Three
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
“This is your favorite place to eat, huh?” Jake says when I return from the bathroom.
“Yeah, I know it’s a little dumpy, but the food’s great. And it’s got a homey atmosphere, you know?”
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” he answers, tone dry.
I imagine he’s been looking around my one-bedroom grad student apartment while I was in the bathroom. Wondering why I would choose it over one of the best French restaurants on the Upper West Side.
But instead of asking, he hits me with a suspicious, “You really cook?”
“Sure do,” I answer, making my way over to the open-plan kitchen. “Super well, too.”
“Like Cynthia Ha.”
“No, not as good as a MasterChef winner. But better than alright. I can make just about any Italian dish you can name.”
His footsteps ec
