I know you look down on it, but she really enjoys cooking, especially for you. Why don’t you do that together?”
Thanks to Gemma I had five years to really appreciate my mother and spend time cooking with her. We never spoke again about the argument, so I didn’t know whether Gemma told her about our discussion, but it didn’t seem to matter. I never formally apologized—something I still regretted—but I liked to think that I made it up to her by my actions.
Gemma only lived a few minutes away and she was scarily punctual, so I was not in the least bit surprised when she knocked on the door at exactly one o’clock. At the same time, I heard the heavy footsteps of Caiden running down the stairs.
“I’ll get it,” I yelled, running to the door trying to beat Caiden there. The last thing I wanted was for Caiden to inflict himself on Gemma. I heard the sound of the door opening as I rounded the corner to see Caiden had just beaten me there. He was carrying a duffel bag packed full of clothes and looked ready to leave.
“Oh, hello,” Gemma said startled, as she came face-to-face with Caiden. “You must be Caiden.”
“Yes ma’am,” Caiden replied. “Has Vicky told you all about me?” Apparently Caiden could be polite when he wanted to be and for some reason that annoyed me as much as him being rude.
“No, I heard the news from Victoria’s father. I’m a big fan of your mum’s though. In fact, I think Victoria and I are going to cook one of her recipes today.”
“Great,” Caiden replied. He still sounded polite, but I caught the hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Well, I’m off back to London so I will leave you ladies to it. Look after Vicky for me. She seems to be a little tense right now.”
Caiden turned back to look at me and grinned before walking out of the house and getting into a taxi that had just pulled up outside.
“Come in, come in,” I said to Gemma who was still standing on the doorstep.
“So that’s the new member of the family, is it?”
“Not yet,” I said, as if that made a difference. “But yes, it looks like I will be seeing a lot more of him.”
“Well it’s a good job he’s easy on the eye than.”
“Gemma,” I exclaimed. “That’s disgusting. He’s going to be my brother.”
Gemma frowned. “No, he’s not. He won’t be anything like a brother. Don’t tell me you can’t see the appeal there?”
“No,” I said, far too quickly. “He has tattoos and he’s rather vulgar. That polite thing was just an act.”
“Good,” Gemma said. “Who wants polite? I wouldn’t dismiss him too quickly if I were you. That is a man who knows exactly how to treat a woman, and I don’t mean holding doors open for them.”
“Gemma, he’s half your age.”
“So, he’s nineteen and legal. I have needs as well and I’d be willing to bet he could satisfy them with ease.”
“Well, you’re welcome to him,” I said.
“I don’t mean to pry into your personal life, but I’m guessing you don’t have too much experience with this kind of thing. You don’t have to say anything, but let me give you a piece of advice. In a few months you will be going to Cambridge from what I hear. I’m sure they have some great professors there, but what you need this summer is someone who will teach you about some of the more basic things in life. Caiden looks like a great teacher.”
“My dad would go mental,” I said.
“That just makes it all the more fun,” Gemma said with a wink. “Anyway, your dad won’t be happy unless you stay a virgin until you’re married, and even then I think he’d rather you only did the deed for procreation purposes.”
I laughed. “Come on, let’s go cook. I wasn’t planning on cooking any of Sheri Ramsden’s recipes today though.”
“That’s okay, I was just saying that to be polite to Caiden. I’m sure whatever you pick is fine.”
I had all the ingredients laid out alongside all the pots, pans, and other utensils we
Thanks to Gemma I had five years to really appreciate my mother and spend time cooking with her. We never spoke again about the argument, so I didn’t know whether Gemma told her about our discussion, but it didn’t seem to matter. I never formally apologized—something I still regretted—but I liked to think that I made it up to her by my actions.
Gemma only lived a few minutes away and she was scarily punctual, so I was not in the least bit surprised when she knocked on the door at exactly one o’clock. At the same time, I heard the heavy footsteps of Caiden running down the stairs.
“I’ll get it,” I yelled, running to the door trying to beat Caiden there. The last thing I wanted was for Caiden to inflict himself on Gemma. I heard the sound of the door opening as I rounded the corner to see Caiden had just beaten me there. He was carrying a duffel bag packed full of clothes and looked ready to leave.
“Oh, hello,” Gemma said startled, as she came face-to-face with Caiden. “You must be Caiden.”
“Yes ma’am,” Caiden replied. “Has Vicky told you all about me?” Apparently Caiden could be polite when he wanted to be and for some reason that annoyed me as much as him being rude.
“No, I heard the news from Victoria’s father. I’m a big fan of your mum’s though. In fact, I think Victoria and I are going to cook one of her recipes today.”
“Great,” Caiden replied. He still sounded polite, but I caught the hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Well, I’m off back to London so I will leave you ladies to it. Look after Vicky for me. She seems to be a little tense right now.”
Caiden turned back to look at me and grinned before walking out of the house and getting into a taxi that had just pulled up outside.
“Come in, come in,” I said to Gemma who was still standing on the doorstep.
“So that’s the new member of the family, is it?”
“Not yet,” I said, as if that made a difference. “But yes, it looks like I will be seeing a lot more of him.”
“Well it’s a good job he’s easy on the eye than.”
“Gemma,” I exclaimed. “That’s disgusting. He’s going to be my brother.”
Gemma frowned. “No, he’s not. He won’t be anything like a brother. Don’t tell me you can’t see the appeal there?”
“No,” I said, far too quickly. “He has tattoos and he’s rather vulgar. That polite thing was just an act.”
“Good,” Gemma said. “Who wants polite? I wouldn’t dismiss him too quickly if I were you. That is a man who knows exactly how to treat a woman, and I don’t mean holding doors open for them.”
“Gemma, he’s half your age.”
“So, he’s nineteen and legal. I have needs as well and I’d be willing to bet he could satisfy them with ease.”
“Well, you’re welcome to him,” I said.
“I don’t mean to pry into your personal life, but I’m guessing you don’t have too much experience with this kind of thing. You don’t have to say anything, but let me give you a piece of advice. In a few months you will be going to Cambridge from what I hear. I’m sure they have some great professors there, but what you need this summer is someone who will teach you about some of the more basic things in life. Caiden looks like a great teacher.”
“My dad would go mental,” I said.
“That just makes it all the more fun,” Gemma said with a wink. “Anyway, your dad won’t be happy unless you stay a virgin until you’re married, and even then I think he’d rather you only did the deed for procreation purposes.”
I laughed. “Come on, let’s go cook. I wasn’t planning on cooking any of Sheri Ramsden’s recipes today though.”
“That’s okay, I was just saying that to be polite to Caiden. I’m sure whatever you pick is fine.”
I had all the ingredients laid out alongside all the pots, pans, and other utensils we
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