Read the book: «The Ingredients for Happiness»

For my family; you are my world.

Chapter 1
Rum Baba

Ingredients:

Flour

Sugar

Eggs

Baking powder

One of those vanilla/baking powder packets with the angel on the front

What to do:

Mix all ingredients together and pour into crème caramel ramekins.

(Wait, what about the rum? Nanna didn’t say rum; she laughed when I mentioned it. Is there no rum in rum baba? Maybe I soak it at the end – I’m certain the one Grandpa made me was soaked in rum.)

Figure out rum.

(Hang on, I think Nanna missed out a few ingredients when she told me. Yeast! Doesn’t Rum Baba have yeast in it?)

Figure out missing ingredients.

The sun was trying with all its might to cast warm rays down on Manchester, but January was having none of it. With every hint of a glow came a grey cloud that swooped in to steal the spotlight. The dreary sky would not be affecting Amanda’s mood today though, she was absolutely not going to let it. She was sure that today they would find her café and her positive energy would make it so. That, and they had to. She was all too aware that Dan needed to get back to LA for label meetings and to discuss the future of San Francisco Beat with Sabrina and his bandmates, but his opinion on her new place was paramount. She clutched his hand tighter; her body had an automatic reflex to her brain thinking about his departure – it did not want to let him go either.

As if reading her mind, and her body, Dan suddenly pulled Amanda into a little side street they were passing and within seconds his hands were in her long, wavy hair and his lips were on hers. Amanda kissed him back with a smile permanently playing at her lips. Since they had both admitted to their feelings for each other in Italy over the holidays, Amanda had come to find out that moments like this happened often when she was ‘more than just friends’ with Dan. His reasoning behind his grand public displays of affection was simple; he couldn’t get enough of her and he told her so. With Amanda not being so great at relationships and her last one being a total wrecking ball, Dan’s ways of showing he clearly only had eyes for her were a welcome change and soothed old rumbling insecurities.

Dan pulled back slowly, biting Amanda’s bottom lip gently as he did so. He had one hand up against the wall and his other still entangled in her hair. When his chocolate eyes met hers, they smiled as bright as his lips, causing dimples to appear in his cheeks. If the kiss hadn’t made her knees buckle, just looking at him would have. As casually as it had started, Dan took her hand and they were back on the pavement heading to their eighth possible café of the day.

Chills surged through Amanda’s body and goose bumps rose on her arms as they neared the building on the corner of the street. One look at Dan and she knew he felt it too; he looked at her and nodded. Past the book shop and next to the tattoo shop was the perfect-shaped building. The worn-down door stood side by side with the tattoo shop to give way to a beautiful bay window that wrapped around the corner of the street.

‘Dan!’ Amanda gasped, clasping her hands together. She wasn’t one to get giddy but then again, she hadn’t believed she would ever be looking to purchase her own café, and here she was.

‘Let’s look inside,’ Dan replied. His face was joyful, but he would not get ahead of himself like Amanda. He was the calm to her storm. He opened the rusty door with a creak and gestured for her to go first.

Amanda’s eyes grew wide as she took in the open square space. Tucked into the left-hand corner at the rear was a built-in bar area. Next to this, two swinging double doors led to the kitchen. Amanda spun around on the spot, catching the estate agent’s eye as she did so.

‘I do apologize for being so rude. Hi, I’m Amanda,’ Amanda said, sticking out a hand. The estate agent took it without making eye contact, and gave her a one-sided smile. He was clearly not too bothered by her rudeness; he seemed quite happy with the other half of her party and couldn’t take his eyes off Dan. Of course, Dan would never be so ignorant as to ignore a person and had not missed a figure in the room upon entering. But Amanda had been sucked into the charm of the building. She didn’t wish to be rude by not joining in the conversation Dan and the estate agent were currently engaged in, but she made her way to the double doors, unable to wait for them to finish talking. She knew that the estate agent would be lost to Dan’s raspy voice for a good fifteen minutes, or for life, and that was a seriously long time to wait when the kitchen was calling her name.

Another gasp escaped Amanda’s lips when she walked through the ‘enter’ side of the double doors. The kitchen, too, was square and in the centre stood a considerable island. It was Amanda’s dream kitchen. Immediately her mind began bursting with visions of where each piece of machinery would go, where Grandpa’s special knick-knacks and tools would be stored. Amanda wondered for a moment why the previous owners had had to give the place up and her stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. This is not the time for doubts Amanda, she thought to herself. You’ve come this far. Just then Dan walked through the door, very, very closely followed by the estate agent. Amanda watched him as he looked around the room and did a double take at the island before giving her his all-encompassing grin. The worry lines on her forehead smoothed out.

‘I love it,’ they said in unison. Amanda walked over to Dan and tip-toed to give him a kiss on the cheek. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she added. From the corner of her eye she could see the estate agent eyeing her up and down and longingly glancing back to Dan.

‘If you love it, it’s yours,’ Dan said softly, giving her a disarming smile and bowing to kiss the top of her head. The estate agent practically melted before them. If Dan knew he had this effect on people, he never let it show. His ego was still very much non-existent and the attention and kindness he gave to everyone never faltered, even after three years of the media being infatuated with him and his every move.

