Page 17 of Thanks for the Memories
He gives me a coy smile. “I can imagine.”
“It’s more cringey that you think, especially when it’s your sister. And Kennedy is one of a kind.”
I watch as Dante adds food to plastic containers.
“Okay, so far we have thai chicken and vegetables and lemon chicken. I’ll get these pasta dishes ready, and you’ll just have to stick them in the oven to heat.”
Clearly, he’s back in full chef mode, and I’m okay with that, sort of.
“I know it’s not the same as a fresh meal every night, but it’s better than cereal,” he adds.
“It’s amazing. You’re amazing,” I blurt out.
His face turns a bit red which makes me feel better. At least I know that I’m not the only one constantly blushing. We continue to chat while he cooks. Thankfully, he puts me to work chopping more vegetables, and then I start cleaning up. We don’t struggle for things to talk about, and before I know it we have four meals ready to go for the week.
“I still can’t believe you spent your whole day off cooking for us,” I say.
He leans against the counter and wipes his hands on a towel.
“I had a great time.”
I clear my throat. “So did I.”
We both grow silent. But I don’t want to let this moment go by without bringing up our kiss.
“Dante—”
“About earlier,” he says.
We’re obviously on the same page since we started speaking at the same time.
“Go ahead,” I insist.
He runs his hand through his hair.
“I was just going to say that I don’t want things to be weird between us because of that kiss.” He pauses. “It was really great.”
“I agree.”
“And I really would like to spend more time together. The problem is that my life is so chaotic right now.”
My heart sinks, and I just nod my head. What can I say? The man hasn’t had a day off in months, and he spent today cooking for my roommates and me. What else can I expect from him?
“You don’t have to explain,” I say, my voice cracking. “I understand.”
Without a word he steps toward me and wraps his arms around my waist.
“I can tell you something.”
I force a smile. “Sure.”
“The next free day I have, I’d really like to spend it with you,” he says. “It’s been way too long, and I’m really happy that we’re reconnecting after all these years.”
“Me too.”
He moves his lips toward mine, placing a gentle kiss on them.
I’ll take this as a win for now. I don’t really have a choice.
