Page 40 of Comforting the Grump

“Yesterday was…” I started, trailing off, unsure how to breach the subject without scaring him off.

“Unexpected,” Marnin finished for me, stealing a glance in my direction.

“Unbelievably so, but also spectacular, and I have no regrets.”

“Right.” He nodded slowly, the word sounding like a compromise between his head and heart. “No regrets.”

There was an undercurrent of something more in his voice, a depth I hadn’t quite heard before. But it was gone before Icould dive into it, replaced by his usual sarcasm. “Don’t expect breakfast in bed though. That’s not happening.”

“Who needs breakfast in bed when we’ve got this gourmet selection of…coffee?” I teased, waving my hand over the empty kitchen island.

A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Marnin’s lips, and I counted it as a victory. We might be stepping into new territory, but if I could keep us grounded in our usual banter, maybe we’d find our footing after all.

“Hey, how about I whip us up some breakfast?” I suggested. The hint of domesticity felt daring after the raw intimacy of the previous day, a bridge from passion to the ordinary that I hoped Marnin would be willing to cross with me.

“Sure,” Marnin replied, his voice laced with a note of surprise. “There’s food in the fridge.”

Was there? The last time, it had been mostly empty, so I wasn’t expecting much, but opening the fridge door, I was greeted by an array of ingredients that would make any foodie’s heart sing—a stark contrast to the collection of takeaway containers I’d expected. “Wow, when did you turn into a gourmet chef?”

Marnin snorted, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched me take out fresh vegetables, bacon, and a carton of eggs. “I usually grab something on the go. But I figured you might want something decent this weekend. You seem to eat pretty healthy.”

I frowned. “So this is all for me?”

“Sort of.” He shrugged, but there was an uncharacteristic shyness in his stance. Warmth bloomed in my chest, knowing he had gone out of his way to consider my comfort, even in something as simple as grocery shopping. It was touching, especially coming from a man who made no secret of his preference for control and distance.

“Thank you, Marnin. That was really thoughtful of you.”

“Ah, don’t mention it.” He looked away, but I caught the edge of pride in his tone.

“Alright, Chef Ennio, at your service. Take a seat and prepare for the best omelet of your life.” I grinned, cracking eggs into a bowl with a flourish, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

“Best omelet, huh?” Marnin settled on a barstool. “I know you’re a great chef, but that’s a high bar.”

I could tell he was pleased, and that alone spurred me on. As I whisked and chopped, a comfortable silence enveloped us, broken only by the sizzle of bacon and the occasional clink of utensils.

“Smells good,” he conceded, his gaze lingering on me longer than necessary.

“Wait until you taste it.” I flipped the omelet with an expert twist of the wrist, a golden half-moon landing on a plate. I set it before him with a flourish. “Bon appétit.”

I watched him take the first bite, and the moan he let out was absolutely sinful. “You weren’t kidding. This is amazing.”

“It’s almost like I know what I’m doing, right?”

“Almost,” he said with his mouth full.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” I asked after confirming that, yes, the omelet had come out really well.

He shrugged. “No clue. I usually work on the weekends.”

“Well, I’m here, so I expect to be entertained.”

“Jesus, please don’t tell me you want to go sightseeing in Seattle.”

“Nope, no worries. I’ve been on enough school trips, thank you very much. My favorite was the orca-watching trip we did in seventh grade, I think. Did you know whales are some of the most social creatures in the ocean? They even have their own dialects.”

“Is that so?” Marnin raised an eyebrow, sipping his coffee. His eyes held a flicker of curiosity.

“They’re fascinating. But nothing beats seeing them up close, in the wild. It’s like…witnessing a secret dance of giants beneath the sea.”

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