Page 18 of Love Letter Lost
“I’m here to help with wedding preparations.”
“That’s so nice. You can tell me all about it while Mal gets ready.” Chloe gave me a meaningful look.
Taking my cue, I headed for my bedroom. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” Ridge said. “I need to call Amber and let her know what’s going on. She hasn’t answered my texts.”
I wonder why.I glanced at the clock, which now read 7:07. It was going to be a long day.
I took a quick shower and twisted my hair into a side bun. It wasn’t the most flattering hairstyle, but sleeping through my alarm on multiple occasions had taught me to get ready quickly. Besides, it wasn’t like I was trying to impress anyone. Within thirty minutes I was ready to go, though I did pause long enough to call Livvy and demand an explanation. When she didn’t answer, I sent her a text, throwing in a few angry face emojis to help her understand my level of frustration.
ME: Why didn’t you tell me Ridge was coming over?
I waited, hoping Livvy would respond quickly. Her phone was almost always attached to her hand. However, my phone remained silent. Maybe she liked to sleep past 7:00 in the morning too.
I walked into the living room to find the disaster from the night before, but no Ridge or Chloe. Continuing into the kitchen, I spotted Audrey standing next to the stove, spatula in hand, as she worked on a pan full of scrambled eggs. Ridge stood next to her, buttering a plate of toast.
“Wow. Looks good.” My stomach growled at the sight of food.
Audrey glanced over her shoulder as she worked. “Sit down. Everything’s almost ready.”
I looked at the table and noticed it was set, with Chloe already occupying one of the chairs. I sat down next to her, confused at the sudden manners my roommates had adopted. We never ate breakfast together or set the table, but I had a feeling my roommates were looking for any opportunity to interrogate Ridge.
“Don’t you have class?” I asked, trying to draw Chloe’s attention away from the man in our kitchen.
“It can wait.” She winked. “Also, pictures do not do Ridge justice.” Chloe turned and smiled as Ridge and Audrey walked over to the table with the food.
“This looks delicious,” Chloe gushed, once everyone was settled.
Somehow, Ridge ended up in the seat across from me, though we both refused to look at each other. Instead, we all dug in, and I marveled at the flavor of the eggs.
“As usual, this is amazing,” I exclaimed, disappointed that the eggs were all gone. “Do you want to become my personal chef for the rest of my life?”
“Depends. How much do you pay?” Audrey shot back with a grin.
“You could live here rent free, and I’d pay for all the groceries,” I offered.
“I’d hold out for a bit more,” Ridge said, looking up from his clean plate. “Make her throw in free utilities too.”
I scowled at the suggestion.
Audrey tapped her finger on her chin as if considering the offer. She and I regularly bantered about her becoming a chef as opposed to continuing her career in business.
“Pass. I’d need benefits too.” Audrey shrugged and then winked at me. “But I’ll continue sharing my talents as long as I’m living here.”
“Fine.” I gave a dramatic sigh. “Do you think you have enough time to make a few more eggs?”
Three pairs of eager eyes stared at Audrey as she glanced at her phone. “Shoot! I’ve got to get to work.” Racing to the door she snagged her giant purse and left with a wave over her shoulder.
Chloe finished off her plate and stood. “I’ve got to go too.”
I looked at the time, noticing that it was after 8:00, and knew for a fact that Chloe was already late. However, leaving now got her out of doing the dishes.
I picked up the dishes I could carry and headed to the sink. “I guess that means I get to clean up.”
Ridge followed me into the kitchen with the last few plates.
“I can help.” He leaned on the counter next to me as I began rinsing dishes.
