Page 15 of Rule 5: Never Crush on the Captain
I squirm in the bed.
“Yeah,” Vinnie admits.
“Sometimes you have friends for sleepovers, don’t you, Stella?” I ask.
Stella nods.
“I’m going to need your help in the kitchen, Stella,” Vinnie says. “Think you can be my sous chef?”
“What’s a sous chef?”
Vinnie smiles, and I give him a relieved nod. Vinnie takes Stella’s hand and leads her from the room as he explains.
I close my eyes, but then realize their interaction is far more interesting than any sleep could be. I follow.
Vinnie helps Stella onto one of the kitchen stools on the island, then goes to the Sub-Zero fridge.
“I hope you’re going to make something incredible,” I say.
He jerks his head toward me. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”
“Not in the mood.”
He sighs, then looks around. I’m puzzled, but then Vinnie marches to the living room and lifts one of my large, overstuffed leather armchairs and carries it to the kitchen. “Sit.”
“You’re rearranging my furniture again.”
“If that’s what it takes to keep you healthy.”
Some tension releases in my chest, and I topple into the armchair. After all, it is there. It would be foolish not to use it.
Vinnie disappears again, then reappears with my matching leather ottoman. The nail heads glint under the pendant lighting. He swoops my legs up easily and places them on the ottoman. “There.”
“Looking forward to your cooking show.”
He glares, and I laugh despite myself.
I turn to Stella. “What do you think he’s going to make?”
“Waffles!”
“No, no,” I say. “That’s my thing. He has to make something different.”
“Think I can’t handle it, McAllister?” Vinnie smirks and marches to the refrigerator.
“What do you think, Stella?” I ask.
Stella giggles happily.
Vinnie opens the door, then starts pulling out materials. Eggs, milk, spinach, cucumbers, water.
I raise an eyebrow. “You cooking everything in the fridge?”
“I know a challenge if I hear one.”
He opens the cabinets, removes a glass, then pours me some water and hands me one of the tablets that Dr. Novak gave him. “Wouldn’t want you to miss out on my cooking skills.”
I snort but take the water and tablet. I swallow the pill, leaning my head back as I gulp down the water. When I finish, I find Vinnie staring at me. He turns around quickly, but I notice that his cheeks are darker than before. Maybe he’s thirsty too.
