Ray sat at the small kitchen table, leaning back in his chair as he slowly sipped his beer.
Soft afternoon sunlight came through the cabin window, warming the quiet kitchen.
Across the room, Kate moved around the counter, pulling a few things from the groceries they had bought earlier.
She grabbed a wooden spoon from the drawer and pointed it straight at him.
"I'm not going to be your maid, just so you remember!"
Ray didn't react, like she had said something completely normal, as he took another sip of his beer.
Kate rolled her eyes, turning back to the counter.
"I'm cooking, and he's just being a dick… man…" she muttered to herself.
Ray grinned lightly.
"I heard that!" he said.
After a second, he pushed himself up from the chair and walked over to her.
Kate glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"So, what help do you need?" he asked.
"Make sure the sauce doesn't burn," she said, handing him the wooden spoon before turning back to chopping.
As he rolled his eyes so she wouldn't see, he stepped over to the frying pan.
Chicken, some peppers, and tomato sauce.
Maybe she's Italian or something?
As he stood there, he wasn't looking at the pan at all.
His attention had drifted… somewhere else.
Fuck… her ass in those shorts is…
Kate suddenly turned around, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.
For a second, their eyes met.
Then she simply turned back to chopping the vegetables like nothing had happened.
"Stop staring at my ass all the time," she said calmly, not even turning around.
Ray immediately focused on the pan, suddenly stirring the sauce with way more energy than necessary.
"I didn't," he answered simply.
As if not wanting to tease him too much, Kate quickly finished chopping the rest of the vegetables.
"Move," she said.
Ray stepped aside without arguing.
She dropped everything into the frying pan, the sound of sizzling filling the kitchen, and took the wooden spoon from his hand.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
Then she started stirring the sauce, the wooden spoon moving slowly through the thick mixture as it bubbled quietly.
On the stove next to it, the pot of pasta was gently boiling, steam rising and fogging the small window above the sink.
The smell quickly filled the cabin, warm and rich.
"It does smell amazing. You're Italian or something?" Ray asked, leaning slightly against the counter, watching her work.
Kate let out a small laugh, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Not really. My grandma used to cook stuff like this because she worked in Italy for a few years and learned it there."
"Alright."
She pushed him gently with her shoulder.
"Go and get two plates and forks so we can eat properly," she added, pointing her finger toward a small cabinet above the counter.
Ray straightened up and glanced at where she was pointing before walking over to the cabinet.
After only a few days in the same cabin, she was already bossing him around like they had been married for twenty years.
He muttered it dramatically to himself as he reached up and opened the cabinet.
Kate laughed softly when she heard his comment.
She slipped on a pair of kitchen gloves, then carefully lifted the pot and poured the pasta into a strainer in the sink.
Hot steam rose up immediately as the water drained away.
Then she poured the pasta back into the pot and added half of the sauce they had made.
She grabbed a block of Grana Padano they had bought at the shop and grated some over the top.
As the cheese melted into the heat, she started stirring everything together, coating the pasta evenly with the sauce.
After a minute, she was done.
She picked up the pot carefully and carried it over to the table, which Ray had already prepared.
She placed it in the middle, the heat still rising from it, filling the space between them with the smell of the food.
Then she sat down across from him.
"Want to say grace?" Ray asked, looking at her as he rested his hands lightly on the table.
She looked confused for a second, then a small smile appeared on her face.
"Sure, you do it."
Ray clasped his hands together dramatically and closed his eyes.
"Lord, thank you for those beautiful women, their panties, and all the mighty pleasure they bring to us men!"
Kate froze.
For a split second, she just stared at him.
Then her eyes widened.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she burst out, grabbing the nearest napkin and throwing it at him.
Ray couldn't hold it in anymore and started laughing.
Kate tried to stay annoyed, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
"You're such an idiot," she muttered, shaking her head as she reached for the pasta.
Ray glanced up toward the ceiling and moved his lips silently.
