Personal Chef

Chapter 16

When I woke up around 10 o'clock the next morning, I immediately blushed as I thought about the embarrassment of the night before.

Shawn had stopped cold when I'd told him I was a virgin, and I'd hurriedly grabbed my clothes and run to my room. He's knocked softly at my locked door a few minutes later, but I'd ignored him. I wasn't about to let him see me cry.

Before getting up to start lunch, I looked at my phone and saw a bunch of texts he'd sent last night begging me to come back to his room so we could talk.

Dreading what it would be like to see him in person, I typed out a message.

Me: Last night was a big mistake. Let's just pretend nothing happened and go back to how things were. I don't want to talk about it with you. Ever.

I hit send. A few moments later he replied.

Shawn: we need to talk, Chelsea

Had he not read my text?

Me: No. And if you push this, I'm quitting.

Shawn: it's unfair for you to bring your job into this

Me: I'm not kidding. IT NEVER HAPPENED.

All caps. Surely he'd take me seriously now.

I climbed out of the soft cocoon of the bed to take a shower. After that, I dug through my closet for a pair of yellow skinny capris. I put on a white v-neck t-shirt and some white Keds and went back into my bathroom. I was relieved to see that my eyes weren't too puffy from crying last night. I applied a little make-up and put my hair in a ponytail.

When I got downstairs, I was greeted by several people who were up drinking coffee. I'd made sure there were fruit and muffins available, and it appeared that my housemates had eaten. After practically chugging a huge mug of coffee, I sat down at the counter (after remembering to wipe it off) and did some meal planning. I made a grocery list, with plans to go shopping after lunch.

I realized it was after noon and opened the fridge to survey what I could cook. I decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Instead of American slices, I used drunken goat cheese, and I was adding a layer of olive tapenade for extra flavor and texture. I decided to make some canned gourmet-brand tomato soup, too, though I suspected Shawn wouldn't eat that.

Shawn. I hadn't seen him yet. Perhaps he was avoiding me.

Teddy joined me behind the counter and snuck a piece of cheese.

"Have the guys left yet?" I asked, referring to Geoff, Zach, and Andrew.

She nodded. "They had early flights. Ziggy arrives before dinner."

I put back several slices of bread since we were a reduced group.

Teddy helped by stirring the soup as I grilled the sandwiches on a large griddle. When everything was done, I asked her if she'd gather the group together.

I cut the sandwiches on the diagonal and put them on a platter which I placed in the center of the table. Next I started ladling soup into the bowls. As I was doing that, I heard a drawer behind me open and shut. I looked over and saw Shawn standing there in gray sweats and a faded blue t-shirt, holding a bunch of silverware. Our eyes met and things immediately felt awkward.

"I thought I'd set the table," he mumbled before going to the dining room to do that.

I brought bowls of soup in as everyone took their seats.

"Would you like tomato soup?" I asked Shawn.

"No, thank you," he replied without looking at me.

Instead of joining the group, I stood in the kitchen eating a sandwich. I then grabbed my purse and grocery list and hurried out without saying goodbye. I knew they'd clear the table. Most likely someone would do the dishes, too.

As I walked through Ralph's, filling the cart with fresh ingredients, I got several texts from Paige. Apparently Ben had stopped bugging Shawn and was now harassing her. He'd figured out she was who'd told me and was mad.

I responded that I was sorry she was taking the heat but that I really didn't want to talk about Ben again. It hardly seemed possible that everything had gone down with him just yesterday. It certainly wasn't what my mind was focused on. Shawn took the center spotlight right now.

Once I'd checked out, using the credit card Andrew had issued me months ago to make things simpler, I got into my rental car and drove back to The Woodshed.

I'd opted to make a complicated dinner tonight so that I was forced to remain in the kitchen. My hope was that this would limit my interaction with Shawn.

I was making a white spinach lasagna. It was a lot of cheese after a cheese-heavy lunch but I needed the comfort-food aspect of it. If I had a pasta maker, I'd have made the sheets of pasta from scratch. Instead I had to make due with the fresh type sold in the refrigerated section of the store.

No one was around which led me to believe they were in the studio. That was good. I chose a playlist off my phone and listened to music as I cooked. I was also making my favorite triple chocolate brownies recipe for dessert, so I started on those as soon as I had the lasagna assembled. As I spread the thick rich batter into the greased pan, I thought of how Shawn would love to lick the bowl. Instead of putting it in the sink, I put it in the fridge. I'd tell him it was in there later.

As the brownies baked, I washed lettuce for a salad and started prepping the veggies to go in it.

"You must be Chelsea," an unfamiliar voice said, interrupting me from my thoughts and chopping.

I looked up at the new face. "I'm Ziggy."

He had a warm smile.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. I think everyone is in the studio. Dinner is at 7:30 tonight."

"The kitchen smells wonderful," he told me, "so I know it's going to be good."

He then went upstairs with his bag. A few minutes later he came back down and went to find the others.

I'd just taken the brownies from the oven and was sitting at the counter looking at pot pie recipes when I heard a cough behind me. I looked up as Shawn took a seat on the stool next to me.

"Why didn't you eat lunch with us today?" he asked.

"It's not what you think," I fibbed. "I ate fast so I could get to the grocery store."

"I'm sorry..." he started.

I held a hand up. "Stop. It's fine. We were drunk and both down about our exes. I wasn't kidding when I said I'd quit if you pushed me to talk."

Then I got up and retrieved the brownie mixing bowl from the fridge. I set it in front of him. "It's yours to lick."

I went up to my room where I stayed until it was time to put the lasagna in the oven. While it baked, I went back to my room, despite being invited out on the patio for drinks.

As I lounged on my bed, I got several texts.

Shawn: hiding in your room isn't pretending like nothing happened

Shawn: either talk to me or do as you suggested and act like you used to

He had a point.

I put on my big girl pants and went down to the patio after grabbing a glass of wine. I socialized and even talked to Shawn about the new song he was eager to play tonight after dinner. We both acted like nothing had changed, though I wondered if my eyes had the same slight wistfulness his had when we looked at each other.

Recipes:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/11/food-lab-creamy-cheesy-ultimate-spinach-lasagna-recipe.html

http://www.chewoutloud.com/2012/11/02/chewy-triple-chocolate-brownies-goodbye-box/