“Okay,” she said. “You’re tempting me. Do you know how to cook?”
“I’m thirty-one years old. I can cook.”
“Tempting.”
He twirled a curl around his finger and smiled at her. “Then we’ll see where the rest of the night goes.”
“We will?”
“Yes. Will you let me cook you dinner?” he asked.
“Yes, you may cook me dinner, kind sir.”
This time he laughed. Pulling her in close, he pressed his lips against hers. “You’re going to love it.”
She placed a hand on his chest and smiled. “I think I might.”
“Tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow?”
“You think I’m going to wait around? I’m heading to the store.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “Think about me.”
He released her and began to leave.
“Cole,” she said, making him stop and turn toward her. “I think you’re perfect the way you are, and I don’t want you to change. I’m so sorry for saying the stuff I did.”
He left her apartment with a smile on his face, and his next stop was the store. Cooking was something he could do, and he intended to impress her with it.
By the time he got back, Vincent and Danny were playing one of his video games that he usually played when he felt like shit, and didn’t want to leave the house. They were fighting each other.
“Well, how did it go?” Danny asked.
“Good. It went good. I’m cooking her dinner.”
“You’re going to impress her with your cooking skills?” Vincent asked, ditching the game. “Does she like spice?”
“I don’t know,” Cole said.
“Dude, you make the spiciest chili around,” Vincent said.
“It’s like totally out of this world spicy,” Danny said. “You have no taste buds.”
He glared at his two friends. “I want this to work, and for it to work, I need my two best friends by my side.”
“To cook?” Danny asked.
“No. To keep the name-calling shit in the past. We’re grown men. Don’t bring that bitch, Tiffany, around anymore. She’s not allowed here.” He pointed at Danny for that one. “Do not hurt her friend, as otherwise I’ll have to kill you.” He pointed at Vincent for this one.
“Are you being a pussy over this woman?” Danny asked.
He sighed, gripped the edge of the counter, and counted to ten. When that was done, he looked at his two best friends, and decided to be honest. “I’ve wanted Elena for a long time. Longer than you can even imagine. Some shit has always gotten in the way. I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t want to lose this chance with her. Can I rely on you two to help me out?” he asked.#p#分页标题#e#
“Of course,” Vincent said.
“Yes. Tiffany was a bore anyway. Couldn’t shut her up. Just so you know your picture got a couple of hundred hits as well,” Danny said.
“I don’t care about that.” All he cared about was winning Elena, and finally having what he had always wanted, and that was her.
****
Elena didn’t drive, so she had to get Juliet to drop her off. “This is lame. I feel like my big sister is taking me to my first date.”
“First, screw you. I’m not that much older than you, three months to be exact. Second, you should totally learn how not to be a klutz. No one will get in a car with you to learn, and that’s all your own fault.”
Elena released a sigh.
“Kiss big sis on the cheek for dropping you off,” Juliet said, doing her baby voice.
Laughing, Elena rolled her eyes, and climbed out. Her cell phone was in her pocket.
“If I’ve not heard from you by eleven, I’ll take it that you’re staying over. Be a good girl, Elena,” Juliet said.
“You’re too much at times.”
“That’s exactly why you love me. Go, have fun.” Her friend waved, and Elena turned back to the house. This was it.
She had debated canceling, as it seemed awkward between them right now. When he’d visited her apartment yesterday, she didn’t really know what to think, or what to do. She wasn’t afraid of him, far from it.
He was like her superhero.
Licking her dry lips, she stepped up to his door, and knocked.
Seconds passed, and he didn’t answer. She was about to knock again, and he opened the door.
“Sorry. I didn’t want anything to burn, so I turned it down. Come in, come in,” he said.
He took her hand, leading her inside, and she gripped his hard. The scent of garlic was heavy in the air. They went to his kitchen, and he held out a bottle of wine. “White okay?”