by Kris Bryant
“Perfect.” She takes another bite and moves to the next station to talk to Brian. She looks over her shoulder and smiles at me.
“Oh, how sweet. Your girlfriend loves your food,” Scott says. He is suddenly in my personal space and my warm, fuzzy feeling is instantly replaced with icy anger. Without hesitation, I turn to him.
“Too bad you have to cheat to beat me.” I smile at him and bat my eyelashes. He scowls and marches off to his station. Asshole. I hope he crashes and burns again tomorrow. I clean up my station, still pissy over our encounter.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s acting like a jealous ass. Come on, let’s get out of here,” Mary says.
As much as I want to stay and be near Taryn, I’m afraid it will be obvious so I grab my bag and head out with Mary instead. By the end of class today, the rest of the students heard about what Scott did and kept to themselves. Nobody talked to him, nobody asked for assistance. I kind of love my classmates right now. Tomorrow night is going to be interesting.
*
It’s eight o’clock and I’m already in bed with Sophia. I’m exhausted. The television is on, but I’m bored. I really want to text with Taryn. I know she is busy with Olivia and getting ready for her mother’s visit. I’m trying to be mature and not clingy. Reminding myself that this is supposed to be casual isn’t helping either.
My phone buzzes with a text from Taryn. Are you relaxing?
My heart picks up speed. She must be reading my mind. I’m already in bed. I don’t think I can move.
It’s been a long week for you already.
I’m looking forward to Friday, so I can chill. As much as I want to ask about the weekend, I need to settle down. She will let me know when and if she can get away. You’re probably excited for your mum to visit. I say “mum” like she does because I think it’s adorable.
Definitely. I can’t wait until they move back for good.
I miss you. I’m too tired to tiptoe around my feelings today. I realize I’m squeezing my phone, waiting for her reply. When it vibrates, I jump.
And I miss you.
I can’t remember the last time I smiled this much. Can I call you or is Olivia awake?
My phone rings in my hands. I smile.
“I need to hear your voice,” I say.
“I missed you today. You left so quickly.”
“Scott was being stupid, so I left with Mary. I tried to get your attention, but you were helping Tony with crab cakes.”
“What did Scott do?” she asks.
“Eh, it’s not important. Let’s not talk about him. He managed to ruin last night, but he’s not going to ruin tonight.”
“Good point and good attitude. Are you ready for tomorrow?”
“You tell me. Do you think I’m ready?” I ask.
“Without a doubt. Fantastic scallops today. Too bad you can’t share your recipe with them. Yours are far better.”
“Scallops are such a boring food. I don’t care for seafood, so I try all sorts of things to make it taste better. Maybe I should try it with my chutney.”
She laughs. “Nothing about that sounds appealing.”
“How’s Olivia?”
“Finally asleep. She’s been wired all week. I think she’s going through another growth spurt. She’s irritable one moment, then excited, then tired. I can’t keep up with her. Puberty is going to be the death of me.”
“Tell me about the day she was born,” I say.
“Um, okay.” She sounds surprised, but excited to talk about it. “First of all, I was huge. I was a whale while pregnant with her.”
I can’t even imagine her larger than a size four. “Oh, stop. You probably only gained ten pounds.”
“Oh, more like thirty pounds. I ate all of the food I cooked.” I snort. Thirty pounds is average weight gain during a pregnancy. “Well, one night my back started hurting, so I called my mum and she rushed over. She could tell that I was close. I was miserable. I couldn’t get comfortable. My water broke, and before I had a chance to freak out, she got me to the hospital. Labor wasn’t too bad, but my hips will never be the same.”
“How long were you in labor?”
“Not long actually. About six hours, which is really quick for a first baby. I’m so thankful my mum was there with me. I couldn’t imagine doing that on my own.”
“She’s a great kid. Very polite and sweet,” I say.
“I got lucky for sure.”
“And by the way, your hips are perfect,” I say.
She clears her throat. “Thank you. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get any sort of figure back after Olivia was born.”
