Chapter 812 Chef Jeff
A relentless thrumming bass line vibrated through Mia's skull, pulling her from the depths of sleep with a groan. Blinking away the last cobwebs of slumber, she focused on the swirling patterns of sunlight on her bedroom ceiling.
The music, thundering from somewhere below, vibrated through the floorboards. Why was it so loud like she was at a club? She mused.
Confused, Mia sat up, hair a tangled mess around her face. Her gaze shot to the source of the music – a portable speaker perched precariously on her desk, flashing like a miniature strobe light.
A movement at the foot of her bed caught her eye and panic flared in her chest, replaced by a surge of cold air as she finally took in the figure sprawled on the floor beside her bed.
Jeff.
There, sprawled across the floor, lay Jeff. His hair was a tousled mess, his face peaceful in slumber, and a faint snore escaped his lips.
Confusion washed over Mia. What was Jeff doing on the floor of her room? She mused.
She shut her eyes tightly when the details of the night before came back to her.
She pressed her lips together and wished the earth would open up and swallow her as she recalled showing Jeff the scars on her back and how he had touched them and she had almost kissed him when he told her that she was beautiful.
After Jeff's declaration, she had wanted to kiss him, but instead had quickly walked away from him, saying she was exhausted and needed to go to bed, so how did he end up in her bedroom? She mused.
While Mia was still seated on her bed willing the ground to open up and swallow her cause she couldn't bear to look Jeff in the face, Jeff stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
He blinked at her when he saw the way she was seated on her bed with eyes shut tightly and lips pressed together, his face creased in confusion. "Mia?" he mumbled, his voice husky with sleep.
Mia's heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice and her eyes flew open as she met his gaze.
"Hey! Good morning," she greeted, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "Enjoying the floor?"
Jeff chuckled as he sat up, stretching his arms above his head. "Yeah. Good morning," he said rubbing his eyes.
"What are you doing here? And why is the music so loud?" She asked and Jeff met her gaze.
"I guess you don't remember," Jeff said as he rose to turn off the speaker.
"Remember what?" She asked, and Jeff pointed to the bottle of empty whiskey on her bedside.
Immediately she saw the bottle, she winced when she realized that she had been drinking as she usually did at night before going to bed.
She could remember him knocking on her door and asking if he could come in, and she asked him in, but that was as much as she could remember. She really hoped she had not made any blunders.
Seeing that she didn't seem to remember it all, Jeff decided to explain, "I brought the speaker because you said noise and music helps you drown out your fears. I told you I was bringing the club to you since you couldn't go out to the club," he said and she frowned.
"You did? What did I say when you said that?" She asked, twisting her hair around her finger awkwardly.
Jeff chuckled, "You chose to connect your phone to the speaker and be the 'dj of this club' in your own words," he said and she winced.
A memory surfaced - her drunken giggle, the way she had asked him to dance with her. Shame mingled with amusement. "I did, huh?" She asked, looking away from him.
"Yup," he said, his grin widening as he realized she was slowly getting back her memory. "And then you proceeded to tell me all about your childhood fear of clowns."
Mia groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Please tell me I didn't."
"Unfortunately, you did," he confirmed, his voice teasing.
"Anything else I need to know before I take my life?" She asked, and he chuckled.
"Nah. You were pretty much well behaved until you slept off," he said and then she sighed as she looked at him with a serious expression.
"So, why did you sleep on the floor? I mean, you could have left after I slept off," She said, and he held her gaze.
"I didn't want you to be alone now that I know why you always go out at night," he said and she looked away.
The warmth in his voice sent a flutter through her stomach. "You didn't have to stay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I thought you said you weren't going to push me away anymore?" He asked and her gaze shifted back to him.
"I'm not pushing you away. I'm just saying you didn't have to," she said quietly.
"I wanted to stay here and watch over you because I care about you," Jeff confessed, his gaze locking with hers.
His words hung in the air, charged with unspoken meaning. Mia felt her cheeks flush as heat spread through her. Why was he always so comfortable with throwing the word 'care' around so easily?
The awkward silence stretched between them, filled only by the sounds coming from outside. Then, Mia broke into a laugh.
"This is weird, isn't it?"
Jeff couldn't help but smile, "Is it?"
"Yeah. A little," she admitted, her voice lighter now. "But maybe not in a bad way."
"I guess not, cause I don't feel weird at all," he said and then looked at her for a moment, "You don't seem hungover."
"Nah. I'm good. Apart from my poor memory, I usually don't suffer hangovers," she said and he nodded.
"Coffee?"
Mia nodded, "Yes, please. And thanks," she said, making him cock a brow.
"What for?" Jeff asked and she shrugged.
"For last night," she said, leaving Jeff to wonder if she was talking about their conversation or their private party.
"You're welcome. Why don't you freshen up while I fix us something for breakfast?" Jeff offered, and she nodded.
As Jeff headed for the door, she stopped him, "Jeff?"
"Yeah?"
"Is your cooking lesson offer still standing?" She asked and Jeff grinned.
"Sure. Whenever you are ready," he said before walking away.
Once he left, Mia sighed as she looked at the door with a little smile playing on her lips.
She was glad that he did not bring up anything about their discussion or the scars. And thanks to his humor, he had made an ordinarily awkward situation less awkward for her.
She was glad that she had accepted his offer of friendship. If she was going to hang around here as she planned to, she was going to need the friendship, Mia thought as she rose to go freshen up.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee lured Mia out of the bathroom, and she stumbled into the kitchen, hair damp and face scrubbed, dressed in an oversized tshirt and shorts.
