Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0163
Abby

“Okay, John, pass me the truffle oil,” I call out, my focus entirely on the pan in front of me.

“Got it,” John replies, handing me the small, dark bottle.

The kitchen is close to closing time, and John and I have been spending every free moment today

trying to get this recipe right. We don’t have the truffles, but I’ve settled on some substitutions, figuring

that it’ll be better to at least get practice on the dish rather than nothing at all.

I drizzle a few drops over the mafaldine, my eyes narrowing as I try to capture the elusive essence of

the dish in my mind. “It has to be perfect. The competition won’t allow any room for error.”

John smiles, a flash of warmth in his eyes. “You’re doing great, Abby. We’ve got this.”

But as I stir the pasta, incorporating the oil into the sauce, I know something isn’t right. It’s good, but it’s

not perfect. The aroma of the truffles fills the air, but it’s missing that rich, deep scent, the kind that

lingers on your tongue and in your nostrils.

Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s a total failure.

toss in the sauteed mushrooms, watching as they combine with the mafaldine.

it

plates, and I spoon generous portions onto

just right in preparation for the cook-off. We sit down at

John takes his first

with

says cautiously.

take a mouthful, letting the flavors play across my taste

setting down my

etched into his features. “What’s missing? What do we need to

perfect?”

frustration building. “It’s the truffles, John.

truffles, we can’t get the flavor

just right.”

we try a different brand? Maybe it’s the

three different suppliers already. Unless

we can get our hands on European black

“Then we’ll have to just keep practicing

be. And when the time

do is make

to this dish is what is supposed to make it so

abruptly, my towel clenched in my hand. “I think I need

towel onto the counter.