Smiling at her blush, Charlette needn’t have been embarrassed, since he was hungry, too.  Her tummy, however, gave her away by declaring its hunger pangs like most tummies do.  “That’s good,” Paul said, hoping to deflect any lingering shame for her.  “I’m kinda starved myself, and that cooking chili ain’t helping.”<br/><br/>Stirring the pot once more while also lowering the heat, Paul motioned toward the living room.  “C’mon, Charlette,” he said, while laughing.  “Let’s get outta here before that smell drives us both insane.  I’ll hear the rice pot<i>ding </i>when it’s done, and 20 minutes after that, we eat.”<br/><br/>Prior to heading out of the kitchen, Paul grabbed a beer from the fridge.  He looked at her inquisitively, in case she wanted a beverage, too.