Not in my Job Description - Avery Clavens Book 1

Chapter 14 - Meet me in the freezer section

I immediately commandeered a shopping cart and hit the aisles when we got to the store. I knew each of the aisles like the back of my hand, so I didn’t expect to spend a lot of time dawdling about.

I loved to cook and bake. No one would know that from how often during the last week I’d been out to eat, but that was just another thing to blame Nate for. Actually, it was mainly Frannie who was to blame. Nate was closer, and had put me through more grief, so he was lucky enough to get blamed for anything bothering me.

I hoped my stalker wasn’t out there watching, because I imagined the domestic bliss of two people going grocery shopping together might send them even further over the deep end. If he or she had been at their job for a long time, they’d know cooking soothed me, so they’d know they were getting under my skin by the amounts of cooking that was going to be done.

I didn’t think anyone had been able to get that close to me. The thought of it being possible made me sick to my stomach.

“What ideas do you have for dinner, my little butterfly?” Nate asked, while I threw some button mushrooms into the cart.

He and that endearment really needed to stop. People were going to get the wrong idea if they overheard it. Someone already had the wrong idea and it was clear Nate really didn’t have a problem with it.

There was nothing about me that screamed butterfly would make a great nickname. It made me want to start calling him artichoke. I wasn’t going to, but I figured he had to have seen a butterfly in my vicinity at some point and thought it’d make a good nickname, much like the artichoke I’d picked out for him.

“First, with my stalker out there, do you think it’s wise to be saying stuff like that to me? Secondly, I should probably ask you if there are any foods you don’t like to eat before I get the final list set in my head.”

“Only for your safety, will I tone down your nickname,” he replied. “Maybe I should just shorten it to little butt. I’m guessing that would drive the point home that there currently isn’t something romantic going on between us.

“Truthfully, I don’t really care if people think there’s something going on between us, I just don’t want you to be in danger because of it. As far as food goes, I’m not picky and haven’t tried anything I wouldn’t try again, so you should have free reign on the ingredients.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m never going to understand you. To answer your question about what I’m making, I was thinking stuffed mushrooms, pizza egg rolls, barbecue chicken nachos, shrimp cocktail, and kabobs.”

I paused to pick out a red onion that looked good, before I moved over to the peppers and selected one of each color for the kabobs. “As for the new nickname, why don’t we go old-fashioned and you just call me Avery? I know it’s a crazy concept, but it might just work. People won’t think there’s more going on between us than there really is, and they won’t think you’re a giant doofus for calling me butt.”

“I’ll take it into consideration, but I’m not making any promises. You’re not going to press for the reasoning behind the nickname?”

“I could care less why you picked it; I just don’t want you to call me it. I’ve shared the list of appetizers I’m planning on making, is there anything you’d like to see on it?”

“No, I’m sure it will all be great. I do have to wonder who else is coming over. That isn’t just for us two, is it? I have my figure to think about.”

“I’m sure eating a whole cow dipped in butter wouldn’t wreck what you got going on. I was planning for just the two of us. I like variety and I won’t make tons of each thing. It’s at least a two and a half hour game. I reckon I can set everything out and we can just graze on it when we feel like it.”