Page 82 of Shortcake
“Thank you for understanding.”
Addy shrugged, but a sad smile splayed on her face. “Of course I understand. We’ll take it slowly. Nothing will happen between us while Harper’s home.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, it doesn’t have to be nothing. I mean, if she’s in her room asleep, I don’t see why we can’t…”
Addy’s brow popped, arching high over sparkling green eyes. “It is kind of sexy to be sneaking around again. I haven’t had to do that since I was a teenager.”
“It won’t be for long. Just until Harper’s settled here.”
“Good,” Addy said, her smile back. “Full disclosure? I think I like you. And I don’t likeanyone.”
“Aw, c’mon. You like Enzo and Haylee.”
“No, IloveEnzo and Haylee. There’s a big difference. I pretty much loved them from the moment I met them. Like I knew they would practically be like sisters to me.”
I nodded, even though she wasn’t quite saying it, Addy was passionate. She was black and white. She loved and hated freely and with vigor. There was no lukewarm in her life. So when she said she liked me… was it actually more than that?
Just the thought made my heart ram against my ribcage. I hadn’t even been on a date in three years and Addy was throwing out some deep feelings.
I knew what I wanted. I just wasn’t sure I could have what I wanted. Sometimes things like that just weren’t meant to be. I had to figure it out soon with Addy. A girl like her wouldn’t wait for long. She wouldn’t be satisfied in this secret limbo I’d pigeonholed her into.
It would only be thrilling and sexy for so long until she grew tired of it and wanted a man who would claim her as his own publicly.
“Okay,” I said, nudging her plate closer. “Time to see whose burger wins. Which one first?”
“Oh, mine should be first. You shouldn’t fill up on plain, boring unseasoned meat.”
I lifted the bun on my left. Flecks of red onion, grated garlic and parsley had seared into the meat. I took a bite as she did the same and we both groaned in pleasure. I had to admit, the caramelized crust that had charred the burger was incredible… just as she said it would be.
“That blackened part…”
“That’s because it was cold when you put it on the grill.”
I gave her a nod and set the bitten burger back on my plate. “You’re right. Going on the grill cold is the way to do it.”
She stood and did a quick little curtsy. “Thankyou. I’ll take my First Place prize in the form of—”
“Not so fast,” I said. “You haven’t even tried my burger yet.”
She gave me a doubtful look. “Seriously? Conrad. We’ve already established that the cold technique is superior. And all you did was add salt and pepper right before—”
“Look if you want to forfeit because you refuse to give me the proper chance? Fine by me.”
She glared at me, snatching the second burger off her plate, and took a harsh bite.
Her scowl shifted as she chewed, and I couldn’t help the triumphant smirk as I took a bite of my own burger. As I suspected… the cut of sirloin wassogood that she overcomplicated the recipe by adding all that other shit to the ground meat. All it needed was some frozen butter mixed into the patties to bring out the fats.
And you can’t add the salt and pepper within the patties themselves because it dissolves. You want that salt and pepper to go on copiously right before it grills to sear the seasonings into it.
“Holy shit,” she said with a full mouth. “This is good.Whyis it so good?”
“Grated butter in the patties keeps the meat from drying out. Just remember… butter burgers make bland burgers better. But you were right about keeping them cold. If we’d had the crisp outside on my butter burgers?” I did a chef’s kiss with my fingers. “Our burgers would have been unstoppable.”
She lifted her wine in the air, waiting for me to do the same before tapping the edge to mine. “To being unstoppable.”
“To being unstoppable…together,” I clarified.
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