Got to go. Tory's at the door.
Duncan realized his mistake a second after he pressed send.
As in Alec's cousin? First date already?
Gianna wouldn't tell anyone if she knew the truth, but not only didn't he have the time, the situation was better explained over the phone. But, of course, that assumed Tory wouldn't mind if he told Gianna the truth.
Not exactly. I'll fill you in later.
Duncan didn't wait for a response before putting the phone in his back pocket and leaving the kitchen. He knew Gianna. She'd stew over his response but would wait until at least tomorrow before reaching out again. By then, he'd know if he could share the truth. And if Tory didn't want him to, he'd have enough time to come up with a plausible reason for why Tory stopped by tonight.
He'd thought she looked great at the fundraiser. Tonight, she looked terrific, dressed in dark jeans and an oversized green sweater that made her eyes look more green than the hazel they'd been last night.
“Hey, come on in,” he said, taking a step back so she could enter.
“I stopped for wine and dessert on my way home this morning.” She gestured toward the reusable bag and the bakery box she carried. “Since I didn't know what you were making, I got a chardonnay and a pinot noir. The dessert is from Ambrosia.”
“Great minds think alike. I picked up dessert from there too.”
“Thank my cousin. She suggested it when I asked what the best bakery in the area was. I've never had anything from there.”
“You're in for a treat, then. They make the best cannoli and tiramisu on the east coast.”
“There might be a piece or two of tiramisu in here. But, sorry, there are no cannoli.”
“That's okay. I picked some up when I was out.” After taking the box and bag from her, he walked toward the kitchen. “Can I get you anything to drink? I can open some wine or make you a cocktail.”
He preferred beer to wine and always had some on hand, but he couldn't picture Tory enjoying a can of his favorite craft beer.
“Maybe with dinner. Some water is fine for now.”
“Do you want sparking water or tap?” Tap water got boring, and he liked to mix it up sometimes.
“Sparkling,” she answered, setting her purse on a stool at the island. Unlike the one she carried last night, this one looked large enough to hold a small child. “It smells amazing in here. I can't wait to taste whatever you made.”
Usually, he drank straight from the bottle. Now, he poured the sparkling water into glasses and handed her one.
“Thank you. But I could've drunk it out of the bottle and saved you a dirty glass.”
“If it'll make you feel better, I'll let you wash the glasses after dinner.”
Tory scrunched up her nose. “And deprive you of all the fun? That doesn't seem very nice, especially since you cooked dinner and agreed to help me.”
“That is very thoughtful of you.” After checking the internal temperature of the chicken again, he removed it and put a piece on each plate.
“Thoughtful is my middle name. Do you need me to do anything?”
It should be “Beautiful.”Once again, it was a thought better kept to himself.
Duncan placed a slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each chicken breast and added the pesto and bruschetta. “If you want to put these on the table, I'll pour the wine.”
“If this tastes even half as good as it looks, I might knock on your door every night for dinner,” she said, accepting the plates and carrying them to the table.
“You're welcome to come by whenever you want, but I don't cook like this often.”
“Me neither. I eat a lot of salads. They're quick and easy to make.”
He was guilty of doing the same. Only, a snack consisting of chips or cookies often followed the salad.