“I have to meet him.”
“Well, don't hold your breath. They don't get along too well, and Liam says his brother is kind of a jerk. I don't think he'll be coming around the club, or anything.”
“Whatever. What about this kitchen, huh? Isn't it amazing?” Tori asked, switching the subject abruptly and smoothing her hand over the granite island top.
“Yeah, about this kitchen – why didn't you mention it in your texts?” Katya asked, putting her hands on her hips. She and Tori had texted back and forth throughout the weekend, but there had been no mention of a new kitchen being installed in any of the messages.
“I thought it was supposed to be a surprise,” her roommate shrugged. “These workers showed up Friday, right after you left. They had copies of your maintenance requests, and a whole letter from the management company, signed by your Wulf-man, so I just stepped aside and let them in. They were almost done by Friday night, and then when I got home Saturday night, everything was in place.”
“He's crazy,” Katya sighed, rubbing her fingertips across her forehead. “I can't believe he did this. And then he expected me to make him dinner while he was out eating with that blonde bombshell from the second floor.”
“Ouch.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Sounds like being a heart breaker isn't working out so well,” Tori said in a careful voice.
“This was your idea!”
“Um, no it wasn't.”
“Yes, it was! You said to do whatever I wanted!”
“Yeah, I did. And you did that, and it was good that you did, and now you're going to do something else. That's how it works,” her roommate explained. Katya blinked her eyes a couple times.
“I'm pretty sure that made no sense,” she pointed out. Tori smiled brightly.
“Good. Gotta keep you on your toes. So break this down for me – you and Liam are officially friends again,” she checked. Katya frowned, but nodded. “And you and Wulf are ...”
“Confusing?”
“Sounds about right. Got any plans with either of them for tonight?” Tori asked, dancing around the island and opening the large fridge.
“No, not as of right now. I'm gonna take it easy today. First day back is tomorrow,” Katya reminded her friend.
“Ooohhh, right. Exciting! I bet you'll be glad to get back to the shop, huh?”
Katya nodded, twisting a hank of hair around one finger. She was excited to get back to work, but she'd also started thinking more and more about breaking out on her own. Having her own shop would make it easier for her to set her own hours – not to mention, she could make her own rules, set her own prices. She had a lot of freedom at Fondant's, and she loved the owners, but still. She was long overdue to branch out on her own.
Katya left Tori alone to make a lunch and went to take a shower. When she was done, she wrapped her thick hair up in a towel and scampered into her room. She didn't plan on going anywhere, so she slipped on a comfy pair of jeans and a simple tank top. Barefoot and not wearing any make up, she made her way back to the front of the apartment.
“Did you try the stove?” she asked, bending at the waist and vigorously rubbing the towel over her head. “I haven't cooked a meal on propane in so long. We should think of something yummy to make for dinner.”
“Sounds good to me. I like my steaks rare.”
She snapped upright, her hair falling all over her face. Liam was in her kitchen, leaning back against the island while playing with his phone. Katya glanced around, but Tori was nowhere to be seen.
“How long have you -”
“About thirty minutes.”
“And where is -”
“She was making something that smelled like burning, then threw it away, then said she was gonna go to that place you went that one time, and she'd see you tonight, after she got off work,” he answered, standing upright and finally slipping his phone into his back pocket.
“Oh. Okay. What are you doing here?” Katya tried a new line of questioning.
“I don't usually go into work till after two,” he said, which she already knew. “But Lan is passed out on my couch, so I didn't want to be there. I figured I'd see what you were up to.”
It took Katya a second to catch on that Lan meant his brother Landon.
“I didn't really have any plans for today,” she replied.
“Sounds like we have the same plans, then. So what happened in here? I don't remember all this,” he commented, turning around and taking in the new kitchen, as if he'd just noticed it.
“That's why I came over to your place the other day – Wulf had all this done, while we were in Carmel. I asked for a new oven. He took my request a little too seriously,” she explained.
“Damn, he really did. It looks nice,” Liam mumbled. She nodded.
“It's gorgeous.”
“You like it?” he asked, glancing back at her.
“Yeah, what's not to like? Lots of counter space, two ovens, state of the art appliances,” she said. He frowned.
“Have you seen him since he did this?”
“No. Haven't talked to him at all. He left a note, saying I was supposed to make him dinner last night, but ...” Katya let her voice trail off. Liam's smile returned.
“But you spent last night with me,” he filled in. She nodded.
“I did.”
“Good girl, good for you. Stick it to the man. C'mon, let's get cooking.”
It was actually pretty fun. Liam always managed to shock her a little; it turned out he wasn't a half bad cook. It shouldn't have surprised her, really – when Liam liked something, he threw himself into it, and Liam loved food.
Even though it was only the afternoon, they made a full meal. Asparagus with a hollandaise sauce, steak, rice pilaf, and even a batch of chocolate fudge cupcakes. While the desserts were cooling on a rack by the sink, they carried their food into the living room and sat at the coffee table, an eighties movie playing on the tv in the background.
“Wow, you can really cook, woman,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food. She smiled, nibbling at her asparagus.
“Thanks. Baking is my thing, obviously, but I like all kinds of cooking,” she said.
“You can cook for me anytime, angel cake, and I really mean that.”
“You couldn't afford my hourly rate.”
He didn't say anything after that, just licked his plate clean. Then he groaned and laid back into the couch. She smiled and ate a couple more bites, then shoved her plate aside and put her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands.
“It was so good, Katya. Thank you,” he sighed, rubbing a hand over her back.
“You're welcome,” she said, rolling her head around on her shoulders. His hand moved, working its way under her hair and rubbing at her neck.
“I haven't seen your hair down in a long time,” he commented. She groaned and sat upright, leaning into his touch a little.
“Yeah, I guess not,” she said, tilting her back to him so he could rub harder.
“Looks good.”
“Okay, enough,” she laughed, laying back and forcing him to move his hand. “No flirting, Edenhoff.”
“Oh my god!” he all but yelled, sitting upright. She put a hand to her chest, shocked by his outburst.