Page 39 of Finding Forgiveness
A few minutes later, a group of three ladies walk through the door, possibly in their early thirties, they’re a little loud and boisterous, but look like lots of fun.
Connor’s still sitting there scrolling through his phone, completely aloof. A wave of guilt hits me for forcing him to come. “Hey,” I say, nudging his leg. “If you don’t want to be here, you can go.”
He sits up straighter in his chair and looks at me suspiciously. “You’re giving me permission to leave? What’s the catch?”
I lift one shoulder. “There is no catch, you seem like you don’t—”
A loud clap of hands halts me from finishing my sentence. When I glance in the direction it came from, I see a man … about fortyish, very tall, nicely built, with dark, wavy hair. He’s dressed in a white chef’s jacket and black trousers, and his striking blue eyes are trained on me … specifically my crossed, bare legs.
“Ladies,” he says as his eyes dart from me to the group that just walked in. The toothy white smile on his handsome face diminishes slightly when he moves to the boys and then Connor. “Gentlemen.” His attention is back on me in an instant, and our eyes are now locked. “I’m Marco,” he croons, holding out his hand. “I’ll be your teacher today.”
“Cassandra,” I reply. “But people call me Cassie.”
“You’ll soon learn that I’m not like most people, so Cassandra it will be … a pretty name, for a pretty woman.” I hear the other ladies sigh when he pulls my hand towards his face and bends to give it a chaste kiss.
When I hear a deep growl, I glance at Connor over my shoulder and find him glaring in Marco’s direction. “I think I’ll stay,” he grumbles.
Interesting.
Chapter12
Connor
You’d think Cassie was the only student in the class by the way this douchebag is acting. He’s giving us a rundown and he’s solely focused on her. It’s pissing me off. I get she’s a stunner, but his undivided attention towards her is bringing out my inner caveman.
“I’m gathering since you’re here for the beginners’ class today, cooking isn’t one of your strong points, so we’re going to start with the basics,” he says. “We’ll focus on hygiene, cooking methods, recipe reading and correct measurements, knife skills, food prep … for example, chopping onions, garlic, and vegetables. Learning how to cook things like pasta, rice, searing and braising meat.”
I lean towards Cass, “That’s something you can definitely benefit from.” My comment earns me a playful elbow to the ribs.
“By the end of this eight-week course,” he continues, “I’m confident you’ll be able to make scrumptious meals at home and be the envy of all your friends.”
Eight weeks?Fuck my life.
Cass jumps on the spot and claps her hands in excitement. “Yay.”
I roll my eyes. I like her energy, but even I know this guy is reaching. I’m pretty sure she’d burn water if that was a possibility.
“Okay,” the douche says, giving her a blinding smile, which I’d like to punch right off his stupid face. “Let’s get started. In front of you, you’ll find your starter pack. You get to keep these as part of your tuition fee.”
Tuition fees? Why am I only just realising this now? Obviously, this course isn’t free, but I was so focused on not wanting to be a part of it, that I didn’t even consider the cost. “How much is this course going to set me back?” I whisper.
“Nothing,” she replies. “It’s on me for forcing you to come.”
“I’m not letting you pay, Cass.”
“Too late, I already have.”
“Hmm.” I’ll see about that.
She starts unravelling the cord on the black case in front of her, opening it, and spreading it out flat. It contains sharp knives in various sizes, which makes me feel uncomfortable. I’m not sure she should be using them.
Reaching out, Cassie runs her finger along the side of the largest blade. “Be careful,” I say, grabbing her hand and drawing it back.
She looks over at me and smiles, and that seems to be the cue for dickface to approach. He picks up the folded black apron that’s sitting on the workbench in front of her, shaking it out. “Allow me,” he croons, lifting the neck strap over her head.
When he slides his hands under her hair and gently lifts it out of the way, I see red. Blood red, specifically his. Here I was worried about Cass handling sharp knives, but if this dude touches her again, it’s him that’ll be in danger.
He is oblivious to the death stare I’m now giving him as he grasps the ties on the sides and instructs her to turn around. I swear he’s bordering on a sexual harassment suit, and I’ll have no hesitation slapping him with one.
