‘Damn, blast.’ Guy shouted, flustered. Why the heck had he uttered those words ‘I’ll cook for you, Nell.’
The last hour had been a complete disaster for Guy. He’d decided to prepare the meal for Nell in Ed’s kitchen, instead of the annexe, for two reasons; one it was bigger, and two he could chat away to Ed at the same time. As plans went it wasn’t the best one he’d ever come up with. He hadn’t spoken two words to Ed in the last half an hour who was lying on the settee listening to the slamming of cupboard doors and the banging of pans coming from the kitchen. Even Sam had vacated the kitchen and was now curled up on the floor in front of the fire.
‘Ouch, that’s hot. Oh God.’ Guy felt his cheeks flush. The kitchen had gone from an average temperature of seventeen degrees to boiling as Guy threw open the kitchen window and was thankful for the blast of cool air. Smoke from the sizzling venison had activated the smoke alarm and Sam had begun to howl at the high-pitched din.
‘What the hell are you doing in there, mate?’ Ed asked, from the comfort of his settee as he reached for a biscuit from the plate on the coffee table.
‘Just teething problems,’ Guy answered frowning and wiping his brow with a tea towel while trying to follow the recipe on YouTube. How do they make it look so easy? They aren’t sweating cobs or swiping tea towels at the smoke detector. They look cool, calm and collected, unlike Guy who’d just caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He was losing the will to live.
He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. The woman, who was called Gloria, cracked open two eggs and dropped them into the mixing bowl. Guy mirrored her actions only to witness half the broken eggshell sliding into his bowl. Damn again. As he was trying to scrape the shell from the bowl without any success, Gloria was already measuring out the flour.
‘Slow down, you are going too fast,’ he bellowed at her, but she just smiled back at him. ‘And your smile is beginning to get on my nerves.’
‘Who are you talking to?’ Ed shouted towards the kitchen, but there was no answer.
Guy decided to leave the shell. What’s a bit of eggshell between friends? ‘No harm done,’ he muttered to himself. He followed the next instruction, only to find when he tore open the bag of flour it mushroomed out into a huge snowstorm in front of his face, split all the way to the bottom and spilt out on to the table.
‘Right that’s it, I’ve had enough,’ he cried, switching off his iPad and cringing at his pathetic attempt to make venison pie. He made a mental note never to offer to cook for anyone again. He wasn’t cut for out for this.
There was a slam of the fridge door and Guy marched into the living room muttering. His face was flushed and his t-shirt covered in flour. He raked a hand through his hair and took a huge gulp of his beer.
Ed tried to hide his smile by avoiding his glare.
‘You don’t have to go to all this trouble for my sake. A simple omelette or a pizza would have done.’ Ed looked up at his brother, ‘Actually, anything is welcome after that hospital food. I never want to see another creamed potato as long as I live,’ he chuckled to himself.
Guy sighed, ‘It wasn’t for you. I can still make you an omelette,’ Guy stopped in his tracks, ‘Oh actually, I can’t. I’ve just used the last of the eggs.’
Ed had never seen his brother looking so stressed before. ‘Joking apart, I’d help you out but, you know, I’m convalescing.’
Before Guy could say anything there was a knock on the annexe door.
‘What’s the time?’ Guy asked, quickly checking his phone.
‘Just before seven.’
Guy groaned, ‘That’ll be Nell and look at the state of me.’
Ed’s eyes narrowed at Guy, ‘You aren’t by any chance trying to impress the lovely Nell, are you?’
Guy felt Ed eyeing him with uncertainty. ‘You do know Nell is not only lovely but really lovely and has been through a very difficult time. Look, all I’m saying is …’ There was another knock on the door. ‘Tread carefully. Does she know why you are here?’
Guy shook his head, ‘She knows half the reason. I’m here to look after you.’
‘You need to be straight with her, she’s worth her weight in gold that one.’ Ed’s tone was firm, ‘Go and answer the door. Don’t leave the poor lass waiting on the step.’
Guy didn’t need to be told twice, but panic hit him as he hurried to open it. Ed was right, he needed to be straight with Nell about why he was really here, and sooner rather than later. He should have been straight with her from the start and felt bad about lying to her but if he told her the truth now he wasn’t sure if it would ruin everything.
Guy took a deep breath and swung open the door, ‘Hi.’
Nell’s face broke into a grin, ‘Hi yourself,’ she eyed him up and down, ‘You appear to be covered in …’
‘Flour, don’t ask.’
‘Okay! I won’t!’ she answered holding a bottle of wine up in front of him, ‘I thought if you were cooking then it was only polite to bring the wine. What are we having?’ laughed Nell nervously.
