*If he knows you know, he will lock you down there next.*

*Get out of the house, Clara.*

*Now.*

Julian swiped the screen upward, closing the app.

He shoved the phone deep into his front pocket.

“We are resetting the router tonight,” he said.

He walked over to the kitchen island.

He picked up the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

He grabbed the metal corkscrew from the drawer.

The metal clinked against the wood.

“We need to focus on your work,” he said.

“The braised chicken recipe.”

He pointed to the skillet on the stove.

“The oil is getting too hot.”

“I’m not hungry,” I said.

“I don’t care if you are hungry,” he said.

“The blog needs content.”

He set the bottle down next to the stove.

“The recipe has an optional ingredient,” he said.

He looked at the bottle, then at me.

“A splash of dry white wine to finish the sauce.”

“I think we should use it.”

He held the corkscrew over the bottle.

“It will make the flavor profile much more complex.”

“Don’t you think?”

He didn’t wait for my answer.