“Do you think this will work?” Alexa asked, setting the eggs down on the counter.

Cobb wiped the counter down with a wet rag, then wrung it out in the sink. They were in the kitchen, setting out different types of ingredients and tools. The table by the window was set with a nice white cloth, with roses from the garden clipped and placed in a vase in its center. Outside, the rain poured down.

There was a sudden clap of thunder, somewhere close by, Alexa jumped, nearly dropping the measuring cups she was holding, before she clutched her heart and laughed.

Cobb eyed her with a wry grin.

“Startled?”

She scowled playfully at him. “No.”

“Ah, Madam,” he said, shaking his head. “You never were a good liar.”

“Never needed to be,” she retorted. “Unlike you. Tell me again how everything could be fine when you lit that souffle on fire.”

She watched his cheeks turn a soft red. “I had everything under control, thank you very much. It was quite a difficult dish, I’ll add, and I think it came out alright in the end,” he said.

Alexa held up her hand and made a little gap between her forefinger and thumb. “Just a tiny bit burnt though, right?”

“Maybe just a tiny bit,” Cobb said, grinning. “But I must ask, what is your confidence that you can make a souffle better than I can?”

She huffed. “I’ll put it at about eighty percent.”

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Cobb laughed. “Oh will you? Just like you were eighty percent sure you weren’t going to hit that stop sign?”

Now it was her turn to blush, her cheeks turning crimson. “I was distracted.”

“You still had to pay the city a couple hundred dollars, Madam.”

“Okay, okay, drop it,” she said, turning her nose up at him. “Not like you haven’t had your fair share of accidents.”

“Never any that resulted in a police fine,” he quipped.

She waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. Back to my original question,” she said as she arranged some more ingredients on the counter - fresh cilantro, thyme, some milk, so on. “Do you think this will work?”

Cobb shrugged. “Who can say, Madam? She’s quite shy, you are correct. She’s been through a lot. But I believe that she will come around, and that this is a good place to start. Though, if I may advise?”

“You may,” Alexa said, getting down the sifter.

“Kat needs a soft touch. Imagine, if you will,” he said, picking up an egg and evaluating it, “that Kat is an egg. She’s built a shell that protects her gooey insides. You could crack it delicately, or you could crush her. Either way, the shell is thick, but you are stronger. So be careful.”

“I’m trying to be careful,” Alexa said. “I’m doing my best for her. I don’t want a repeat of Sarah.”

Cobb’s eyes darkened for a moment, before he solemnly nodded. “I concur. Might I suggest breaking out the nice wine, while you cook?”

Alexa nodded, chirping happily. “That’s a great idea, Cobb! Kat can have a little, maybe it’ll ease her nerves.”

“Very good,” he said, looking around. Alexa joined him, examining the ingredients, the set table, the cookware that was set out.

“Right,” she said, “well, I think everything is set here. Could you go get her for me please?”

“Right away Madam. And,” he said, stopping by the door and turning to face her, “if I may?”

“You may.”

“Do have fun.”