“I don’t know what you looked like before, but you look great now.” I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy recalling our one night together. I’m desperate for the next one. “You’re going to have to wear a nice suit during finals like you did today. That will be my driving force to cook the best meal I’ve ever cooked before.”
“You will cook the best meal because of you, not because of me,” she says. I sigh. “But I might wear something a little encouraging.” I perk up. Her laugh is low and raspy. I can tell she’s getting aroused.
“I really wish you were here.”
“Soon.” That’s both encouraging and deflating. I’m not ready to give up. Just because we aren’t together, doesn’t mean we can’t share an intimate moment right now over the phone.
“After you left Saturday morning, I could still smell you on my sheets and on my body. I didn’t want to get out of bed.” I even masturbated after she left. “What a great night.”
“It really was fantastic.”
“You know, if your mother is in town for several weeks, maybe we can sneak away for a whole weekend. We can leave early Saturday morning and get back Sunday night. That way you are only gone for a night.” I’m excited at the possibilities.
“What would we do?”
Eat, cook, have sex. Have sex, cook, eat. The possibilities are endless. “I’m sure we could find a nice bed and breakfast, or a suite where we can cook, shop, and spend time alone.” In my mind, I’m jumping up and down with glee. “Or just time alone. Let somebody else cook for us.”
“That sounds really nice. I’m sure my mum can keep Olivia entertained.” While she is interested, I offer to find us a place no more than three hours outside of town. Suddenly, I’m not tired anymore.
“I can look, too. I’m sure we can find something.”
Preferably a room with thick walls and a staff who will leave us alone. Too bad we can’t fly somewhere tropical. I would love to see Taryn in a bikini lounging by a pool. There is so much I want to do with her, and no time to do it. “When do you think?” I don’t want to push, but we’re running out of time. School will be over in three weeks. This weekend is out because her mom arrives. “Maybe next weekend?”
“I’m sure I can get away then. Let’s plan for it,” she says.
“Great. Let me grab my laptop.” I search north of town because there isn’t anything around, and we’re not likely to run into anybody. “Oh, here’s a quaint place about two hours away that boasts tons of bike trails.” I give her the website so she can review the site with me.
“It looks massive. The trails look great. I haven’t been on a bike ride in forever.” Okay, so that’s not the kind of physical activity I had in mind, but I can compromise.
“I’m sure they have bikes we can rent.” My bike probably has tons of cobwebs on it. I’d rather buy a new one than go into my spider infested storage unit and clean it off.
“Let’s do it. I’ll go ahead and book it.”
I think she’s worried if I can afford it. “It’s my idea. Let me.”
“It will be my treat. And that’s final.”
“Then I’ll take you to a nice dinner.” I’d prefer to make her a nice dinner, but unless we stay at my apartment, that’s just not going to happen. I’m pretty sure getting out of town is probably the best thing.
“I would love that
.”
“It would be better if I could cook for you,” I say.
“You cook for me five days a week.”
“That’s not the same. I cook because I have to, and I’m required to cook certain things. I want to cook something that I want to cook. Something that’s not on the syllabus.”
“You did. You cooked me incredible salmon on the first day.”
Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. “But that was in a classroom setting. Plus, salmon is about the only fish I know how to cook well.”
“If you could cook me anything, what would it be? Maybe that should be the final.”
“You don’t know what our final is going to be yet?” I’m surprised. She laughs.
“I have an idea, but I can’t share it with you.” She’s teasing. I wouldn’t want her to tell me anyway. If I win, I want it to be fair and square. And I will win.
“Oh, I’ll win. Scott doesn’t stand a chance.” We both fall quiet. It’s been a rough week so far. I just need to get through tomorrow night. Of course, then there is the whole going off to Italy two weeks after the semester ends thing. If we keep this relationship going until then, it will come to a screeching halt in about a month. As much as I don’t want to think about it, I do. Is it fair to start a relationship, regardless if we say it’s going to remain casual, knowing that it could all end suddenly?
“You’re quiet. What are you thinking about?”
