Page 11 of Up In Flames
They mumbled a thank you, tucked the money away, and I went down the line to where Will stood. He had his standard firefighter t-shirt on with an apron over top.
“Came for my famous chili, did you?” Will grabbed a Styrofoam bowl and scooped a generous helping of chili into it. “There’s garlic toast and cheese down the line if you want. Take a seat; I’m going to get someone to switch out, and I’ll join you.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” I took the bowl from him and hoped that he didn’t see the way I almost dropped it when our fingers brushed.
“I’ve been at this for hours now. I could use the break.” Will tugged at the apron strings and pulled it loose. “Give me two minutes.”
I nodded. For some reason, talking around Will made me self-conscious. Was I that sad and lonely and desperate for a friend that I was overthinking our every interaction? It felt that way. Like no matter how I acted, I cringed at myself.
I used the tongs provided and put some shredded cheese on top of my chili, then picked a piece of garlic bread from the tray. On the other side of the tents where the food was being served were rows of tables and chairs. I took a seat at an empty one and stirred the cheese into the chili while I waited for Will.
True to his word, he sat down a minute later with his own bowl of chili. He’d topped his with even more cheese and mixed it in.
“I’m glad you could make it.”
“Me and half the office.” I motioned to where Hal and Simon were battling it out over at the bean bag toss.
“It’s nice of them to come show their support.” Will seemed pleased that I’d brought so many people along with me. “I see you haven’t been by the face painting station yet.”
“Not sure I can fit that into my busy schedule.” I took a bite of the chili and bit back an obscene groan. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks.” Will beamed at me. “I’d say it’s an old family recipe, but that would be a lie.”
“You made this?” I took another bite. The chili was pleasantly spicy without being too much. It had been cooked to perfection, and it would be hard not to lick the bowl when I was done.
“I did. I’ve always liked to cook. My mom, you see…” Will leaned closer like he was about to tell a secret. “My mom is a terrible cook. Awful, really. Dad had to work, so if he couldn’t cook, Mom would.” Will shuddered.
“That bad?”
“She put peanut butter and raisins in rice pudding.”
I grimaced, remembering too late to try and school my features to hide my obvious disgust. Will was unbothered, however, and merely looked at me and smiled.
“Exactly,” he said. “I’ve been cooking since I was seven or eight. Dad taught me the basics, and after that it was just trial and error. Lots of error.”
“I’m sorry, but your mom must be a horrendous cook if a seven year-old’s cooking is preferable.”
“Mom can make a mean microwave meal. And she doesn’t always fuck up the frozen pizzas.” Will spoke of his parents with such an obvious fondness, even though he was slandering his mother’s cooking.
“Is your dad a good cook?”
Will nodded. “But I’m better. When they invite me for dinner, they ask what I feel like cooking, and they buy the ingredients for me.”
Dunking my garlic toast in my chili, I smiled at Will. “They invite you for dinner and make you cook it? That’s hilarious. Does anyone else invite you for dinner and then make you cook it?”
“Not counting the guys at the station, no one yet. But maybe one day I’ll be so lucky. That’s why I was at the station the other day when you stopped in. I hate cooking for just myself, so I often find myself down at the station cooking for everyone.”
I used the garlic toast to mop up the rest of the chili in the bottom of the bowl. “If all your cooking is like this, I might have to quit my job and become a firefighter. Do you have these fundraisers often? Say, like, every day?”
“Sorry, but no. Not as often as that.” He motioned to my empty bowl. “Did you want seconds?”
“I don’t think I could eat another bowl, as good as it was. I’m a bit stuffed.”
“Do you have room for dessert?”
“Dessert?”
“Sutton’s brother owns his own creamery, and he’s donated all the ice cream for today’s event.”
