The next morning, Bella has just finished watering plants when her phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Hi. Oh, hi. Um, is this Bella?"
"Yep, who's this?"
"Bella, it's Edward. Edward Cullen. We met yesterday."
"Of course, Edward. How are you?"
"Good. Really good. Um, great actually."
She chuckles. "Well, I'm glad you're having a good day."
"Listen, Bella, I was so impressed by the produce you have that I came back and rethought several dishes I'm doing for the magazine. Everything is coming together better than I'd hoped, but I need some more ingredients. I just wanted to check if you had them before I drive back out there."
"Okay, what do you need?"
"Well, wild garlic, fennel, new potatoes. Do you have any more of those Babette carrots and the graffiti cauliflower?"
"Yeah, I have plenty of all of that."
"Oh, I almost forgot, do you have any edible flowers? They weren't part of my plan yesterday, so I didn't even talk with you about them, but they'd be great with one of the new dishes."
"Well, the gladiolas aren't even started yet. I have a few early roses, some honeysuckle, lavender, pansies, and violets."
"Perfect, the lavender or pansies will be great!"
"Okay, but listen, I was planning to drive into the city shortly to meet Alice. Let me bring it to you instead of you coming all the way out here."
"You would do that?"
"Sure, I'm heading your way anyway. Tell me how much you need of everything and I can be at your place in about two hours if that's okay?"
"That'd be great. I really appreciate it. Thank you, Bella."
"My pleasure. Just give me the quantities you need and then I'll see you in a bit."
Just as she promised, two hours later, Bella's guiding her big red pickup truck down a narrow side street, per Edward's directions, to find the back entrance of his restaurant. She finally spots the heavy metal door with a small overhead sign for deliveries.
She parks and sends Edward a text letting him know she's arrived. While she waits, she climbs out of the truck cab and starts pulling the produce to the tailgate of her truck.
The door slams open and Edward steps out into the bright sunshine, a big smile on his face. "Bella! You made it!"
"Yes, I did!"
"Thank you for making the drive," he says, walking up to the truck.
"I told you, I was coming into the city anyway. It's hardly out of my way." She smiles at him and he just stands there, smiling right back at her.
She likes the way he's looking at her. She loved talking with him the day before. He has such a passion for cooking and creating new flavor combinations. And he's comfortable in his skin, confident in his skill, and eager to share his work with his restaurant patrons. Plus, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's got a great ass.
It's the last thought that makes her realize she shouldn't run down that rabbit hole just yet. They just met and he has a major business opportunity coming up.
"So, let me help you get all this inside," she says.
He seems to come out of a daze, shaking his head slightly. "Just grab one thing, if you want," he says, reaching over the side of the truck and grabbing a couple of bags. "I'll send one of the staff out to get the rest. I want to show you what I've been working on!"
He's excited, almost like a kid on Christmas morning, and it makes Bella smile. "Okay."
She picks up a bag and Edward leads her through the door and into the back of the restaurant. They go down a short hallway that opens into the kitchen.
"Hey, Michael!" Edward calls out. A muffled reply comes from another room, then a tall blond teenager sticks his head around the corner.
"Yes, chef?"
"Go out the delivery door and bring in the rest of the produce that's in the back of the red truck."
"Yes, chef!" The kid replies enthusiastically.
"Wow, that's impressive," Bella murmurs.
Edward laughs. "He's a good kid but he's seen a few too many episodes of Hell's Kitchen!"
Edward sets his bags on the counter and does the same with the produce Bella carried. "Come here, let me show you some of what I'm working on."
He pulls Bella over to the huge stove where there are several pans billowing steam. "So, I did this whole twist on peas and carrots, and I made this soup, and I have this plan for a side salad . . ."
He stops and turns to her. Bella can't stop smiling at him and his enthusiasm, but he's clearly embarrassed.
"You know what? Come over here and sit," he says, leading her to a small table by the wall. "I'm going to shut up, and just let you taste it."
