Page 113 of Legacy Ascended

"You're early."

"Do you want me to wait out here?"

"No." He steps back and holds the door with his shoulder. "Come in. Don't look at the sink."

I look at the sink immediately. There's a pot, a colander, and something green stuck to both.

"Dirty dishes don’t offend me."

"I wanted it to be perfect."

"Jon. I am really glad you invited me."

He smiles at me and turns around. Which gives me time to check him out, yummy.

The cottage is warm and cozy with the fireplace crackling. And through the open door I see Pickles in his palace of a habitat.

He glances back at me, and the corner of his mouth lifts. "I'm glad you came."

Dinner is pasta with feta and a salad

"Sit down," Jon says. "It's nearly—"

"No."

"No?"

"I'm not sitting at your table watching you cook for me." I roll my sleeves. "Give me a job."

He hesitates, then hands me a knife and a chopping board and points at the garlic.

"Fine. That. Not too thin, or it burns."

"I’m on it.”

I do it wrong.

"Those are going to burn."

"You watched me cut up an entire clove."

"I was giving you a chance." He takes the board, and tips it into the pan, and hands it back.

We work around each other in his kitchen. He pushes his sleeves up to the elbow, one cuff and then the other, folded twice, and starts pulling leaves off a stalk of something with his thumb, and I have to concentrate very hard on the pot.

"You have too many mugs," I tell him.

"I have exactly enough mugs."

"Why do you need fourteen?"

"I entertain."

"You entertain a lizard." I take the one from behind the kettle, which is the only one that isn't dusty. "What's wrong with this one?"

"Nothing. It's the perfect mug."

"So you really don’t need the rest of them."