Hearing my familiar phone alarm in my mind waking me up from my deep slumber at 6am. The room still dark made me question the time, checking my phone confirmed it was 6am. 'hmmmm its defiantly 6am time to get up...' I was quite disciplined when it came to waking up, as everyone always told me how they were jealous of my super power to feel asleep within a minute of closing my eyes.
Feeling refreshed I put on a random T-shirt and made my way to check if Jade was still asleep, silently peeping in like a ninja I was kinda relieved to still see a mound beneath the duvet still sound asleep.
Gleefully and silently making my way down, I instantly saw the amount of washing and tidying up I needed to do, 'God do I hate cleaning up' dredging the task ahead I began cleaning up the mess from yesterday. Soaking the dishes made the washing up super easy, and emptying out the rubbish in the trash disposal shoot. I made quick work of the mess from last night, and began scrubbing down some of the surfaces I cooked and prepped on.
Retrieving the bottle of wine, I emptied it back into the decanter and placed it a shelf 'Hmmm I know you can't re-cork wine, but I wonder how long it will stay good for....' Shrugging off my thoughts I began preparing breakfast.
I wondered if she was a simple breakfast girl, or did she want something fancy like an Eggs Benedict or Creamcheese and Smoked Salmon on toast.... Hmmm maybe I should check her social media..... Pulling my phone out of the pocket and turning aeroplane mode off. My phone was instantly blasted with Text messages and missed call notification. One such message grabbed all my attention, it was from my best mate Jay reading, "Dude this is important I need to see you in the office this morning."
'That's odd he doesn't normally require me to meet him in the office.' "Sure no worries I'll be there by I replied to his message.
Scanning my call logs, and packed full of unknown numbers trying and contact me yesterday during our dinner and movie. Surprisingly some old friends who I haven't spoken to for over 10 years some even 15... 'Hmm this is odd...anyway i have more pressing matters on my hands'
I opened up my facebook that I probably haven't touched for over 15 years and was glad to see Jade was on my friends list even after deactivating my account. 'Hmmm sadly no recent post since 5 years ago and no pictures of anything food related.' I opened my Instagram up next but she wasn't on my followers list. 'Hmmm....what next.... Ohh I'll try LinkedIn' Opening up my app and profile, I paused for a second remembering that they notify the person if their profile was viewed, causing another road block. 'I'll try Instagram again', opening the app again double checking my followers list yielding no result, maybe I'll try a search. Resulting in a profile, checking the picture it defiantly looked like her, HUR my heart skipped a beat as my eyes panned to the right and saw that I Followed her, 'WHEN DID I FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM?!' frantically checking if maybe I followed her because she followed me first, but nope she wasn't on my followers list, 'OMG she must think I'm a stalker.', quickly checking her most recent post, I was relieved to see her most recent post was over 2 years ago....'thank God' but still no posts of foods or anything prior to that. 'What the hell?! What girl this era don't take photos of everything they eat...'
My phone began to ring in my hand the caller ID labelled "Jay", "Wassup bro?" I said picking up the call.
"Yo dude I need you in the office today." He replied.
"Yeah no worries I already said I'll be there for 9...." I replied.
"Yeah I know but I wanted to make sure you're gonna be there..." He replied.
"Yeah ofc.... btw what's going on... you hardly ever tell me to go into the office..." I hesitantly asked.
"I'll update you when you get here." He answered.
"Alright now worries see you there." I replied.
"No worries see you later dude." He said putting down the phone, 'Hmmm… that's odd he didn't even ask one question about the date, even though when I told him he was totally ecstatic for me that I finally moved on and wouldn't stop pestering me for what I have planned.
"Morning...." I heard Jade say slowly creeping down the stairs.
"Was I too loud?... I'm so sorry... Good Morning" I smiled at her apologizing.
"No..... I generally wake up at this time." She said walking into the kitchen rubbing her eyes taking a seat at the counter.
"Important call?" she asked.
"Ahh nothing special, just my best mate calling me into the office. You remember Jaymesh right?" I asked.
"Ohh you guys still best mates? That's good, yeah I remember him. I thought you said you work at home….." she said answering me.
"Ohh yeah.... but I generally invest most my earnings into his company which he pays me back with interest so it's a win-win situation." I explained to her..... "So coffee or tea?" I asked politely.
"Tea please!" she woke up a little at the sound of tea.
Putting water into the kettle to boil, "Soo fancy any breakfast?" I asked her.
"Ummm Nah I'll pass I don't want to cause too much trouble..." she hesitantly asked.
"Not at all, gives me another way to impress you." I said winking at her.
She leaned back a bit surprised at me, and then nodded her head agreeing, "Sure gimme something impressive" she smiled.
