Chapter 15 Stumbling Blocks
STUMBLING BLOCKS
“You think I need to learn to cook?” Matt asked Anya the following Wednesday.
It was her turn to pick the date. A cooking lesson was her surprise for him.
“You’ve only taken me out or ordered food,” she said smartly. “Maybe it’d be nice to get a home-cooked meal.”
“I think you need the lessons,” he said. “Because you haven’t offered to cook for me either.”
His lips were pressed together, his chin lowered, his eyes popping out in a silly face.
She burst out laughing.
“Burn on me,” she said.
“Is that what you do? Burn things?”
She bumped her shoulder into his.
He liked the funny banter they had.
He didn’t push as much as he would have in the past. Everything in moderation. It was better this way.
Something he should have learned a long time ago.
Better late than never.
He was learning it with the right person in his mind.
“I’ve burned a few things when I was learning years ago. I think I’m a wonderful cook.”
“You’ll have to show that to me,” he said.
“This is a date night cooking class. Not basic lessons. We are going to learn how to make something.”
“Oh,” he said. “Even better. Do you know what we are cooking?”
“I do.”
They got out of his car and walked to the front door and he pulled it open, then saw the sign.
“Sweet,” he said. “Surf and turf.”
She giggled. “I remember you eating a lobster one day when we were kids, then stealing the rest of Phoebe’s when she couldn’t get the meat out of the claws.”
“I said I’d do it for her,” he said, laughing.
“You did. Then you ate it in front of her. You offered to help with mine too, but I knew better.”
“I wanted to help you first,” he said. “I had no intention of eating yours though.”
Matt remembered it was the first she’d had lobster and loved it so much. He’d never play that kind of joke on her.
His sister, on the other hand, she was open game.
“I don’t believe you,” she said. “But tonight, we are getting scallops and filet mignon. Lobster wasn’t an option.”
“Even better. I love scallops and always wanted to cook them.”
She put her arm through his. “I’m glad I could give you this.”
He leaned down and placed his lips on hers.
They’d done a lot of kissing on Thursday after their date.
Even more when he saw her on Sunday night for a few hours. He’d ordered takeout there too.
He’d love to get past first base, but was letting her write the outline.
This was their seventh date and he wasn’t pushing the pencil in her hand.
If he went to bed with a stiff dick after every time he saw her, he told himself it wasn’t the end of the world.
He’d gone much longer without sex.
Though it wasn’t during a time when he was actively dating someone.
“I’m glad you thought of it.”
She leaned into his arm. The carefree, playful girl he always saw as a teen was slowly making her appearance again.
He’d do nothing to blow this.
They checked in and were handed the menu of items they needed to gather. They’d each be making a plate and working next to the other at a station.
As they brought everything to their counter and waited for other couples to set up, he worried about the cost of this night she’d picked.
She said she had it covered, but it was easily a few hundred dollars.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He turned his head to look at her. He had to look down—she was close to ten inches shorter than his six-foot-two stature.
He leaned into her ear. “I want to pay for this. It’s way too much.”
She laughed. “Matt. You’ve paid for the past six dates, which is a lot more than this night when added up. I don’t date someone for them to do it all.”
“I never thought you did. But this is really expensive.”
“For me?” she asked. “That’s the problem.”
There was no way out of this.
“Come on, Anya. Don’t make me put my foot in my mouth. I’m not flexible enough for it and don’t want to be sore for weeks after I pull a muscle.”
She laughed. “If you didn’t have such a pained expression on your face I’d think you were joking, but you’re not.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I,” she said. “My commission check was one of my highest. I’ve always wanted to do this and no one else I’ve dated was interested.”
He was touched that she knew he’d be.
He wanted to argue but threw in the towel. “Fine. It’s something we’ll both enjoy. Then I can make this for you another night. Or I can do lobster and steak. Grilled lobster tails are one of my favorite things to eat.”
“Why am I not surprised you’ve got a fancy palate?”
“I like what I like,” he said, looking at the smile on her face. He tapped her nose. “And I like what I’m looking at a lot.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
What a place to have this conversation.
There was no way he could ask more.
Well, he could, but he wouldn’t.
The instructor got in front of them and it was for the best to get this date started.
There was so much going through his mind that he wanted to say.
To do.
To let her know how he felt
He could do none of that while they were here.
An hour later, they’d laughed harder than he’d done in his life while they followed directions and both had stellar dishes.
“You’re a hustler,” he said. “You can cook.”
She was almost always one step ahead of what was going to be the next instruction.
“I might have looked up a few videos on how to cook this myself. That’s not the same as doing it in person with someone.”
“I bet you’ve watched videos on how to cook something before,” he said, slicing into his perfectly seared scallop. Only one. The other three didn’t come out as well. It was harder than he thought.
“I have,” she said. “I enjoy cooking but don’t do it often. Or not as much as I’d like because cooking for one person isn’t fun.”
“You can cook for me,” he said. “I’m in the same boat.”
“You did a lot better than I thought you would. You said I’m a hustler, but it was mutual.”
He laughed. “Women like a guy that can cook.”
“I’m positive women like a lot of things about you,” she said, closing one eye at him.
“The same could be said about you. Why do you think I’ve had this crush for so long?”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
Again, not the right place, but everyone was enjoying the fruits of their labor and not paying attention to them.
“Come on, Anya. You can’t be this na?ve. I know you’re not.”
Her head went back and forth. “I didn’t know it back then. You’ve said it now. Your actions now show it too.”
“I want you to see those actions. I’m telling you that is why I did it back then. I thought you were cute. I wanted you to pay attention to me. I guess saying attention and crush are two different things though.”
“Oh, I paid attention. I wanted it back.”
“Until it got to be too much,” he said, nodding his head. “And we won’t go back there, right?”
“Nope,” she said, putting a bite of her beef in her mouth. “This is so good. It’s a tad overcooked.” She looked at his. “You’ve made it before, haven’t you? You never answered me about grilling at your condo.”
“I have made it before. Not on a grill, but in a pan and then in the oven just like we did here. I’ve watched videos on it too.
As for grilling, there are several on the grounds or a few on the roof that we can use.
Gas grills. It’s a pain to go down and use them or hope one is available when I want to use it. ”
“How come you haven’t bought a house?” she asked.
“Convenience more than anything. I like knowing I’m not responsible for the property or any major repairs.”
“Me too. My father took care of everything in the house for years. He still wants to but isn’t always able. My mother lets him do small things when he has a good day.”
“It’s got to be a fine line to balance,” he said. “Men have their pride.”
“It is one. My mother is good at that. I don’t think I’ve always been so good with men’s pride.”
“I don’t care about anyone in your past,” he said.
“Good, because I’ve got no intention of talking about them,” she said firmly.
Talk about the wrong thing to say.
Now he wanted to know because he was positive those would be stumbling blocks in his way.