CHAPTER SEVENTY–FIVE–The Moment of Truth
“So you’re the guy who’s been keeping our Laura out at all hours,” Jessie teased, ushering him in.
Justin laughed. “Guilty as charged. I hope you don’t mind me crashing your game night.”
“Are you kidding? The more, the merrier,” Jessie grinned. “Plus, now we have even teams for Catan.”
As the night progressed, fueled by homemade cocktails and friendly competition, Laura felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the alcohol. Watching Justin and Jessie banter over trade negotiations in the game, she realized how seamlessly he fit into her life.
During a lull in the game, Justin excused himself to take a call. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jessie turned to Laura with a grin and a thumbs up.
“He’s great, Laura,” Jessie whispered. “I totally approve.”
Laura felt a flush of pleasure at her roommate’s approval. “I’m glad you like him. He’s… he’s really special.”
When Justin returned, they resumed their game, the apartment filled with laughter and good–natured trash talk. As the night wound down and Justin prepared to leave, he pulled Laura in for a goodnight kiss.
“This was fun,” he murmured. “Your friends are great.”
Laura smiled up at him. “I’m glad you had a good time. We should do this again soon.”
After justin left, Jessie cornered Laura in the kitchen. “Okay, spill. How serious is this?
Laura bit her lip, considering. “L… I think it could be something real, Jess. He makes me happy.”
Jessie squeezed her arm. “I’m happy for you, Laura. You deserve this.”
The next day at work, Laura was putting the finishing touches on a presentation for an important client when Ryan Callis approached her desk.
“Hey, Laura,” he greeted her with a smile. “How’s that presentation coming along?”
Laura looked up, feeling a familiar flutter in her stomach that she immediately tried to squash. take a look?”
Ryan. It’s almost done. Want to
Ryan leaned over her shoulder to view her screen, his cologne wafting over her. “This looks great. The client’s going to love it.”
As they discussed a few minor tweaks, Laura found herself hyper–aware of Ryan’s proximity. She felt a twinge of guilt, remembering
Justin’s warm smile and kind eyes.
“Thanks for your input,” Laura said, leaning back slightly. “I’ll make those changes and send it over to you for final approval.”
Ryan straightened up, still smiling. “Sounds good. You’re doing great work, Laura. Keep it up.”
As Ryan walked away, Laura couldn’t help but watch him go. A movement caught her eye, and she turned to see Kira glaring at her from across the office, her eyes
filled with unmistakable venoni..
Laura quickly averted her gaze, focusing back on her computer screen. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the conflicting emotions swirling within her. She had Justin now, she reminded herself. Things were good. Simple. Uncomplicated.
The doorbell chimed, and Laura hurried to answer it, a smile already tugging at her lips. She swung the door open to reveal Justin, his arms laden with grocery bags.
“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Ready to conquer the culinary world?”
Laura laughed, taking a bag from him. “Always. Though I’m not sure the culinary world is ready for us.”
As they made their way to the kitchen, Jessie poked her head out of her room. “Is that dinner I smell? Oh wait, you two haven’t even
started yet.”
Justin grinned. “You’re welcome to join us, Jessie. We’re attempting paella tonight.”
“Attempting being the key word,” Laura added, unpacking the groceries.
Jessie wandered into the kitchen, eyeing the spread of ingredients. “Paella, huh? Ambitious. Mind if I supervise? Someone needs to be ready with the fire extinguisher.‘
H
The kitchen soon filled with the sounds of chopping, sizzling, and laughter as the three of them worked on the dish. Justin was in charge of the rice, while Laura prepared the seafood. Jessie, true to her word, supervised from a safe distance, wine glass in hand.
“Okay, I think it’s time to add the shrimp,” Laura said, peering into the large pan.
Justin nodded, carefully stirring the rice. “Go for it. This is actually starting to smell amazing.”
As Laura leaned in to add the shrimp, her hand bumped Justin’s, causing him to jerk the spoon. A splash of saffron–infused broth flew up, speckling Laura’s check with yellow droplets.
“Oh, sorry!” Justin exclaimed, reaching for a towel. But before he could wipe it off, a mischievous glint appeared in Laura’s eyes.
“Oh, it’s on,” she grinned, grabbing a handful of uncooked rice and tossing it at Justin.
He gasped in mock outrage. “You did not just start a food fight in your own kitchen!”
Jessie whooped from her perch on the counter. “Oh, she definitely did! Get him, Laura!”
What started as a cooking session quickly devolved into chaos. Rice flew through the air, tomatoes rolled across the floor, and even a few shrimp made their way into the tray. Jessie, unable to resist, joined in, armed with a bag of frozen peas
“Take that, lovebirds!” she cried, pelting them both with the tiny green projectiles.
By the time the “battle” ended, the kitchen looked like a war zone. All three of them were breathless with laughter, covered in various ingredients
“Well,” Justin chuckled, plucking a piece of bell pepper from his hair, “I think it’s safe to say our paella is ruined.”
Laura surveyed the mess, still giggling “Probably. But this was way more fun.”
Jessie hopped down from the counter, careful not to slip on a smear of tomato. “I vote for pizza. And maybe we should clean up before the rice cements itself to the floor.”
As they worked together to restore the kitchen to its former glory, Laura couldn’t help but feel a warm glow of contentment. This, she thought, was what happiness telt like.