He turns and goes back to the stove, adjusting burner flames, stirring and taste testing. He throws some vegetables into a pot of boiling water, then starts stirring up a dressing. In just a few minutes, he sets a glorious plate in front of her. When he mentioned peas and carrots, Bella pictured the bag of frozen vegetables in her freezer. She knew that's not what Edward would serve her, but this? Never in a million years would she have pictured this!
There are whole baby carrots, fresh peas - some loose and others in open pea pods – orange sections, chopped almonds and what looks like green goddess dressing. The plate is gorgeous, almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.
She looks from the plate up to Edward who is watching her eagerly. "Go ahead, tell me what you think," he says.
She picks up the fork and tries to get a little of all the flavors in one bite – no easy feat with those pesky rolly peas! But she manages and when she does, her eyes close in delight. She moans as the flavors come together in her mouth. Finally, she is able to speak.
"Oh my God! You said peas and carrots, but these are . . . I don't know what . . . but they are a hell of a lot more than peas and stinking carrots!"
He laughs. "I'm glad you like it. Finish up while I get you something else."
Bella watches him back at the food prep area while she finishes the vegetables, reluctantly deciding against licking the plate. For appearance's sake, of course.
When he comes back to the table, he removes the plate and replaces it with a small bowl.
"Soup," he says, handing her a spoon.
She takes the spoon with a smile, then looks down at the bowl.
"It's . . . green," she remarks.
"It's soup," he replies. "Try it."
"I mean, I know that pea soup is green, but this is green."
She's not a picky eater. Really, she's not. But she's never seen a soup this bright grass green color
"Stop stalling," he says with a laugh. "It's soup. Eat."
She leans down and takes a whiff. It smells divine. And decidedly not like split pea soup. She drags the spoon through the bisque and puts it in her mouth.
Her eyes roll back a bit in her head as she gets a taste. This man is a god. A deity. Maybe an alien. She doesn't know which, but she knows she wants to eat his food for the rest of her life.
She swallows. "What is this heavenly ambrosia?"
He can barely contain his excitement. "It's wild garlic soup with new potatoes. Oh! Here, try it with some marinated feta." He sprinkles some of the cheese on top and she takes another spoonful.
"Get out," she declares. "How can this be so crazy good? You're ruining me for all other food," she says.
"Are you sure?" he asks. "I mean, it's green." He says with a look of horror.
"It's the most beautiful and delicious green thing in the world," she declares.
"Okay, I'll be right back."
This continues for three more dishes, each more delicious than the last. Bella is simply blown away by Edward's skill. As much as she's enjoyed the food, she's enjoyed watching his easy competence in the kitchen even more.
Finally, he slides two small ramekins onto the table and pulls up a chair to sit beside her. "Lavender Vanilla Crème Brulee," he announces, adding an elegant sprinkle of lavender petals, which she knows just came from her farm.
"Wow. Just . . . wow."
He hands her a spoon and waits for her to take a bite. Like everything else, it's insanely good.
"It's so good, Edward!"
He smiles, picking up his own spoon and scooping a bite from his dish. They eat in silence for a few moments, and his leg is bouncing a bit. His knee rubs against hers a couple of times. She doesn't know if it's on purpose or because the table is so small and he's clearly hyped up from the impromptu tasting he's given her.
Then, he seems to have come to a decision. "Bella, I was wondering something. I'm swamped for the next several days with this whole magazine thing. But, after that's done, would you like to go –
"Hey, Eddie!" someone calls out from the restaurant.
Edward leans back with a sigh, rubbing his hands over his face.
"Are you okay?" she asks.
"Yeah. It's just James. He's a bit much and I'm not in the mood to deal with him right now."
Bella blanches when she realizes who he means. Then the sleazebag is striding into the kitchen.
"Eddie, we need to talk – What are you doing here?" he asks Bella harshly when he sees her.
Edward looks between the two of them, confused by James' tone and the look on Bella's face.
