Recipe for Love

Chapter 17

Note: Text in cursive is in French.

Charles

I wasn't blind or stupid, so I noticed the way Joris was looking at Anna and I won't lie, it pissed me off a bit. What did he think? That I invited her here so he could flirt with her? I don't fucking think so.
"Could you stop it?" I glared at him as his gaze slid over her entire body for about the fifty-eighth time.
"Stop what?" he grinned.
"Stop undressing her with your eyes," I ordered as Anna bit her lower lip as she tried hard to think of her next Monopoly purchase.
"You said you were just friends."
"That doesn't mean I don't mind."
"Could you please stop arguing? It's your turn, Jo," Anna cut us off and gave him a sweet smile, which for some reason pissed me off even more.

"It was a very nice evening, but I should go home. Lewis definitely won't go to bed until I get back," Anna smirked, yawning as she did so.
"Lewis. As in...?"
"Hamiton. He's Anna's uncle," I explained, and he gasped.
Anna lowered her eyes and nodded. Again, I had the feeling that she was hiding something.
"I'll walk you to your car," I offered.
"You don't have to. I can handle it," she protested, but I had already jumped to my feet and threw my sweatshirt over my head. Anna smiled, said goodbye to Joris, and then we went down the stairs together and to her car.

"Thanks for the invitation," Anna mumbled, hugging me too briefly and taking the door handle. "Anna, wait," I screamed unnecessarily loudly, and she turned back laughing. "I'd like if you came again sometime," I said, trying to sound as confident as possible. "I'd love to," she assured me, getting ready to open the door again. I looked up at the sky above me and mustered up all the courage I had to grab her wrist and turn her back to me. I looked deep into her mysterious eyes, looking for a sign that she knew what I was trying to do. I slowly started to move closer until our lips were only a few centimeters apart. Finally, she grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me to her.

She kissed me cautiously as if she didn't know if she'd better change her mind and run away before it was too late. Maybe that's why I grabbed her tightly around the waist and pressed her body to mine. She smelled of the same floral perfume as when I first saw her. Then she pulled away and looked into my eyes. She cleared her throat, turned to the car, got in, and drove off.

For a few seconds, I stared at the red taillights disappearing into the distance, wondering what the hell I had done wrong to make her run away like that. I went back to the apartment and collapsed on the couch next to Joris, who was scrolling through Instagram. "What's wrong with you?" he asked me when I didn't speak for a few minutes and just stared blankly at the wall.
"I kissed her," I informed him.
"I knew that you two being just friends was bullshit," he grumbled.
"We are just friends. Or were. She ran away."
"What do you mean she run away?"
"She just got in the car and drove off."
"You kissed a girl and then she run away? This must be a completely new experience for you. How do you feel?" Joris scowled and I elbowed him in the ribs.
"I thought maybe she wanted something more, but I guess I was wrong. What if I screwed up and she never wants to see me again?"
"No. We're not doing this. You're overthinking again. Give it time, text her tomorrow if she wants to go somewhere with us, and if she rejects you, only then can you fall into depression."
I smirked at him, but I knew he was right. But it didn't change the fact that I stared into the dark until 3 in the morning thinking about what an idiot I was.