Bonus Chapter 1 #2
His expression was painfully earnest, which somehow made the mockery even worse.
“I’m sure you’ll get there someday.”
“Stop making fun of me.” Cassian pointed toward the kitchen, his indignation growing with every word. “I totally can do that.”
We all turned our attention back to Rohan, unable to hide our fascination.
Everyone was here for Cassian’s birthday dinner.
Usually, we kept things simple, spending the evening together over good food, drinks, and plenty of laughter. But this year, we’d decided to invite everyone over and actually make a night of it.
We’d also agreed on one rule.
No gifts.
Everyone had happily accepted it.
Everyone except Rohan.
He’d refused to show up empty-handed, and after enough arguing, he’d finally compromised by offering to cook dinner himself. At the time, none of us had thought much of it. We’d assumed he’d make something decent, accept the compliments, and call it a night.
We hadn’t expected him to turn our kitchen into a five-star operation and make the rest of us question every meal we’d ever cooked.
Rohan moved through the kitchen with effortless control.
Three burners were going at once, a tray was roasting in the oven, and half a dozen ingredients covered the counter, yet he never seemed to lose track of anything.
He checked one pan, lowered the flame, tasted the sauce, then reached across the counter and added exactly what it needed without so much as a pause.
His knife flashed through a bundle of herbs in quick, precise strokes, reducing them to fine pieces before he swept them neatly into the pan. He turned the meat at exactly the right moment, listened to the sharp sizzle as it hit the heat, then gave it a few more seconds before lifting it away.
He checked the oven.
Stirred the sauce.
Adjusted another burner.
Everything seemed to happen at once, yet somehow, he never missed a step.
And throughout it all, he cleaned as he went.
Scraps went straight into the bin. He wiped down his cutting board before reaching for it again. Spills disappeared almost immediately, utensils found their way back into place, and by the time he finished one stage of cooking, the space around him was already cleared and ready for the next.
“He didn’t even ask where the utensils were,” I muttered, watching him reach for yet another tool without so much as glancing around. “He just knew.”
“It feels like I’m watching MasterChef,” Liam said, leaning forward, completely captivated.
Then he looked at us and lowered his voice with grave seriousness.
“Do you think he’d give me an autograph if I asked?”
I shrugged, taking another sip of my drink. “Doesn’t hurt to ask. Maybe bring a photograph too.”
“Should we help him?” Felicity asked, eyeing the increasingly impressive spread taking over the kitchen.
I shook my head. “Nah. I asked him earlier. He said he prefers having the kitchen to himself.”
I glanced at Naija.
“He has the same kitchen policy you do.”
She gave me one brief look before returning her attention to her phone, completely unbothered.
Liam leaned toward Felicity.
“Naija can cook?”
Felicity nodded, her mouth twitching with amusement. “Very well.”
I shot Liam a flat look.
“She eats too. Try to contain your disbelief.”
My attention drifted back to Rohan.
He’d moved on to plating, making every dish look absurdly polished. I watched him for another moment before a thought occurred to me.
“How have we never capitalized on this before?” I asked. “Rohan in a kitchen wearing an apron is perfect for a photoshoot. Or an ad.”
I looked at Naija.
“Put it in the calendar. We need to get him more deals. Better ones too.”
“Already done,” she replied without missing a beat.
I blinked.
That was fast.
“I literally did that yesterday!” Cassian protested.
At the same moment, Rohan arranged another plate, moving each portion into place with swift, confident hands before finishing it with a few careful touches.
He barely glanced down before moving on to the next, yet every portion landed perfectly.
The final streak of sauce completed the dish with a flourish that made Liam lean even closer.
Cassian glanced at me, his mouth pulling into a slight pout as everyone continued watching Rohan.
“It’s not that impressive.”
Everyone groaned.
I slipped my hand down his arm until my fingers found his, threading them through his. His hand closed around mine immediately, his palm engulfing it as his thumb brushed slowly over my knuckles.
“Stop trying to compete with him.”
“I was not competing.”
He kept his eyes fixed on the kitchen, refusing to look at me.
“Cassian.”
He huffed.
Then finally looked at me.
“Fine. I was competing a little.”
He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering briefly against my cheek.
“It just stings seeing my wife so impressed by someone else.”
I frowned.
“I’m not impressed by him.”
He blinked.
His expression instantly brightened with hope.
“You’re not?”
