Chef's Like it Hot! (9 page)

To my surprise, Colin swept me into his arms, and my arms immediately seized his neck.

We were eye level, and I could have sworn as I looked into his eyes, they darkened.

We did the round of embraces, and I frowned as Kendra told them Colin and I would be cooking Friday.

I looked at him frowning as well, and he shrugged grinning.

I sighed, he picked me up, and we left.

   I sighed as I took off one shoe.             

“Ooooh…my…God!” I moaned deeply as I took off the other one; and he looked at me wide-eyed for a couple of seconds, then started grinning.

I smacked him, and he laughed.

                                                                                  ***

When we reached my apartment, I asked if he was coming up, he nodded and said for a bit.

   I threw the keys on the table in the foyer, then hobbled into the living room.

     “Make yourself comfortable.” I threw over my shoulder as I headed for my bedroom, and he nodded.

   I came back a few minutes later in sweats and a tank top, poured myself a glass of wine, then held up the bottle to him.

He shook his head.

I nodded and sat next to him on the sofa.

     “I forgot how well you
Salsa
.”

     “Yeah, me too. So…we’re cooking tomorrow?” He smiled, and I laughed.

     “I guess so, if you let Missa and Kenny tell it. But you so don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

     “I’m totally cool with it. What time did you want to get started?”

    “Huumm…I guess like 3. How many did they even invite?” I groaned, and he laughed again.

“I think like 10? What do you need me to pick up?”

“The other half?” I chuckled, and he nodded as I sipped my wine. He picked the menu up from the table, then tore it in to.

“Colin!” I cried, and he grinned.

“I’ll bring you another copy tomorrow, this way we know what you have and what I have.”

“Fine.” I said smiling as I finished off the wine. He took the glass from me, sat it on the table, then drew me to him.

   He kissed me and I sighed.

His kisses were almost unreal.

Who knew this is what I was missing all this time.

If he’d just kissed me like this once, there never would have been a Kellen!

   He suddenly pulled me into his lap, then ran his fingers through my hair as he deepened the kiss.  My arms went around his neck, as I ran my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, then felt the shudder go through his body.

He jerked my hips forward, and I gasped as I felt his rock hard erection. His lips went to my throat, and as he drew the skin into his warm mouth and sucked on it, I cried out.

     “Fuck!” I hissed, got up, poured more wine in my glass, then killed it, looking at him wide-eyed over the rim of the glass.

What the hell was it that he did to me?

He got up grinning.

He kissed my forehead then.

     “So 3pm?” He asked smiling, and I smiled back nodding.

I didn’t trust my voice yet.

I walked him to the door; he leaned against it, kissed me again not as intensely, then caressed my face.

     “Tomorrow then.” He winked, then went out the door.

I leaned against the door for several moments, then sighed as I frowned.

Shit, he would have me sprung in a week, and he hadn’t even touched me like that yet.

     “Damn!” I shouted to no one in particular, then stomped towards my bedroom.

There was no way I would be able to remove that kiss from my salacious brain tonight!

I frowned as I walked into the bathroom.

Maybe a cold shower?

                                                                           ***

Chapter Six…

I woke around 12, showered, dressed, then headed downtown to the open market.

Tonight’s menu called for some awesome
Jamaican
eats, and white ass
Geltson’s
wasn’t going to work for this.

I’d gone to
Cardena’s
for my
Puerto Rican
fare, but they were limited on Caribbean spices; which was so weird that it was predominately
Mexican
, when
Cardena’s
was an actual city in Cuba.

Anyway, I found parking, then headed to the open market with my bags.

An hour later, I had what I needed, had one of the merchants help me get the stuff to my car, waved and was out.

I stopped by
City Wear
, to find a simple dress, because I knew my friends. Even though this was only a pregame menu, they would actually put some clothes on.

I was just praying that Kendra and Missanna kept it to a minimum.

“Hey?” I said as I hit the
Bluetooth
to answer the phone.

“How many were you cooking for?” Kendra asked, and I thought; speak of the devil.

“Colin said ten, why?”

“Cuz that’s not right. Sandy and Barry, Victor and Montez. Rico and Elvin, me and Manny, Missa and Kevin, Ms. Kerry and Dejuan, De and Sarah, Vonnie and Melinda, Mando and Becca, and you and Colin.” She said, and I felt like screaming.

“Fuck Kenny, I’m gonna be in the kitchen all day!” I whined, and she had the nerve to laugh.

“Well, what did you expect? When I told them both you and Colin were cooking, they insisted on coming, what was I supposed to say?” She wailed back, and I sighed as I pulled into
Smart & Final
.

“Fine, I need to get home then.”

“Okay, we’ll bring the drinks.”

“Like that really helps.” I muttered, and she laughed.

“Well, it’s not like you don’t have a sexy ass helper.”

“Bye
Felicia
!” I snapped, then hung up on her.

                                                                                      ***

When I left
Smart & Final
, it was 1:30.

