Page 21 of Immortal By Morning
Delacort hesitated, appearing uncertain for a moment and then simply said, “I shall have whatever you are having, please.”
Abril’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Are you sure? Because I’m having a Cherry Coca-Cola. It’s my favorite at the moment.”
“That sounds fine,” he said. “Can I get the glasses for you?”
“No, I’m good,” she assured him, retrieving the glasses herself from the cupboard beside the refrigerator. Abril used the ice cube dispenser on the fridge door to half fill one of the glasses, and then almost started to do the same with the second, but paused and glanced around to ask, “Ice or no ice?”
“Ice is good,” he said agreeably, and then added under his breath, “I think.” Abril heard him, but since she suspected he hadn’t wanted her to hear that part, she pretended not to and simply turned to the refrigerator to fill the second glass half-full of ice as well. She then snatched two cans of the Cherry Coca-Cola out of the fridge, gathered up everything in her arms and carried it all over to the end of the island where Delacort was now sitting.
As he had earlier, he’d chosen the seat on the side that faced the view of the road, leaving her the end seat, kitty-corner to his own. He was actually sitting where she usually sat, while she would now be taking Gina’s chair. She didn’t mind really, but knew from earlier that it was going to feel a little weird taking her boss’s place. Especially to eat. Shrugging inwardly, she quickly collected silverware and two place mats and returned to the island.
“I can do that,” Delacort said, standing swiftly to take the items from her.
“Thank you.” She almost gasped the words in response to his fingers brushing hers as he took the silverware from her hand. Knowing she was blushing again, Abril turned and hurried around the island to the range, and turned the burner on under the chili to start it warming. Once that was done, she didn’t know what to do with herself and stood awkwardly watching the temperature display on the upper of the two built-in ovens, waiting to be able to put the fries in.
It took forever for the oven to heat up. A good ten minutes at least, during which she stood there twiddling her thumbs and racking her mind for some way to ease this awkwardness.
Abril was more than a little relieved when the oven dinged, announcing it had reached the needed temperature. She put the fries in the oven, then stood stirring the chili as it heated while she waited for the timer to announce it was time to turn the fries. The silence surrounding her and Delacort was uncomfortable enough that she almost turned on the television out of desperation. But Abril didn’t in the end, so the minutes dragged on, passing like hours. She actually got excited when it was time to turn the fries. Mostly because it meant this torture was half over now.
She suspected she wasn’t the only one relieved when the dinger sounded for the second time ten minutes later, announcing that the fries were done.
Abril pulled the fries out of the oven, piled a bunch of them on his plate, a lot less on her own, then used a large ladle to pour chili over top of each before sprinkling them with the cheddar cheese she’d shredded earlier.
Satisfied with her efforts, she picked up both plates, carried them to the island, and set one in front of Delacort. She then sat down and placed hers on her own place mat.
“There! I think we’re all set,” she said, purely for the sake of saying something and filling the silence. Then she pointed out, “The salt is right here.” She turned the lazy Susan that was situated on the island so that the seasoning sat before both of them, and added, “And the pepper is too. If the chili isn’t hot enough for you, I can grab some chili powder. Just let me know.”
“I am sure it is perfect just the way it is,” Delacort assured her, and then waited until she had picked up her fork, stabbed it through two French fries side byside with chili and cheese on them, and put it into her mouth. Only then did he emulate her and try the food.
Despite herself, Abril was on pins and needles as she waited for his reaction to the chili and chips. She told herself she wouldn’t be offended if he didn’t like it, but the truth was she would be crushed if he didn’t care for the meal. It had been a staple in Bob and Barb’s home, a couple who had become parental type figures to her after she’d fled her real parents in her teens. It had been several things for them, a comfort food, a tasty treat, and even something served on special occasions. So, she was more than a little relieved when he slid the first forkful of food into his mouth to chew and his eyes widened at the flavor.
“Is it all right?” she asked. His expression seemed to suggest it was, but she wanted to actually hear the words to be sure.
Much to her relief, he immediately began to nod. Once he’d swallowed that first bite, he assured her, “I think it is the best thing I have ever tasted. Certainly, the best food I have had in a very, very long time.”
Smiling, Abril relaxed in her seat, then set more seriously to eating. Concentrating on her own food as she was, it wasn’t until Delacort’s fork clanked on his plate as he set it down that she glanced to him. The look of satisfaction on his face was almost orgasmic. Blushing at the thought, she quickly dropped her gaze to his plate instead. Her eyes immediately widened in amazement when she saw that it was empty. Abril wasn’t even halfway through her own much smaller serving, yet his was completely gone, the plate scraped clean.
The man must have a Hoover for a stomach, she thought and asked, “Would you like more?”
She was getting to her feet and reaching for his plate even as she asked that, but Delacort snatched his plate out of her reach, and waved her back to her seat. “No. I am good. I am so full I shall make myself sick if I have one more bite. I should have stopped after the first half or even before that, but it was so delicious that I could not help myself,” he admitted. Standing up then, he added, “You just sit down and finish your own food. I will take care of my plate.”
Abril settled back in her seat and continued to eat as she watched him. She was a little surprised when he not only carried the plate to the sink, but rinsed it off, and then set it in the dishwasher. She was even more surprised when he then moved to the pot of chili on the stove and asked, “Should I cover this and put it in the refrigerator for you?”
“Uh... no, we should probably wait to see if Roberts—” The sound of the front door opening made her pause.
She was actually relieved when Delacort excused himself, saying, “That will be Roberts. I shall go see if there is any news.”
Abril knew she would be self-conscious if the two men returned and she had to finish eating in front of them now that Delacort was done, so she began to shovel the food into her mouth, almost swallowing without chewing. She had just finished the last bite when Delacort came back into the room with Roberts on his heels.
“Are you ready for chili and chips now?” she asked Roberts as she carried her plate to the sink to rinse it. “I made extra fries in case you wanted some.”
“Thank you, but no,” Roberts said at once. “It smellsdelicious and I have been told it is very good, but I have a delicate stomach. I am on a strict diet and so am afraid I have to decline.”
Abril frowned slightly as she put the plate in the dishwasher, and when she straightened, asked, “Then what can I make for you? Soup? We have several varieties of soup that might be okay for your stomach. Or toast maybe? What can you eat?”
“I am good,” Roberts assured her. “I packed my own meal before coming in to work today and ate it in my car just now before coming inside.”
“Oh,” Abril said with surprise. “Well, a coffee then?” she suggested, closing the dishwasher and walking around the island to the coffee pot.