"Bella's farm is where I got my produce," Edward explains. "I needed some more things and she was kind enough to bring them here."
"Really?" James replies with a mean sneer. "You know, Ed, I'm not sure it's a good idea using a small farm. I mean, how do we even know it's truly organic? Anyone can slap an organic sign on the side of the road, but how can you really tell?"
"James, what the hell?" Edward demands, standing from his chair.
"It's okay, Edward," Bella says, rising to stand next to him. "I've already had the distinct displeasure of meeting James. I know what he is."
"What? When?" Edward asks.
"I told you I was going to meet you there yesterday," James says, angrily. "You still left before I got there. Fucking rude is what you were."
"James, there was no reason for you to be there. I told you that," Edward replies. "Besides, we were there over an hour. When you still hadn't arrived, I just figured you changed your mind."
"Let me tell you, it's a good thing I did go out there. Someone has to watch out for your interests. I'm telling you, I bet her shit's not even organic," James accuses.
"Actually, shit's about the most organic thing there is," Bella offers.
"Listen here, you little—"
"Hey, hey," Edward interrupts. "Enough! What's your problem, James?"
"I'm just saying, you're going to get screwed," James spits, gesturing dramatically. "When you go on and on in this interview about all your organics and they find out she's pulling a fast one and your food's actually full of chemicals, all of MY hard work will have been for nothing! You're going to go down and my contacts are going to stop trusting me because of her. THAT'S my problem!"
"Listen, organic isn't something you just slap on a sign," Bella argues back, her anger flaring. "I went through a lengthy, rigorous process, including a detailed inspection before being certified by the fucking USDA, so bite me, asshole!"
"Sure you, did, sweetheart," sneers James.
"Edward, I'm going to leave before this gets really ugly," Bella says.
"No, don't leave yet." He reaches for her hand. "James can leave." He shoots James an ugly look.
"No can do, Ed," James replies. "We have to talk details for the shoot. I'm not going anywhere."
"It's okay, you're really busy. Plus, I need to meet up with Alice. Make the most of this opportunity, Edward. Your food's delicious. I'm sure everything will be spectacular, and I'll be the first to buy a copy of the magazine."
Frustrated, Edward runs a hand through his hair. "Okay, but let me walk you to your truck."
"Thanks."
"You better make sure your certification paperwork is in order, sweetheart. You know, just in case someone comes looking for verification of your claims," James calls out as a parting shot.
Bella takes a deep breath and clenches her jaw, but refuses to reply.
Edward walks beside her and quietly apologizes. "I'm really sorry about him. I knew he was an arrogant ass, but I've never seen this side of him before."
"It's not your fault he's an asshole. But why are you working with someone like him?"
"Well, he's good at his job –"
"Yeah, just ask him. He'll tell you how good he is!"
"That's true. He likes to make everyone think he's the biggest fish in the pond. But a colleague I respect recommended him. I wasn't planning to do anything with him after the magazine gets published, anyway, but I may cut him loose sooner after this."
"Don't do anything to jeopardize this opportunity, Edward. I never have to see him again and it's no skin off my nose. Make the most of the magazine coverage."
"You're far too understanding. But I'll be having words with him about this."
"Just keep your eye the prize," she says, as they reach her truck.
He smiles. "Okay. Thanks again for the delivery."
"You're welcome. Thanks for sharing the samples with me. Now, get back to work!"
He gives her a mock salute, then helps her into her truck. As she pulls away, she reaches her hand out of the window in a wave. On a whim, he waves back with exaggerated jazz hands and smiles when he catches a glimpse of her laughing in her rearview mirror.
A/N: One more chapter to go. I'll be putting a few pictures up on my Facebook page showing some of the food and other pic-inspiration if you're interested. I'm Purl E. Surly over there. Anyone have a favorite green soup? Creme Brulee is favorite of mine and I just might try my hand at a lavender one. What do you think so far?
Disclaimer still stands: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No infringement intended.