I began starting the momentous task of making an eggs benedict while making pancakes with strawberry compote. "So what are your plans today?" I asked trying to start a conversation.
"Hmm.... Well it all depends on how good this breakfast is...." she replied with a smile.
"Ohh? And what if its good?" I said jokingly.
"I dunno maybe I'll call my friends and have brunch to talk all about you." she replied.
"Good things? I hope?" I replied making her cup of tea.
"Hmmmmm some good some bad." She smiled watching me.
"White tea or black, sugar? and I only have whole milk...." I asked her finishing up her tea.
"White tea please, Yes whole milk will be fine and one sugar please." She requested.
"Sure" I responded grabbing the milk out the fridge and the sugar from a shelf. "Here you go Madam" I said courteously placing the cup of tea in front of her, her face filled with glee smiling from ear to ear embracing the mug and taking a sip.
"So bad things huh?" I said reviving the conversation.
"Yeah a few stipulations here and there." she replied laughing a little.
"Well I hope I get a second chance at redemption." I said playing along.
"I dunno it all depends on the breakfast, you got me hyped up about. This is gonna be the make or break I'm afraid." She joked.
"Damn.... my confidence.... I should have stuck with cereal." I joked, as I finished up the eggs benedict and started pouring in the pancake mix into a pan.
"So what's on the menu? Smells very nice." she asked curiously.
"Ahhh that's a surprise." I turned my head slightly smiling at her. "Besides it's almost done now." I informed her. As I began plating everything up. "Close your eyes." I instructed turning around to check if they are closed. She obliged closing her eyes, "With your hands as well." I instructed, following my instructions she placed her hands over her eyes.
Picking up both the plates I laid them both out in front of her. "Now you can open your eyes." I said, slowly removing her hands from her eyes, her first reaction was of amazement and admiration.
"Wow you really made this?!" She said in astonishment.
"Yeah really, I mean you just saw me make it." I replied, what followed was a reaction of total disbelief.
"I mean.... Like seriously, someone like you still on the market, there's gotta be something wrong." She replied to me.
"Honestly there's nothing I can think of, unless you spotted something" I replied placing cutlery for her and I began to clean up the mess I've made.
"Although..... this is way too much to finish alone, want to share?" she asked me nicely.
"Yeah...… Sorry I didn't know if you was a savoury or sweet girl..... So I made both." I said smiling hesitantly.
"You can still have some right?" she asked again as I didn't answer her question.
"No sorry.... I'm Intermediate Fasting, so I don't eat my first meal till... hmm 11am or midday only water until then." I replied getting myself a glass full of water.
"Well I'll refuse to eat unless you eat with me." She said crossing her arms with a huff.
I couldn't help myself but smile at her cute pretty face pretending to be angry at me, "okay fine" as I pulled up a chair opposite to her.
A smile crept on her face as she began to cut into her breakfast. "I know a crazy person would say this but honestly I'm not crazy." I said jokingly.
"I dunno it's a bit suspicious, why you're still single and unwed, my alarms are ringing" she replied, as she tried the eggs benedict. "OMG it's so good!!! Are you sure you're not a professional chef? Or been in the food industry?" She asked in shock.
"Honestly no...I just like cooking and well this particular dish I've practiced a lot on." I replied with a smile.
"You know.... this is all starting to make me think this is all too good to be true." She admitted as she began preparing another fork full of breakfast, and proceeded to feed me a some breakfast.
"Not bad, my compliments to the chef." I joked.
"Yeah not bad, I'd say worthy of a 2nd visit." She said playing along.
"Ohhh really food that good here huh?" I replied.
"Yeah the food is pretty good, the atmosphere though hmm may need some work." She replied.
"Hmm maybe we should come back again a little earlier, so we can experience the atmosphere better." I replied with a smile.
Checking the time on my watch, I noticed it was 8:30, "Ohhh shoot I lost track of time I'm running late." I said in a panic.
"Ummmm... I have a spare set of keys in the key bowl beside the door, just you know lock up after yourself when you're finished... Ohh and don't worry about the dishes......." as I ran to grab my coat and start putting on my trainers grabbing my set of keys.
"Urrr..... okay..." she hesitantly agreed, as I rushed out the door.
"Ahhh shit... I forgot." I said bursting back in rummaging the kitchen cupboards in a panic, pulling out one large Tupperware box and a cylindrical one. "This is for the pancakes and compote." I said in a panic rushing out.
Bursting back in again, "Ohhhh and don't take this the wrong way.... but if you're short of cash or something I always have some on the bedside cupboard top draw." I said leaving before she could react.
Quickly heading to the underground parking lot to retrieve my car.