Sweet Bits Read Online Free Page B
Author: Karen Moehr
shoot.
***
Ali carefully pulled the soufflé out of the hot oven. The smell of warm cheese and green onion was intense. She watched it as it settled, but didn’t deflate. She gave a kiss to the heavens. “Thank you, God,” she said looking up and smiling. She had said a silent prayer to help her soufflé as she slid into the oven. She hated to waste prayers on something so trivial, but it meant a lot to her and God would know that.
She looked around. The table was set, candles lit, bread in the basket, salads made and wine breathing. What else?
She realized she had her favorite apron on. It was a retro 1950s housewife style apron she’d gotten as a gift a couple of years ago. It made her feel like Lucy Ricardo and homey.
Hmm, she frowned. Candles? Should we have candles? Ben was coming for dinner and she realized candles might seem too romantic. She debated and decided to nix them. She blew them out and as she did, the doorbell rang.
Shoot! He was early. She removed the tapers from the table and put them on a side table waving the air to dissipate the smoke from blowing them out.
She answered the door removing her apron and stuffing it behind a closet door.
Ben stood holding a bottle of wine.
“I brought red,” he said hopefully.
“Awesome,” she said. She had opened a bottle of the same.
“Ooh, smells good in here…as usual,” he said.
“Cheese soufflé,” she announced.
“Wow, fancy,” he said. “To what do I deserve this honor?”
“Actually, I’m testing the recipe for a job I have next week,” she admitted.
“Oh, I’m the guinea pig, huh?”
“I guess,” she smiled.
“I’m happy to be of service,” he joked with a mock bow to her.
She handed him a glass of wine and waved him over to the living room to sit. “Make yourself comfortable,” she said curling up in a stuffed chair tucking her bare feet under her.
He relaxed into the sofa. “Comfy,” he said drinking his wine.
“So…I talked to Josie this morning, said Ali. She had a great time.”
Ben shifted uncomfortably. Josie had been a nice girl and she was really attractive as Ali had said, but he just didn’t feel the spark. How could he tell Ali?
“Yeah, she’s a really sweet girl…” he started.
“But you’re just not feeling it, huh?” smiled Ali.
Ben bit his lip. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Every time you went out with someone you didn’t really like you called her a “really sweet girl,” said Ali winking at him. “I get it.”
“Is that OK? I mean she’s super, but not really for me.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of it.”
“Really? I hate to do that to you…”
“No problem, Ben. She thought you were pretty great, but she’s a big girl. She’ll be OK.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will. I just mean I hate to put you in the position, but I really kind of just went out with her ‘cause you asked me to” he said.
“I know, I shouldn’t have put you in that spot. It’s just that she always seems to date these losers and you’re such a nice guy.”
“Nice guy, Ben, huh?”
“Well, you are! Every girl deserves to go out with a super handsome nice guy now and then.”
He laughed. “Super handsome, huh?”
“Oh, you know you are,” she chided.
“Well, if I’m so handsome and nice, why am I still single?” he asked.
“Because you want to be,” she said.
“Hmm, maybe,” he agreed. Work was only partially an excuse to keep him from dating more. He just didn’t seem to ever find a girl he really connected with…someone he could really talk to. He dated now and then and enjoyed the company over a nice dinner, but beyond a few dates he could never really find one he wanted to really get close to.
“You’ll be single until you decide not to be”, said Ali in a matter-of fact tone.
“Are you single
***
Ali carefully pulled the soufflé out of the hot oven. The smell of warm cheese and green onion was intense. She watched it as it settled, but didn’t deflate. She gave a kiss to the heavens. “Thank you, God,” she said looking up and smiling. She had said a silent prayer to help her soufflé as she slid into the oven. She hated to waste prayers on something so trivial, but it meant a lot to her and God would know that.
She looked around. The table was set, candles lit, bread in the basket, salads made and wine breathing. What else?
She realized she had her favorite apron on. It was a retro 1950s housewife style apron she’d gotten as a gift a couple of years ago. It made her feel like Lucy Ricardo and homey.
Hmm, she frowned. Candles? Should we have candles? Ben was coming for dinner and she realized candles might seem too romantic. She debated and decided to nix them. She blew them out and as she did, the doorbell rang.
Shoot! He was early. She removed the tapers from the table and put them on a side table waving the air to dissipate the smoke from blowing them out.
She answered the door removing her apron and stuffing it behind a closet door.
Ben stood holding a bottle of wine.
“I brought red,” he said hopefully.
“Awesome,” she said. She had opened a bottle of the same.
“Ooh, smells good in here…as usual,” he said.
“Cheese soufflé,” she announced.
“Wow, fancy,” he said. “To what do I deserve this honor?”
“Actually, I’m testing the recipe for a job I have next week,” she admitted.
“Oh, I’m the guinea pig, huh?”
“I guess,” she smiled.
“I’m happy to be of service,” he joked with a mock bow to her.
She handed him a glass of wine and waved him over to the living room to sit. “Make yourself comfortable,” she said curling up in a stuffed chair tucking her bare feet under her.
He relaxed into the sofa. “Comfy,” he said drinking his wine.
“So…I talked to Josie this morning, said Ali. She had a great time.”
Ben shifted uncomfortably. Josie had been a nice girl and she was really attractive as Ali had said, but he just didn’t feel the spark. How could he tell Ali?
“Yeah, she’s a really sweet girl…” he started.
“But you’re just not feeling it, huh?” smiled Ali.
Ben bit his lip. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Every time you went out with someone you didn’t really like you called her a “really sweet girl,” said Ali winking at him. “I get it.”
“Is that OK? I mean she’s super, but not really for me.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of it.”
“Really? I hate to do that to you…”
“No problem, Ben. She thought you were pretty great, but she’s a big girl. She’ll be OK.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will. I just mean I hate to put you in the position, but I really kind of just went out with her ‘cause you asked me to” he said.
“I know, I shouldn’t have put you in that spot. It’s just that she always seems to date these losers and you’re such a nice guy.”
“Nice guy, Ben, huh?”
“Well, you are! Every girl deserves to go out with a super handsome nice guy now and then.”
He laughed. “Super handsome, huh?”
“Oh, you know you are,” she chided.
“Well, if I’m so handsome and nice, why am I still single?” he asked.
“Because you want to be,” she said.
“Hmm, maybe,” he agreed. Work was only partially an excuse to keep him from dating more. He just didn’t seem to ever find a girl he really connected with…someone he could really talk to. He dated now and then and enjoyed the company over a nice dinner, but beyond a few dates he could never really find one he wanted to really get close to.
“You’ll be single until you decide not to be”, said Ali in a matter-of fact tone.
“Are you single
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