Page 52 of Love is Grand
“Yes, it’s me.” Who the fuck else would it be, I thought, but I didn’t ask the second part.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“No.”
“What happened?” I could hear the panic in her voice. Shell was made to nurture.
“Nothing. I want to see you, that’s all. I’ve been here two days and have barely seen you.”
“Oh. I’m making some syrups. Experimenting.”
“Where?”
“My kitchen.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Cal—”
I hung up before she could argue.
I texted Jack, who was still driving me because I was trying to lease an Audi. I was allowed to drive for six months in the Caymans with my license from the States, but after that, I’d have to take a test. In the meantime, the dealership didn’t want to lease me the car.
Arriving at Shell’s, I told Jack to go about his day. I was going to be a while.
Knocking on the door, I was greeted by Shell in an apron, her hair in a bun on top of her head. I wanted to let her hair down and have my way with her right there, but I didn’t.
She gave me a smile. “Hi.”
“Hi, you,” I said as I crossed the threshold. I didn’t wait before gathering her close for a kiss. “You taste like coconut.”
She licked her lips, and I decided to apply for that job.
“I’m working on a coconut syrup right now. It’s why I’ve been picking up doubles at Camila’s. So I can do this.” When I opened my mouth to speak, she held a hand in the air. “Not now with the quitting.”
I decided it was in my best interest not to argue. “Let me taste,” I said instead.
She led me to the kitchen. It was a wreck, bowls and ingredients everywhere. “I got carried away with tweaking a cinnamon-vanilla variety first,” she said with a shrug.
I tried to imagine if my place had ever looked like this, and decided it hadn’t.
“That’s why they invented cleaning up,” Shell said before spooning some syrup from a dish and bringing the spoon to my mouth.
I hardened in certain places while softened in others, like my heart.
My mouth opened, and Shell dropped a small amount of the syrup on my tongue. A moan came unbidden. “I don’t have a sweet tooth, but that is some amazing shit.”
A smile formed on Shell’s face, and I noticed she was wearing the necklace under the apron. I stepped closer and sneaked another lick off the spoon before taking it from her and setting it on the counter.
“I like this,” I said, tucking my index finger under the seashell-lined chain.
“I don’t have anywhere nice enough to wear it, so I put it on to cook.” A small laugh escaped her, and I kissed it away.
“You can wear it tonight. To dinner.” I ran my lips over her cheek and back to her mouth.
“Cal, wait,” she mumbled, and I stepped back.
“I ... I ... I’m confused. You’re hot, then cold, then hot again. Me, I’m hot all the time for you. I shouldn’t admit that, but I am. I don’t know what to think.”