‘It’s a surprise,’ he said, opening the door, and it really was. He had no idea what he was going to feed her now. Nell slid past him and hung her coat on the hook in the hallway
‘Ed’s through there. Go through, he’d love to see you. I’m just going to clean myself up.’
Nell walked into the living room. Sam lifted his head and thumped his tail on the floor. ‘Am I not worth getting up for, Sam?’ Nell joked, ‘And hello to you, Ed, how are you?’ she settled in the armchair after placing the bottle of wine on the coffee table.
‘I mustn’t grumble, they treated me well in hospital but I have to admit I like my home comforts.’
‘I can imagine.’
‘And how are you? What have I missed?’ asked Ed.
‘All good here. It’s been fairly quiet,’ Nell answered, wondering where to start, ‘I was knocked over by a red setter and met a man called Guy whose dog decided to swim across the marina to a narrowboat on the other side. Then there was the rescue of Sam, followed by the Old Picture House going up for sale, the deli has been nominated for Deli of the Year, Sam decided to swim back out to the same boat and rescue a man who’d collapsed, then we’ve had the judge from hell and …
‘Whoah! Stop there! It’s been a quiet time, then?’ Ed laughed, ‘I’d best not go away again!’
‘You best not! Oh,’ Nell took a breath, ‘Has Guy mentioned to you that I’m thinking about bidding in the auction for the Old Picture House?’
‘He did, very exciting stuff. It would be great to see that place thriving again.’
Nell bent down and whipped out some rolled-up papers from her bag, ‘I’ve been busy! My head is so full of all these ideas I can barely sleep. Look I’ve even drawn up some plans – well, as plans go with my lack of talent for drawing.’ She laid them out on the table.
‘Let me get you a drink and I’ll have a look over them. I don’t know where that brother of mine has disappeared to.’
‘Don’t you dare move. I’ll get us one.’ Nell stood up. ‘Peruse all you want,’ she nodded towards the plans.
‘Kitchen’s through there. There’s beer and wine in the fridge. Beer for me, please.’
Nell patted Ed’s sleeve as she passed and then stood opened mouthed in the kitchen doorway. Her eyes followed the devastation around the room.
‘Goodness me,’ gasped Nell.
‘What’s the matter?’ Ed swung his head towards her.
‘Ed, I don’t know how to tell you this,’ Nell swallowed, ‘But are you aware there seems to have been some sort of nuclear explosion in your kitchen?’
‘I daren’t look,’ Ed rolled his eyes.
‘Whatever the hell’s happened?’
‘From what I can gather, a woman called Gloria, a YouTube recipe and my brother’s failed attempt at cooking venison pie from scratch,’ Ed chuckled from the settee.
Nell gave a small laugh, ‘Please tell me this wasn’t all for my benefit?’
‘I’m saying nothing!’
‘Oh God!’
Quickly, she handed Ed a beer. He was looking over the drawings that Nell had brought and she busied herself tidying up in the kitchen, wiping down the worktops and loading the dishwasher.
Guy appeared in the next five minutes, ‘What are you doing?’
Nell spun round to see him standing in the doorway, every nerve in her body tingled as she flicked her eyes over his toned body. Nell wanted to run her hands over the contours of his strong arms, the desire almost too much to bear. He was showered and not a speck of flour in sight.
‘Apparently, cleaning up after your liaison with some woman called Gloria,’ grinned Nell, throwing the dishcloth into the sink and picking up her wine glass.
Guy shook his head, ‘Not one of my finest moments, but hopefully I can redeem myself,’ his eyes sparkled.
‘Hopefully you can,’ Nell teased, feeling a rush of warmth towards him. ‘Was all this for my benefit?’
‘Hmm, I’m saying nothing. Come on, let’s go next door to the annexe,’ He said touching her arm gently. Nell felt her pulse quicken as she felt a sudden intense heat radiating from his touch. She wondered if he felt that too.
‘What about Ed?’
‘Don’t mind me,’ Ed said, overhearing the conversation. ‘I’ve got the remote control, and a take-away menu.’
‘Are you sure?’ Nell asked, ‘I don’t like leaving you on your own.’
Everyone was startled by Sam’s sudden bark, ‘See, I’m not on my own. Sam can stay with me,’ Ed laughed, ‘I’ll shout if I need anything.’
Guy and Nell disappeared towards the annexe, ‘Just one question, Guy?’
‘Anything.’
‘What are we having for tea?’
‘Guy Cornish’s signature dish!’