“No.” I squeezed his hand. “I’m excited about the possibility of getting him into ad campaigns and better deals. He’ll be great, and we’ll all make more money.”
I gave him a pointed look.
“You’ll always be my number one cook.”
That finally brought the smile back to his face.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Good to know.”
“Hey, I’m done. Can someone help me get everything to the table?” Rohan called from the kitchen.
He stepped back from the counter, looking over the spread with quiet satisfaction. Cassian and Liam immediately stepped in, each grabbing a couple of plates and carefully carrying them toward the dining table.
Felicity’s phone rang, and she excused herself to take the call.
A few minutes later, Naija glanced up from her phone, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.
“I know the marketing director at a premium kitchenware company,” she said. “They’re looking for a new face for their brand campaigns, and Rohan would be perfect for it.”
She turned her phone toward me.
“Chef-led campaigns, cookware, appliances, the whole thing. He has the exact image they’re looking for.”
“Set up a meeting.”
She nodded, already making a note.
I studied her for a moment before asking, “You ready to tell everyone the big news?”
“Yeah.”
She shrugged, trying to play it off, but I knew her too well to miss the excitement she was trying to hide.
By the time we all made it to the dining room, the table looked absurdly impressive.
There was herb-crusted chicken sliced neatly across a platter, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables glazed until they shone, fresh bread still warm from the oven, and rich pasta tossed in a glossy sauce.
Even the salad had been arranged beautifully, topped with shaved Parmesan and dressed with a vinaigrette Rohan had made himself.
If I hadn’t watched him cook every single dish in our kitchen, I would have assumed the entire table had come straight out of a high-end restaurant.
Once everyone had taken their seats, I waited for the conversations to settle before setting my glass down.
“Before we start, Naija and I have an announcement.”
Every face at the table turned toward me.
The remaining conversations faded as everyone waited.
“As you all know, I recently expanded my agency and launched a new division focused on talent representation, brand partnerships, and commercial opportunities.”
I paused, letting everyone take that in before shifting my gaze toward Naija.
“And Naija will be leading it.”
Felicity’s face lit up immediately. Her entire expression transformed as she raised her glass with a delighted grin.
“Finally!”
Liam immediately joined her, lifting his drink with an enthusiastic cheer that earned a laugh from everyone around the table.
Naija, caught completely off guard by the sudden attention, looked around at everyone with wide, overwhelmed eyes before a smile slowly broke across her face.
Cassian joined the celebration beside me, raising his glass with a proud smile.
He and Felicity had known about the announcement beforehand, so neither of them looked particularly surprised.
Liam turned to me once the congratulations had settled.
“How are you planning to survive without her?”
I sighed and reached for my drink.
“Terry’s getting better.”
Naija had spent weeks training Terry to take over more of her responsibilities. He’d improved considerably.
He was competent now.
Reliable, even.
But he wasn’t Naija.
“That sounds reassuring,” Liam said.
“It isn’t.”
Naija laughed into her drink. At last, Rohan lifted his glass toward her.
“Congrats.”
“Told you my boss is better than yours,” Naija shot back with a smug smile.
Rohan’s attention shifted straight to Liam. Liam noticed. His fork stopped halfway to his mouth. He slowly lowered it, glanced at Rohan, then apparently decided the safest course of action was to bury himself in his food.
“This is amazing,” he declared, stuffing another bite into his mouth. “Seriously. How are you this good at cooking?”
“My grandpa taught me.”
Rohan kept his eyes on him.
“He also taught me to always strive for more. Never stay somewhere that has nothing left to offer you.”
Liam swallowed with some difficulty.
“Yeah, well, you know that one…”
He gave a nervous laugh and glanced around the table, silently begging someone to rescue him.
When no one did, he spread his hands.
“Why am I the only one talking?”
Felicity took pity on him.
“Mr. Fitzgerald made a friend.”
Liam seized the escape route instantly, turning toward her with renewed interest.
“Wait. What? Tell us everything. Who’s the friend? How did this happen?”
Felicity laughed.
“I got new neighbours. They’re a family, and their little girl has a cat named Mochi. Mr. Fitzgerald and Mochi have decided they’re best friends now.”
She smiled.
“He’s staying over at their place tonight, and I was on FaceTime with them earlier. They showed me the two of them sleeping together on the little girl’s bed.”
Her smile widened.
“It was ridiculously cute.”