Love Is Overdue by Natalie Myrie Read Free Book Online Page B

and papaya, tossed with a passion fruit syrup, a hint of
vanilla and a splash of lemon.
    He handed me a bowl and then
took a bite of what was left in the dish he had mixed it in. “This
will help your buzz,” he said simply, leaning up against the
counter with me. “Sorry it’s not chocolate.”
    I laughed and took a bite.
“This is perfect,” I admitted, licking off my spoon. It was
absolutely delicious. Exactly what I needed. “I’m sobering up
anyway.”
    “ Hmmm...don’t
know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” he teased me, taking
another bite from his bowl. “You like pancakes?”
    I smiled. “Yup.”
    “ All right,
cool...” He turned back to his pantry, grabbing a mixing bowl and a
medium sized sauté pan. “These are my daughter’s favourite – I
usually don’t make this for anyone else...”
    I smiled, remembering the
video of his where he made a batch of mouth-watering banana
pancakes, his adorable little girl assisting him as she
meticulously peeled and then diced a bunch of bananas for him with
a butter knife, just like a pro. It was absolutely
priceless.
    “ I know...” I
admitted, before I could stop myself. “I saw the
episode.”
    Ben laughed at that, though.
“Oh fuck, that’s right...” He stopped and grabbed a bunch of
bananas, tossing them at me playfully. “Then I guess you already
know what to do.”
    I laughed too and then took
the station next to Ben and began my task of peeling and chopping
the bananas as he got to work on the batter.
    He had a huge flat top so he
was able to fry up all the pancakes in one shot and it took no time
at all. He put me to work again flipping each one while he went to
work on sautéeing the bananas with some butter and brown sugar. I
watched, admiring his skills as he tossed and swirled the contents
of the pan, not even needing to use a spoon.
    “ I think we need
to spice this up a bit,” he said then, turning to me. “What you
think?”
    “ It looks
delicious,” I said, unsure of what he was implying.
    “ Hmmm...” He was
debating something, and then he headed to the pantry and came back
carrying a half-full bottle of Captain Morgan.
    I laughed. “Damn...that’s
not in the recipe,” I teased him.
    “ I know, it’s
just for you,” he told me. “Watch ya eyelashes,” he ordered
jokingly, as he poured a splash of rum into the sauté pan and then
tipped it into the burner just until a ring of blue flames shot up
from the contents of the pan.
    “ Wow, I feel so
special,” I admitted then, lifting the last of the pancakes onto
the platter next to me. “I can honestly say I’ve never had a man
flambé some bananas for me on a first date,” I teased.
    Ben smiled. “I know.” He
grabbed a plate and quickly fanned out three golden pancakes on it
and then spooned a generous amount of the sautéed bananas over them
in one quick sweep. “This is actually more like third or fourth
date material.” He held the plate out for me and raised his
eyebrows apologetically. “I’m ahead of my game.”
    But I just
rolled my eyes at him, taking the plate from him. “Shut up,” I
teased again. “You’re making me look bad now.”
    “ It’s okay,” he
said simply, grabbing himself a plate. “Am sure you’ll be able to
make it up to me...”
    I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Like how?”
    He handed me a fork. “Don’t
ask.”
     
    Ω
     
    We sat down to
eat at a table in the corner of the restaurant. I couldn’t remember
ever eating anything as delicious as those pancakes, never mind in
the middle of the night, whipped up by a man who used the amount of
effort it took most people to boil water. How in the world was it
possible for this man to be single?
    “ Seriously,
though...” I started, licking my fork slowly, and then feeling my
face go warm as I caught him watching me. “How can you not have a
girlfriend, Ben?”
    He looked to be thinking
about my question seriously. “I told you...I’m too
busy.”
    Somehow I wasn’t