Page 10 of The Plan
Chapter Three
After takingAunt Addy’s car into town, I spend all day cooking and baking. Aunt Addy offers her help but I send her back to her studio. I’m obsessing over everything I’m doing, trying to make it all perfect. I keep telling myself it’s because I haven’t cooked for anyone in the longest time, but I know that’s not really the truth. I know I’m a good cook; it’s something that comes as naturally to me as breathing. But I’m using this as an excuse so I don’t think about having to spend the evening with him— oh, and his daughter, who I now know is twelve going on sixteen. Aunt Addy helpfully filled me in on some of the basics about Blake and Sinead last night. Blake is single and, as far as she knows, has been since Kayleigh died. She was also quick to add that she thinks he needs a woman in his life. I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to take that comment. Aunt Addy made Sinead out to be a perfect child who not only does well at school but is polite, helpful, and loves to cook and sew. But she’s her grandmother—of course she thinks the sun shines from Sinead’s backside. That’s how it’s meant to be, right?
“Hello?” I hear a deep voice shout from the living room.
My heart rate picks up and I can feel myself starting to sweat. Christ, I haven’t even fucking seen him yet.
“Kitchen,” I hear Aunt Addy sing from her studio before heavy footsteps head this way.
“Dressed up this time I see,” Blake mutters when he steps into the room and looks directly at me. Just like yesterday, his eyes drop and roam over my body slowly. My temperature picks up a few degrees under his stare. When his eyes come back to mine, they are the exact same dark blue that’s been running on repeat in my head. “Good to see you again, Addison. I’m Blake.” The sudden change in his demeanour throws me off course but seconds later, I realise why. Movement behind him catches my attention and I feel like I’ve been pulled back in time and I’m seeing Kayleigh before I left for London. “This is Sinead, my daughter,” he adds, like I need a reminder.
“Of course. It’s so good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Aunt Addy. I love your hair,” I say, nodding to her waist length thick blonde waves hanging loosely around her shoulders.
“Hi,” she says shyly in response, and continues half hiding behind Blake.
“Hi, sweetheart, good day at school?” Aunt Addy asks when she eventually appears, looking exactly like she did when she opened the door to me the other evening with thread hanging from her, only this time it’s accompanied by a tape measure around her neck.
“It was good, thank you.”
“What did you learn?” Aunt Addy asks. It’s that question that every kid hates.
“Nothing.”
Blake ruffs up her hair with his giant hand while Aunt Addy laughs and shakes her head. Meanwhile, Sinead ignores both of them and zeros in on what’s behind me.
“What’s that?” she enquires, getting brave and coming out from behind Blake.
“It’s a birthday cake,” I say, looking back at what I’ve created today, along with our dinner.
“Can I see,” her blue eyes are wide and sparkling, just like Blake’s were after a leisurely tour of my body both yesterday and just now.
“Of course. I have all the offcuts that I’m going to need help eating if you’re interested.” Sinead nods eagerly as she comes to a stop in front of my cake. To say I’m impressed by how it turned out would be an understatement. I found that the kitchen shop was still exactly where I remembered in town earlier, so I bought everything I could possibly need (and then some) to make this handbag cake for Aunt Addy’s friend. It’s a miniature raspberry Burberry satchel with both handles and a shoulder strap. I haven’t baked and iced something this complicated in years, but I found that once I started, it was like riding a bike.
“It’s amazing,” Sinead says after a few seconds of taking it all in “How did you get it so detailed?”
I pull open the box I bought to put all my stuff in and start explaining how I did some of it. Sinead hangs on my every word. It’s a weird feeling, parting knowledge to a kid like this. The only other children I’ve really spent any time with are my niece and nephews, and they don’t stay still long enough to care about this sort of thing. Maybe kids aren’t all that bad—okay, maybethis oneisn’t that bad.
Sinead takes one of the tools off me and flips it around in her hand, pretending she’s using it. I look over my shoulder when I feel eyes on me. Aunt Addy is looking at us with a soppy smile on her face, whereas Blake is looking directly at me with anything but. His eyes are darker than I’ve seen so far and he has this little smile that I’m not sure is a grimace or approval. I’m hoping for the latter.
“How long’s dinner, Addison?” Aunt Addy says after she looks between the two of us a couple of times.
“This is so cool. Dad, can I make a cake with Addison one day?” Sinead says at the same time, distracting both Blake and myself from each other.
“Ten minutes.”
“You’ll have to ask her, lil’ bit,” he answers, continuing to stare at me.
“Uh…” I stutter as I attempt to tear my eyes away from his. I eventually blink, ending our connection, and turn to Sinead, who is looking at me like I’ve just proved unicorns really do exist. “Of course. Maybe one day after school,” I say, although the thought of spending time with a child one on one scares me somewhat. I mean, what the hell would we talk about besides cake?
Aunt Addy sorts out drinks while I dish up. I’ve made steak and Guinness pie with mash and vegetables. I was craving more homely food and I couldn’t return to Ireland without having Guinness. I dish it all out before placing it down in front of everyone to mutters of approval. I return to the kitchen to put the apple pie in the oven before taking my place at the table.
“You don’t need to wait for me,” I say as I grab my wine. “Tuck in.” That’s all the encouragement Blake and Sinead need, because they grab their knives and forks and get stuck in, much to mine and Aunt Addy’s amusement.
“Don’t you feed my girl, Blake?” she asks just as I watch the first piece of pie pass his lips.
He nods to Aunt Addy but doesn’t answer. Instead, he makes the most erotic moan of appreciation I think I’ve ever heard. His head snaps to me and our eyes connect again, his dark blue to my green. He chews slowly and it makes me look down to his lips. They’re full and pink, more so than any man’s I’ve seen before. My temperature picks up the longer I stare, and the moment his tongue pokes out to lick them I feel like I’ve been electrocuted as a zap of energy heads straight for my clit.
Aunt Addy clears her throat and it distracts me from imagining how good Blake’s lips might feel on me. On my lips, on my neck on my… When I look up, she has an amused smile on her face, whereas Sinead looks totally confused by what’s going on, although not confused enough for her to stop eating.
