I laughed. “Oh, my. That must’ve been a surprise.”
“Well, better we figured it out then as opposed to later when we were all biting into one. I know in some places cayenne and chocolate goes together, but this was a little... overpowering.”
“We had to go back to the store and everything,” Declan said. “Since we had to throw the first batch away. That was kind of sad. But we were very careful when we did it the second time and made sure to use all the right things.”
“They certainly look delicious,” I said. “Do you want to put them on the table over there?”
“These ones are much better,” Declan told me seriously. “We made sure to try the batter on these, too.”
“What can we help you with?” Cole asked.
“I think I’ve got things pretty much squared away,” I said. “This is actually the first cookout I’ve ever had.”
“Are more people coming?” Declan asked.
“Um...no,” I said. “Not this time. Maybe we should plan on doing another one, though, and we can invite more people, how does that sound?”
“Okay! Can we go look at the garden?”
“Of course.”
We went out into the backyard, and Declan poked around in the garden for a little while, inspecting some of the flowers that I had bought, proclaiming that some had sprouted new blooms.
“I think they’re happy here,” he said.
“That’s good. I’m happy they like the garden we worked so hard on.”
He examined a patch of soil. “I don’t see any of the seeds growing.”
“Not yet. That usually takes a couple of weeks.”
Declan then ran over to his backyard and retrieved a Frisbee, which we played for a while, and then he said he was hungry.
My resolve with Cole was definitely wavering, which was becoming all the more apparent to me the more we hung out. What, exactly, had my plan been? I tried to dredge up the conversation that Declan had with me when he first told me about the bet. I tried to imagine the two of them sitting there, making that fucking ridiculous bet in the first place. Talking about me like I was some sort of conquest, something to be won or lost, not actually even a person. And yeah, there was a little flare of anger, but it was hard to be keep it fanned because I knew that’s not how Cole really was.
“I suppose that means I should get the grill started then,” I said.
Cole grinned. “You need any help?”
“Is it that obvious I’m a complete amateur?”
“Well... I did notice the propane tank isn’t hooked up yet.”
“Okay,” I said, laughing. “You got me. I’ve only ever been to other cookouts; I’ve never actually hosted them. Maybe you could get that hooked up, and Declan, you can come inside and help me bring some of the stuff out?”
Declan followed me inside, and I gave him the bags of hamburger and hot dogs buns to carry outside. I took the plate of hamburgers and the bag of hot dogs I’d gotten from the deli and brought them out, then I went back in and got the pasta salad. Cole had the propane tank all hooked up and the grill started.
“Getting this thing nice and hot for ya,” Cole said. “Do you have any grill spray?”
“Uh... no. Is that a requirement?”
“Not required; the stuff might stick a little more. Or maybe not. The hot dogs won’t.”
I interlaced my fingers and stretched my arms out straight. “All right, all right,” I said. “Stand back, everyone. I am about to impress you all with my grill skills.”
“Master griller and a poet,” Cole said, nudging Declan. “Let’s watch and learn.”
I took a deep breath. I could do this—all that was really required was put the burgers and the dogs on the grill, let them cook on one side, flip them over, let them finish on the other, and