“I’m thinking about writing a cookbook,” he said.
“A cookbook? Really?”
“Do you think it’s a stupid idea?” He turned to her and she could see that her opinion actually mattered to him.
“No. I think it’s a great idea. You’re getting a real reputation in Portland.” She’d never admit it, but she’d done an Internet search on him and discovered a few blogs and some online articles about his food truck. The only negative reviews he ever received were when people had waited in long lines in order to be fed. And even the complainers still raved about the food. “But do you really want to give away your secret recipes?”
“The thing about my recipes is, there’s no real secret. Anyone can make them. But, even with a recipe book, most people won’t. It’s a lot easier, let’s face it, to run down to a food truck and order a ready-made meal than it is to source ingredients and take the time to actually prepare and cook the stuff. But, one of the reasons I want to do it is to talk about the core of good food. Starting with the best ingredients. And the value of good produce sourced locally. I was wondering if you might want to collaborate?”
She was so stunned she stopped walking and turned to stare at him. “You want me to collaborate on a cookbook?”
“Yeah. I was thinking about it.”
“I burn toast. Cooking and I are not compatible.”
He chuckled. “That’s okay. Cooking is my gift. But your gift is to bring the most incredible food from the ground. And I have your emails so I know that you can write passionately on the subject. I think if we combined recipes with sections on growing food and the value of locally sourced food, complete with amazing pictures, we could really be on to something.”
“Well, I don’t know. I’d have to think about it.” Of course, she wanted to jump at the chance to work with Alexei and to exchange more emails. He may have thought she was passionate about food, but she had a sneaking suspicion the passion coming out in her emails was deflected. When she raved about the color and richness and mineral content of an heirloom tomato what she was really saying was, “Alexei, I’m crazy about you. I want to spend every waking moment with you and have your babies.” But, since she couldn’t say those things, she rhapsodized about the lutein content of a homegrown tomato, and the benefits to the soil of growing complementary crops, when what she really wanted to say was, I want to grow beside you.
She became more enthusiastic about the idea as she mulled it over. “We could talk about natural pest control for the home gardener, which is mostly about having a strong plant that can ward off the bad guys but it’s also about complementary planting. Plants that help each other out.”
He nodded. “It’s kind of like people. In a good relationship, each person brings different strengths. Together, they’re stronger than either of them would be alone.”
She was amazed to hear him say this and turned, her face lighting up. “Yes! That’s exactly it. I use that analogy all the time. I know it’s a romantic view of vegetables, but it works.”
The shadows were beginning to lengthen, which made Alexei even more beautiful. His eyes became darker, the planes of his cheeks more pronounced, the full, sculpted lips only more desirable.
They shared another of those indescribable moments, of complete stillness and connection. She felt the pull to be with him, stronger than ever. If she didn’t stop mooning over a man she could never have she was going to be in serious trouble.
But the man she could never have did not help. He looked at her as though she were actually in his league, as though he found her attractive. Her with her unmanageable hair and hands as rough as a common labourer’s.
“So,” he said, “about the book, would you be interested?”
Would she be interested? In anything that allowed her to spend more time with the most beautiful man on the planet? And yet, a tiny voice of self-preservation suggested to her that this was probably a very, very bad idea. She’d been burned once when she flew too close to the sun and it hadn’t ended well for her. She wasn’t certain she could survive another plunge.
And yet…
It wasn’t only the idea of spending time with him that appealed to her, but also the chance to express her views about food and healthy growing and healthy eating. Alexei had a big following, she knew that any book he authored would sell plenty of copies, and he was offering to give her a voice, to be part of something hip and fun and trendy. What a great way to slip in some more serious messages. So, she said, “Yes. I think I’m interested.”
He seemed genuinely pleased by her answer. His easy grin gleamed in the deepening dusk. “That’s great. I’ll get back to you when I have details.”
“Great.” She glanced around, but it was really too late to show him much more. Only now did it occur to her that she needed to take him back to his truck but dinner at her parents was in an hour so it would actually be easier for him to stay here while she cleaned up. She had to take him into her house or look really peculiar. She really wished she’d thought things through better. She said, “I can drive you back to your truck now, or if you want to come to my place while I get ready, we can head over to my parents’ place from here.”
“Sure. That makes sense. I’ll let Matt know he can drive the truck to your folks’ place. He’s been dying to drive that truck all day.”
