Crescent City Summer

Chapter 38: Distractions

The following morning, Desmond woke up in one of the guest bedrooms. He showered, shaved, dressed, and decided to make coffee and breakfast for Gabby. He walked past her bedroom and listened through the door, not hearing anything. He opened the door slightly to find her still sound asleep; the light barely lit up the room, but just enough to see. He looked at her peacefully, dreaming, and hoped it was him she was dreaming of. She is partially covered with blankets. He noticed her long hair messy on the pillow as it draped over the side of the bed, revealing her face. She looked beautiful to him. He wanted to lie down with her, feel her close to him. Instead, he kissed her cheek, pulling the blankets over her again. He shut the door carefully and headed to the kitchen.

He turned on soft jazz music as he prepared breakfast. He made coffee using his French Press. Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, bagels with cream cheese, bacon, and fruit. Desmond had no idea how she liked her eggs. He knew he would learn all of her likes and dislikes over time. For now, the thought of her upstairs, sleeping in his room, kept a smile on his face. The house didn't seem so large now. Just her presence filled up all of the empty spaces. He imagined weekends like this. They could sleep in, cook breakfast and sip coffee in the courtyard in their pajamas with nowhere crucial to be-no schedules, no rushing. He thought of evenings cooking dinner in that kitchen together, eating in candlelight in the dining room with wine, and dancing in the grand room until midnight. He was a hopeless romantic. This was precisely what he dreamt of.

The sounds of smooth jazz filled the air. He was in his world, distracted by Gabby and the future. He didn't realize she was standing there, leaning against the doorway, smiling at him. He poured a cup of coffee and turned to see her watching him. He went back to cooking eggs and checking on the bacon.

Now that's a real man.

"Good morning." He smiled as he walked to her and kissed her gently.

She's gorgeous, even after just waking up.

"Good mornin'. It looks like I have missed the show." She laughed.

"Yeah, I've been having a good time." He laughed with her.

"Smells good. I didn't know you could cook." She took a coffee cup from the cupboard and poured a cup of coffee, taking a seat on the island.

"Well, I have been single for a while. I have always loved cooking. When you live in a city like New Orleans that's world-famous for our cuisine, it's almost a requirement." He smiled as he pulled toast from the toaster.

"It's quite attractive." She sipped her coffee slowly.

Desmond looked over at her with a look that suggested he loved the flirting.

I will cook every meal.

"How do you like your eggs?" He asked, pointing to the pan he was cooking his eggs in.

"Just like that. I'm not picky." She laughed.

"You were raised right." He nodded his head, placing eggs on her plate.

"Yes, I was. We had Sunday supper every week after church." Gabby began.

"We have Sunday Brunch." He smiled.

"It was always good. My Mom is a great cook. She taught me and Briar." Gabby continued, taking small bites as she spoke.

"I would have liked to have known Briar. She sounds like a fun sister." Desmond took her hand, squeezing it.

"She would have loved you. She was fun, so much fun, and funny, too. She was not only the most beautiful woman in Sparksville; she could pitch a softball like nobody else. She could have gone far in the sport, but she chose to be more girly and set her sights on modeling. Briar was a ham in front of the camera. Before I was born, my family had a camera in her face twenty-four-seven. We will always have photos of her, that's for sure." Gabby's face lit up, talking about Briar.