“I must say, I’m impressed, Joselyn,” Ashton says as he takes yet another pancake. “Maybe I should watch my back. Yolanda might replace me with you.”
“That’s not going to happen. This is the first time in years I’ve managed to cook something without burning it.”
“I find that hard to believe after this.” He waves a piece of a perfect golden pancake in front of me. “Do you have a job by the way? ‘Cause I could ask Yolanda. If you want.”
“I just told you I can’t cook. I can’t even make coffee.”
I don’t drink coffee, so why would I know how to make it? I don’t drink tea either. Hot chocolate is my favorite drink and it’s quite easy to do. Just heat up some milk and pour down some cocoa powder and sugar, and you’re done. I could open a café where they only sell hot chocolate. I’d probably be the only customer though and it wouldn’t be good for business.
“It’s easy, you’ll learn fast.”
“I don’t know, Ashton.”
It would be nice with a job, to earn some money, to get out of the house a little. But I don’t know if it would suit me. I’m not very social. I can’t talk with strangers, not like that. I would probably spill coffee all over the counter and on their clothes. I’d get fired the first day.
“You’re not gonna screw up,” he tells me, as if he reads my mind. “I didn’t screw up.”
“Let me think about it.”
“So you’re not looking for a future in coffee shops, then? ‘Cause this would be a great start.”
I chuckle.
“What do you wanna do in the future?”
I gulp. I haven’t thought that far. I try to make it through one day at a time. I can’t see a future, I can barely see tomorrow. There’s no light, but there’s no dark either. I just can’t see it. I don’t tell Ashton that. I just shrug.
“No future planner either.” He points at himself.
But I can guarantee you we don’t think the same about the future.
“I hope you do your own dishes,” Yolanda says. “I ain’t cleaning that up."
I look down on our table. It’s quite a mess. Three plates, jam on the table, a half-eaten strawberry next to it. Sugar on the table and napkins everywhere. Ashton starts gathering all the stuff, putting the plates on each other, balancing on his arm. He notices me staring and lets out a chuckle.
“16 years of training. I know what I’m doing,” he winks at me.
“It would be fun if he messes this up, now wouldn’t it.” Yolanda raises an eyebrow.
“Don’t you dare. I swear. Yolanda, don’t you dare.” Ashton slowly shakes his head, keeping his eyes on Yolanda who’s moving closer. “Don’t…no.”
But Yolanda doesn’t do anything to him. She just laughs and Ashton breathes out, and starts moving towards the kitchen. I take one of the napkins and start wiping off the table from the sugar.
“You know, we do have a special dishcloth for that and you shouldn’t do that. Here, let me.”
She takes out a piece of cloth and starts cleaning the table. Ashton returns without his apron and leans over me.
“Do you wanna get out of here?”
I nod, still feeling his breath against my ear as I stand up. When I do, I slip on something on the floor. I begin to fall but Ashton puts his arms out, and catches me before I hit the floor.
YOU ARE READING
Affection // irwin
Fanfiction"I heard you get butterflies in your stomach when you fall in love, or have a crush on someone. I've never experienced it so I didn't know what it meant, until now. My stomach is fluttering and my heart is not beating at normal rate. How did this h...