I can’t tell her because I’m not ready to give her up just yet. I want to be greedy with the time she affords me. “I guess I’m just tired.” Suddenly, phone sex seems cheap. I decide to not continue down that path and instead talk to Taryn about her plans with her mom. We’re on the phone for almost forty-five minutes before I squeak out a yawn that Taryn hears.
“Get some rest. You have to get up early tomorrow. Sleep well.”
We hang up and I feel sad. I’m happy that we get to spend a weekend together, but down because I don’t think this is going to end well.
Chapter Eighteen
The kitchen in Atlantis is in full swing by the time I arrive. I’m the last one here and that surprises me. I’m even fifteen minutes early.
“How long have you been here?”
Mary turns to me, her face etched with concern. “Only about ten minutes. I wanted to find out if Chef Matthew is as tough as they say. The answer is yes, in case you were wondering.”
We both turn and face the kitchen. As chaotic as it might seem to the untrained eye, it’s very organized. There is a natural flow between chefs and the waitstaff and I’m impressed with this kitchen. I see Taryn tucked in the back corner near the station I will be cooking at. I can’t help but smile. I can use a bit of her good luck. She spots us and heads our way.
“So far, the service has gone extremely well.” Since all of us are here, she preps us so that we can jump in when the restaurant’s chefs jump off. Taryn has us spend a few minutes with the chefs and shadow them until we relieve them.
“Good luck.” The regular chef here says, handing over the tongs.
I easily slip into the zone. He has the right temperatures going and I plan to maintain them. Mary is on the other side of my grill so she can yell if she needs help. We continue the good luck streak and crank out the orders like we’ve worked there for years. It’s a magnificent kitchen. Even though it’s primarily seafood, I wouldn’t mind working here after school is over. It could only help me learn how to cook seafood perfectly. Scott seems to be shining, much to my chagrin. I notice the rest of the team is not talking to him and I’m sure they are worried that he is going to do something shady to their dishes. Nobody is leaving their station. Wise decision, I think. Chef Matthew is hovering, pointing out the good and the bad. I have a feeling I’m in for a long night. We only had one steak come back. My mussels were either cooked well, or the customers didn’t complain. Thankfully, not too many people ordered them. The scallops were a hit, but as a whole, we all did well. I can almost see Taryn sigh with relief as she and Chef Matthew discuss the night’s events.
“That wasn’t so bad. I’m sure Chef is proud of all of us,” Mary says. We give a weak high five and head for the exit. The staff of Atlantis isn’t as friendly as Murphy’s, so we leave without applause. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe Chef Matthew even said a word to me. That’s okay. I kind of like being under the radar once in awhile. I’m not as tired as I was the night we cooked at Murphy’s, but I’m pretty sure I need to head straight to bed.
*
My phone buzzes about two minutes before I’m home. I look down and see that it’s a message from Taryn. I know I’m supposed to wait until I’m safely parked, but pull up the message.
Everybody did well tonight. Chef M was impressed.
I hurry up and head to the parking lot before I answer. I noticed it was peaceful. I guess Scott didn’t cheat.
No, I stood close by him the whole night.
Did it hurt?
Lol. He behaved.
Ugh.
I sprint up the stairs to my apartment. I can’t wait to shower. I smell like seafood. I quickly shower until I’m sure all of the grease is off of my body. It’s amazing how dirty you get just from one night. Long sleeves and long pants protect your skin and keep you relatively clean, but your face, neck, and hair feel like you’ve been camping in the wild for a week. I hear my phone ding so I know Taryn has sent me another message. I towel off before I check my phone.
Can you come over?
Holy shit. Is everything okay?
I want to be with you.
I don’t hesitate. I’m on my way.
I slip on the bathroom tile and bang my knee against the sink. Damn it. I hobble down the hall to my bedroom to put clothes on. I don’t even bother with panties. I find some yoga pants, a tank top, and top it off with a light zip-up workout jacket. I’m sure I look like a drowned rat, but I don’t even care. With minimal late night traffic, I reach her apartment in less than ten minutes. I park two blocks away. I’m not taking any chances. I put my hood up and jog to her place. Her door is ajar. I slip in and close it softly.
