Grandma came to visit!
A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe." – Thomas Keller.
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"Are you still salty that you lost to that kid?" I laughed as I followed Aiden into his house.
Every Saturday for the past few weeks, Aiden had made good on his promise and showed up at my door at 7:30 am sharp. Like clockwork, he'd wake me up, I'd bitch about how much I hate him and how I despise mornings, and eventually I'd give in and follow him once he threatened to drag me out of my house, kicking and screaming.
Today was no different. Well, except for the fact that Aiden got his ass handed to him by a kid.
Of course, Aiden being Aiden, couldn't pass up an opportunity to race with what looked to be no older than a freshman in high school. Unfortunately for him, the kid turned out to be quite fast, and he lost.
Let's just say, he gives a whole new meaning to the term sore loser.
"I did not lose!" Aiden emphasized, tossing his keys on the table in the entryway. "I didn't see that stupid rock."
"What rock?" I asked amused. "Just admit it. You're a sore loser!"
"I will never admit such a thing." He shook his head smirking. Going to the fridge, he pulled out two water bottles and tossed one at me.
Before I had a chance to reply, we heard the front door open and a loud voice echo throughout the kitchen.
"Hello?" A thick southern voice said. "Anybody home?"
I turned to Aiden, confused. Do people just randomly walk into his house on Saturdays?
He met my confused gaze with one of his own as he made his way out of the kitchen. I decided it was best to stay put and let him deal with it, it was his house after all.
Making myself comfortable at the kitchen island, I took my phone out and started scrolling through Instagram. A few moment later I looked up expecting to see Aiden coming back alone, but instead a short woman in her late sixties with shoulder length blonde hair followed behind him.
Meeting my confused look, he looked at me pleadingly.
Before he had a chance to speak. The woman behind him stepped forward and beat him to it. "And who might this be?"
"Hi. I'm Natalie." I replied, extending my hand to shake hers. She looked between Aiden and I briefly before a grin broke out on her face.
"Oh darlin'." She beamed. "Your mama didn't tell me you finally got yourself a girlfriend."
"Oh no-"
Aiden shot her a warning look before coming to stand next to me. "Natalie is my friend. You know I don't have a girlfriend."
"One can only hope." She sighed. "When are you finally going to stop whoring around and finally settle down with a nice girl. I'm not getting any younger, and I'd like to see some grandbabies before I kick the bucket."
So she was his grandmother.
"Amy!" Aiden groaned as a small blush crept up on his face. I snorted besides him. I know I just met this woman, but man she was awesome.
Wait - did he just call his grandma by her first name?
"What?" She asked batting her eyes innocently. She then proceeded to start taking inventory of the kitchen, opening the various cabinets and fridge. "Are you kids hungry?"
"You don't have to bo-" Aiden cut me off before I could finish.
"Starving." He grinned up at his grandmother. Turning towards me, he bent towards my ear to whisper, "Trust me, its best if you let her feed you. Otherwise you'll never hear the end of it."
"She just got here!" I scolded. "At least let her get settled in."
Before Aiden had a chance to reply, his grandmother spoke. "Aiden darlin', why don't you go get cleaned up while Natalie and I get acquainted."
He shot me an apologetic smile and shrugged. He bent over to kiss his grandmothers cheek before going upstairs to presumably take a shower.
"So, Natalie was it?" Aiden's grandmother spoke as she began chopping some tomatoes.
"Yes ma'am." I said nervously. There was something about her demeanor that told me she was a no bullshit kind of person – a quality I admired.
"Tell me about yourself sweetheart." She continued, whisking some eggs into a bowl. "You're the first girl I've seen my grandson bring home, and I have to admit the curiosity is killing me.
What was this, the first day of class where we all go around in a circle introducing ourself?
Nevertheless, I smiled politely as began telling her about myself.
Remind me to kill Aiden when were alone next.
"And do you like school?" She probed.
I chuckled. "Does anyone really like school? We all go because we have to, but if were being honest here, the education system could use a sever upgrade. I mean, they spend six years teaching you the same algebraic equation, when most graduates don't even know what a W-2 is and how to file their taxes. When has y=mx+b ever been useful outside a math class?"
Out of breath, I glanced at Aiden's grandmother mortified, not being able to believe that I just said all of that to a stranger. I know I'm not wrong, but what if she was a math teacher. Oh my god! She's going to hate me forever.
She finally stopped chopping and looked up at me smiling. "I like you." I visibly let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"So, Mrs. Cooper," I grinned. "Do you have any embarrassing stories of Aiden you'd like to share."
"Oh darlin' please, call me Amy. Mrs. Cooper is Aiden's other grandmother." She shuddered, which made me even more confused. "And that boy was trouble from the moment he learned how to walk. His mama told me that when Aiden was two, they were all sitting in church listening to a sermon when all of a sudden they heard a familiar voice yell 'Mama! Poop. Wipe!' He waddled down the aisle with his pants around his knees looking for his mama and squealing."