‘I really love it,’ Amanda said softly, staring into Dan’s soulful eyes, before turning on her buckled boots and scanning the kitchen once more. There was an enormous amount of work to be done, but she felt in her bones that this was her place; this was where she was going to build her café. She greatly appreciated Dan’s generous gesture and she would let him do what he wanted for now, because arguing with him over this matter would be like drawing blood from a stone. But she had her own money saved for this such occasion – she had simply been too frightened to use it before now. But with her former sous-chef Jeff, ruining her reputation and giving her the kick up the backside she needed to finally walk away from Rusk, and with the death last year of her grandpa – her role model and the man that inspired her cooking – she had known it was time to take a giant leap of faith and make her and her grandpa’s dream a reality.

She walked in a circle around the island and back through the swinging doors. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she willed her happy thoughts to get to her grandpa, hoping he could see her now, finally going after the dream that had eluded her and scared her silly for years. She had been secretly squirreling away every bit of pocket money he had given her since she was eight years old, ready for this moment. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the thought that this was as much her grandpa’s as it was hers. Taking a deep breath and wiping at her face, she drew her shoulders back and pulled out her phone. She hadn’t had time to think about the time difference; she just hoped that both her sisters were available.

*

After a brief, but positive FaceTime with both Sabrina and Louisa, who both saw the place’s potential and encouraged Amanda to follow her gut, and an excited phone call with her parents, Amanda was ready to give Dan the go-ahead. She would of course email the estate agent and make an appointment to go over the payment plan, but for now Dan could be in charge. If he wanted to read through long pages of contracts, Amanda was more than happy to let him. She had never been one for the fine print and Dan had experience where this was concerned. She more than appreciated his help. He too had shared in this vision with her during the course of their four-year friendship. Besides her family, Dan was her biggest supporter.

With a nod of her head and a pep in her step, Amanda walked over to the estate agent and Dan, who had followed her back out through the double doors, and expressed her keen interest in the vacant café. She saw a twinkle in Dan’s eyes, and he beamed with pride at her.

‘We’ll take it,’ Dan said to the estate agent. The estate agent puffed out his chest and his smile widened. He shuffled through some papers and had Amanda sign a few, just as a security deposit, then reached out to shake their hands. His handshake with Dan was far more enthusiastic than hers, Amanda noted.

It seemed the sky was trying to celebrate with her as they stepped back outside into the January chill; there were a few scattered sun rays lighting up the little establishment overhead and Amanda felt her grandpa’s approval. In her wave of happiness, she hugged the estate agent in thanks, which garnered an actual smile and eye contact. Then Dan handed him his card and told him to message if he ever fancied coming to one of the boys’ shows when they were next in town. With the giddy, slightly unprofessional handshake that followed, Amanda worried for a moment that the estate agent was not going to let go.

The knot in her stomach that had been there all morning had finally untangled and as they walked back to Amanda’s house, she felt a thrill of excitement for this new beginning. The past few months had been tough on her family, with the sudden passing of Grandpa. Louisa had opted to stay in Italy with Nanna and Sabrina was preparing to move back to Manchester after four years of living the high life in LA, now that San Francisco Beat had parted ways with their record label. Life had changed quite drastically for them all. But the decisions had been made and now they had to rise to the challenges they now faced.

With this thought, her excitement faded to fear and she gripped Dan’s hand a little tighter. He would be leaving tomorrow and that wasn’t quite the challenge she wanted to face, which was silly really. She and Dan had spent plenty of time apart over the years – months and months away from each other – and their friendship remained strong. A twinge of the hurt she had felt after Jason tried to shadow and dampen her good vibes. It felt different now. Before, she never cared about the tabloids, the girlfriends and the crazy life thrust into the hands of rock stars; now, the ever-present groupies and parties to attend made her insides squirm, but she was determined not to let those negative thoughts weigh her down. Dan had never given her any reason to worry. She was not about to let her mind play tricks on her. Dan was her best friend first and rock star second.

She wasn’t the jealous type, but whatever was causing her unease definitely felt like jealousy. Years of being relaxed with her ex-boyfriend Jason had only meant that he had cheated on her more times than she cared to remember, and she always forgave him; would Dan do the same? The idea of girls throwing themselves at him no longer made her want to roll her eyes and punch Dan in the arm in playful jest, but instead curl up into a ball and cry. But they were together now and Dan knew that. Dan had wanted that too. And he would be back soon. This jealousy was an imposter and had no place in her heart.

‘Should I be Team Cap or Team Iron Man?’ Dan piped up as they turned onto Amanda’s street. They had been walking in a comfortable silence hand in hand, though it hadn’t been all that silent in Amanda’s head.

‘Huh?’ said Amanda, glancing up at Dan. His wavy hair was getting caught in the breeze and falling in his face. She automatically reached up to brush it behind his ear. He caught her hand when she did so and kissed her palm, sending tingles through her entire body. A teasing smirk appeared on Dan’s handsome face. ‘There seems to be a civil war going on in that brain of yours, baby girl.’

