58. Chemistry
58
CHEMISTRY
WYATT
“ G o ahead and just keep stirring until you feel the tomatoes start to soften,” I said.
“Okay. How will I know?” Odette asked.
“You’ll know. Promise.”
I tasked Odette with creating a butter and tomato sauce. Somehow, the simplest of flavours combined into something magical. I tried to build her confidence. The girl had never boiled water for pasta—something unimaginable to a kid who couldn’t even afford fancy pre-made lunches to pack on a school field trip.
My phone buzzed, and I lowered my bread knife to check it. Stephen’s travel agent contact had sent the itinerary.
“Hey, question,” I said.
Odette looked over. “Am I screwing it all up?”
“No, no. You’re doing great. They’re simmering. It’s about me. Would you be able to run to the States next week?”
She grimaced. “I cannot, Wyatt. I have to be here to help. Between Alex being sick and the wedding, everything is a disaster. And I’d like to say Ingrid is helpful, but she’s not. She’s more interested in making eyes at that hunky pilot of hers.”
“Ah, the prince?” I winced.
“All the time. All the bloody time,” Odette sighed. “Anyhow, I cannot. I’m sorry. I’d love to. Is everything okay?”
“Sure. Just business. I thought I’d ask.”
She gave me a brave little smile before returning to the tomatoes, which were sweating in their buttery haven. I wasn’t upset, but we’d officially reached the point where I wished she could go with me.
“Papa!”
I looked down to see Theo. He’d put a pair of shorts on Grieg—with Grieg’s head through one leg hole. The other just hung there.
“Buddy, you cannot dress up the dog,” I panicked.
Odette turned, snickering and doting in French. “You look darling, Grieg.”
He wagged his tail. I pulled the shorts off his head and handed them back to Theo.
“Go put these back in your room, please. The dog has a coat. He doesn’t need clothes.”
“Maybe,” Odette said. “Maybe sometime you can help me pick some clothes for Grieg?”
Theo clapped his hands and hugged her so tight he nearly took her out at the knees.
“Hot things, hot things,” she said, a bit uneasy.
Many people who never had children wouldn’t have thought about the hot pan a foot away. Odette’s instinct was one of persistent vigilance—a carer worried about everyone around.
Theo left. Grieg trotted after.
“They’re bonded,” Odette said. “It’s okay. Grieg is a saintly pup. He lets my nieces play dress up all the time. He loves the attention, and—believe it or not—Theo is very gentle.”
“He’s imaginative,” I said. “It’s not my dog. I don’t want?—”
“It’s good to worry, but Grieg was bred to be a dead head. His parents are long-time companions on the Lundhavian royal yacht.”
“What?” I laughed. “I’m sorry, Odie, you’ll have to repeat it for my normal American brain.”
“Your brain isn’t normal—any more than mine is,” Odette laughed. “Are these softening?”
She poked the tomatoes .
“Yes. Turn down the heat and toss the pasta into the big pot.”
She did as I said.
“Give it a minute,” I said. “Then you’ll take some pasta water to put in the sauce.”
I watched her mull over the “why” of that.
“Because of the gluten? Is it a thickener?”
“Bingo,” I laughed. “Yes. It’s a secret to many good Italian sauces.”
She smiled, satisfied. “Okay, well, I’m not completely out of my depth. And Grieg? His parentage goes back to the Norwegians. Queen Kiersten has St Charles Spaniels. She gave a breeding pair to Alexandra’s mother-in-law. Grieg is the result of a litter. He dug me out of a terrible hole. I owe him everything. If I worried Theo might hurt him, I wouldn’t let them run around.”
“I cannot believe you rode your bike here and then sent a separate car for the dog,” I chuckled.
“It was too hot for him. I wouldn’t make him suffer because I couldn’t resist the chance to surprise my boyfriend at work.”
“Surprise me? You definitely did that.”
Odette dipped a spoon into the pasta water and instinctively swirled it around.
I kissed her neck. “You can add another, too.”
“You make it hard to concentrate,” Odette giggled. “Do you want dinner or not? Weren’t you supposed to put that bread in the pizza oven?”
“Fuck,” I groaned. “I got distracted.”
Odette snickered but resisted saying more. I loved her for holding it together when I couldn’t. The vision of what we’d done in my office would live forever in my mind as the naughtiest—and most inappropriate—thing I’d ever done in a place of business. Even if I owned the space, it wasn’t technically okay to fuck my girlfriend on my desk after hours.
“I’m on my way out.”
Mom entered.
“The dog is being spoiled by a pile of books being read to him, Odette. I hope he likes The Very Hungry Caterpillar . ”
“He has the French and Danish versions at our house,” Odette said. “He will like the variety of English, I think.”
It amazed me how children could learn two or three languages flawlessly, while after years of trying to sound like I understood French, I couldn’t.
“Enjoy the evening, Mom,” I said.
She kissed my cheek. “You as well. Don’t burn the house down.”
“I will try not to,” Odette giggled.
Mom shot me a look as if she knew everything . I hadn’t told her I’d told Odette I loved her. I only said that I wanted Odette to wake up here sometimes at a reasonable hour when the sun was out and that I’d like it if she supported that. Mom liked Odette. She didn’t mind at all. She believed that what was good for me was good for Theo. And given that he’d been far more interested in Odette staying over than talking to me since I came home, I would say it was true. Theo adored her.
Mom ducked out, and I put the bread in the pizza oven to crust, having sliced a crosshatch pattern. Odette continued to add water—as needed—to the dish. She already had the hang of it. I smashed and chopped garlic for the bread’s dipping sauce.
“You’re a natural at that.” I nodded at the stove.
Odette blushed.
“I’m serious. It’s all just chemistry, Odette. You’ve figured it out.”
“Sometimes, chemistry works in mysterious ways,” Odette said.
“I’d kiss you, but my hands are covered in garlic.”
“It’s okay. You can save it up for later.”
She stirred the pasta, then looked at me. “I love you, Wyatt.”
“I love you, too,” I said, as if it were the easiest thing.