Chapter 155
Chapter 155: A good mea!
That evening, Aaron and I stayed in the small, sleepy little town.
We walked through the streets holding hands, and even though we didn't buy anything or do anything special, I felt more content than I ever had. Maybe this was what it was like to be in love. Even if we just sat around for an entire after- noon, we wouldn't get bored as long as we were together.
Once we returned to the villa, I found Eliott sitting upright on the sofa. Cinder was draped lazily across his lap like a cat, playing with his phone, and there was a messy pile of design- er shopping bags on the floor around them. "Olive, come check out my new dress!" she greeted me happily. "You guys are back just in time for the camping trip tomorrow. Eliott found this gorgeous campsite where you can see tons of stars at night, do you want to go with us?" At that point, I would've said yes to anything that got me out of the house. I nodded and turned to Aaron. "Do you want to go?"
"Sure," Aaron agreed without hesitation. He came over and kissed me on the cheek. "Are you hungry, babe? I can cook something if you'd like."
I requested a few favorites, and Aaron interrogated Cin- der and the others by his gaze alone once more.
"Wow, the legendary Aaron Morris is going to cook for me. Maybe I should frame this meal and hang it on my wall so my great-granddaughter can hear about this momentous oc- casion," Cinder teased. 0.00%
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you're going to be
be like that,
maybe I just won't make you anything."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous." Cinder smiled and gave Eliott a quick kiss on the lips. "Don't worry, Aaron, I've got the perfect sous-chef for you right here. Go help him out, okay, dear?"
"Okay." Eliott nodded. When he noticed that I was watch- ing them, he gave me a bashful grin, and his ears turned red again. He straightened his clothes nervously, then got up and followed Aaron into the kitchen.
"Does Eliott really know how to cook?" I was curious; Eliott seemed like the kind of guy who came from a rich family and never had to worry about anything, so how would he have learned to cook?
"Well, I'm not sure." Cinder smiled cheerfully at me. "But I know Aaron can cook, so maybe Eliott can too. To be honest, I never thought I'd get to try Aaron Morris's cooking. I'm pretty lucky to have you, Olive. Maybe you should write a book about how you tamed the famous tomcat. I'm sure every girl in New York would be lining up to buy it."
"Oh, yeah? Would you buy it, then? I can save you an au- tographed copy."
Cinder scoffed. "I don't need dating advice anymore! I have Eliott."
"So, Ms. Swann, may I ask how you managed to reel in such a fine specimen as Eliott Dubois?" I randomly took some Louis Vuitton packaging paper by the sofa, rolled it into a tube, and held it out toward Cinder like a reporter with a mi- crophone.
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"Umm..." She tucked her hair behind her ear, feigning shy-
ness. "My secret is sincerity, patience, respect, and most im- portantly..." She winked and leaned in to whisper mysteriously in my ear, "Perfect sex."
My face turned red instantly, and I threw the "micro- phone" at Cinder. "Ma'am, you can't say things like that, this isn't a late-night TV show."
"Oh, isn't it?" Cinder draped herself against my shoulder, smirking at me. "I heard a lot of very R-rated noises coming from your bedroom last night."
"...Shut up!" I clapped a hand over Cinder's mouth, and she let out a m*ffled laugh before playfully trying to shove me away.
"...Olive, would you like scallops or salmon for the side dish?" Aaron asked as he came out of the kitchen. He paused in his tracks, surprised to find us wrestling on the couch like a couple of bickering kids. "Hey, what's going on in here?" "This is an important conversation between two indepen- dent women, it's none of your business!" I glared at Aaron.
"We'll have the scallops, thanks," Cinder requested, con- tinuing to scuffle with me as she ordered. "I like mine with a little char around the edges."
"I wasn't asking you, but I'll pass on your request to Eliott." Aaron looked down his nose at us. "And by the way, get your hands off my girlfriend's boobs."
Two hours later, our dinner was ready.
Both Cinder and I were starving by then, but the rich, sa- vory fragrance that permeated the house told me the meal would be worth the wait.
The appetizer was grilled scallops. Each one was tender and perfectly cooked, and I could already tell the dinner was going to meet our high expectations. The appetizer was fol- lowed by a main course of lamb chops. Eliott helped Aaron take it out of the oven, and the delicious aroma immediately made my mouth water. Cinder and I exchanged an impressed look; who knew our boyfriends were such amazing chefs?
Eliott carefully but*hered the lamb chops and served them on a plate with a cre*my sauce. His movements weren't as practiced and expert as Aaron's, but it was still satisfying to be served such an impressive dinner by our handsome waiter.
I was suddenly overwhelmed by the strange but distinct feeling of being at home here, surrounded by the people I loved, about to enjoy a delicious hot meal. Aaron came out of the kitchen, and I hugged him around the waist and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, honey. I know you worked hard, and everything looks amazing."
Aaron lowered his head eagerly to give me a kiss on the lips. Afterward, he patted my butt and whispered in my ear, "You can thank me for real later tonight."
I gulped, my mind suddenly flooded with images of what that "thanks" might entail. Cinder winked at me with that all-seeing gaze, and I could only shrug and sit down to pick up my knife and fork.
Although I already knew Aaron was an exceptional chef, I was still amazed every time I ate his cooking.
"Aaron, maybe when you run out of money, you can be- come a professional chef. I'd definitely throw some cash at you for more of these." Cinder took a big bite of her lamb chops.
"I can help with that," Eliott piped up. "My family has a h*o- tel in Dubai, so I could set you up as the executive chef there."
I couldn't believe these d*mn rich people. I'd almost for- gotten that I was the only person at this table who wasn't rolling in money.
"But I only care about cooking when it's for my Olive." Aaron's eyes locked on me.
"Then let's hear it for Olive!" Cinder raised her glass in a
toast.
"Wait" I blushed a little. I hadn't done anything to de- serve this attention.
"Cheers to Olive!" Everyone at the table ignored my reac- tion, all raising their glasses and clinking them together con- tentedly.
"What about you, Eliott, which of the dishes did you make?" I decided to change the subject to save myself from any further embarrassment.
"I helped with the scallops, the lamb chops, the salad, the pudding..."
Cinder and I turned to each other with matching shocked expressions. Neither of us had expected Eliott to be a hidden chef too, but apparently he'd helped with everything on the table. "... But I was just washing the dishes," he admitted.
"Oh, great." Cinder rolled her eyes. "I was really looking forward to eating all these amazing dishes again in the f*u- ture."
"It's okay, we can always order takeout," Eliott suggested with an innocent look. "Actually, I do know how to cook, but the only thing I can make is a sandwich. I really can't compete with Aaron."