You could read it clearly:
"Thank you."
Kate rolled her eyes immediately, grabbing her fork.
"You're unbelievable," she muttered, though she was already trying not to smile.
Ray reached for the pasta, scooped a portion onto his plate, and set the pot back down.
He picked up his fork and took a bite.
His eyes widened instantly.
"Wow… it's amazing!"
Kate didn't even look at him.
She had already started eating quickly, clearly proud of herself but trying not to show it.
"Yup, I'm hiring you as my personal cook," Ray said, taking another bite without hesitation.
Kate slowly looked up at him, raising one eyebrow.
For a second, she just stared at him.
Then she rolled her eyes, though a small, satisfied smile slipped through anyway.
"In your dreams," she muttered, twirling some pasta on her fork before taking another bite.
"Nah, in my dreams you're more naked," he said casually, taking another bite like it was a completely normal thing to say.
Kate froze mid-motion, her fork halfway to her mouth.
Her face instantly turned red.
She stared at him in disbelief for a second.
"Can you not say things like that while I'm eating?!" she snapped, though her voice wasn't nearly as angry as she wanted it to be.
Ray just smirked and kept eating.
Kate looked down at her plate, trying to focus on her food, but the blush on her cheeks didn't go away.
As they both finished eating, Ray leaned back slightly in his chair, looking like he was about to disappear any second.
Kate noticed immediately.
She reached out and grabbed his arm.
For a split second, she froze.
She realized she was touching him.
But then she quickly composed herself.
"You're going to help me clean," she said firmly. "Don't even think about running away!"
"Fine," he said, pushing his chair back as he stood up.
He reached over and grabbed both of their plates from the table.
Kate watched him for a second, slightly surprised.
He actually took them without arguing.
Ray walked over to the sink, setting the plates down as he turned on the water, ready to clean them.
As if she was satisfied with herself for making him do the dishes, Kate picked up the pot and walked over to the refrigerator.
She opened it with her hip and carefully placed the leftovers inside.
Behind her, Ray was already nearly done with the plates.
Water ran over his hands as he quickly rinsed and stacked them to dry, moving faster than she had expected.
As he finished, Ray turned around.
But she was gone.
He dried his hands quickly on a towel and walked toward the bedroom they shared.
He pushed the door open slightly.
Kate was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, one arm resting above her head.
"So I'm doing all the work around here, huh?" he teased.
Kate didn't even look at him at first.
She kept staring at the ceiling for a second longer, like she was deciding whether to ignore him or not.
Then she slowly turned her head toward him.
One eyebrow raised.
"Oh really?" she said, her tone dry.
She pushed herself up slightly on her elbows, her hair falling over her shoulder.
"Remind me who cooked?" she added, giving him a look.
But there was a faint smirk on her lips.
"Must've been Santa Claus, but I have no idea what he's doing here before Christmas," he said as he lay down on his bed.
Kate stared at him for a second.
Then she grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him without hesitation.
"Shut up," she said, trying not to smile.
Ray caught the pillow against his chest, grinning.
Kate rolled her eyes again, but this time she didn't look away immediately.
"You're cute when you're angry," he said.
Kate looked at him for a second.
"If my belly wasn't swollen from the AMAZING pasta that I cooked, I'd kick your ass," she replied.
She closed her eyes right after, like she was done with the conversation.
But the slight blush on her face gave her away.
They lay there in silence, the cabin calm after the long day.
Outside, the sounds of the camp drifted in faintly through the window—distant voices, footsteps, the occasional laugh.
Kate kept her eyes closed, her breathing slowly evening out as she rested on her bed.
Across the room, Ray stared at the ceiling for a moment longer.
He wasn't exactly thrilled about what was waiting for him later.
I really have to swim naked tonight…
He exhaled quietly.
Well… I lost the bet. Deal with it.
With that, he relaxed into the mattress and closed his eyes.
For a little while, the chaos paused.