Chapter 6
The house fills with the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen as we spend the rest of the afternoon talking and cooking—our two favorite things to do whenever we get together.
By four o’clock I have finished the pasta salad and have it chilling in the fridge, Megan has the steaks marinating, and the cobbler is sitting on the counter waiting to be put into the oven a little later.
All in all, it turned out to be a successful day. We decide to enjoy the extra time we have by cuddling our dogs on the couch by the fire.
I nestle up to Beretta, and Megan is using Travis as a pillow. It has been a busy day, and thankfully my hangover has subsided. I sigh thinking about the guys coming over later.
“I’m so nervous. I don’t think I have ever been this nervous about having a guy over.”
“Girl, I wouldn’t be nervous, didn’t you see the way he was looking at you? He is so into you.”
“You really think so? My perspective on men is so skewed; I don’t even know what to think or how to act anymore.”
“Don’t worry about it; all you worry about is making sure that cobbler comes out of the oven fully cooked, and no one has any food allergies.”
“Oh shit! I didn’t even think to ask!” I burrow my face into Beretta’s neck and curse some more.
Of course, Megan just laughs at me.
“Oh my god, calm down. I’m sure they don’t have any allergies, people that do generally are forthcoming about that when someone is making them food. I was just messing with you.”
I respond by throwing a pillow at her head, but it hits Travis instead.
He wakes up with a snort and grumbles like a typical bulldog.
A normal dog would have gotten up, but being his lazy self, he doesn’t do more than raise his head and glare at us.
Megan reaches back and gives him a scratch, and he settles back down, almost immediately snoring again.
“Megan….”
“Yes, Kinley, what now?”
“I didn’t bring anything cute to wear.”
“Girl, you crack me up. The man has already seen you bleary-eyed and hung-over; I don’t think he will mind seeing you in jeans and a t-shirt. It’s not like we are going to a club or a nice restaurant.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m being ridiculous.”
“Just a little bit.”
“I mean if my sunglasses and messy bun this morning didn’t turn him off then very few things would.”
“Exactly! It’s the opposite of catfishing, you show him how little you care about your appearance and then reel him in by looking halfway decent.”
I glare daggers at her as she laughs at me. “Fuck you very much.”
We spend a little bit more time relaxing, and then at six, we decide that it’s time to get dressed and be somewhat presentable. I can’t catch myself a man of that caliber when I look like a bum. Or can I? Megan is certainly under the impression that he is already hooked.
I’m in the zone, putting on some makeup, fixing my hair, when I pause for a moment and just look at myself in the mirror.
I want to look good but don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard.
I’m not a high maintenance kind of girl, and I don’t want to come across that way.
Just from our brief interactions, Donovan seems pretty laid back, which is perfect.
I just go with my normal makeup routine.
Putting on a light touch of eye shadow, a thin line of eyeliner on the top and bottom lid, and to finish it off, I put on some falsies for good measure.
I wear falsies everyday anyways, I’m not blessed in the lash department.
I forgo foundation. I have a really good complexion, and I’m going for a somewhat natural look.
Giving myself a final once-over, I’m pretty satisfied with the way my makeup turned out.
I have a brief silent debate with myself about whether to leave my hair down or put it up, but after really thinking about it I decide to put it up in a ponytail. The ultimate reason is because I’m going to be preparing food.
I give myself one last look in the mirror; I’m so nervous.
This isn’t the first date I have ever been on.
At my age, I’m pretty used to it, but with Donovan it just feels really important.
I have never felt this way about a guy I barely know, and it’s making me so nervous.
It’s weirding me out how much he’s already affecting me, if I’m being honest.
I’m as ready as I’m going to get, so I turn the light off in the bathroom and go downstairs to see what I can do before the guys get here.
Megan has already beaten me into the kitchen, but it looks like she doesn’t need any help.
I’m still feeling a little anxious and need something to do with my hands, so I decide to make cheddar biscuits.
I have about thirty minutes till the guys arrive, and one can never go wrong with cheddar biscuits.
Megan is busy taking the steaks out of the marinade and letting them sit out so they can get to room temperature before she puts them on the grill. Not wanting to distract her, I walk past her and get out mixing bowls and the ingredients I’m going to need. When in doubt, bake something.
