Page 61 of Second Time Around
“Well, have fun,” Lexie called, her curious gaze zoning in on Jenna’s lipstick.
Can’t a woman look nice for her friends? Geez!
Beck had texted her his address the night before, and now she plugged it into the map app on her phone. She knew the area well, and fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the driveway of his rental house.
Some rental! He lived in an upscale neighborhood of Rochester, and the house was double or triple the size of hers. Show-off. Why did he need such a big house? He was only one person!
She expected him to come outside and greet her, but when he didn’t, she was hit with a wave of panic. I shouldn’t be here. I need to leave. However, just as she was considering it, the door opened, and there he stood.
He was wearing a black apron with white lettering that read: Smokin’ hot and so is my grill! She took one look at it and burst out laughing. The comic relief effectively eased her anxiety. “Glad to see you’re still humble.”
He smiled and said, “Come on in.”
She stepped inside and inhaled the aroma of barbequed meat and chocolate, two of her favorite scents. She also caught a whiff of his cologne as he stood too close to her in the entranceway.
“Nice place,” she said as she set down her tote bag.
He eyed it like it contained state secrets. Then he said, “Hungry?”
“Starved.”
“Follow me. Dinner’s almost ready.”
She followed him into a large, modern kitchen. “Wow! This place is huge.”
“It’s too big for one person, but I didn’t want an apartment, and there weren’t a lot of rental homes to choose from.”
She watched him remove a tray of barbecued chicken from the oven and set it on the counter. “Looks great.”
“Why, thank you.”
“I was talking about the food.”
“So was I.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Not according to your apron.”
“Maggie bought it for me. Probably because she knew I’d catch hell for it.”
“I like your sister.”
“You would,” he teased.
“So, what else are we having?”
“Mashed potatoes and a salad. Oh, and dessert, but I’m keeping that a secret.”
“Tease.”
He chuckled.
“Is there anything I can do?” He seemed to have everything under control, but she wanted something to occupy her hands.
“You can pour us some drinks.”
“Sure. What are you having?”
“I’ll take a beer, but I also have wine and soda, if you’re interested.”
