Page 1 of A Very Grumpy Chef

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I didn’t mean to wake up the hottest man in my apartment building at six in the morning, but in my defense… my kitchen was on fire.

Coco

I can’t cook. I can’t even boil water without setting off the fire alarm, and trust me, I’ve tried.

That’s actually how I meet my grumpy new neighbor.

He comes over to yell at me for waking him up with the fire alarm and embarrasses me in front of the entire building.

Now my new plan is to avoid that man like the plague and find some other way to feed myself.

Unfortunately for me, my new neighbor seems to have other plans.

Alec

As a chef, I value my routine.

My hours are all kinds of messed up, so having a set schedule saves me from being a royal, sleep-deprived jerk.

Or it used to.

Until I meet Coco.

Now she has me stepping way outside my comfort zone.

I’m chasing after her, trying to make up for our first meeting, but it’s no use.

She doesn’t want anything to do with me.

When she signs up for my cooking class, I know that this is my chance.

She thinks the class is about food.

It’s not.

It’s about me teaching her exactly what she’s been missing.

1

Coco

“All right, that’s a wrap, guys!” I call to the models, letting my camera drop.

The couple sighs, smiling excitedly as they disappear to change back into their street clothes.

I get started on packing up my lights and props. I’ve been a photographer for most of my life. It’s been my career for six years, and it was hard going at first. Not many people wanted to work with an eighteen-year-old, but I’ve built a name for myself since then.

“Need a hand?” Antonio asks as he tugs his shirt over his head.

“No, I’ve got it. Thanks, though. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, can’t wait to see the shots.” He waves as he leaves.

I pack up the last of my things and head to my car. After loading everything up, I make the short drive home to my apartment. When I park out front, I stare up at the dark windows and sigh.

I’m still getting used to coming home to an empty apartment. I lived with my best friend, Pearl, for years, but she met the love of her life and moved out a few weeks ago.