Abby A sudden jolt of fear seizes me as I lock eyes with the man at the far end of the alley. “You there!” he repeats, taking another step closer. “What are you—” “Um… Karl? John?” I call out, mainly out of instinct. If there’s one thing that living in the city over the past few years has taug
Karl’s eyes narrow. “Are you serious, Abby? We don’t even know this guy.” “I know. And I promise, if anything happens, you can kick him out. But I have to do this, Karl. I just have to.” Karl searches my eyes, and I can see him wrestling with his judgment. He sighs, defeated by whatever it is he
Abby My heart pounds as the room goes quiet. What on earth is happening right now? We’re all looking at each other—me, Karl, John, and the homeless man. His eyes meet mine, full of a sort of knowing energy that leaves me speechless. Is this a joke? He really has experience cooking with black tru
A few minutes later, Anton’s hands are washed, his long hair is pulled back, and an apron is covering his grimy clothes. Karl, John, and I are sitting on stools on the opposite side of the counter while Anton inspects each ingredient carefully, like he’s preparing to build something magnificent. K
Abby My heart hammers in my chest as Anton’s words hang in the air between us. “Everything comes at a price,” he said. I’m hooked, completely sold on whatever secret culinary world he comes from, but his cryptic statement sends shivers down my spine. What could he possibly mean? “Alright… what
I look into Karl’s eyes. “What, like I did with you?” I murmur. Karl’s eyes widen for a moment. His expression shifts from skepticism, to anger, and finally to understanding before his gaze drops to the floor. I can tell I struck a chord with him, and maybe it’s for the best; to remind him that I
Abby I walk into my restaurant the next morning, the scent of fresh coffee and baked bread filling the air. The morning sun casts long beams of light through the windows, but the atmosphere inside feels oddly electric, tense yet filled with a strange and unexpected kind of exhilaration. It’s the
I can already taste the financial stress paying a professional like him would put me in if I hired him for good, but I’m already thinking of ways to foot the bill. I still need to give Anton time to prove himself, but if he does, I know I want him to stay. And I think everyone else does, too. Even
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha