AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She’s clearly been busy in my brief absence and I notice a small pan bubbling on the back of the stove as she hands me one of the bottles we brought with us, rather than the one on the table. I find a corkscrew and some glasses, while she puts a larger pan on the stove, adding some oil. “What are we having for dinner?”
“Steak with chive butter and warm potato salad.”
My stomach rumbles at the thought, and I smile over at her. “Why do I feel like I just read that off of a menu?”
She grins. “Because I’m a chef?”
“I guess so.” I pour the wine, moving around the table to hand her a glass, and clink mine against it, gazing into her eyes.
“How long have you been planning this?” she asks, looking up at me.
“About two weeks. Our schedules have been really punishing, and I thought we could do with a break.”
“And you kept it a secret all that time?”
“Yes. Although you nearly threw a spanner in the works, when you suggested we should go down to Newport this weekend.”
She chuckles. “I can see why that might have caused you a problem.”
“I thought I was going to have to tell you my plans, but you seemed to like the idea of us spending some time alone… even if I was only suggesting we spend it at your place.”
“I love the idea of being alone with you… wherever we are.” She looks around the cabin, her eyes sparkling. “But this is really…”
“Really what?”
“It’s really special, Mac.”
I can’t help smiling and she leans up, kissing me just briefly before she puts down her wine, returning to the stove and swirling the oil in the hot pan, adding two thick steaks.
“Can I help with anything?” I ask.
“You can make the dressing, if you want.”
“Okay. If you tell me how.”
She hands me a small bowl, along with bottles of red wine vinegar, olive oil and mustard. “You’re going to need to use the same three-to-one method we used before… remember?”
“Sure… so, I need to count to three when pouring out the oil?”
“No, in this instance, I’ll need you to count to six.”
“Oh?”
“The potatoes will soak up the dressing, so we need more of it.”
“Ahh… I see.”
I do as she says, mixing everything together in the bowl, and then Ella hands me a bunch of fresh herbs. “You need to chop up about half of those.”
I remember her doing this, although it’s not an art I’ve really mastered. Even so, I give it a go, and when I’m done, I show Ella my efforts. She nods her head and tells me to add the herbs to the dressing mixture. “Then you can set the table, if you like.”
“Okay.”
I clear away all the mess we’ve made, and find a home for the bread and fruit, discovering the cutlery in a drawer and laying it out, just as Ella dishes up our dinner, bringing theplates over. It looks amazing, so beautifully arranged, and we sit facing each other.
“Thank you,” she says, raising her glass.
“You already thanked me once.” I clink my glass against hers again.
