The Love Album Series: Ride -BWWM- (SLOW UPDATES)

22

-Is This Love by Bob Marley & The Wailers-

Mark was in love with Denise.

He skipped like and went all the way to love.

Mark couldn't sleep most of the night because he couldn't get it off of his mind. What if he was over analyzing?

He's been on the road with Denise for a couple of months now. Maybe being around a woman for so long was getting to his head. Then again, Denise wasn't just any woman.

Despite not having amorous physical interaction, their vulnerable talks were just as intimate, if not more. They didn't just talk about their feelings, but life experiences, regrets, mistakes, and the lessons they learned.

How they wanted to get better.

Falling in love with her didn't seem so far-fetched, giving their situation but, man, did it some so . . . cliche.

After tossing and turning all night, Mark managed to talk himself out of his feelings and fall asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, he was met with the smell of bacon and music coming from downstairs.

With sleep still in his eyes, Mark went downstairs to the kitchen, where Denise was making pancakes and slow-jamming to Elvis' Can't Help Falling in Love. In a oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts, she moved her hips to the love ballad.

Mark found himself leaning in the doorway with a wide grin on his face. Talking himself out of his feelings instantly failed as he thought, "I could wake up to this forever."

It wasn't until Denise noticed Mark that he let out a fake yawn as if he hadn't been watching her for the last minute.

"Hey, you're awake!" she greeted him with a bright smile. Not at all embarrassed that he probably witnessed her dancing.

"And you're cooking," Mark came into the kitchen, slightly surprised.

When they camped out, he mostly did the cooking.

"Yeah, I woke up early and went to the store to get a few things. I was in the mood for some pancakes."

Mark cocked an eyebrow, eyeing her pancakes wearily. They were browner than usual hotcakes and had dark, crisp edges.

"So you obviously did not grow up eating the best pancakes in the world," said Denise as she placed a finished pancake on a plate.

"Teach me your ways," Mark whipped his hair out of his face as he sat on the counter.

"Okay, so, I've had a lot of nannies over the years. Most ended up leaving after seeing how crappy my parents were."

Mark squints, "wouldn't that make them want to stay?"

"I mean, I guess, but how long can you stick around something that you can't change?"

"Good point. Continue."

"So, my favorite nanny was Eleanor. She was with us for about three years until I was almost twelve. She taught me how to cook. The first thing she taught me was how to make pancakes, and even more so, how to make them better."

After pouring some vegetable oil into the pan, Denise puts in some pancake batter.

"You put cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter, and," she flips it over, "and the olive oil gives you the crunchy edge, unlike butter. Really it's the edges that make it so good. I don't trust pancakes without crispy edges."