“You shouldn’t leave your door open like that.” I keep my voice low so I don’t wake up Olivia.
“I just opened it. I knew you would be here soon.” Taryn is wearing thin pajama pants and a matching sleeveless camisole that leaves nothing to the imagination. I lock the door before I head directly toward her, only one thing on my mind. She takes a step back before she opens her arms to me. I crash into her, pushing her up against the wall. She whimpers when we finally kiss, our mouths devouring one another. I can’t get enough of her. I suck her tongue into my mouth, bite her bottom lip, but the ache is still there.
“Let’s go to your room,” I say.
She nods and we tiptoe to her room, closing the door behind us. We pick up where we left off with more fervor. She unzips my jacket and practically rips it off of my body. We fall onto the bed and she crawls on top of me. Her weight is wonderful against the ache between my thighs. I buck up while she pushes into me and I moan with pleasure.
“Shh, we have to be quiet,” she whispers.
Shit. That’s right. I look at her and nod. I reach down and tug her top off, anxious to feel her soft skin against mine. I wind my hands into her long, soft hair and bring her mouth back down to mine for a kiss. She starts grinding her pussy against my leg and I reach down to help alleviate the ache I know so well. Her pajamas are soaked. I can smell her wetness, her essence filling my senses. I need to taste her again.
I roll her over and slide down her slender body. She lifts her hips up to me and I kiss her mound through her pants before I yank them off. I dive into her, spreading her wide with my hands. We both moan the moment my tongue hits her slit. I feel her fingers weave in my hair, pulling me into her. Her hips are moving into me, her pussy grinding against my mouth. I’m breathing hard, trying to catch my breath, and make her come at the same time. She hooks the back of her knees over my shoulders and grabs the covers
. I slide my hands over her stomach and up until I reach her breasts. Her nipples are hard and the second my hands cup them, she covers my hands with her own and squeezes.
It’s unbelievable how sexual she is, how open she is with me after only a short time. When her knees start shaking, I know she’s going to come. I wish I could be all over her, touching, tasting, riding her orgasm out with her. She grabs a pillow and covers her face as the orgasm washes over her, her moans suppressed by a cushion. I wish I could hear her, but I know that we have to be quiet, no matter what. Her juices are all over my face, but I don’t care. I gently slip one, then two fingers into her still contracting pussy. Her back arches off of the bed and she makes a noise and quickly covers her mouth with her own hand. I can feel her heartbeat quiver around my fingers.
I can feel my heart slipping. I need to get a grip on this. I can’t lose myself in her. She leans back on her elbows and watches me. I can’t look away. As much as I want to move up and kiss her, there is something so erotic in watching the passion ignite in her eyes, her mouth open, her breasts rise and fall as her breathing increases. She hisses the deeper I move inside of her, and groans with seeming regret as I slip out. Her stomach muscles tighten as she welcomes her second orgasm. She bites her lip to keep from crying out. Christ, I can’t get enough of her. I want to spend as much time as I can just watching her come. She falls back on the bed, breathing hard. I stop moving inside of her, but I’m not ready to leave her warmth. I slide up her body, placing kisses on her skin until we are face to face. She pushes my wild hair out of my face and kisses me soundly.
“Wow,” she says.
I shush her. Even though she thinks she’s being quiet, she’s not. Her smile wavers and for a moment, I think she’s going to cry. She kisses me again, covering up any emotion I think I might have seen. I lie beside her until we’re both breathing normally. The second I slip out of her, I miss her warmth. Our connection is broken and I can’t get close enough to her. I place tiny kisses on her face. Her lips are soft and greedy when they meet mine. I want to keep this intimacy longer. I pull her against me so that her head is resting on my shoulder. She slides one of her legs between mine and we lie there. I play with her hair as she lightly strokes the side of my neck.
