Page 119 of Third Time Lucky

As the sizzle of bacon fills the air, I can’t shake the smile that’s been etched on my face since last night – and, honestly, I don’t want to. I’m savoring every single second. Lucy is amazingly beautiful in every way – even ways I’d never imagined until recently. Never has something felt so right in my life. And easy, like we’d done it a million times.

The sound of chirping birds outside create a symphony of contentment in the kitchen. I hum a tune under my breath, the words of a pop song lingering at the edge of my consciousness.

‘Well, good morning, you,’ Lucy says as she enters the kitchen, fresh-faced with pink cheeks that probably aren’t from the exertion it took to walk out here looking as effortlessly beautiful as she does in a pair of worn jeans and a fitted T-shirt.

‘Good morning, beautiful.’

‘Good morning,bothof you,’ we hear as Mitzi rounds the corner into the kitchen from her room.

‘Hi, Mitzi,’ Lucy says as she works her magic on the espresso machine, filling the air with the rich aroma of coffee.

‘I’ll take two shots this morning, please,’ I request, already feeling the need for caffeine coursing through my body.

‘Tired, are you?’ Mitzi asks suspiciously. ‘You’re here early today. What brought you by?’ Her stare feels accusing and lingers between Lucy and me like we’ve been caught.

Lucy’s eyes meet mine, the smirk of what we spent all night doing and saying probably flashing through our minds like a news headline. ‘Asher and Lucy said the L word to one another and then had all the sex.’

I shoot her a wink as if all’s OK, and her standing naked in front of me in the shower only moments ago is not playing in my mind’s eye.

I clear my throat, attempting to devise a plausible excuse, but Lucy beats me.

‘Actually, we were up late last night talking about the menu project,’ she says smoothly, her hand brushing mine under the guise of passing me a cup of coffee. ‘I wanted to make sure I got it exactly right.’

Mitzi raises an eyebrow, shooting a glance at me. ‘Did she?’

‘Absolutely,’ I reply, hoping my poker face is in place. ‘She had some great ideas that we probably need to spend more time discussing further to really put a touch of perfection on it.’

Mitzi narrows her eyes, a sly grin appearing on her face.

‘Uh-huh. You two and your “menu project.” Do you think I was born yesterday, darling?’

Lucy laughs. ‘Do not ask for details, Mitzi.’

‘Of course, I won’t,’ she says as if Lucy is nuts even to say those words. ‘At least not while he’s here.’

I chuckle nervously, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks under Mitzi’s scrutinizing gaze. I’m thirty years old and embarrassed, like I’m wandering into a drugstore for a box of condoms as a teenager, and my grandmother just caught me.

I take a sip of my coffee, trying to steer the conversation away from whatever suspicions Mitzi seems to be harboring.

When the doorbell rings, cutting through the tension in the room like a knife, I breathe a sigh of relief.

Mitzi raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the unexpected visitor at this early hour.

‘More flowers?’ she muses, glancing between us.

I shake my head as Lucy hurries to open the door.

‘I need to talk to you two,’ the male voice cuts through the air, its urgency evident as it paces through the living room.

‘He’s in the kitchen,’ Lucy says, her steps following.

‘You two are my friends, right?’ Aaron asks, approaching me and peering into the pan before me. He looks around the place, nodding with approval. ‘This place is dope.’ He grabs a slice of sizzling bacon and tosses it like a hot potato between his hands before devouring it whole.

‘Dope?’ Mitzi asks with confusion, looking at Lucy. ‘Who is this?’

‘That’s Aaron,’ Lucy reminds her. ‘Ash’s little brother. You met him at the bubble dance.’

‘Right,’ she says with a nod, sipping her coffee.

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