Oh, my god. I couldn't help the laughter that escaped my lips.
"It's safe to say, Grace never showed her face at that church again." Amy laughed as she recalled the memory.
Aiden took that exact moment to walk in and find his grandmother and I sitting around, laughing our asses off. "What's going on here?" He asked cautiously.
"Nothing baby." Amy dismissed.
I, on the other hand, could not pass up this perfect moment to embarrass him. "Hey Aiden, do you have a wipe? I think there's some poop you missed." It's safe to say that his face went a bright pink in a matter of seconds.
There were tears in the corner of my eye as I hunched over laughing.
"Amy!" he groaned, visibly embarrassed. Mission accomplished, I thought.
The rest of the morning went by in a blur. After Aiden's grandmother - or you know, strange old lady who just showed up randomly - fed us enough food to last us until next Saturday, the three of us continued to chat as she cleaned up the kitchen. She refused to let Aiden and I help in any shape or form, and even threated us with a wooden spatula if we got up from our seats.
.......................
As Aiden was taking me home, I asked "How come your parents are never home?"
"What?" Aiden asked taken aback.
"Your parents. Hell, do you even have any parents?" I turned in my seat to look at him. "In the time you and I have hung out, not once have I seen your parents at home."
He chuckled. "Yes, I do have parents, princess. My mom is an event planner so she's usually at the office on the weekend and my step-dad is a lawyer and away on business a lot."
So his parents were divorced. Was Amy his step-dad's mother, then?
"So, they just leave you in that house all by yourself?" I asked dumbfounded. That sounded really lonely.
Aiden just shrugged in response. "They're home more during the week. Plus, little to no parental supervision does wonders for the ladies."
I snorted as I punched his arm. "You're such a pig."
Despite Aiden's nonchalant response, I can't imagine what it would be like to just live in a house that big and spend all my time alone. I mean, sure he's popular and probably has a lot of friends over, but nothing beats spending time with family.
As Aiden rolled into a parking spot in front of my building, I was about to say goodbye when I suddenly got an idea. Don't ask me where this said idea came from, but before I could stop myself the words poured out of my mouth.
"Hey." I said hesitantly. "A new coffee shop just opened up down the street. Do you maybe wanna go check it out with me?"
Aiden was taken aback by my question, but quickly hid his shock behind a smirk. "Are you asking me out, princess?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his teasing. "You wish, asshole." I smiled sweetly.
Since he didn't give me an answer, I assumed he probably had better things to do with his day than spend it with me so I began unbuckling my seatbelt when suddenly I felt his hand wrap around mine. Looking between him and where he was holding my hand, I raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"And where do you think you're going?" He asked staring at me with his piercing grey eyes.
"Home?" I managed to say, still being held captive by his stare.
"Too late, princess." He smirked finally letting go of my hand. "You just got yourself a date with the most handsome guy around."
"What do you mea –"
He didn't wait for me to reply before putting the car in park and turning off the engine. He effortlessly got out of the driver's seat and came around to my side to open the door for me.
I guess chivalry isn't dead after all.
"Lead the way." Aiden motioned for me as he locked his car.
The café was a mere two minutes' walk from where we left the car. Tucked away near the entrance of an old townhouse, Aiden pushed open the white door leading us inside. The strong aroma of coffee and freshly baked goods hit me the moment I stepped inside. Despite its rustic exterior, Urban Backyard was every millenia's dream. Brown leather couches and various colored armchairs were spread throughout the open layout of the room. At the very back, stood the coffee bar with a huge blackboard right above listing various items being sold there. As we approach the back, I take in the various baked goods that are tidily placed in the glass case, all lined up and waiting to be eaten.
I may have eaten just a little bit over an hour ago, but I never turn down desert.
Countless vintage photographs and green potted plants were placed around the walls of the shop.
"You're like a kid in a candy store." Aiden chuckled besides me, interrupting my daydreams of chocolate cupcakes and gooey buttery croissants.
I snorted. "This is way better than candy!"
"Ahh yes." Aiden nodded. "I forgot about your caffeine fueled addiction."
"Shut up." I mumbled as we were greeted by the chipper barista waiting to take our order.
"Hi!" She greeted us. "Welcome to Urban Backyard. What can I get you guys."
I allowed my eyes to roam through the various lists of beverages above her head, but ultimately decided on my go-to drink. "I'll take a vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso, and an almond croissant please.
"And whatever he's having." I waived to Aiden who was standing beside me. Without bothering to look at any of the menus he replied, "I'll take an espresso and a pain au chocolat."
"For here or to go?" The barista asked as she clicked a few buttons inputting our order.
"Here." Both Aiden and I replied at the same time.