“Kinley, what are you making now? The guys will be here soon.”
“I decided I wanted to make cheddar biscuits.”
“Bringing out the big guns, aren’t ya? If that man doesn’t fall in love with you because of those biscuits, then there is something wrong with his head.”
“Thanks, Lady.”
Her reassurance calms my nerves a little, and a smile spreads across my face as I get to work mixing the batter.
Travis’s obnoxious barks and the scrambling of his nails digging into the hardwood alerts us to the presence of someone at the door.
“You keep working, I’ll go get it.” Megan says as she wipes her hands off and walks to the front door.
The deep timber of male voices filter down the hallway amid Travis’s continued raucous. I take a moment to breathe deep and still the giddy butterflies that are circling my middle. Chill out Kinley, tonight is going to be great.
Aiden is the first to come into view, followed by Cam and Brent. My hungry gaze locks onto Donovan the minute he appears, talking with Megan. Her voice is cheerful but there is a slight crease in her brow. Did something happen?
“Donovan, I will take the beer and put it in the fridge to chill. If you guys want to make yourselves at home, feel free. The bathroom is down the left hall and the first door on the right. I’m going to go get the steaks. Oh, and Kinley is in the kitchen.”
They let her pass and she smiles over her shoulder as she walks by. She’s almost to the kitchen when she pauses and turns back around.
“Don’t mind the bulldog; he just naturally doesn’t like anyone.”
Hearing their conversation while I was cleaning up, set the butterflies in my stomach in a whirlwind. Megan walks into the kitchen, puts the beer in the fridge and then leans up against it.
“Is everything ok? You looked confused?” I ask.
Absent-mindedly she answers, “Hmm? Oh, no, everything is fine, I was just reminded of something that I can’t quite place.” Weird . Turning to face me she adds. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the whole night. Those men are beautiful.”
That makes me snort. “I thought you said you were done with men and were permanently closed for business?”
She snatches a towel off the countertop and swats at me. “Wipe that look off your face, I’m still married.”
“In name only, so don’t start with me, Megan. You’re allowed to have a little fun, so just chill out, and enjoy the beautiful men that are lounging in your living room.”
She rolls her eyes and is about to say more when the guys walk into the kitchen. If I didn’t already have eyes for Donovan it would have been hard to choose between all of them. Even just in jeans and polos, they have cleaned up really nice. Donovan is the first to speak.
“Anything we can do to help?”
“Well, you guys can grab a drink out of the fridge. Really the only thing that has to be done is grill the steaks,” I tell him.
Aiden then speaks up, “I grill a mean steak if you need any help.”
Megan picks up her beer, hands him the tray of steaks and as she walks past him she says playfully, “Sure, follow me.”
Aiden takes it in stride and follows her dutifully out the back door onto the deck, but before he shuts the door he calls out, “Cam, grab me a beer.”
Camden hops off the barstool he was perched on and walks over to the fridge, browsing the selection of beers that are already available.
“You ladies sure do have a nice selection of beer in here.”
“Megan loves her beer, and when she finds something she likes, she tends to keep it in stock.”
That must peak their interest because Donovan and Brent walk over to the refrigerator to have a look for themselves. Brent reaches over Camden and pulls out a beer, analyzing the label.
“Where did she get this one? I have never heard of it.”
Peering around his shoulder I recognize it instantly.“Oh, that one. That is from her family’s brewery; it’s very good.”
Camden turns away from the beers and says, “Wait, her family owns a brewery?”
“Yep, just outside of Boston. It’s a microbrewery, so you’re not going to be able to find it this far south, but her brother ships her some every few weeks.”
The guys look intrigued and grab a few of Megan’s beers out of the refrigerator for each of them.
They pop the tops using the built-in bottle opener on the island.
Camden takes his and one for Aiden and goes outside, too, while Brent and Donovan take a seat on the island stools.
Aaaaand now all of their attention is directly on me. Shit, be cool Kinley.
“So, did you guys find the place ok?” I’m kind of at a loss as to what I should talk to them about. It’s pretty intimidating, being stared at by two large, absolutely gorgeous men.
Gosh they are huge. Goodness, Brent has his hands tattooed…I wonder what else is tattooed.
Hearing the rumble of Donovan’s voice as he answers me snaps my focus back to them and not my wayward thoughts.