They explored the villa first because Melissa insisted Phei needed to appreciate what she called "the actual reason I brought you here," which apparently included an enormous living room opening toward the lake, bedrooms wrapped in warm timber and cream linen, a stone fireplace, an old-fashioned kitchen far more charming than anything one expected to find attached to property expensive enough to possess its own private shoreline, and an upstairs balcony where the trees grew close enough that branches almost brushed the railing.
Phei teased her about choosing somewhere that looked suspiciously romantic.
Melissa asked whether that was a complaint.
It was not.
They cooked together around noon, although together became increasingly generous once Melissa started slapping his wandering hand away from ingredients she had not finished preparing.
"Stop eating everything."
"I'm testing quality."
"You ate half the strawberries."
"I conducted extensive testing."
