Throw Away the Key

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Emma woke to the scent of bacon frying. She turned to see the other side of the bed made up slightly, a dip still in the pillow. As she rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath, she relished in the fact that she had slept so peacefully. She stretched her arms above her head, pointing her toes before sitting up and throwing her legs over the side. She reached for a robe on an accent chair and threw it around herself before padding into the living room.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Sadie greeted her in a sultry tone.

“Good morning, yourself. I didn't know you cook,” Emma smiled. “You never have food at your place, so I thought…”

Sadie laughed. “It's because I always cook all of it. So I tend to buy groceries a couple times a week. I used to do a lot of meal prep and stuff like that, but I would get bored having the same things over and over again. So I'd rather cook something, have it a couple days at most, and then have something else. But it does mean I go to the store more often–I try not to keep a bunch of stuff in my freezer.”

Emma nodded. “I feel like we used to have a completely full freezer and pantry at my house. When I was younger, our family struggled a bit before my parents found their footing and got settled in their careers. But that initial struggle with food insecurity caused us to always have more food than we needed. Pantry and freezer were always packed–if the zombie apocalypse were to happen, we wouldn't be without supplies for a long time.”

Sadie tilted her head. “That makes perfect sense. That's how my grandmother used to do things, too. I think I just have grown more concerned with food waste and I feel like I used to waste so much that it bothered me. Especially cooking for one.” Sadie poured fresh coffee into two mugs, moving around Emma’s kitchen as if she were already intimately aware of where everything belonged. She grabbed oat milk from the fridge and dropped a pump of hazelnut syrup from the counter into both cups before mixing.

“I get that.” Emma accepted a mug of coffee from across the island and took a sip, sighing contentedly. Sadie perked up at the sound and rounded the counter to cup Emma’s face, planting a soft kiss on her lips. “Mmm, good morning indeed,” Emma murmured. “Thank you, this is exactly how I like it.”

“The coffee, or…” Sadie teased.

Emma sputtered. “I can’t say that with reference to last night. That was… beyond anything I’ve experienced before. I think I even dreamed about it.”

Sadie hummed, brushing her lips against Emma’s once more before returning to her cooking. “I think you did too. You may have moaned in your sleep once or twice.”

Emma groaned. “Are you serious?”

Sadie nodded, a sly smile spreading across her face. “It was cute though. Not to mention an excellent boost to my ego.”

Emma shook her head and sipped her coffee. “I guess,” she laughed. “So what's on the menu?” She asked as Sadie began to beat some eggs.

“Well, bacon, obviously,” she gestured to the frying pan. “And I'm gonna make cheese omelets next. I've already sliced up some fruit.”

“Wow, it's like a whole gourmet meal. This is amazing,” Emma sat on a stool facing the counter. “I feel like I could get used to this.” Her eyes widened as she said it. Shit. “I didn't mean that in a way where I'd pressure you. I'm so sorry.”

Sadie smiled. “It's okay. You're fine.” She poured half of the egg mixture into the pan, swirling it around, pushing at the edges with a spatula. She allowed for it to set more before she sprinkled in some grated cheese. “I could see this not being a single occurrence. Obviously last night was amazing for me too–I don’t do this for just anybody, Em.”

Emma’s face warmed. She’s thinking about it too. Maybe we have a real chance? “I feel like I'm watching a cooking demonstration. This is so cool. I've never tried–or, really, I've never attempted–omelets. I feel like my scrambled eggs don't even turn out the way I want them to,” Emma laughed. “Less fluffy and more flat. But this is incredible. Who taught you to make these?”

Sadie shrugged. “I picked up a lot from my grandmother and then in college I dated a girl in culinary school.”

“That must have been fun.”

“The food was good, but it was never going to last,” Sadie chuckled and shook her head thoughtfully. She waved around the silicone spatula.

“I want to take a cooking class or something.” Emma rested her elbows on the island counter, watching with interest while Sadie moved the eggs around in the pan.

“Well, from what I hear, you make a mean roasted chicken.”

She set down her mug. “Who told you that?”

“Ms. Marion may have mentioned it in passing.”

Emma shook her head ruefully. “She is so stealth,” she laughed.