I sighed as I pulled up to my apartment, then commenced to get my goods from the car.

This time I had to make three trips.

I saw Oliver, but he simply smiled, then waved as he left the window.

I frowned at that, then put if from my mind.

As I threw my keys on the foyer table, I sighed again.

“No sense in procrastinating.” I commented, then went to my bedroom to change my clothes.

As I placed the skull cap on my head, I was preoccupied.

It would be hell working with him, but I needed to get used to it. He’d contracted me for three months, so there was no avoiding it.

Was the relationship thing a good idea?

I asked myself as I sorted my goods, threw the sweet potatoes in the sink to scrub, then poured myself a glass of wine.

I needed my inspiration.

I left the kitchen to flip on the
IPod
, turned it up, then walked back into the kitchen searching for the potato peeler.

Tonight’s menu consisted of:

Akkra
, a
Senegalese black-eyed pea fritter
, which is amazing.
Spicy Curried Meat Beef Patties
, which is basically like an Empanada, or what Americans call a meat pie.
Red Beans & Rice
with coconut milk,
Jerk Chicken
,
Beef and Okra
stew,
Bammy
, and finally,
Baked Fish & Eggs
; which is basically a fish pie.

For desert we would do Caribbean sweet Q
uickbread,
P
apya & Pineapples and Sorrel Punch
.

I set to work, figuring I would do the
Bammy
first, because that way I could nibble. For some reason, whenever I had to cook, my brain seemed to ignore hunger pains.

For those who don’t know what
Bammy
is, it’s basically flatbread.

Bammy
, or
bammie
, is a cassava bread descended from the simple flatbread. In Jamaica,
bammy
is usually bought from a local vendor and served for breakfast or as a side dish with fish.

And it is so delicious.

I flipped my portfolio menu open, fingered it, then looked for ingredients.

“Hummm, okay, 3 cups Cassava flour, 1-2 teaspoons Salt, 1 1/4 to 2 1/4 cups water. Great.” I said as I pulled down the large mixing bowl.

I bobbed my head to Justin Beiber’s
Confidant
, then laughed to myself.

What, I liked a lil Beiber sometimes!

Especially since he grew up.

“
Sexual romancing, Mona Lisa masterpiece
!” I sang as I danced around the kitchen collecting the things I needed.

I heard the doorbell, then looked up at the clock.

He was early, of course goodie two shoes.

I muttered to myself, then went for the door.

He was carrying a ton of bags, and I sighed shaking my head.

Men
, of course he would refuse to do the logical thing like make two trips, instead of trying to bring every fricken bag at one time.

“Wow, two trips is certainly out of the question.” I said, and he grinned, sat the bags down, then gave me the bird. I acted as if I caught it with a gasp, then blew it back at him.

“So, where are we?”

“I just started; it’s only 2:15 priss.” I said, and he nodded.

“Yea, I figured I better get here early after Kenny called to tell me who all was coming.”

“I feel like slapping the shit out of Kenny.” I muttered, and he laughed.

“Can you blame her though, I feel like old times again.”

“Old times.” I mumbled as I turned for the living room, but he caught me and pulled me into him.

“Does that bother you?”

“No, just some things sucked.” I stated quietly, and he frowned slightly.

“Like what.”

“Just mussing out loud.” I replied waving my comment off, then stepped back from him, so he had to release me.

“So, halfsies?” I challenged as I held up the torn menu.

“Sure, if you wanna get schooled. We know you lack.” he shrugged grinning as he brushed his shoulders off.

“Since when? You got me fucked up!” I laughed, and he did too.

“Since always
Nena
.” Girl he said with a thick accent bobbing his head, and I couldn’t help laughing.

“
Eso es lo que dijo
.” That’s what he said, I laughed.

“Fine, bet?” He countered, and I grinned even wider.

“Bet, you sure you wanna do that? Remember last time?” I said referring to the closet. It was how we ended up in the closet half naked in the first place. He’d bet me that his Crème Burle was better than mine, and our janky ass friends couldn’t pick the better one, so it was a tie. Ricardo’s triffieling ass came up with the consequences of a tie.

“Fine, what?”

“If you win, you get to have those framed tickets where we went to see the
Wu-Tang Clan
.” he said, and I gasped.

“Oh my God! You kept those?” I cried, and he nodded grinning. “And if you win?” I asked smiling slightly.

“I get to choose whatever I want?”

“Okay fine, but yo ass is mine. You may as well trot along home and get my win.” I laughed, and he grinned.

“We’ll see. But you agree…I get…whatever… I want?” He solicited, holding his hand out.

I saw something in his eyes then, and I swear it made my entire body tingle. I looked at his hand for several moments, and something screamed;
“Don’t do it,
” but I nodded anyway as I took his hand.

He suddenly jerked me to him, and the kiss he gave me, I felt to the tips of my toes.

“I’m holding you to it too.” he whispered against my lips, and I looked up at him wide-eyed.

I licked my lips as I nodded slightly.

He sauntered off into the kitchen with his bags.