Putting on Airs

FishEyes

Chapter 16

"Just what were you planning on making, Meanie? You guys have a bunch of food, but I don't see ingredients that would suggest you had a particular meal in mind," I mutter in confusion as I look through the cabinets and fridge.

"No idea, Trouble. They sent me shopping without a list. When I called to ask what to get, North, Nate, and Sean were all shouting out random shit. I figured one of them had something in mind, but they didn't say," Gabe smirkingly tells me.

"Why not have Luke help? You're missing ingredients for all of the meals I could guess." I really don't know what to make of any of this.

"Simple. You're prettier than Luke," Gabe's eyes flash as he explains.

We end up throwing some halfway-cooked rotini into a casserole pan with the small can of tomato sauce I found hiding at the back of the pantry. The container of leftover taco meat from the night before gives me an idea. I make Gabe chop and lightly sauté an onion. After blotting the excess oil, Meanie tosses the onion into the baking dish.

"I hate chopping onions," Gabe sniffles.

"Me too, Meanie. Why do you think I had you do it," I reply with a smirk.

He swats my hip gently while muttering. When I can get his attention again, I have him defrost and drain some corn, and add about a cup to our random rotini bake. We throw in the taco meat and sprinkle it all with grated cheese before covering the dish and setting the timer.

When the food is ready, we don't even need to call the guys in to eat. North and Silas shuffle into the kitchen like prisoners on their way to their last meal and gather plates and flatware. As the casserole is revealed, Meanie is sent some dubious glances. I watch with humor as Kota seems to take a bracing breath before forking a tiny bit of the dish in his mouth. When the carefully blank look leaves his face to be replaced by surprised relief, I can't hold back my giggles.

Gabe, having witnessed the same thing, grumbles, "It's not poisoned. Although now it would have served you right. Where's the faith?"

"Sorry, Gabe. It isn't a giant platter of toast, or overcooked Mac'n'Cheese, so I was a little worried about what you concocted," Kota tries to reason with Meanie but only makes the others laugh.

"I helped him. He did great at everything I asked him to do," I defend Gabe.

When the guys all start to compliment the meal I flash a happy smile at Meanie. His wink in return seems much more loaded than simple acknowledgement of a conspiracy. My heart rate spikes, and I feel my cheeks flush. Gabriel's lips stretch into a knowing grin. His eyes don't leave mine as he tells the guys that cleanup duty is on them, and that he has a debt to pay.

"What's that supposed to mean?" North barks suspiciously.

Silas mutters something to North in Greek, and North visibly deflates. As soon as it's clear that Gabe won't have to run for his life, he grabs my hand and drags me along behind him to the staircase. I haven't gone upstairs. The guest bedroom that I've been staying in while here is on the first floor. I know that the guys have their rooms up here when they stay at the big house, but asking to see their personal spaces seems a bit taboo.

The last door on the right side stands open with a bunch of natural light still streaming through the windows. At first glance, the room seems chaotic. There seems to be a little bit of everything in here. On closer inspection, I see that everything is painstakingly organized and coordinated by its use. It isn't that the room is a mess. There's just a lot of stuff packed into the space, as large as it is for a bedroom.

That's exactly what the room is--a bedroom used for just about everything that Meanie could need to make others look and feel their best. There is a bunk bed with unusually wide mattresses shoved into one corner--the top bunk looks slightly narrower than the bottom, and the rest of the space is a mish-mash of things I can discern as being Luke's, and others that are obviously Gabe's. On the wall opposite the window, I spy a chair that looks like it could be for a salon, and a small basin sink with a dip in one side. Gabriel literally has his own little stylist station in his bedroom.