Chapter 71
Chapter 71
In the apartment, Joshua was wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen whipping up a meal for Allison. Allison leaned casually against the kitchen door, arms crossed, watching him with a playful glint in her eyes.
“Who would’ve thought the Fisher family’s golden boy could cook?” she teased.
Joshua rinsed the vegetables with a calm, practiced ease. “Remember when you asked where I got that meal I brought you last time?” he replied, glancing over with a sly smile. “Well, I made it myself.”
Allison’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You made it? How does it taste just like my mom’s cooking?”
Joshua chuckled softly, a twinkle in his eyes. “I picked up a few tricks from your mom’s kitchen when I came over for dinner.”
Allison was dubious. “Seriously? You were only over a handful of times. How on earth did you pick up her recipes?”
The first time she met him, she had just turned ten, and her mom passed away when she was twelve. In those nearly two years, Joshua had visited for dinner less than five times. It seemed impossible he could have learned her mom’s cooking so well.
“I don’t buy it,” Allison said, eying him skeptically.
Joshua deftly sliced the celery into thin strips and started marinating the beef. “Remember I said I wanted to take you somewhere? You got hurt last time, so we couldn’t go. Let’s go tomorrow.”
“Does this have anything to do with cooking?” Allison asked, curious.
Joshua nodded with a knowing look. “Yep, it does.”
“Alright, I’m in.”
Before long, Joshua had whipped up a delicious spread: stir–fried celery with beef, scrambled eggs with -mushrooms, and a hearty corn soup. Allison, who usually picked at her dinner or skipped it altogether, found
herself eating a lot, with the two of them finishing off every dish on the table.
After dinner, Allison got up to do the dishes, but Joshua gently stopped her. “Nah, I’ve got this.”
Allison grinned, teasing him, “Wow, Joshua, you’re such a catch. Should I just marry you?”
Joshua laughed, giving her a playful flick on the forehead. “That’s the plan.”
Once the kitchen was spotless, Joshua was thoughtful enough not to suggest spending the night. As they said their goodbyes, Allison leaned against the doorframe, looking at his handsome face and wondering why he didn’t make a move. Was she not appealing to him?
Lost in thought, she glanced down at herself. Not bad at all, she mused.
Joshua, catching her distracted look, asked with a grin, “What are you thinking about? You look like you’re miles away.”
Allison cleared her throat, a bit flustered. “Oh, nothing. Drive safe.”
“Will do. See you tomorrow.”
Then, Joshua turned to leave, taking the trash out as he went.
Allison watched him walk away, a smile tugging at her lips. He was so straight–laced it was almost suspicious. Meanwhile, Shawn found himself at the police station giving a statement. He was supposed to be held overnight, but his assistant showed up and bailed him out.
By the time they stepped out into the early morning air, it was already four o’clock. The assistant looked worn out. He had just gotten back to the hotel, hoping for some downtime, when Shawn’s call came, dragging him
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to the station.
His girlfriend had tagged along to Oak Lake just to be with him. He was swamped with work during the day and had been looking forward to a cozy evening with her, only for Shawn’s antics to interrupt.
Shawn was a real handful, just out of the hospital and already involved in another scuffle ending at the police station. Now, his girlfriend was on the verge of breaking up with him.
Sighing heavily, the assistant climbed into the car, ready to play chauffeur. “Mr. Reynolds, where to next?”
Shawn, looking drained, said, “Back to the hotel.”
In his hotel suite, Shawn flicked on the lights, the vast room feeling empty and cold. He wandered over to the window, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag, the smoke filling his lungs and adding to the heaviness inside him.
He surveyed the bare room, the glass table missing any vintage ceramic vases or fresh flowers.
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