Chapter Thirty-Four
Garett
I recognise Ruby’s ex-boyfriend’s piggy face from the video call several weeks ago. He’s wearing a red tracksuit that could be described as retro, but it doesn’t fit the Christmas vibe unless he’s come as Santa’s thieving little brother.
And the mystery woman beside him wears a PVC green elf dress. It’d look okay if she were heading for a night out, but that isn’t cooking attire.
Both of the in-your-face outfits pale in comparison when my secret lover and friend trembles beside me. I don’t know if she’s shaking because she’s upset, anxious, angry, or all the above. I lean in to touch her as a friend, and she flinches as if she doesn’t recognise me.
Her reaction is like food stuck in my throat. Kath looks warily over, not at Ruby, but at me. I don’t know why because I’m sure I’m hiding my reaction well. We’re just friends, after all.
“Best get to the demonstration counter,” Kath says. “We’ll get started.”
My feet hesitate.
“You weren’t on the list of attendees,” Ruby stutters. “Neither of you.”
“We didn’t think you’d be here if we signed up as ourselves,” the woman states. Her PVC dress makes the sound of little farts as she nears Ruby. “And when you ignored my calls, we decided this would be the best way to apologise. And ask for your consent.”
She practically gags at the word. “My consent?”
I’m at my demonstration counter as per Kath’s instruction. All of the action continues in the doorway. Kath directs the rest of the students to aprons, but everyone looks warily at the reality television–style conversation.
Ruby’s shoulders are stiff. From my angle, her eyes blaze as the woman waves her hand.
“Viv and I are getting married,” Neil says.
I wait for tears or shouts. Instead, Ruby turns to the counters and the other students and says, “Right. Are you all ready for a fun evening? The great Chef Garett will start by making mince pies. We’ve got Christmas music, wreath making, mulled wine, and massive smiles. Let’s get our jingle bells on!”
I recognise the strain on her face, but spying the excited faces of the other students, it’s clear they’re oblivious.
Viv and Neil stare dumbfounded at each other. They may not have devil horns, but they’re the epitome of villains to me. They hurt the woman I care about.
“Get your aprons on, then,” Ruby hisses to them before walking around the room.
“Are you okay?” I ask as she nears me, but she dismisses my question with a wave of her hand.
“Neil thinks we’re together, remember?” Her eyes flicker up to mine. “Screw our rules. Play along with me, please?”
I lock eyes with her. She nibbles her lip, and her hand trembles as she pushes back the strands of hair that have escaped her bun. I grip her waist and dip her as I plant a kiss on her lips that’s like something from forties Hollywood. It’s chaste but with promise.
She’s breathless as I let her go.
“Sorry, everyone.” I point up at the mistletoe that Kath added earlier. “When your girlfriend looks like this and makes demands, you have to comply, especially when there’s mistletoe. Who’s ready to make mince pies and find love this Christmas?”
A cheer fills the room, led by Kath. The only quiet ones are Flora and Wicksy, whose mouths are practically on the floor, and Neil and Viv, who glare at us.
◆◆◆
If Ruby thought the flirting would be subtle, then tonight’s a revelation for her. I enjoyed myself once I’d confirmed with Kath, Wicksy, and Flora that we were faking our relationship because of Neil and Viv. She’ll never be my girlfriend, so I’ve made the most of it and given her the whole Garett boyfriend experience.
During the cooking, I’d find ways to touch and tease her. When I told the class that the pastry needed to be soft like butter, I compared it to Ruby’s lips on a warm day. There were sighs from all the ladies, especially when I added that I wrote a message when I first asked Ruby on a date and placed it in Ruby’s favourite pie in a heart-shaped crust.
It was fun to cook with her, getting her to demonstrate how to roll the pastry and then telling the group that Ruby was a fantastic baker who’d taught me a lot of skills, too. I was talking about baking, but when one of the ladies giggled, I may have winked and added, “Lots of skills there, too. The person who let her go must be the biggest idiot.”
That earned me a grunt from Neil, much to my delight.
I’ve called her nicknames like sweet cheeks and floury buns and threw in the odd cutie pie.
But now it’s time to excel and join the wreath making. The sofa bed is decorated with tartan Christmas blankets, but all I see is Ruby and me chatting and kissing on it.
“Old Garett never would have done wreath making, you know,” Flora whispers as I reach the top of the stairs.
When the teams in my restaurants enjoyed Christmas activities or Easter egg hunts or went out for Halloween, I’d continue working or go home early to focus on menu planning.
I shush Flora, whispering, “It’s all an act.”
Flora tips her head. “I’m calling you Timothée Chalamet from now on.”
I let her comment roll off my shoulders. I'm here to make Neil feel like crap for how he hurt Ruby. There’s something irresistible about spending time with Ruby, especially making her do that unimpressed laugh or grumpy face when no one’s looking because I’ve pushed it too far. It doesn’t mean anything more than that.
“What did Flora say?” she hisses when I join her at the craft station. It’s nice to be the sunshine to her grumpy for a change.
