He took the menu with a casual smile. “Albion, your cooking is incredible. It’s so much better than anything you can get in a restaurant.”
His comment confirmed what I’d suspected—Serena had asked me to cook for him, not herself.
Even so, I only smiled faintly and didn’t respond.
Stephanie, with a mix of pride and teasing, chimed in, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it—he got it in his head to take cooking classes recently. He was the only guy in the class, but he stuck with it anyway. I thought he’d give up out of embarrassment, but nope. Now he’s great in the kitchen and outside of it. Whoever becomes his future girlfriend is going to be so spoiled.”
Serena had been smiling faintly, but her expression shifted at that comment. Her smile thinned, and she took a slow sip of tea. Calmly, she asked, “Albion, are you thinking about dating now?”
I looked at her, confused by the sudden question.
Recalling her words from the other day, I nodded slightly. “I’m 26 now—it’s about time I started thinking about that. If you know anyone suitable, Serena, feel free to introduce them to me.”