Inglourious Romance

Southern Comfort

"All set?"

Amaya nodded and smiled as she pushed back a lock of her red hair. "Yeah...I'm ready."

Christoph smiled as Amaya came out from her room with her overnight satchel over her shoulder. She patted her pockets to be sure she hadn't forgotten her key card to get back into her room tomorrow. She had already locked herself out of her room twice now, and it had been a pain to get someone to come up and unlock her door so she could get in. Plus, the staff hadn't seemed to thrilled with her stupidity, either.

"I have really been looking forward to this," Christoph said as he took her hand. He nodded toward her bag and then removed it. "Here. Let me carry that for you, Liebling."

Amaya relinquished her bag to Christoph, having grown more used to his insistence on being a gentleman and carrying things for her. They walked down the lengthy corridor, rounded a corner, and Amaya pushed in the elevator button. She wrapped her arm around Christoph's as they awaited its arrival on her floor. Then they got in and rode it down where it dinged on the ground floor and Christoph led her out of the lobby and to his BMW parked outside. He opened the back passenger door, put in Amaya's bag, and then he opened the front passenger door for Amaya before walking around to get in himself.

"So," he began as he started it up and maneuvered into traffic. "Shall we stop by the market on the way to my house, or do you want to drop off your things first and then go?"

Amaya shook her head. "Let's just stop on the way there. It'll be a lot easier because I'm afraid once I get to your house, I won't want to leave. Besides, those chicken and dumplings take a while to make because I have to boil and de-bone a whole chicken."

He smiled and nodded. "Honestly, your dinner sounds good. Even during my time in America, I never tried traditional southern cuisine."

"Well, I sure hope you like it, Sweetheart," Amaya said. "I don't think I can make it as good as my mother's, but I can try to get it close."

"I don't believe we can always replicate our mother's cooking," Christoph mused. "I can never make a sachertorte as good as my mother's."

"Is your mother still alive, Christoph?" Amaya asked him.

He smiled and nodded. "Very much so. As is my father. In fact, my father's name is my middle name, Johann. I also have four siblings, two brothers and two sisters." He glanced at her. "But I don't have much of an extended family."

Christoph Johann Waltz, Amaya thought to herself. Then she spoke with a half smile. "I like that. It's cute. I think I told you that mine's Elizabeth."

"Also cute!" Christoph exclaimed as he pulled into the parking lot for the supermarket.

They went into the supermarket, and Christoph pulled a basket from the rack. Amaya didn't need enough to merit a full shopping cart on wheels, so he carried the basket on his arm while they browsed for her ingredients. She picked out a can of baking powder, a whole chicken, carrots, celery, a head of lettuce, tomatoes, and a few items that Christoph decided he needed for home.

At the checkout line, Christoph noticed some Schogetten bars on display, and he promptly extracted one of each flavor. He offered these to Amaya with an adorable, cheeky smile. "Sweets for my sweet."

Amaya laughed. "Christoph, wow. Okay, you don't have to buy me all of those!"

"Well, you can have them for your stash!" He put the basket of groceries onto the conveyor belt. "And I know how much of a weakness you have for chocolate."

Amaya gave a slightly embarrassed giggle. "How did you know about that?"

Christoph grinned cheekily at her. "I've learned quite a bit about you, Amaya. More than you realize."