Afterglow ❃ l.m.j

• chapter thirty seven •

warning: the longest smut chapter yet; my seat in hell has rhinestones to match my gasoline drawers at this point

♡

"Are you hungry?" Normani asked as she left me in her room alone to get changed. One of her shirts sat in my hands, smelling of rose and soft as a feather. Her house was beautiful. A series of cream and earth tones, it felt as regal as her last name. The alcohol swiveled in my system as I stepped out of my pants and shoes.

"Yeah." I called out, taking my shirt off next. When I pulled hers on, I couldn't help but hug myself. She always smelled so nice.

I picked my clothes off of the floor and folded them neatly. I placed them on a nearby chair. Then I left the room to go meet her in the kitchen.

She stood in front of the fridge in a new pair of lace underwear and a shirt. Her mini twists were just past her ass and swaying from its hold in a ribbon as she looked through the shelves. Her voice grew softer when she heard me walk in.

"Do you want anything in particular?"

"No." I said, sliding past her to sit on a bar stool by the island.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Mushrooms."

She turned her head. "Really?"

I nodded. "They make my tongue itch."

"Huh. I've never heard of that." She took out a slab of ground meat before reaching into the cabinet. She pulled out a container of beans. "How's chili?"

I picked at my nails absentmindedly. "I don't think I've ever had homemade chili. So yes."

She hummed. "Are you a picky eater?"

I snorted. "Far from it. I eat damn near everything."

"Oh yeah, wasn't it you that said you're hungry the minute your stomach opens up or something like that?"

I laughed. "Sounds like me, yeah." I watched her grab a bunch of different ingredients. "Do you need help?"

Her eyes lit up. She seemed a bit bashful. "You can if you want."

I stood up and walked over to her. I waited for her instruction. She handed me several bulbs of garlic. Together, we diced our items. Her purple onion and my garlic. After that, we worked on the peppers. She fired up the stove, placing a huge saucepan on top.

"Okay, can you sauté this while I season the meat?" She gestured to all the herbs we worked on.

I nodded, waiting until she moved. With a bit of oil, I placed the onions and the peppers in the pan first. Then when they were translucent, I ushered the garlic in. From beside me, she threw seasonings into the ground meat. The most I could eyeball was the onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.

When she was done, she threw a few more ingredients in. The easiest to identify was tomato sauce, the ground meat, and the beans. The rest, I watched her do. When she was satisfied, she asked me to give it a stir as she cleaned our little work station. We worked seamlessly in the kitchen together.