Kiss me if you dare [ENGLISH]

Chapter 9

Charmey

The bell peppers and chili sizzled in the pan with the oil, and with a simple flip, she turned the slices upside down. The surface was golden brown - just perfect. On the other side of the oven door, the chicken looked ready, and the aroma of oregano and curry made her mouth water. Using oven mitts, she placed the scorching hot porcelain dish in the middle of the table on top of an expensive marble slab and admired the potatoes next to it. Charmey had just finished plating the food beautifully and arranging the vegetables on the plates when the doorbell rang.

She hurried to the hall, intentionally tousling her hair, which was loosely tied up in a bun. It had to look like she had worked hard on dinner. Besides, she wasn't Charmey tonight.

"Hi, I hope I'm not too early?" Fleur peered into the apartment behind her, and even though it was barely noticeable, Charmey noticed her inhaling the delightful scent through her nose.

"No, not at all. I just finished."

Charmey smiled warmly and stepped aside to make room for Fleur as she entered. She had expected her to look as disheveled as the other times they had met, but her hair was glossy and neatly combed, and her lips had taken on a dark brown shade that suited her perfectly. Charmey could even detect a faint scent of lemon as she passed by.

She didn't know if it was the lit candles on the table in the dimly lit kitchen area or the chocolate fountain and strawberries she had prepared for dessert, but something made Fleur stop and marvel.

"Is something amiss?" she asked spontaneously, not placing much importance on the words while fetching a bottle of rosé.

Fleur shook her head in bewilderment. "No, it's just so funny. I was invited to the same meal yesterday."

She popped the cork off the bottle.

"Sorry, it might have been impolite to mention it now that you've put in so much effort into cooking."

She sat down across from Charmey and grabbed a napkin from the wine glass to pour herself some.

"Well, oops. What a strange coincidence. If you'd prefer something else, I can arrange that."

Fleur waved dismissively with her hands. "You don't need to do that. The chicken looks fantastic."

"Dive in." Charmey took a sip of wine and observed Fleur as she cut into the chicken breast.

She was in pure ecstasy as she took the first bite, and her expression was satisfying enough that Charmey almost didn't need to ask. "Does it taste good?"

"This is divine..."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to season it that much."

In reality, she didn't need the confirmation. She always did a good job, no matter what it was.

However, the knowledge that Fleur hadn't experienced the same satisfaction the previous evening delighted her immensely, and she was more than eager to rub it in the face of her friend Gabriel. But she mustn't forget the original reason why she had let Fleur get so close. Everything had a purpose that ultimately benefited Charmey and no one else.

"You have to give me the recipe."

"Absolutely." It was a lie, but neither of them would have the energy to bring it up later. "You mentioned on the phone that you found Urban's address?"

Fleur's mood suddenly shifted, and Charmey understood that their previous conversation had distracted her so completely that she had managed to completely suppress what had happened to James.