Second Ave Series: Ac-Counting on You (WLW)

Shakshuka Kind of Evening

Gwen was having a hard time focusing, which wasn't common when addressing her profession, as her eyes kept straying toward the spellbinding woman cooking in the kitchen not too far away. Brook always seemed to sense when she was peering at her and she raised her head from the pan on her stove to send her a gentle grin. I want to get to know you. The words unceasingly played in Gwen's mind and she ran her gaze over what of Brook she could see. She was incredibly bewitching inside of her cafe, but seeing her in her home was yet another wondrous sight.

Brook had gone to change soon after Gwen agreed to wait out the rain and had emerged from her bedroom wearing a pair of red plaid pajama pants and a V-neck black shirt that read Admit it, Life would be BORING without me. As Gwen read it again right now, she found herself grinning before she'd even realized it and couldn't drop it even if she tried. This evening turned out entirely differently than she expected. True, she could feel overwhelmed and even anticipated it, but for some reason she still couldn't put into words just yet, she felt calm and at peace in Brook's humble abode.

She did another cursory glance of the living room and regarded her home decor. Lining the corners of the ceiling were LED lights that bore a gentle purple hue and cast the room in a rather gentle ambiance. They dissolved into a red tint as they extended into her dining room that was around an archway to the right of her kitchen. The only other source of light came from inside of the kitchen, illuminating from the ceiling just above the stove that only made Brook stand out even more. Try as she might to look over the financial documents she'd retrieved from her office downstairs, Gwen's eyes were constantly straying toward Brook and it only took a few minutes of staring before she noticed each time, like she was checking on her to make sure she was doing well in her perch on a giant, over-sized bean bag in the corner of the living room.

Like clockwork, Brook raised her head from the succulent scented food she cooked and beamed over at her before she returned to her food. Brook hummed as she lifted the skillet from her gas stove, then walked over to the refrigerator on the other side of the kitchen. She got some avocado slices sitting atop the counter and added them to the pan, then replaced it on the stove. Just as she sensed she was lifting her head toward her again, Gwen gazed elsewhere and panned her view over a built-in self unit that ran from the ceiling to the floor. Every shelf was stacked to the brim with books and held labels she couldn't read from afar along their outer edges.

Setting her work aside on the coffee table for now as she knew she wouldn't be able to focus, Gwen got up with great gusto and hugged one of the throw pillows that just rested beside her, walking over toward the bar opposite where Brook stood. Gwen hadn't ever been very good at instigating a conversation, but with Brook she somehow felt at peace enough already to breech a discussion that may lead her to knowing more about the woman who'd literally showed up in her dreams.

She watched Brook's confident movements as she turned off the stove and grabbed a lemon sat nearby. "What...are you cooking?"

Brook peeled her eyes up toward her and seemed to shine as their gazes met. "It's called Shakshuka."

"Shakshuka?" Gwen pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down, sniffing the scrumptious scents wafting toward her.

"Yes, it's a meal my Abba taught me when I was little." Brook pulled out a drawer to her left and hoisted two spoons from inside. She scooped some of her dish into one and set the other aside as she cupped her hand under the bite, holding it out toward Gwen. Peering up into her eyes before she propped herself up onto the countertop, she saw that inviting expression gracing her features yet again and gulped. Brook carefully let her take the bite into her mouth and Gwen felt her eyes bulge. "Good?"

"Wow, that's amazing." She licked her lips in between chews and eventually swallowed as she found her appetite. "But who is your Abba, if I'm saying that correctly?"