Page 103 of The Husband Game

He still wasn’t comfortable eating a ton of sugar but he could handle a few small bites. He’d actually enjoyed the chocolate torte he and Dustin had eaten at the café and it had tasted even better off Dustin’s fork.

For the most part, Charlie had stopped seeing food as the enemy. It might not be his friend quite yet, but it was a tool. Something he could live in harmony with instead of constantly fighting against.

Progress, right?

It hit him then that this was progress too. He’d never cooked with someone he was dating before. He’d found excuses to leave before breakfast or arrive after dinner or do anything to avoid sharing meals together. And especially to avoid preparing them together.

Cooking was … intimate for him. Even more intimate than sex.

It was something Charlie had done with Taylor and Taylor’s family, but they were safe. They were people he trusted.

He glanced over at Dustin, taking in the way he held his tongue between his lips again as he watched intently, absorbing everything Charlie said and did.

Huh. Charlie trusted Dustin too. He must, if he was letting him in this way.

Not fully. Not all of the way.

Charlie immediately rebelled at the thought of telling Dustin about his history with anorexia but at least cooking together felt natural. Baby steps.

“There,” Charlie said when he was more than done mixing the salad together. “Quick, easy, delicious, and totally on your meal plan.”

“You’re amazing,” Dustin said fervently.

The admiration in his voice made Charlie smile and duck his head, feeling uncharacteristically shy. “Thanks.”

“Should I grill the chicken? That is definitely my specialty.”

“Sure,” Charlie said with a smile, finally relaxing. This was good. Cooking with Dustin was good. He felt … safe. “I’d like that.”

“Want to eat outside?”

“Oooh, yes please. I love your patio. It might be my favorite part of this house.”

Dustin smiled as he pulled out a tray and loaded it with the containers of food. “I’m not sure that’s high praise considering how much you hate the rest of the house.”

Charlie laughed as he gathered plates and utensils.

He followed Dustin down the stairs to the lower level. “I actually don’t hate this house,” he admitted as Dustin pushed open the door. “It just has a ton of squandered potential. Especially in the kitchen. I can’t wait until we can tear that apart.”

Charlie had a plan. He’d run it by Dustin a few weeks ago and he’d signed off on everything with only a couple of small changes.

They were going to tear out all of the tile on the first floor and replace it with hardwood floors. The kitchen layout was good and so were the cabinet bases, appliances, and dark granite countertops.

No more glossy white laminate. They were going with pale wood fronts for the cabinets. The shiny black granite countertops would be honed to a leather finish which would give it a matte look that highlighted the natural contours and veining of the stone.

Along with sleek new hardware, faucets, light fixtures, and a custom range hood, it would give the space a much more sophisticated look.

It wouldn’t have the cold sophistication of so much of the high-end design Charlie encountered, but the warmth and softness of a real home.

He loved finding a way to balance style and coziness, and in cold weather places like Chicago and Toronto, that was especially important.

“I’m looking forward to the kitchen redo too,” Dustin said with a smile.

“Ha. You say that now. But it’s going to be a mess,” Charlie warned. “Thank goodness you have the grill and the basement kitchen we can use in the meantime.”

It wasn’t much of a kitchen, but there was a small refrigerator and sink available and they could use the grill to cook along with an induction burner and microwave.

Demolition started in a few weeks and theoretically, it would wrap up before the start of the actual season.

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