Sharing Annabelle

Chapter Seven - Nico

Part 7

Nico

When it was just Jesse and me here, I did the bulk of the cooking. Mostly because I like to control what I eat. Being a personal trainer, eating right is part of the requirement for my job. But, also, I've never been a fan of high-calorie foods.

Call me crazy, but cake and ice cream do nothing for me.

However, since Anna moved in, she and Jesse have taken to cooking for themselves nightly. And, out of politeness, they always make me a plate.

Anna likes thick sauces and cheese. Jesse likes red meat.

Things I try to stay away from on a regular basis.

But, out of politeness, I thank them and eat whatever they make.

Tonight, when I get home, I find that the both of them are out and it'll be up to me to cook tonight. I almost cheer in relief.

I retrieve the shrimp from the freezer and a variety of greens and produce. I'm a pretty functional cook. Nothing too fancy. But the familiar smells of grilled seafood and steaming vegetables fills the kitchen and, to me, it's thoroughly comforting.

I'm so lost in thought pushing things around in the big pan that I don't hear Anna come in.

"Smells healthy," she says. I can't tell if she's being snarky or not.

"There's teriyaki sauce you can add to yours if you want," I tell her. "Or... cheese or something if it's too green for you."

Annabelle cocks an eyebrow.

"I wasn't trying to be snotty, Nico. I was actually excited to eat something green for once," she says.

"Oh."

Annabelle watches me for a minute. Almost like she's never seen someone sauté before.

"Can I help?" she asks.

I shake my head. "I got it."
I expect her to go watch TV in the living room or something, but she takes a seat at the kitchen table.

"I guess I'll keep you company then," she announces.

I shrug. She can suit herself.

I toss some chopped garlic and ginger into the pan and the smell is pungent. She wrinkles her nose.

"Too much?" I ask.

"No. I meant what I said earlier. I'm looking forward to finally eating something healthy," she says. "I need to start doing that more often, as you can see."

I'm almost too wrapped up in what I'm doing to catch the last part of that sentence.

"What?"

She looks up from her phone.

"What did you just say?" I wonder.

"Nothing."

"No. You said something about my seeing that you need to eat better."

She puts a hand on her stomach.

"Nico, I've put on so much weight since Jesse and I got together," she says.

"Huh."

She hasn't. Or, at least, not that I can see. But I'm starting to put two and two together. I think Annabelle is dealing with some kind of body image issue. The would explain the sudden interest in the gym. And the fact that she's wearing a bulky sweatshirt even though it's warm in here.