I was in the process of taking my card out of the back of my phone case when Aiden stepped in front of me and handed the barista a platinum American Express credit card. What normal 18 year old just carries around a platinum Amex, I thought to myself.
"What are you – " Before I could finish my sentence, Aiden cut me off.
"You don't actually think I'm going to let you pay, now do you? Amy would beat my ass into next Sunday!" He smirked. "Go find us a table, princess."
I stared at him, mouth slightly agape. A part of me, the strong independent part of me, wanted to tell him shove his masculinity up his ass because I am perfectly capable of paying our drinks. However, the other part of me, the high school teenager, was surprisingly giddy on the inside.
Finding a table in such a small place was surprisingly more difficult than you would think with it being Saturday afternoon and all. Eventually I spotted a small round wooden table by the large bay windows at the front of the shop.
As I waited for Aiden to come with our drinks and desert, I stared out the window taking in the abundance of different colored leaves. People had also begun to layer up, no longer walking around in just a sweater. If you payed close attention, you could see the windows begin to fog around the edges due to the difference in temperatures outside and in the coffee shop.
Once Aiden had made his way to our table with all the delicious goodness, I greedily went for my latte and pastry. I waited for him to do the same before I asked, "Okay, the curiosity is killing me. Why do you call your grandmother Amy?"
"Amy is Tom's mother." Aiden sighed, an unfamiliar look on his face. "Both of my grandparents on my mom's side of the family are dead and I didn't stay in touch with anyone from my dad's side of the family."
Well this just took a morbid turn.
"When my mom married Tom, Amy treated me just like all of her other grandkids – in fact, I think she actually has a soft spot for me." He smirked. "But that might have something to do with the fact that I'm so charming."
"Sure, keep telling yourself that." I snorted in reply. "Let's play 20 questions."
"What are we, in third grade?" He sneered as he lifted the espresso cup to his lips.
"Yes, as a matter of fact we are." I replied. "I'll go first. Favorite food?"
"Sushi." He said effortlessly, all while never taking his eyes off me. "Favorite class this year?"
"History. What do you want to study in college?"
"Pre-med. If you could wish for anything right now, what would it be?"
"The ability to speak any language I want. Do you have any tattoos?"
"Nope. Best summer break you remember?"
"Florida with Caroline. How did you and Lucas become friends?"
"We met in kindergarten and have been best friends since then. He's a dick 99% of the time, but he's a good friend. What university are you hoping to get into?"
"Loyola? I don't really know, whichever one will take me I guess. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza?
"Pineapple on pizza is a crime. Ideal getaway?"
"The beach. Do you think you'll try to play pro one day?"
"No. Soccer's a hobby for me, not something I want to do professionally. If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go."
"Paris." I sighed dreamily. City of love, every girl's dream. "What about you?"
"Italy." He replied. Then, the corners of his lips twitched. "Favorite position?"
I stared at him quizzically. "Favorite position?"
"Favorite sexual position." He smirked. I swear if I was eating or drinking in that exact moment, I would have spit it right at him.
"What!" I shrieked, a little too loud because a few people from the surrounding tables turned to look at us. Giving everyone an apologetic smile, I turned my attention back to the idiot grinning from ear to ear in front of me.
"I asked what your favo –" I cut him off before he could finish. "That is none of your business!" I replied. Of course I had a favorite position because I'm not a fucking nun, but Aiden didn't need to know that. Hell, I would even go as far as to say that sexual positions are much like coffee orders; everyone likes a little something different but in the end there are those unified winners everyone can agree on.
"Ahh." He smiled triumphantly. "So you do have one. You see mine is either doggy style or cowgirl.
"Oh my god!" I yelped covering both of my ears in an attempt to unhear what I just heard. "I'm not listening!"
Oh yes you are, my subconscious reminded me. And what mighty fine taste he has.
Desperate to change the course of this conversation, I pointed to his untouched pain au chocolat. "Are you going to eat that?" I asked taking a sip of my latte. Nectar from the gods if you ask me.
"You can have it." Aiden replied, pushing the small plate towards me.
I stared at him briefly before accepting. "I promise I'm not always such fatass and eat like a cow.
A flash of anger flashed across Aiden's face. "Just because you have a healthy appetite and don't starve yourself like most of the girls our age, doesn't mean you're a fatass."
"I think it's actually kinda cute." He added, sending me a wink.
I snorted. "Okay, first of all, I would never starve myself - I love food too much."
"Good." He smirked. "If you start to lose your ass, I might just take it personally."
Rolling my eyes, I sent him a smirk of my own. "Guys like you, are the reason we have middle fingers." For good measure, I flipped him off as I stood up from the table and took our empty dishes to the back of the café.
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Merry Christmas!🎄⛄️♥️
What did you guys think of their game of 20 questions?