AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Enlighten me.” He took a sip of his second glass of red wine.
“Baking requires precision and attention to detail. Something I’m not good at.”
“True.”
I hip-bumped him. “Cooking is more of an instinctual taste-as-you-go sort of thing. Here, try.”
I dipped a fresh spoon into our sauce and held it up for him. The three other couples were almost finished as well, one already taking their bowls to the high dining table set up for us in the industrial kitchen of Broussard’s.
“Oh, my God. Give me another,” demanded Finn. “That’s delicious.”
Smiling, I ladled him another spoonful.
“Now I need to cut the pasta we rolled out earlier. And by we, I mean me.” I’d never made my own pasta, but it was definitely something I’d be doing again. It was easier than I expected when I had the right tools.
Finn eased behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as if to assist me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, laughing.
“Helping you cook. I haven’t done much tonight.”
“Finn, this is weird.”
He was behaving as if he was flirting with me like I was an actual girlfriend candidate. Which I most certainly was not. I booty-bumped him backward to get some distance.
“Go drink your wine, weirdo.” I continued slicing the pasta into fettuccine-sized noodles for the boiling water.
He kissed me on the cheek before taking up his post next to me, wine glass in hand.
Why was he acting affectionate all of a sudden?
“You guys have done a fabulous job,” said Christina, the guest chef from a Lafayette restaurant who’d been hired for Italian Night. “Let’s thank Mr. Broussard for putting this together.”
I snapped my head to the chef. Sure enough, Bennett was standing right next to her, his gaze intensely focused on me. He wasnotsmiling.
“Shit,” I whispered, dropping the spoon to the counter. “Get our bowls,” I told Finn as Bennett made his way to another couple, who he greeted warmly, no longer looking my way.
I quickly dropped the pasta into the boiling water and watched the time, glancing at Finn with bowls in hand and a wide, devilish grin.
Then it hit me.
“You asshat,” I hissed, realizing what that display of affection was all about.
To get Bennett jealous. Which was ridiculous. Bennett didn’t want to date me. Did he?
I fished the pasta out after two and a half minutes, dividing it into our bowls.
“Hi, Betty.”
I jumped at Bennett’s deep rumble right behind me. His voice was tight. Formal.
I spun around. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
Wow. Stupidest question ever.He owns the store, dummy.
His gaze darted to Finn, those lovely jaw muscles clenching. “Are you going to introduce me?”
Finn threw an arm around my shoulder and reached a hand out with the other to Bennett. “Finley Fontenot.”
