Page 29 of Jacob Michaels is Not Here

Finally, Lucas turned back to look at me.

“It just seemed so important to you to be someone besides Rob Wagner.” Lucas shrugged. “Almost as if…”

Waiting for Lucas to finish his thought proved fruitless.

“Nevermind.” A smile brightened his face suddenly as he shook off his thoughts just as the oven timer went off. “You, my handsome, sexy boyfriend, are about to taste the best meatless Shepherd’s Pie you’ve ever tasted before.”

“It’ll be the first, so the bar is low.” I snorted.

Lucas gave me a stern look.

“Sorry.” I was chastened. “I’m sure it’s delicious. Yum!”

With a laugh, Lucas opened the oven and reached in to pull out the large casserole dish, lifting it up to the counter before using his foot and a swivel of his hips to shut the oven once more. Looking down at the perfectly browned potato topping of the dish made me realize that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all, though I couldn’t imagine not using some beef or lamb in the dish. Mushrooms were tasty and all, but I was a meat eater. Maybe being around Lucas so much would change my thoughts on that aspect of my lifestyle. Lucas did have a point when he said that my first thought of food was never meat.

“Will you miss it?” Lucas asked suddenly as he leaned down to sniff the dish he’d just retrieved from the oven.

“Meat?”

“Not being Jacob Michaels.” He clarified. “Traveling, acting, putting on concerts. All the screaming, adoring fans?”

“None of it.” I shook my head slowly as he pulled back from the casserole to look across the counter at me. “Not as long as I have you.”

“You don’t need to try to get my pants off of me, ya’ know?”

My smile was immediate.

“I wasn’t buttering you up,” I said.

“Sure, sure.” He waved me off as he stepped away to fetch some plates and silverware for us. “I’m sure giving all of that up for me will be no big deal, of course, but I thought you might miss it?”

“Can we talk about something else?” I grumbled, crossing my arms and laying them on the counter in front of myself.

Lucas set a plate gently in front of me and handed me a spoon and a fork with a shrug of his shoulders.

“If you want.”

“Good.” I was feeling grumpy all of a sudden.

Being grumpy in Lucas’ presence made me feel poorly about myself immediately. Lucas hadn’t done anything to intentionally upset me—he just wanted to have a conversation that any couple in our situation would have over dinner. Turning into a sourpuss over something as simple as whether or not I’d continue my career in Hollywood was ridiculous. It was a fair question to be asked by my boyfriend, after all. So…why was I being a grump over something that didn’t really matter?

“I’m sorry.” I sighed. “I just—”

Lucas stopped me. “It’s okay, babe.” He shoved a large serving spoon into the casserole and dug out a healthy portion which he deposited on my plate expertly. “I get it. I really do. There’s…a lot going on, right? I mean, you left Hollywood, you’re here to relax and get better, put on weight. Weird things have been happening, your life has been in danger multiple times—”

“Tra la la.” I twirled a finger in the air comically.

“—and you just need a moment to take a breath.” He smiled at my comment and finger twirl as he began serving himself up some of the Shepherd’s Pie. “I won’t bother you about it.”

“Thank you. But I am sorry I’m a grumpy bastard about it, Lucas. Everything has just been a bit much lately.”

He winked at me as he shoved his fork into his food and brought a bite to his mouth before he had even hopped up on his barstool. Lucas moaned happily as he savored the bite, obviously overdoing it to make his meatless meal seem even more delectable to my heathen, meat-eating self. Shaking my head with a laugh, I shoved my fork into the concoction and brought a bite to my mouth as well. It was good. Really good.

“It’s really good.” The thought left my mouth as soon as I had swallowed the bite.

There was no point in lying to Lucas and saying I didn’t like it. Even when I felt like being petty; lying just to lie is a waste of breath.

“I told you.” He grinned widely before sliding onto his barstool as he shoved his fork back into his food. “Mushrooms are a great meat substitute for a lot of dishes. And no one gets hurt.”