Page 50 of Love Me Like It's Real
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He laughs before he answers. “Nothing. We just have to participate in this town’s sickening activities for February.”
“You know you can just say Valentine, right?”
He fake-gags and I burst into laughter.
Soon he’s parked up again in a place called the Red Clover Inn and we join the other couples in the reception room, which has been decked out with a bunch of tables and electric countertop ovens.
“Welcome to our Couples’ Cooking Class everyone,” says a woman in the front and I turn to glare at Hayworth.
“Really? Couples cooking class?”
He just shrugs and picks a table for the both of us while everyone around us stares.
“I’m about to ask why when another woman comes forward and wags a finger in front of Hayworth’s face.”
“And what are you doing here, Mr. Hayworth? We don’t need any trouble tonight, thank you very much,” she says.
Hayworth opens his mouth to answer but I step up beside him and drape my arm around his.
“We’re here on a date, miss. I swear he’ll be on his best behavior.”
The woman looks from me to Hayworth a hundred times over as if in complete disbelief but she doesn’t challenge me as she resumes her walk around the room while other couples take their places.
Our chef-instructor for the evening takes the reins again and walks us through making pizza dough and everyone pays close attention.
“Is she seriously just teaching us how to make pizza?”
“Yup,” is Hayworth’s only answer.
“Does she realize we can just order it, right?”
Hayworth chuckles and I turn to him, but that makes him chuckle again.
“Does she have a pizza place or something?”
“Nope. She’s just a home cook.”
“So…she doesn’t even run a diner or restaurant?”
He shakes his head.
“And she’s teaching pizza? Doesn’t everyone know how to make pizza?”
Hayworth stops mixing ingredients and turns to stare at me. “Do you?”
“Ah yes, it’s so hard to mix flour, oil and yeast.”
“What did you expect?” He laughs.
“I don’t know. Beef bourguignon? Hand-made pasta? Pot roast?”
Hayworth rolls his eyes with a smirk. “Should I say something? Is this too simple for you?”
I put my hand up and shout: “No.”
Of course everyone turns to look at us. And I have to bite the inside of my cheeks not to laugh.
