Page 13 of Rousing Renee

“Thank you, Ezra.” I rushed from his apartment and speed-walked to work, making it in record time.

“You were almost late, Renee,” one of my co-workers called out.

“I know, right?” But I wasn’t and that’s all that mattered. I hadn’t ever been late before, and they often teased me about it.

“I thought we were going to catch her slipping,” Luna said with a smile.

“Never,” I joked back. But the fact I’d let Ezra distract me was very telling. I’d have to watch myself around him.

When Ezra came inside the restaurant, he wore a fitted red shirt and black denim shorts. His sneakers were red, white, and black, and the entire outfit made him seem even more intense. He came in with a cooler bag over his shoulder looking much too good to be dropping off lunch.

“Hey,” I said when he neared.

“I didn’t know what time your break was, so I brought something to keep it warm.” He tapped the cooler, and I smiled.

“It’s slow at the moment, so it’s convenient for me to take it now.” I checked with Cherry, who was my co-worker for this shift, and she waved me off.

We went over to one of the tables that was more private and out of sight. Ezra immediately pulled out containers of food. There were sandwiches, soup, salad, and he’d even put in some flavored water. Was that a cookie?

“Ezra, you didn’t have to do all this.” Really, he didn’t. I accepted it and wouldn’t turn a crumb away. However, I was overwhelmed by his generosity.

“It’s your lunch. Isn’t that what you said?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Then, enjoy.”

“Are you not eating?” I asked not seeing enough to share.

“No, I have dinner in the oven.”

“Oh?” I said between bites.

“I had a craving for roast and potatoes.”

I groaned. Was he trying to torture me with food?

“You know, I wish I had more skills in the kitchen. My mother sucked at it and always kept store-bought foods available. I didn’t know anybody who did cook.”

“It’s never too late to learn,” he encouraged.

“True. Where’d you get your skills from?”

“My mother and my grandmother. They both cooked really well, but it was my mother who taught me that cooking good food didn’t need to be so complicated. Sometimes cheating was okay.”

“Explain.” My grilled cheese sandwich was still very warm and gooey. It was hard to not appreciate that.

“If I’m craving chicken salad, I don’t have to go roast a chicken for hours. There’s nothing wrong with using an already baked one from the store and seasoning it to my liking.”

“Got it!” I nodded before trying the Cobb salad. He’d even put the ranch dressing in a separate container. “Mmm…”

Ezra chuckled, but I didn’t miss the heat in his gaze. “What are you doing when you leave here later?” he asked.

“Probably watching my show to finish the season out,” I admitted unashamedly.

“Or you could stop by and have dinner with me.”

The fork slipped out of my hand, and I choked on the lettuce I’d just put into my mouth.

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