Page 59 of All the Right Things

I hurry over to the stove, grab the lid for the pan, and set it on top of the flames. Within seconds, the fire is out.

“Jonas,” Andi says, half surprised, half nervous.

“Andi, what happened?” I ask, looking around at the messy kitchen.

When my eyes meet hers again, hers are full of tears.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers through a quivering bottom lip. “I was just trying to make a nice dinner for you.”

“Baby, you don’t need to be sorry.” I pull her close, enveloping her in my arms. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Gently, I lead her into the living room, and we both sit down on the couch.

Wiping the tears off her face, I ask her to tell me about what happened.

Tiny sobs escape as she speaks. “You’ve been so great to me, and I just wanted to do something nice for you. I wanted to cook you dinner, so I called your mom to figure out how to make fried chicken.”

I interrupt, “Fried chicken? That’s a pretty lofty goal.”

“She made it seem so easy that I thought I could do it. And I know it’s your favorite.”

A smile spreads across my face. “You did that for me?”

“Well…I tried. Clearly, I didn’t execute it properly.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” I try to reassure her.

“Except that you’re still hungry. I just wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted to blow your mind in the kitchen and then in the bedroom,” she says with a sigh.

“Baby, you do that anyway. No special occasion needed.”

“I bet Nicole wouldn’t have fucked up dinner,” she mumbles without looking at me.

“Nicole? Where did that come from?”

“Oh, I met her today at the market. Arlene was kind enough to introduce us. You told me she’s a Southern Belle who loves to cook and clean, but you forgot to mention she’s fucking gorgeous.”

“Andi, look in the mirror.You’refucking gorgeous.”

She rolls her eyes like she doesn’t believe a word I’m saying.

I tilt her head, so her eyes are fixed on me once again. “I’m serious. Sure, Nicole is pretty, but ever since you walked over here to introduce yourself, you’ve been taking my breath away. And Andi, in case you’re forgetting, I walked away from Nicole. Had I not, we’d probably be married right now. But instead, I’m here with you.”

“Yeah, because you pitied me because all of my stuff is missing.”

“Oh, no, baby. I think you remember the chain of events wrong.”

She doesn’t say anything but just gives me a confused look.

So, I continue, “Well, you came over to see me, and after I was a bit short with you, I came to see you.Icame to seeyou.It wasn’t until I got there that I saw you didn’t have any stuff. Let me tell you something. If you think for a single moment that I wouldn’t have convinced you to go out with me, you’re insane. Maybe you wouldn’t be sleeping in my bed yet, but you can bet your sweet ass that I’d be doing everything in my power to make that happen.”

She smiles, but it’s still an unsure one. “Jonas, I’m never going to be that sweet, Southern girl who is good at cooking and always has the house spotless.”

“Andi, I don’t want a mother. I have one of those. I can cook and clean for myself, and if I wanted a sweet, Southern girl, there are a lot of those around here. But let’s just say I’m crushing hard on someone else.”

“How is it you always say all the right things?” She asks, softly hitting my shoulder. “I swear you’re like a panty-dropper extraordinaire.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to drop your panties for me, Miss Nicholson?”

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