Page 15 of Deep Fried Devotion
She nodded. She remembered him mentioning his partner in Brooklyn. The pain in his voice made Birdie's chest ache. She could picture a younger Soren, full of dreams and trust, believing in shared visions.
"What happened?"
Soren's jaw tightened. “I found out he'd been skimming money to cover gambling debts."
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Birdie watched the memory play across his features—the humiliation, the betrayal, the slow death of dreams he'd thought were shared.
"I felt like a fool. I swore I'd never put myself in that position again," Soren said, finally meeting her eyes.
"But?" Birdie prompted gently, seeing the conflict in his expression.
"But it’s different being with you." His voice softened. "It’s like we're more in synch."
"Yeah,” she said, settling deeper into her chair. "I feel it too.”
He sighed. “Good.”
“This is nice. I don't think I've sat down since you left this morning."
"I barely had time to think while you were gone," Soren admitted. "I was so focused on not burning anything down that I didn't realize until just now how much I missed having you here."
Birdie turned to look at him, struck by the honesty in his voice. "Really?"
"Really. It wasn't just the extra work—though that was brutal. It was... quieter without you. Less vibrant somehow." He took a sip of wine, gathering courage. "I kept catching myself looking toward the gates, hoping to see you coming back."
"I spent half the evening wishing I was here instead of prepping someone else's menu," she confessed. "Even though it was good money, it felt wrong to be anywhere else."
"Because of the fair?"
"Because of you." The words slipped out before she could stop them, but she didn't want to take them back.
The wine and the peaceful atmosphere made everything feel softer, more intimate. String lights twinkled overhead, and in the distance they could hear the sounds of the fair shutting down for the night.
"Birdie," Soren said, his voice quieter than usual. "I need to tell you something."
She turned to face him.
"I think I'm falling in love with you," he said. "And it terrifies me because I've spent my whole life avoiding anything I couldn't control or predict."
Warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the wine. "You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"I'm already there. Have been since yesterday when you memorized my cooking times without me asking."
"That was just practical—"
"No, it wasn't." She reached for his hand. "It was you caring about my success as much as your own."
Soren's fingers intertwined with hers, and they sat in comfortable silence, watching the last lights of the fair dim around them.
When he kissed her, it was soft and sweet and full of promise, tasting like possibility and forever. Around them, the fair was settling into its nighttime quiet, but Birdie knew they were just getting started.
Tomorrow would bring the article, more attention, decisions about their future. But tonight, they had each other, and the simple, extraordinary truth that sometimes the best partnerships were the ones that caught you completely by surprise.
Chapter Six
