Page 41 of Housekeeping

“Sorry, I think I used your last eggs. I’ll get more later.”

“It’s fine,” she said quickly, shaking her head.

I watched as she picked up her fork and popped some food in her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, then smiled.

“Hey, this is good.”

“I told you I’m not just good looking, I´m pretty good in the kitchen too.”

I was being arrogant. Maybe there was still a part of me that was still real.

“I’m not used to vegetables in my eggs,” she said, and I could tell by the expression on her face that she was thinking that she wasn’t going to enjoy them. She was going to fucking love them. Don’t judge a book by its cover! That was my motto and as soon as she tried it, she’d regret her comment.

“I fried some vegetables and added a little bit of fruit, a tiny bit of salt and the egg on top. It’s a pretty easy recipe.”

“You seem to have a lot of those,” she said. “I’m wondering if you just borrowed them all from somewhere.”

“I’ve moved around a bit, so you could say I’ve been exposed to different tastes and cuisines. Basically, I try to remake what I liked. A lot of it is from home though,” I admitted and wondered whether to tell her about my travels and about studying in England. But then something stopped me from saying anything else. Maybe because a part of me knew that Laura and I hadn’t had the same experiences and I didn’t want her to think that I was showing off. So I kept quiet.

We ate silently, then I got up to clean the dishes before she could. Once I was done, I turned to lean against the counter, facing her.

“I think maybe we can talk now?” I asked.

That had her perking up, straightening her spine, her expression taking an uneasy cast.

I chuckled. “Why do you look like that? It’s only fair, isn’t it? I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while but you kept avoiding me.”

“What could we possibly have to talk about?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as her lips pursed.

I picked the chair across from her at the table and moved it, so it was closer to her, facing her directly. I sat down on it, leaning forward so our faces were close.

“I’m going to ask you a question, and I need you to answer me honestly, Laura. Do you or do you not like me? If you tell me right now that you don’t like me, whether you mean it or not, I will take you seriously and leave you alone after today.”

My heart was beating fast in my chest because I felt uneasy. I didn’t want her to say it. Especially if she didn’t mean it, because I would have to walk away. However, I knew we wouldn’t be getting anywhere if all I did was keep chasing her when she was insistent on running away from me. As much as it could be a fun sort of a challenge, I didn’t want to see her that way. I didn’t want my relationship with Laura to be like that.

I wanted a real relationship with her, another first for me because while I’d had flings, I’d never had a girlfriend before. But this was Laura, and I thought she could be the one, the woman I could commit to.

After a long moment, where I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold out my impatience, she reacted. She let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back in her chair, her head rolled to the side to meet my gaze.

“It´s not as simple as that,” she said, a little frown on her face. “I don’t think this is a good idea, but I don’t want to never see you again. When I was avoiding you before… I did it because I thought it was for the best, but I missed you too.”

I could imagine how difficult it was for her to admit that much, her hesitation was too long for it to have been an easy decision to make. But I was happy she’d admitted it to me and to herself.

“Can we just try and have a relationship without you thinking about all the reasons why we shouldn’t be together?” I asked. “That’s all I’m really asking for. I mean, I’ve never dated myself, but if we try…”

“You’ve never dated before?” she asked, incredulous.

I shook my head with a chuckle. “No, not like long-term dating anyway. Not even in high school. You could say I… have a problem with trusting people. Outside of family, I can't say I’ve ever really trusted anybody.”

“And you trust me?” she asked, eyebrow arched.

“I can't explain it, but I feel like I can so I do. You never have to try to avoid me or run away from me again. I know I tend to be insistent and it can get annoying, but I won’t ever disregard anything you say. If later you tell me you want to break up… well, I’ll try to change your mind probably, but I’ll respect it.”

It was probably more than I’d ever spoken honestly to any woman I’d ever been with. Laura didn’t reply, her expression complicated.

“Let me try,” I said quietly. “I know we’re different, but I want to show you I do know what life is about, even if I do seem like some spoiled rich brat at times.”

Her face warmed, and she stood abruptly from the chair, taking some steps away from me. She couldn’t meet my gaze but I held my breath as I waited for her reply.

“Alright,” she said, her voice even quieter than mine. I might have missed it if I wasn’t listening so intently. Before I could say anything, though, she turned around and rushed out of the kitchen, calling over her shoulder. “I need to go change!”

I couldn’t help but grin, watching her rush off. I wanted to know what was going through her head that made her retreat with a burning face, but she was cute, so I didn’t mind.

I had what I wanted now—a chance with Laura. All I had to do was not blow it, because she was exactly what I needed right now.