Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“You know I do.”
Mark lifts the spoon up to my mouth, but before I can take a taste, he kisses me. I laugh against his lips.
“I meant of the sauce,” I say.
He pouts playfully. “I taste better than the sauce.”
I sneak a bit of the red sauce from the spoon. “You actually taste a lot like the sauce.”
“We need to stop saying sauce.”
“Yes, we do.”
Mark returns to stirring his concoction while I slice the bread and set it onto a tray for baking. We spread some of the garlic butter I keep on hand onto each slice and place it under the broiler to toast.
The pasta is just beginning to boil when there’s a knock on my door. I check the time. The last hour has flown by; Mari is here.
“Go answer the door!” Mark urges.
Wiping my palms on my jeans, I hang up the apron Mark insists I wear in the kitchen. He has his own that he keeps in my kitchen, too. It looks adorable on him. On me, though, it looks out of place. I don’t want Mari to see me like that.
When I open the door, I have to force my jaw not to drop. She’s wearing tight jeans and a low-cut shirt that’s visible through her unzipped jacket. All of the best parts of her body are accentuated by the outfit.
“Hi,” I manage to get out. “Welcome to my apartment.”
Mari steps through the open door. “Thank you! It’s incredible.”
“Thanks. Let me give you a quick tour.”
I lead Mari down the small hallway. “So, this is the living room,” I announce, pointing at the room to the left. “The dining room. The two bedrooms are down this hallway. The bathroom is as well. Then this is the kitchen. It’s not a huge apartment, but it’s plenty of space for me.”
“It’s a whole lot bigger than my dorm,” Mari says with a laugh. “Actually, it’s almost bigger than my house in Queens!”
“I don’t believe that one bit. Well, the dorm part I believe. I could never live in one of those.”
“It’s not easy,” she agrees. “Not much space to move around. I don’t know how people live with random roommates. I could never share a small room with someone I don’t know.”
Mark is pulling the bread from the oven when we step into the kitchen.
“Mari!” he exclaims when he sees her. “Welcome! Glad you could make it.”
She looks around the kitchen in awe. “Wow, did you guys make all of this?”
“Mark is the mastermind.”
“You didn’t have to go to so much trouble…”
Mark’s arm snakes around my waist. “It was no trouble at all. I just hope it tastes good.”
“It smells amazing.”
“Well, let’s taste it, then. Mari, can you grab the breadbasket? John, you can get plates and forks. I’ll bring the pasta.”
“On it, boss.”
We each grab our designated item and march to the dining room. I quickly set the table while Mark and Mari put the bread and pasta down.
“Mari, why don’t you sit at the head of the table?” I suggest.
“Oh, no, it’s your house…”
“Well, we both want to get to know you better. I think it would be easier if you sit there with us on either side.”
She bites her lip but takes the seat at the head of the table. Having her in my dining room feels right. She belongs here.
Mark serves up the pasta, and I hand two slices of bread to each of us. There’s plenty more, which is good because I usually eat at least five pieces of toast with a plate of pasta. The bread is my favorite part. Mark’s homemade sauce is a close second.
“Wow, Mark, this is delicious!” Mari gushes after her first bite. “You made this?”
“From scratch,” I brag, knowing Mark won’t. “He would’ve made the pasta himself, too, if he’d had time.”
“That’s incredible! I cook a lot with my mom at home, but it’s nothing like this.”
“It’s an acquired skill,” Mark says. “Now, enough about me. I want to hear more about you.”
Mari swallows a large bite of pasta. “What do you want to know?”
“How did you end up at NYU?”
She laughs. “It has always been my dream school. I like that it’s close enough to home that I can visit on the weekends, but it still feels like I’m on my own. Plus, they gave me the most money.”
“You’re on a scholarship?”
“Yep. I had straight A’s in high school, and I got a full scholarship for tuition here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include room and board. My parents put up as much money as they could for housing, but it costs a lot to live in the dorms here. The balance is covered by student loans. I’m hoping to get a job at a literary magazine or something when I graduate; that way, I can start paying off my loans.”