"I didn't know Graham Larson was the type of guy who would take a picture of his food before eating."
Graham's smile fades at that comment. He makes sure that the picture he's just taken of his steak has been received by Aiden in their private chat with the message: "I'm missing your dishes so badly. Look at this!"
Then, he addresses the remark made by his companion.
"Oh, I just like registering everything I eat for health reasons", he lies after clearing his throat and saving his phone in the pocket of his trousers. "Sorry if it's annoying, Elyse."
The woman smiles with understanding and takes a sip of her lemonade before replying.
"It's not annoying. This actually looks good enough to be a painting in my kitchen."
"I don't agree with that. I've seen far better dishes."
"I guess."
Elyse Walker raises her eyebrows but decides to not start an argument about food. The brown-haired man, on the other hand, doesn't want to let go of the topic that easily.
"Have you eaten at Indigo recently?" He waits for her to shake her head no. "You should. They've upgraded their menu and I think it's the best in the city at this moment."
She frowns at that statement.
"Why are we eating here, then?"
Graham escapes her gaze, regretting ever mentioning that other restaurant.
"This one is closer to where I live", he lies. "I don't really like wasting time driving when I could be working."
"Should I feel honored because you're spending time with me instead of doing your job?"
"Yes, definitely."
"I'm more than honored then."
Elyse lets out a chuckle as her cheeks turn red. Her companion doesn't notice her reaction, which would have made him take back his words because he didn't mean that being with her is more enjoyable than working. What he really meant is that anyone should find it flattering that Graham Larson spends time with them.
Their date continues, surprisingly better than the ones Graham previously had with other women. Elyse understands his personality a little more, which makes him hate her less than the others.
The evening passes quickly and yet again Graham only wants the meeting to end. This time he has no other plan but to drive home and fix a problem created by one of his employees.
"Let's meet at that restaurant you mentioned next time", she suggests with glee as soon as they have paid for their meals.
"You know I'm busy, but I'll call you to set a possible date."
"Alright, have a nice night."
Graham waits until she has entered his car and driven away. Then, he enters his own vehicle and takes a deep breath.
The ride home is as tedious as ever. Even though he's close to his house, he still got stuck in traffic.
This time in silence lets him understand that he's very lucky that his expression doesn't show his thoughts. Only those who truly look at him are able to read him correctly. Otherwise, Elyse would have easily figured out that his mind was usually drifting away from her, and that when Graham isn't thinking about work, he's thinking about Aiden.
Although he tried, he really couldn't stop comparing the dishes with Aiden's. No. Not only the food was in his mind, actually. He would also remember Aiden's gestures and expressions that never fail to flutter his heart.
Just like in this very moment when the chef decides to call Graham.
"Are you busy?" Aiden asks after a warm greeting. Since the phone is synchronized with the vehicle, his voice easily replaces the quietness built around the driver.
"Not anymore."
"What about this weekend?"
Graham leans his head back, trying to remember if there's anything important in his agenda.
"It depends."
Though the older man doesn't see it, Aiden bites his lip.
"I have a day off and I really wanted to properly thank you for your help. Are you free for a fancy dinner?"
"You don't have to…"
"Shut up and accept it, please. I promise there will be no alcohol."
Graham sighs with resignation. He does like the idea of meeting him one more time. However, he doesn't want to make Aiden cook for him again and again.
"I'll accept it but…"
"I knew you were going to try to negotiate", Aiden interrupts him for the second time. "What do you want in exchange?"
"I don't want you to cook this time."
"Are you already tired of my food?"
"No. It's not that", Graham is quick to reassure after noticing the change in Aiden's tone. "I just think that spending time preparing a full course meal isn't a way to celebrate something."
"Are you planning on cooking yourself? Because I'd love to see that."
"I'll cook for you, then. You should know that my skills are worse than average, though."
Aiden shakes his head. A lock of his long red hair falls to his face as a consequence to the movement.
"I know, but the point is to thank you. If you're tired of my cooking, though, we can go to an expensive restaurant and you'll let me pay."
Graham purses his lips together. He had always offered to pay because it was his father's money that he was spending. Salvatore told him to buy his dates anything we wanted and he's found a way to use that money to his advantage.
It's obvious that he could save it instead. Nevertheless, he doesn't like having money that he didn't earn with his work.
On the other hand, Millers won't give in, which will force Graham to accept at least one of the ideas he proposes.
"Wouldn't you prefer doing something unrelated to food?" Larson asks as he turns the corner and leaves the traffic behind.
"I hadn't thought about that."
"Is there any place in the city that you'd like visiting?"
Aiden takes his time to reply, considering the few things he learnt about Slanford before moving in.
"I'd rather hear some suggestions before deciding."
"We could go to a museum", he offers, not too excited about it as he is with the next option given. "Oh, I think there will be a classical music concert in the theater."
"Boring", the red-haired male mutters in a joking manner.
"What did you say?" Graham asks as he finally gets home and parks in his garage.
"I mean, there must be more interesting places to go than just museums."
Graham thinks about it while turning off the headlights. His head rests against the seat as he tries to remember any fun activities they could do. After all, he also finds the local museums boring because of how many times he has visited them.
"If you'd like something more adventurous, there's a zip-line nearby. It's in Rayholm woods."
"A zip-line?" Aiden shifts in his seat, slightly uncomfortable with the idea.
"Is that too interesting for you?" Larson teases with a wide smile on his face, deciding to stay in the car until the call ends.
"No, not at all."
"I'll pick you up at 9 a.m."
"Wait, I want to know if you've ever gone to the woods. Isn't it dangerous?"
"Maybe it is, if you go deep enough. But the only thing you should worry about is that the cable you'll be hanging from doesn't break."
Aiden closes his eyes, only in favor of the idea because they'll be there during daytime. Plus, he should be the one who enjoys annoying Graham, not the other way around.
"Fine. Just don't chicken out once we get there."
"Trust me, I won't." Graham sighs as he leans back on the car seat. "The scenery is actually beautiful, as far as I remember."
"Do you enjoy doing extreme activities?"
"No." He shakes his head, letting images from the past come back to the present. "My sister is the one who likes doing that kind of stuff. I would join her every now and then, though. What about you?"
"Honestly, I have only seen it on TV", Aiden admits with a smile. "Ziplining, bungee jumping, skydiving… It looks fun but I've never had the opportunity to try any of them."
"Really? Because you sounded slightly afraid when I suggested the idea."
"I wasn't afraid of the zipline. I just thought there would be bears or something."
Graham lets out a heartwarming laugh.
"If you say so…"