devin

There was a deafening silence after Devin asked Ellis to stay. She looked at him blankly, her expression unreadable.

Stupid, why would you ask that?

His ears were ringing, and his stomach churned with discomfort. He had never even asked a girl out on his own accord, and now he was asking a woman who had just had a dinner date with her ex—a global star, no less—to stay the night at his place. Devin couldn’t pinpoint where this sudden courage had come from.

Brave, but dumb, his thought trailed.

Ellis chewed her lower lip, deep in thought. She checked her phone and typed a message before locking eyes with him again.

“Well—”

“Yes?” he interrupted, trying to fill the silence.

“I could stay a little longer. It’s late anyway. My assistant isn’t replying. She’s probably asleep.”

Devin celebrated internally, thrilled that she had agreed to stay. It wasn't like he was planning anything. He was simply curious about Ellis Golde and wanted to know her more.

He wouldn't deny she a pretty face and extremely attractive. Part of it was also that he liked looking at her. Beneath her stern demeanor, something glowed, and like a moth to a flame, Devin wanted to get closer, even if it meant getting burned.

“Jesus. I don’t know what to say,” Devin mumbled, shaking his head. “Do you want to borrow some of my clothes? Get comfortable while you’re here?”

Ellis flipped her hair to the side, a habit Devin noted that added to her charm. “If you have some to spare, I’d appreciate it.”

“Yes, definitely. All laundered and pressed. Fragrant and—sorry, I’ll go get them,” Devin stammered, feeling embarrassed for jumbling his words and saying too much. He was clearly losing his composure.

He retrieved a plain white shirt, pajamas, and a pair of white socks. He handed them to Ellis and stood awkwardly by the bed, his eyes wandering.

“Uh, Devin?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you let me change first?”

“Of course, why didn’t I think of that? Silly me. I’m sorry.”

Ellis grinned, finding amusement in the awkward yet humorous exchange. "You apologize a lot," she remarked, her tone light. "But it's okay, really."

Her laughter lingered in his mind, bringing a smile to his face. As she got ready, Devin swiftly prepared a breakfast of soufflé eggs, toasted bread, and fresh orange juice.

“Hey, Ellis, when you’re done, come over to the kitchen for some food. It’ll help your hangover,” he called as he plated the meal.

Moments later, Ellis appeared, walking in tiny steps with her hands laced behind her back. She stood shyly, waiting for him to usher her in.

His stomach fluttered at the sight of her in his clothes. The shirt's sleeves reached her elbows, and the pajama bottoms pooled around her feet.

She looks good in my clothes.

“You can sit here,” he pointed to the chair by the counter. “I’ve got some Tylenol for you too. Take it after you eat.”

Ellis still looked a bit groggy from her abrupt awakening, but her face lit up as she inhaled the aroma of truffle and cheese.

“This is all for me?”

Devin nodded eagerly, watching her with anticipation. He was anxious to hear her thoughts on his cooking.

Ellis took some of the eggs and topped her toast. She took her time chewing, a smile of satisfaction etched on her face as she happily bobbed her head.

“This is heavenly, oh my God,” she remarked, taking another bite. “Wow.”

“I’m glad you like it. Didn’t you enjoy your meal at the restaurant, though?”

Ellis met his eyes and pouted. “It did, but I’d appreciate it more if I wasn’t having an unpleasant conversation with Aiden.”

Devin rested his cheek against his palm, his gaze fixed intently on Ellis. Despite knowing it wasn't entirely his place to pry, curiosity compelled him to probe further.

"He seemed pretty cool," he said, restraining the urge to say more, subtly urging Ellis to take the lead in the conversation.

Ellis rolled her eyes. “Oh, he’s the person who’s threatening my career.”

“He’s the boyfriend?” Devin asked quietly, almost a whisper.

“Ex-boyfriend.” Ellis emphasized the word “ex” to correct him.

“Ah, ex-boyfriend,” Devin repeated, chewing his inner cheek to prevent himself from smiling.

“Anyway, I don’t really like talking about this. It’s been stressful,” she said, shifting the topic to Devin. “So, do you live alone? No family?”

Devin felt the blood shoot up to his cheeks. “No, um. Not married.”

Ellis’ lips quirked before she laughed. “I mean, it’s obvious you’re not.”

“Huh? How did you know?” He raised his brow in confusion.

She took the time to know stuff about me too?

“You wouldn’t bring a grown woman into your home if you were married, would you?”

Well, I'm embarrassed that I assumed she would want to know anything about me.

Devin shut his eyes briefly and nodded in agreement. “Right, I wouldn’t. This is annoying. I’m not usually this slow.”

"It's alright. You're quite funny," Ellis chuckled, then tilted her head in thought. "Come to think of it, I haven't laughed this much in a long time."

“That’s great to hear,” Devin said, a casual grin spreading across his face. "Making you laugh, even with all my silly blunders earlier, makes me feel better.”

Ellis returned the smile, and they settled into a comfortable silence as she finished her meal. Just as she took the last bite, she cleared her throat, breaking the quiet moment.

"Besides cooking, would else do you do?” She asked, her voice soft yet curious.

"Well, nothing too exciting, I'm afraid," he replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I spend most of my days in the kitchen, experimenting with recipes and trying not to burn anything."

Ellis laughed, the sound like music to Devin's ears. "Sounds like a pretty good gig to me," she said, a playful glint in her eyes. "But there must be more to you than just cooking."

Devin's smile widened at her interest, feeling a warmth spread through him at her genuine curiosity. "Well, when I'm not slaving away in the kitchen, I enjoy reading and hiking," he confessed.

"That sounds exciting,” Ellis said, her eyes lighting up with genuine interest. "I've been wanting to try hiking myself, although I don't really have the time to.”

As they continued to chat, Devin found himself opening up more than he had expected, sharing stories and anecdotes from his life with a woman he had only just met. And with each passing moment, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that their conversation had flowed so naturally, grateful for the genuine interest Ellis had shown in his stories.

Before long, a car horn sounded outside, signaling Ellis's ride had arrived. She sighed reluctantly, knowing she had to go.

"Well, it looks like my ride's here," she said with a regretful smile, pushing herself up from the counter. "Thank you for the wonderful meal and conversation, Mr. Lane.”

Devin grinned, walking her to the door. "Anytime. And hey, if you ever want to grab a meal at my restaurant, just let me know," he said, his tone hopeful yet tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

Ellis held up her thumb, her eyes sparkling. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied, lingering at the doorway for a moment longer. "Until next time, chef."

"Until next time," Devin echoed, watching as she disappeared from his sight.

As he closed the door, anticipation stirred within him. The possibility of Ellis visiting his restaurant was close to none. She’s a busy person after all. But maybe, just maybe, Ellis would surprise him one day.

He could only hope for now.