Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Um,” Phedre considered his question a moment as she retrieved the can of tika masala sauce and a few spices from the carousel on the counter. From the refrigerator, she pulled out a jar of minced garlic and placed all the ingredients next to the stove.

“It’s kind of hard to pick just one. Back in college, I used to have a blog where I would give reviews of local restaurants. I was by no means an influencer, don’t worry.” While she networked on a professional level, Phedre was mindful of what she posted on social media. “I will say I have a fondness for Italian or French dishes. It is hard to go wrong with pasta or fresh-baked bread. But a meal we used to have often when I was a child was Beef Bourguignon, it is a hearty stew that my grandmother was the best at making.”

Her eyes closed, and for the briefest of moments, it felt like she was back in her grandparent's kitchen watching her mémé cutting up the pearl onions or mushrooms with an apron on and hand towel slung over one shoulder.

“Honestly though,” Phedre leaned over to pull a skillet out from one of the lower cabinets which was then set on the front right burner. “I really don’t mind cooking.” The joy of it always came from making a mess in the kitchen with someone, as this evening might turn out, or sharing it with someone and seeing their reaction. But since graduating from college several years ago now, opportunities for either have become more scarce.

“However, while we’re on the topic of favorite foods, is there anything you don’t like, or are allergic to that I should be aware of?” Something worth knowing in case she felt inclined to bring something to his office as an excuse to say hi.

“So no TV dinners and no liver.” She nodded, putting mental checkmarks against the list of remaining options which fortunately was a lot. Takeout still had its place and wouldn’t be ruled out completely, but it did prompt her to think about what sit-down restaurants she might invite him to instead.

“If you dislike cooking, you might want to look at one-pot meals which usually take only 30 minutes to make. My assistant, Vanessa, has a subscription with Hello Fresh. I haven’t looked into it personally but from what she’s explained, you go online and pick out your meals for the week and they will send you a box with all the ingredients and a sheet with instructions. She’s said they’re intuitive and easy to follow.” As a bonus it saves time otherwise spent at the grocery store only to find out something had been forgotten or a few things not on the list ended up in the cart.

Phedre walked around the island to where she set the bags down and began gathering the things needed to start making the rice since that’d take the longest to cook.

“Another option might be a crockpot or InstaPot, low mess and easy to clean up. On the plus side, it does offer plenty of leftovers for meal prep. Moreso if you make some seasoned shredded chicken or pork, you can add barbeque sauce or salsa verde…” Her voice trailed off into silence as she ran the rice under cold water in the sink.

With her back towards him, Phedre worried her lower lip. “I'm sorry, I- I didn’t mean to ramble,” she felt a blush rise high up on her cheeks from embarrassment. “I’m not used to having someone to talk to, I usually just have Alexa playing music in the background or Audibles reading one of my books while I cook.”

”Having company, in my honest opinion, is what helps make cooking more enjoyable.” Which is probably what she should have led with first.

His curiosity gave Phedre reason to pause in her task. Her face took on a pensive expression as she tried to recall what was the last thing that happened in the book she was listening to.

With my luck it's probably right before a spicy scene… An immeasurable amount of dread filled her at the thought of him asking Alexa to resume reading. Honestly, at that point she might as well hand over her starseed because although dying from embarrassment was more of an expression than an actual possibility, Phedre was certain her soul would attempt to flee if she physically could not.

An amused laugh escaped her as she shook her head, dismissing the ridiculous train of thought. After starting the rice cooker, she moved to the opposite side of the kitchen island, directly across from Zac. There, she leaned forward, rested her elbows on the counter, linked her fingers and rested her chin on them.

“Since I picked the meal, I think it’s only fiar that you pick the music.” It didn’t matter if she knew the lyrics, it’d just be nice to have some background sound to help make this evening feel a bit more relaxed. Plus, it’d be nice to learn a little bit more about Zac without making him feel like she was interrogating him.