Lunch.

When Isabelle and I decided to learn how to cook, we relied mostly on tutorial videos and online recipes. Mom knows how to cook and she’s very willing to answer when we have questions, but she leaves the brunt of the learning to us because it’s something WE decided to do. While cooking with Diana, though, she was happy to tell me in detail how and why she did what she did, which was very helpful.

She taught me her way of slicing and chopping onions and vegetables, which might sound simple, but I still ran into the issue of inconsistent size and thickness when I did it.

It was a very strange and distracting experience, though. We were in her kitchen, but she was still only wearing panties and a T-shirt and I was only wearing pants, remaining shirtless. I often caught myself staring at Diana’s bare legs or the silhouette her breasts formed on her T-shirt. I also caught Diana looking at my chest or my butt, so we just laughed it off and decided to let the other’s eyes wander as much as they wanted.

Diana led the process and I only helped a bit, but I felt like I learned a lot. She was preparing roasted chicken breasts with a white wine sauce and mashed potatoes with onions, carrots and small pieces of broccoli.

“Didn’t you say we’d be having lasagna?”

“I’d rather save that for dinner. Unless you want it now?”

“No, I’m fine with anything.”

I admit, I was just a little disappointed because I wasn’t the biggest fan of mashed potatoes. I wasn’t an overly picky eater in general, so I still ate mashed potatoes, but I didn’t really enjoy them. Still, I wasn’t about to voice a single word of complaint.

When the preparation was ready, Diana put the chicken in the oven and got ready to mash the cooked potatoes. I was also ready to help, but instead, Diana asked me something else.

“Oliver, there’s some sealed raw meat in the fridge. Can you serve a packet on Red’s bowl over there and take it to him while I finish up here?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Raw meat? It’s it dangerous for dogs?”

“It can be, but I order this specifically for dogs. It’s safe. He eats usual dog food twice a day, but I give him some raw meat on weekends at lunch, too. Could you do that for me?”

“Yes, of course.” I eagerly accepted because I wanted Diana’s dog to like me, if possible. I still remember how I had to reprimand Cake when she hissed at the girls the first time she met them.

“Ah, and… put on a shirt before you go out.” She smiled wryly at me. “One of my neighbors is known as The Hinge.”

“The… Hinge?”

“If she’s not at the door talking to people, she’s at the window, looking out and generally being really nosy.” She chuckled. “She’s a good lady, but it’d be best if she didn’t see you shirtless in my backyard.”

I nodded. “Good point. But… you’re okay with her seeing me at all, then?”

“She might comment on and gossip about me seeing a younger man, but we’re not doing anything wrong, are we? I don’t mind.”

It was a relief to hear. My hunch from the other day seemed to be correct. Once Diana decided on something, she did it right, no half-assing it.

I went to the fridge and found a number of air-tight packages with ground meat in them. I asked Diana if the one that said ‘lamb patty’ was okay and she said yes. The package had Red’s name printed on it along with information on the meat’s contents. It said it was 80% lamb meat, 10% bone and 10% liver.

“This must be expensive,” I commented as I cut open the packet with a knife and served the meat in Red's metal bowl. I’m sorry, but with stuff like this my frugal side overpowers me.

“A bit, but I only give it to him on weekends, not every day. Remember how I told you my dad used to breed horses? We take animal nutrition seriously. Although…” She sighed. “I did have to ask Maria to lend me some money this month so I could finish paying my lawyer. Good thing my pay is about to increase.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” Good for her.

I put on my T-shirt and went out the backdoor. Diana’s backyard was very reminiscent of my own, only better taken care of. The grass was trimmed, the wooden fence was in perfect condition and there was even a grill with a table and chairs. Red heard the door and came out of his dog house, long ears pointing up in curiosity. Man, he was such a beautiful dog. He looked healthy and his coat seemed to shine.

I set the bowl down but stayed relatively close. Red sniffed around, getting closer to his bowl until he confirmed his meal was there. He licked his lips and dug in, crewing on the half-frozen ground lamb with gusto. Seeing him made me want to have a dog of my own, but we already had our hands full with Cake.

I watched Red eat without interrupting. It was tempting to pet him, but I was still a stranger. Better not push it, I thought. But then Red finished his meal, and the dog began to sniff me.

“Sorry, boy. That’s all for today. I’ll give you another treat later.”

Red turned around and walked away, so I thought that was that. But then I saw him picking up a ball in his mouth and bringing it to me. He set it down on my feet and began to jump around, barking playfully. I swear, being liked by women is a blessing, but being chosen like this by animals is another thing entirely.

I happily picked up the ball and threw it. Red ran after it at lightspeed and brought it back, dropping it by my feet again and looking up at me with his tongue out, his ears up and his bushy tail wagging dangerously quickly.

I… spent like 10 straight minutes playing with him. He didn’t get bored or tired in the slightest. I threw the ball in different directions, sometimes even lobbed it at him and he caught it in the air, which was damn impressive.

“Oh no, now I lost you…” I heard Diana say. I turned around and saw her standing there leaning the doorframe, arms crossed. Ah, and wearing pants. “I was wondering what was taking so long. Now he’s never gonna stop, you know?” Still, she was smiling as she watched Red coming back with the ball.

“Sorry, I… got caught up in something,” I said sheepishly. “Okay, Red. Just one more.” That last throw turned into the second to last one, then the third to last one…

“Oh God, I really am stuck here…”

Diana chuckled. “Told you.”

“Okay, this really is the last one, Red!” I told the dog, but his playful barking and jumping clearly said my opinion didn’t matter. I threw the ball and made my tactical retreat into the house. Diana closed the door behind me.

“Ugh, now I feel bad again…” I said.

Diana laughed. “What, you spoil your cat like this, too?”

I blinked. “No, actually. Huh.” I guess it’s easier to spoil a pet when you’re not the one responsible for it. Never thought about it that way.

I washed my hands, went to sit with Diana at the table in the dining room and the two of us had lunch.

Now, this might sound like I’m only saying it because I’m really into her, but I swear it’s not. Diana’s cooking completely made me change my opinion on mashed potatoes. It was so damn good! Everything was, really.

I hoped I’d get to learn more from her in the future.

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