much and thought you would need some Advil this morning…and since I was getting you that I figured I might as well bring your clothes back.”

Wait, does that mean he was handling my underwear?

“Thanks” I mutter.

“This smells so good!” Hallie says.

Casey brings plates from the kitchen and passes them around and we all start focusing on the food.

I take my first bite and get lost in the flavour of the food tuning out the rest of the room.

I eat 2 pieces of quiche and some fruit salad in my own high little bubble.

When I finish Hallie is smirking at me. “What?” I ask.

“Did I miss wake and bake? You and Fisher have had some major muchies, you both have not said a word since you started eating.”

I smile at her “It was good weed.”

She laughs. “I am glad to see you taking advantage of being on a kid free vacation.”

“Speaking of a kid free vacation, I am going to go take a nap” I say getting up from the table.

“You really are a rebel. “ Hallie says laughing. “Go nap, I’ll take care of the dishes.”

“Thanks Hallie, you’re the best” I say heading out of the dining room.

Alex and Peter are coming down the stairs as I enter the living room. “Hey she’s dressed!” Alex says jokingly.

I smile and bow “Didn’t you know you were coming for dinner and a show last night” I say.

The guys laugh and head into the dining room as I head up the stairs.

I enter my room, crawl into bed and drift off to sleep.