Neil watches us, his eyes pinched with suspicion. I cup Ruby’s face and peck her on the lips. Her eyes widen as I say loudly, “Don’t be cross with me, sugar plum. I know I shouldn’t tease you so much. When we get home, I’ll make it up to you just how you like.” I press my lips to hers again, struggling not to laugh when she bites my lip. “And we can make one wreath so that when we move in together, it will be the first thing people see, an expression of our love.”
One of the older ladies coos while another grumbles to her husband, “Why don’t you ever say nice things like that to me?”
Behind me, Neil grunts again, but I’ve stopped caring. What would it be like to come home to Ruby? It’s a dream I can’t realise, but it still fills me with a cosy swirl.
“You’re enjoying this too much,” Ruby whispers with a scowl.
I twirl loose strands of her hair around my finger before running my fingertips across the nape of her neck. No one sees us except Neil, who’s baring his teeth. “Aren’t you enjoying yourself, Rubes?”
She licks her lips and huffs, but she doesn’t deny it. I beam. I’m falling so hard for this off-limits woman.
Once Flora finishes her instructions, we make wreaths in our pairs. As expected, Ruby and I have different ideas about what makes a good wreath.
“But, baby, we need more colour,” she says, certain I won’t argue in front of everyone.
“Nope. It’s got to stay all brown and green, like Christmas should be. It needs cones,” I announce.
She licks her lips and stares me down, even though she’s much shorter than me. “But what about red berries or dark pink flowers? Browns and greens are dull. I thought you weren’t boring. I hoped my favourite chef was more exciting than this. You’re more exciting in other places.” I raise my eyebrows. “In the kitchen, I mean.”
“I thought he was your number two chef,” Neil shouts from across the room, causing everyone to stare. Viv side-eyes his challenge.
Ruby’s mouth drops open, and she stutters to respond, but I’ve got this.
“It’s true. When she first told me, it nearly broke my heart.” The group is pretending to continue with their wreaths, but their pupils are ball bearings rolling back and forth, as they’re desperate to witness the exchange. “But I agree with her first choice. I, too, am in love with Mary Berry, although I’d say she’s more a baker than a chef.”
Ruby elbows me in my ribs, causing everyone to laugh, but Neil hasn’t finished with us. “If you’re such a great couple, tell me about your first date. I bet she’s had better.”
Ruby trembles and stares at me.
I’m unsure what Neil did for Ruby on their first date, and I don’t care.
“I’ll never forget my first date with my Rubes. I considered something flashy and overpriced, but that’s not what matters to her.” Neil glares and bares his teeth. I guess that’s what he did. “Family and food matter more to Ruby than anything, so I started the date at the kitchen of her favourite restaurant. I decorated it with colourful flowers and sweets because even though she’s sweet enough,” I say with a kiss on her cheek, “I know how sweet her tooth is. It was like a mini version of Hansel and Gretal but with no witches.”
Everyone gawks at me now, waiting for what’s next. Ruby stares at me with an intensity that feeds the story.
“Together, we baked something neither of us had tried before under the tutelage of one of my favourite bakers. I’m not saying it was Mary Berry, but I’m not saying it wasn’t.” Everyone laughs, and the energy in the room goes to my head. “Once we baked our baumkuchen with a kind of croquembouche hat, the only way I can describe the monster we made, we gave Mary—I mean, the baker—our thanks, and we met up at Ruby’s family’s old cookery school for a special meal. I’d secretly asked her family for ideas of her favourite courses.”
“Oh, that’s lovely,” one of the older women says.
Neil continues to scowl. Before he can poison the dream date, I add, “And at the end of the night, we went for a walk in the moonlight, where I pretended to name stars and made up ludicrous names for them, which made her laugh. And then we had a chaste kiss.”
“It wasn’t chaste,” Ruby says, and I can’t focus on anything else. “I’m pretty sure it was like this.”
I hold my breath as she stands on tiptoes and pulls my head down to meet hers. It’s as hot and heavy as it can be in a room full of older people and someone’s ex-boyfriend, but it hints at the night we spent together, her mouth against mine, the scent of passion fruit enrapturing me. Her hand is against the back of my neck, and mine presses into her hips. As I come up for air, I say breathlessly, “I was trying not to sully your reputation.”
Her eyes are sparkling, and there is a pink spot on each of her cheeks. “Oh, it’s a bit late for that, Chef Garett.”
A chorus of ooohs and aaaahs fill the room as Flora says, “If you two don’t mind, this is a wreath making class, not an Amsterdam show.”
Ruby throws her head back and laughs. There’s a lightness to her whole being, whereas, for me, it’s like someone punching me repeatedly in the belly. I like her too much for what we’re doing.
“You heard the woman. Let’s get back to it,” I say as my stomach quivers. “I need to grab something.”
Ruby laughs with one of the ladies at the next table as I walk down the stairs. I barely make it because my whole body shakes. My legs are jelly, and I wait to get sick. I said I could do no strings, and I will because I want her with a fire in my belly and a wobble to my heart, but I can’t sleep with her tonight. The boyfriend experience unleashed too many things in me that I didn’t know I was capable of. I have to let go of these emotions before we do anything.
I want to make love to her.
Even as I debate this, I pick up little candy canes and sparkling foil–covered truffles that I brought for Ruby for another evening. The items will make the wreath pop with colour, which will make Ruby happy.
All I want is her smile.