Amanda laughed at Dan’s superhero reference. It was difficult to stay worried and anxious when looking into Dan’s rich brown eyes. They did something to her; they melted away her fears and replaced them with a sense of calm and contentment – as though his own demeanour transferred over to her when she needed it most.

‘No, I’m okay. I can’t believe how perfect the café is. I think Grandpa would have loved it. Thank you for staying with me and helping me look for a place,’ Amanda said, brushing the hand that Dan was still holding close to his lips, over Dan’s cheeks. He was supporting a five o’clock shadow; she enjoyed the feel of his stubble against her fingers and the softness of his skin. He looked edible in his chunky black knit cardigan, jeans and white tee. What was it with men and never getting cold? She herself was wearing her oversized pink teddy coat that kept in all the heat, over a grey woolly jumper, with a scarf for good measure.

‘Of course; I could never deny my best girl when she offers me a proposition,’ Dan replied, referring to New Year’s Eve when they were standing on her zia’s balcony overlooking the Amalfi Coast and she had told Dan that she would only be his ‘sexy’ Manchester tour guide if he helped her search for a café. He’d had the same confident glint in his eye back then at the word ‘proposition’ as he did now. ‘Speaking of which, I have a proposition for you,’ he added, letting go of her hands to allow her to rummage through her bag in search of her keys.

‘You do? I have a feeling this proposition is more suited to that dangerously sexy mind of yours,’ Amanda replied as she unlocked her front door. She was no longer battling with her insecurities. Instead she was just focused on Dan, the moment she was in and what he was going to say.

Dan laughed, a low laugh that made her stomach flip over as they entered the house.

‘I was going to suggest we spend the rest of the day baking together, but if you had other things in mind … I was just thinking rum baba.’ He gave her a sly grin, before kissing the base of her neck along her collarbone as she shimmied out of her coat.

Would she ever not be phased by that voice? Amanda playfully pushed him away.

‘Isn’t a proposition supposed to have something in it for both parties? I somehow only see that being beneficial to you and your budding appetite,’ Amanda said teasingly before shoving Dan towards the kitchen.

‘Argh, but you need practice for the café; I saw it on your list, and I am happy to be a guinea pig to make sure everything is up to standard.’ Amanda laughed as she walked behind him, watching him casually brush a hand through his wind-styled hair, which of course looked dreamy on him. Amanda wished the wind had that effect on her own locks. They entered the kitchen and she busied herself in the fridge, keeping Dan in her peripheral vision. It was hard to take her eyes off him. She watched as he took off his cardigan, his white tee taught against his muscles. He’d put on a few extra pounds over Christmas and while staying with her these past three weeks. It suited him – filling out his muscles, making his tall frame broader. She loved wrapping her arms around him.

Speaking of arms, she felt his thick biceps wrap around her shoulders as she collected the ingredients for rum baba. ‘You make a cute guinea pig,’ Amanda said, putting down a pot of cream and reaching up to grab his forearms. She felt safe snuggled up in Dan’s arms.

‘Speaking of lists and recipes, how do you know how much of each ingredient to use, my love? There are no measurements for this recipe,’ Dan whispered into her ear, peering over her shoulder at the tatty piece of paper Amanda had scrawled on. Amanda chuckled and squeezed his forearms. Then she shrugged, a smile spreading across her lips and goosebumps tickling her arms.

‘Erm, I don’t really know. I guess I just know. When I read it, I see Grandpa and I just do what he did.’ Her smile widened as her words made her think of him. Dan squeezed her back. ‘Your mind is my favourite,’ he said, lovingly, making Amanda’s grin reach her ears.

‘Let’s celebrate.’ She reached into the still-open fridge to get the red wine.

‘What? My making a cute guinea pig?’ Dan chuckled, making her shiver. Amanda rolled her eyes and wriggled out of his grasp to retrieve two wine glasses. She handed a glass to Dan – who nodded, watching her adoringly from under his long lashes – and filled up both of their glasses.

‘To Torta per Tutti,’ Dan said, raising his glass to hers. Amanda’s knees immediately buckled, and she went to sit down at the kitchen table, floored that Dan had remembered the name she and her grandpa had come up with for their dream café, years ago. She had only shared this with Dan on one occasion. Hearing him say it out loud made it more real. She wasn’t just doing this for her, she was doing it for Grandpa too. Dan took a step closer to her, so she had to look up and meet his gaze.

‘And to us,’ he added, clinking her glass. They each took a sip, before Dan set about getting the rest of the ingredients for the rum baba out of the fridge. The niggling insecurities she had about her being bad at relationships were the last thing on her mind. She felt every doubt she had ever had about life vanish as she watched him move confidently around her kitchen. If she thought Dan couldn’t get any sexier, she had been very wrong. She stared at him as he put on her apron, pursed his lips and creased his eyebrows in concentration while he read through an Italian recipe, and her heart exploded with happiness.

Their relationship had been going strong for four years. They had faced loss, fame and distance together. Dan and his forever chilled persona had found solutions to problems without drama; he centred Amanda, they knew each other inside out. Nothing could tear them apart.