Chapter 188: Creamy, Sweet, and Salty
** Eli **
Having thus decided on a schedule, Eli spent the next day and a half preparing for their next date. Or their first checkbox-ticking activity.
To be honest, he wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about Harper not remembering most of her list-sharing-while-drunk. On one hand, he was a little disappointed that she wouldn’t know how much she had touched him with those simple words, or how much trouble he had falling asleep that night because of it. But on the other hand, he was glad that he got the opportunity to surprise her with secret knowledge of her to-do list ... which was exactly what he was doing right now.
He checked all the arrangements carefully one last time, just before the knock came on his door.
"Hey. I came with an empty stomach as you requested." Harper chirped merrily from the doorway before she even stepped in, peeking behind him into the dining room. "Is there a surprise dinner plan tonight?"
Eli grinned. He liked seeing her like this, curious and energetic, fully recovered from the awkwardness yesterday that didn’t suit her at all. "Yep, there is." He nudged the eager girl toward the kitchen. "And you’ll be part of its making."
It took her no time to figure out his plan, laid out in an orderly assembly on the counter — sliced portobello mushrooms, minced shallots and garlic, fresh thyme and parsley ... "No way!" she gasped in delight. "I told you that I wanted to learn cooking?"
"You did." Eli left out the part where she leaked her own "surprise" plan to him though. "And you seemed to like the risotto from last time a lot, so I thought it’s a good option to get started with. It might take a little while, but the dish isn’t otherwise demanding on the skills. All you need is some patience."
Harper looked up at him with a spark in her eyes. "Well well, I think I’ve proven by now that I’m a good student when it comes to picking up new skills, haven’t I?" She rubbed her palms together in a "challenge accepted" declaration.
Eli chuckled, delighted by her enthusiasm. "Quick learner, yes," he agreed. "Patience, on the other hand ... Hint hint, maybe this is also an opportunity for you to learn how to improve on that, too."
Her glare of feigned offense was precisely what he wanted to see. Eli chuckled again, and he reached for the aprons, getting them started on the brand new type of lessons.
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