“So, what are you up to today?”

“Uh, I have to get to the bookstore in about an hour or so, but I'm off tomorrow and haven’t made any plans yet.”

Sadie plated the omelet and started another one. She set a finished plate in front of Emma with a fork, the fruit and eggs arranged perfectly for a social media-worthy post.

“Okay, presentation!” Emma admired Sadie’s work down to the fresh herbs she’d sprinkled for garnish. “This is stunning.”

“Eat. I'll be joining you in a second.”

“No, no, I'll wait. It’s totally fine.”

“But I don't want your food to get cold!” she insisted.

Emma’s shoulders slumped. “Okay, well, I'll take a bite.”

Sadie waited, watching Emma as she sliced a piece of the omelet with her fork, gently placing it on her tongue.

Emma’s eyes closed and she hummed. “This is perfect,” she sang as she chewed. “So good, really.”

Sadie nodded. “Good, I'm glad. So, tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know,” Sadie requested as she finished making her omelet.

“I think I want to get a dog,” Emma shared. “But I don't really know where to start with all of that and I'm not necessarily sure that I'm up for all the responsibilities. So I thought maybe I would foster first to get a feel for it.”

Sadie’s eyebrows raised, but she kept her eyes on the stove. “That seems reasonable.”

“Pets are allowed here, right?”

Sadie nodded. “Yeah, there's a pet deposit you would have to put down and there's a monthly pet rent, but it's reasonable.”

“Okay, yeah, I've been researching pet insurance and all the things and I know I could handle that, but I've never had a pet before. I just know I love animals.”

Sadie watched her, a hint of a smile on her face. “I'm sure you would have a great time with it. You should try it.”

“Hmm… maybe I’ll put in the application to foster today and see what happens! Should I just pay the pet deposit now?” She pictured fuzzy paws scampering around the apartment and wondered whether Zora would allow a bookstore mascot.

“No, just wait until you actually have a dog for sure coming and then we'll take care of it. It's no big deal.”

Emma smiled and sipped her coffee. They ate their omelets, enjoying the silence of the morning. After a particularly big bite, Emma noticed Sadie watching her as she shimmied in her seat. “What?” she covered her mouth as she chewed.

“When you taste something you like, you smile and do your little dance and it's really cute,” Sadie's eyes sparkled.

A laugh caught in Emma’s throat as her cheeks warmed. “Well, thank you. I'm really impressed with your cooking,” she speared strawberry slices as she swayed in her seat. “This is a treat!”

“Thanks. Maybe we should try to cook something together sometime.”

“I'd really like that.” Sadie stood placing their empty plates in the sink, running some water over them before returning to Emma’s side of the counter. “I should probably head downstairs. I need to check and see if I've got any tenant messages and I have some errands I need to run.”

“Okay. Thank you for breakfast, among other things,” Emma smiled up at her.

Sadie dipped her head to plant another kiss on Emma's lips before turning to leave.

“Hey wait,” Emma called after her. “Do you think that maybe we can spend some time together, just you and me?”

Sadie froze, her eyes registering somewhere between surprised and alarmed. “Uh… yeah, sure. What do you think you want to do?” She stepped awkwardly toward the door as if she would bolt through it at any moment.

Emma shrugged, the flutter in her chest curling into a ball in the pit of her stomach. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked… “We don't have to do anything big. What if you come to the bookstore? There's an open mic night poetry slam event happening in a couple nights. You could invite Joy if she's into stuff like that too.

“I just thought, you know, it might be nice to intentionally meet each other somewhere or go somewhere together and know that we're there to hang out with each other.”

Sadie nodded, she leaned against the door, rubbing the side of her neck. “So, a date?”

Emma smiled wide, willing her nerves not to show. “I hope so.” Please tell me I’m not just a fling…

“Yeah, text me the information and I’ll check my schedule. I’m sure we’ll find a time that works. Anyway, gotta run.” Sadie bobbed her head and gave a little wave before she left.

“Bye,” she replied to a closed door. Emma rested her elbows on the counter, her head in her hands as a thought crossed her mind and she groaned. Just because she’d chosen to give up her rotation didn’t mean that everyone was on the same page. Shit. Does Sadie have a roster?