Page 30 of Riesling with My Roommate

I tried to make that cauliflower and lentil curry tonight and fucked it up.

Chris had loved my dinner Wednesday night so much, I made enough to share Thursday with leftovers. And then I did a bunch of prep work and left a recipe on the fridge in case Chris wanted to try his hand at cooking. All he had to do was mix a bunch of stuff and simmer it on the stove.

There’s a picture, too, of Chris making a face at his bowl.

Sara

How did you mess it up?

Chris

It was kind of . . . soupy? So I let it cook a bit longer than your directions, and the cauliflower is mushy.

Sara

Did you measure the water out?

Chris

Yeah. I used a cup.

Sara

Oh no. Like a one-cup measurement or a cup you would drink out of?

Chris

What’s the difference?

Sara

A cup is a standard measurement, not whatever glass you have lying around.

Chris

How was I supposed to know?!

That’s all right. I won’t starve.

How’s the weekend going? Why are you chatting with me instead of spending time with your friends?

I explain where everyone is and that I’m all alone in the hotel room. When I reread my text, it sounds more suggestive than I intended.

Sara

Not that I’m like, alone alone. Jade is in the shower. And Tessa will be up any minute. I’m not doing anything.

Chris

Like what? What would you be doing all alone in your hotel room? :-D

I roll my eyes at the flirting, and a door opens. I expect it’s either Jade coming out of the shower or Tessa coming in from the lobby, but instead, when I glance up, Emma is coming through the door.

“Hey,” I say in surprise. “What are you doing back?”

She throws her bag on the desk and flops face-first onto the bed and whimpers. “I couldn’t do it.” Well, the comforter muffles her face, but I think that’s what she says.

I slip off my bed and kneel next to her, a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Couldn’t do what?”

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