“Mmm, sounds good. I’m hungry.”
“I’m no good with desserts, so I had Mrs. Kattie make us a chocolate mousse pie.”
Relieving her of her purse, I sat it on the small table at the entrance of the dining room. After assisting her into her seat and placing the napkin in her lap, I couldn’t resist leaning in to steal another kiss.
She sat, waiting with a wandering gaze while I approached with our covered plates, placing hers on the table before I placed mine. The smile she maintained kept me going because I was a novice. I hadn’t a clue as to how to keep a wife happy. But, for her, I was willing to try since I found myself doing shit I never even gave a thought to before.
I returned with our red wine, pouring her a generous amount before removing the metal dome from her steaming food. Her smile widened at the sight.
“Looks delicious. Smells even better,” she complimented.
Once I was seated and poured myself some wine I lifted my glass in salute. “To our first home-cooked meal together. May there be many more.”
The clink of our glasses sounded, and I held my breath as she went for her utensils and cut into the crust that revealed the liver pâté, and finally, through the tenderloin. I had never cared about anyone’s opinion of me, but Mecca’s mattered. She cut away a small bite and eased it into her mouth.
After a few chews, her eyes fell closed, and I couldn’t tell if her reaction was good or bad until she released a low moan of delight. “Mmm.”
“This is good,” she stated, cutting off a bigger piece this time. The sight of her enjoying my food pleased me and helped me decide right there that I was cooking for her as often as our lives would allow it.
“How is it that you know how to cook?” she asked, pointing at the food. “Did you really cook this?”
“Yes, I truly did cook it. You are more than welcome to rewind the recordings,” I stated with a chuckle.
“There were a few poison attempts made on my life, so for a while, I would only eat food that I prepared.”
Her eyes widened at my reveal, but she continued devouring her food.
“Figured, if I had to cook, it may as well be good, so I hired someone, Mrs. Kattie, same cook I have now, to teach me. Over time, she earned my trust and has been with me for over five years.”
The idea of losing this connection with Mecca wasn’t an outcome I was willing to accept. In our world, nothing this good lasted. The idea that I could enjoy a woman’s company this much was unexpected, but now that I had gotten a taste of companionship, I wanted more.
How long was this gleeful feeling that Mecca had sparked within me going to last?