Page 3 of Tall, Dark, & Ginger

I scoop my bite into my mouth, surprised by the complex tastes exploding on my tongue. It’s earthy and rich, but it does come across lighter than most of the app menu.

Wren turns back to us, holding the bowl. “Thoughts?”

“Dude—” Oakley drops his fork. “—this is delicious. Like, you want way more than you got, but it’s the right amount.”

Lowen smiles at his man, nodding. “I agree. It’s rich, so the portion size is nice. It’s still hearty without weighing you down.”

“Ridley?”

I perk up when Wren addresses me directly. “Really good. I’m not a huge goat cheese guy, but this is creamy and nice. Not too tart.”

He smiles, then begins to ladle soup into bowls. “This is a chilled cucumber soup. I’ve noticed we’ve been getting some comments on our socials about more soups, and the winter ones I made were a hit, so I figured I’d keep it going into the summer.”

Carlos drizzles all of our bowls with oil and adds a garnish of roasted corn.

I dig in, dragging my spoon through the cold, slightly thick soup. It tastes like literal summer, and while I wouldn’t order it personally, I can see how it would appeal to a lot of our clientele.

Lowen very daintily scoops up a spoonful with the corn and tastes it. He’s the most discerning of all of us when it comes to what he wants on the menu. I’ll defer to him.

“Very nice, Wren,” Lowen says. “When it gets humid and hot, this would be lovely with a salad or the banh mi wrap.”

“I had that in mind when I came up with it. Think I might do a special combo.”

Oakley and Indy are scraping their spoons on the bottom of their bowls. Indy looks up with a sheepish grin. “It’s fucking good.”

“Thanks,” Wren says. “Bringing out the entrées. We’ll be right back.”

I watch Wren walk away and sink deeper into my chair, choosing to cleanse my palette with the ginger drink. As I sip it, I chuckle.

“What’s funny?” Jerryn asks.

“The drink name,” I say. “Tall, Dark, and Ginger. Just like Wren.”

“You’re obsessed, man,” Bane says, but there’s nothing but affection in his tone.

“Sometimes you need to shit or get off the pot.” Kit squeezes my shoulder, but his words are aimed at Bane. “When you know you want something, no one’s gonna hand it to you. You gotta grab it.”

Bane’s gaze shifts to Jerryn, who is gazing obliviously into his drink.

“The layers are pretty,” Jerryn mutters. Bane grins, mussing Jerryn’s hair with one hand.

“Too much at stake,” I finally say. “I’ll get over it eventually. Some other pretty ginger with soulful eyes and a perfect mouth will come along one of these days.”

“This is gonna be good,” Salem says quietly to Indy, but I catch it.

“What is?”

“Your downfall. I imagine it’ll be as exciting as watching Indy fall was for all of you.”

“Pshh. I ain’t falling nowhere. If I’m the last bachelor standing in this group, that’s fine.”

“I think that’s my title,” Jerryn says, grinning and looking at Bane, who takes a second to return a casual smile he obviously doesn’t feel.

And I thought I had it bad.

The kitchen doors open with a clang and Carlos and Wren join us again, carrying several platters they set down in front of each of us.

“My take on family style tapas,” Wren announces. “There’s a sushi taco with avocado crema, diced spicy tuna, and a sliver of radish on a lightly fried wonton skin. Next is a crostini with a tomato relish and a grilled peach compote. Finally, my summer take on a meatball. It’s turkey meat with a ball of mozzarella inside and sticky Asian sauce.”

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