She found Jeff standing by the counter taking out all he needed to fix breakfast, and instead of saying anything she stood back and took a moment to look him over.
She smiled as she took in his new appearance once again. Not bad looking at all. Maybe now he would be able to get a girlfriend if he put his mind to it, Mia mused.
As though he could sense her presence, Jeff turned to look at her with a grin.
"Are you ready for your first lesson?" he asked, his voice warm and teasing.
"So soon?" Mia asked as she grabbed a mug and poured herself a generous dose of caffeine.
"No better time to start than now. But if you're not ready, we can do so some other time," Jeff said and Mia sighed.
"Let's start now. What are you preparing today?" She asked as she set aside the mug.
"Scrambled eggs and toast are the simplest things in the world. Today, you will be a master of the basics," he said as he gestured to a bowl.
"Now, crack those eggs into the bowl. Careful not to get shell in," he ordered pointing to the eggs.
Mia hesitantly cracked the eggs, flinching as a bit of yolk dripped onto her hand. Jeff laughed as he grabbed her hand and wiped it clean with a damp cloth.
"See, easy," he said, his touch sending a jolt through her. "Now, whisk them together, like you did the last time," he said as he handed her the whisk.
Although she had done it just two days ago, now she didn't seem to remember what she was doing as she clumsily whisked it.
Jeff chuckled as he held her hand and showed her how to whisk it, "Do it like you're conducting an orchestra," he said, guiding her hand gently.
"Slow and steady. Imagine you're creating fluffy clouds," he murmured, his voice close to her ear.
His warmth sent a blush creeping up her neck, and Mia tried to focus on the eggs and not on the closeness, "I think I get it now," she said when she couldn't bear it anymore, and Jeff stepped aside to let her continue.
Mia focused her attention on the eggs under Jeff'a watchful gaze and soon, the eggs were whisked into a smooth, golden mixture.
"Now, the toast," Jeff announced, putting a slice in the toaster. "It's the crispy foundation for our eggy kingdom."
Jeff showed her how to prepare the toast, slathering it with butter and jam. The aroma of warm bread filled the air.
"Perfect," Jeff said when she was done with the toast, and he led her to the stove. He poured butter into the pan, the sizzling sound making Mia jump.
"Don't be scared," he said, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Now, the heat," he said, adjusting the flame. "Too high, and they'll turn into rubber. Too low, and they'll be forever gooey."
"Just pour the eggs in slowly, like pouring sunshine onto a canvas."
"How do you come up with all these descriptions?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
"I don't know. I'm not thinking about it. Just trying to make the class fun for you. Now focus," Jeff said and following his instructions, Mia poured the eggs into the pan.
They spread unevenly, clinging stubbornly to the bottom. Panic welled up, threatening to drown her newfound confidence. But Jeff was there, his calm voice guiding her. He taught her how to gently nudge the eggs with a spatula without overcooking them, coaxing them into fluffy curds. He showed her how to fold them over, creating a soft, eggy delight.
"See? You're a natural. Just a few more seconds, and breakfast will be ready," Jeff said and Mia smiled.
Finally, they plated the eggs onto the toast, adding salt with a flourish. The aroma of breakfast filled the air as they sat at the dining to eat.
Mia stared at her plate, a sense of accomplishment washing over her.
"I did that," she whispered, surprised by the pride in her voice.
Jeff took a bite, his eyes twinkling. "You most certainly did," he agreed, "and it's delicious. Not bad for a first attempt, I must say."
Mia took a bite, surprised by the deliciousness. The eggs were fluffy and flavorful, the toast perfectly crisp. It wasn't Michelin-starred cuisine, but it was hers, made with Jeff's patient guidance.
"See?" Jeff said, a proud smile on his face as he watched the surprised smile on her face.
"Just follow my lead, Mia, and you'll be a kitchen wizard in no time," Jeff said and Mia smiled back, a warmth spreading through her chest that had nothing to do with the scrambled eggs.
"You like to brag a lot, don't you?" Mia asked and he shook his head.
"I'm actually being very modest right now," he said and she giggled.
They ate in comfortable silence, the simple meal tasting like a victory. Mia couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed food so much, not just for its taste, but for the shared experience of creating it.
"Thank you, Jeff," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "For the breakfast, and for teaching me," Mia said when they were done eating.
Jeff smiled, his eyes warm. "Anytime," he said. "Now, the real question is – are you ready to take on lunch?"
Mia laughed, a genuine, carefree sound. "Maybe tomorrow, chef. Let's savor this victory first," she said as they cleared the table and Jeff chuckled.
"Notice how your name sounds like Chef? Chef Jeff?" She joked and Jeff laughed.
After they were done with the dishes, Mia looked at Jeff as she dried her hands, "You know," she said, a spark of excitement igniting in her eyes, "this breakfast thing was fun. Maybe next time, we can try something a little more...complex?"
"Complex, huh? We haven't even started yet and you're sounding this cocky," Jeff said a playful smile on his lips as he watched her laugh.
Jeff wasn't sure if Mia realized that she was a lot more open now than she had ever been around him, and not only were her eyes which were usually guarded and dull, sparkling now, but her laughter sounded more true and beautiful too.
Perhaps she was this way now because she didn't have the weight of her pasts weighing her down anymore now that she had shared part of it, and she didn't need to worry about hiding anything from him anymore.
Whatever her reason was for being this way, he hoped that she would keep being this happy. He was going to do all he could to keep her this way.
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