Page 66 of Cruel King
She looks around the table for a long moment before turning her head to look at me. “There’s no knife to cut with and where’s the butter?”
Leaning over, I lift the loaf up and tear off a piece. “No need for a knife. Just rip off as much as you want. As for butter, the French don’t use it like we do for bread.”
Ava sighs but gives me a smile before she breaks off a chunk of the loaf. “Oh. Okay. Well, great bread doesn’t really need butter anyway.”
I sense she’s disappointed, so I quickly stand up. “I’ll get it. We don’t have to act like this is an actual meal in France.”
“No, that’s not necessary, Theo. I’m good. Really,” Ava protests, so I stop halfway to the refrigerator and sit back down across from her at the table.
“Good, because there’s nothing as bad as cold butter ripping through a piece of bread. I’ve never understood why we keep it in the refrigerator here. Everywhere else I’ve gone it’s left out so it doesn’t shred whatever you put it on.”
We eat in silence for a few minutes before it’s time for the main dish. It was fully cooked by a French restaurant next to the bakery I found, so all Eleanor had to do was keep it warm for the past few hours.
“Ready for the entrée?” I ask Ava as I walk over to the oven. “You’re going to love this! I know it.”
“You went to so much trouble for this, Theo. It’s so nice. Thank you.”
Looking back at her at the table, I shake my head. “No trouble. I just wanted you to experience what I got to enjoy at that inn. You should have seen it, Ava. The water was so blue, and you could see it from the balcony of the room we were in.”
As soon as I finish speaking, I realize I said the roomwewere in. Not exactly great since I’m trying to use this meal to seduce Ava.
She doesn’t say a word, but I know she heard it, so after I take the dish out of the oven and bring it to the table, I quietly say, “I think you’re really going to love this.”
With a smile, she looks up at me. “You don’t have to worry, Theo. I don’t think for a second you were alone for the past five years. It’s okay that you got to have all of this with someone else.”
“I just didn’t want you to think…”
Jesus, I’m fucking this up royally. She hates the salmon, and now I’ve mentioned enjoying this same exact meal with another woman at a cute little French inn. Smooth Theo. Real smooth.
She reaches across the table and gently squeezes my hand. “It’s okay, Theo. You’re allowed to have a past. I have one. Everyone does.”
I smile, thankful she’s so sweet, but she has no idea about my past or how many women I’ve been with in my life. That’s all over now, though. I’ve done enough playing around with other women. I want to settle down with the only one who’s ever meant a thing to me.
Eager to change the subject, I point at the bowl of Rougail Saucisse. “I can’t wait for you to taste this. It’s a little spicy because it’s more creole than traditional French food, but it’s so tasty.”
After scooping out hers and mine, I wait to see what she thinks. I watch as she takes a forkful into her mouth.
“Oh, that’s delicious!”
“Not too spicy?”
Ava shakes her head and takes another bite. “No. I can taste the garlic and onions, but there are a lot of spices too that I can’t place just yet. It’s so good, Theo. Thank you for this.”
I take a bite of my meal and revel in the taste as the flavors hit my tongue. “I was a little worried because sometimes they put a lot of cayenne pepper in this dish, but that restaurant seems to have gone easy on it. I’m so glad you like this.”
She nods and takes another bite. “I love the rice too. Mmmm…so good.”
For the next hour, we enjoy this incredible meal and our wine, and I’m sure everything is back on track. Tonight’s going to be the night Ava and I finally sleep together. After all my playing the field around the world, I’ve come home to the person I’ve loved for years.
And then as if fate has something against me, Ava breaks into hives. I see them appear before she notices anything, and my heart sinks. Is she allergic to something in the Rougail Saucisse?
“It feels really hot in here tonight, don’t you think?” she asks before fanning her face.
“It’s okay. We can go for a walk, if you like. It’s a beautiful night out.”
If I can just get her outside, maybe she’ll feel better and we can spend the rest of the night together like I planned. A little fresh air will do us good.
But when Ava stands to leave, I know it’s not going to happen. “Just let me freshen up a little. Then we can go.”