Chapter 25

"There is," AJ admitted with a laugh. "All you have to do is to run your wrists under cold water every so often."

"That REALLY works?"

"Do you see me crying?" he chuckled.

"You could have had your tear ducts removed!" she taunted.

"Ah yes! Because I will go to ANY lengths to prove a point!" this time he was laughing outright.

"Oh you! Come on, they're chopped fine enough! Let's go to work!"

Throwing the poor maligned onions into the skillet with the meat, he said, "Lead on slave driver!"

They worked for a while until AJ needed to take a break so he could attend to the chili. That was how the morning went until Jamie called an early lunch break. She confessed that she was starving because with his early arrival she hadn't had any breakfast. It was then, the news about his ten mile run before he arrived came out. AJ had teased her that he'd gotten a run in and then eaten before showing up at her doorstep just a little after dawn.

She rolled her eyes at him as they dug into the large sandwiches she had put together for their mid day meal. Even though she didn't let it show, she was very impressed with the fact that he kept himself in great shape, and it seemed with very little effort! After eating, AJ assessed what they had already gotten done and said, "I think we can be done by dinner time if we keep up the pace we had this morning."

Jamie was quick to protest, "But I thought you would be here tonight and tomorrow too!"

He smiled gently at her disappointed look, "Well we can either slow the pace greatly, or we could finish early and think of something more fun to do this evening and tomorrow."

"Oh! That sounds fine then. I really didn't want to give up all that time with you."

"I'm glad because I didn't either."

The chili had been sending out tempting aromas all afternoon and by the time AJ finally announced that they could eat it, Jamie declared he would be lucky to get any at all because she was so hungry.

He laughed and told her he had made a lot, but she argued it still might not be enough. She then went on to offend him greatly by asking if he wanted either sour cream or cheddar cheese to put in his. AJ declared that his chili could stand alone!

Shaking her head, she taunted, "We will see!" and put the offending items down on the table.

He dished up two bowls and put one down in front of each of them. He then waited for her to try hers first.

Jamie thought about teasing him that he might have poisoned it and that was why he was letting her eat first, but when it came right down to it, she was hungrier than she was in the mood for teasing. The chili was as amazing as the earlier aromas had led her to believe. Now the question was did she tell him that or let him suffer a while?

AJ watched carefully as Jamie took her first spoonful and waited for her reaction. He couldn't tell from her face what she thought. As he waited for her report, she hesitated a moment, looked at him, and then took another bite without saying a word!

She had kept an eye on him as she went for her second bite and almost choked on it at the outraged look on his face. She wondered what would happen if she took a third bite without telling him what she thought of it. Daring to try, she scooped up another spoonful, but it didn't reach her mouth.

"Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed, reaching out a hand to stop her spoon from its objective. "I want to know what you think of it before you finish it!"

Jamie smiled, "Well, I am eating it, aren't I?" At the shocked look on his face she decided to add fuel to the fire. "And without any of the objectionable additives either!"

"But that doesn't tell me if you like it or are merely tolerating it," AJ protested.

To be continued…