by Kris Bryant
“You have the softest skin,” she says.
I bring her fingertips to my lips and kiss them. “I just got out of the shower. I’m a mess.”
“You did a good job tonight. Chef Matthew even said so.”
“He didn’t say a word to me.”
She smiles. “He only talks if there is a problem, so know that you did well.”
“How did you manage to get these cooking gigs for us, or do I want to know?” I ask.
“Well, I worked with Chef Randy. His restaurant is one of the few who agreed to help the academy. I don’t think Chef Matthew was excited for us to be there, but it wasn’t his decision.”
“As fun as it was, I’m glad we are done with Hell Week. This week was like starting a new job twice.” She rests her palm right above my heart. I try not to read too much into it. “I want to go back to class and be done with my night by six.”
“This week was hard for you because of the diner. Oh, and you have to work there in just a few hours. I’m so sorry I called. It wasn’t fair of me.” She doesn’t know that I will drop anything for her.
“I can sleep after I’m done with my shift.” I take a peek at the clock. “Plus, I can still squeeze in a few hours.”
“But I’m not done.” She slides over me, bringing my arms up over my head. I love that she is naked and I’m still clothed. “When I said I need you, it wasn’t because I wanted you to give me two really great orgasms.” I smile. “Well, don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to stop you, but I need to feel you and taste you again. I couldn’t wait until next weekend.”
“Perhaps it was my command of the kitchen that turned you on and you just couldn’t stop thinking of me.” I joke, but we both know that having a perfect run in a kitchen really is some type of natural high that you want to share with someone.
“That probably had something to do with it.” She leans down and kisses me. “You were amazing this week.” She slides my tank up and over my head. I watch her run her fingertips lightly over my breasts and down my stomach. She lowers her head and slowly licks my nipple. I close my eyes and surrender to her mouth and her touch.
Chapter Nineteen
“Let’s go.” Jessie is standing in my living room, loudly tapping her foot, waiting for me to finish putting on my makeup. “The hot girls are all going to be taken by the time we get there.” I have no desire to go out, but Jessie has been on me to be her wingman for weeks. She’s always been there for me, so I can’t let her down. Plus, she might get suspicious if I don’t participate, and I might accidentally let it slip that I’ve been with Taryn. I like our secrecy.
“Give me two minutes.” I quickly put on my mascara and give myself the last minute look over. I grab my shoes and head down the hall. Jessie gives me a nice whistle.
“Maybe we should hook up like your teacher thought we were doing,” she says.
I playfully smack her on the arm. “Stop. Let’s go.”
Jessie practically skips out the door. Saturday night at the club will certainly get her laid. I’m guessing she won’t even leave before that happens. Hearts Afire is a club I don’t attend a lot. It’s more of a warehouse where a lot of women dance, drink, do drugs, and have sex. I’m guilty of three of the four. I don’t do drugs. We get into Jessie’s Jeep and drive the fifteen minutes to the club. She’s brimming with excitement. I’m dreading it. I want to be invisible tonight. Even though Taryn and I talked about keeping our secret relationship casual, every time I’m with her, I care for her a little more.
“I hope we have some fresh meat tonight,” Jessie says.
I roll my eyes at her and she just laughs. “You are such a pig.”
“Don’t knock it. When was the last time you got laid? It’s been a long time.”
Less than forty-eight hours, but I’m not sharing. “Sometimes it’s not just about sex. Sometimes it’s about a relationship.”
“You definitely need to get laid,” she says. I roll my eyes again.
We find parking close to the club and head inside. I avoid all eye contact even though Jessie is talking to everybody she sees. I’m just not in the mood. We make our way to the bar and order beers.
“Look at that girl down at the end of the bar,” Jessie says. I see a cute blonde looking over at us, even though she’s surrounded by friends. Jessie tips her beer at her and smiles. The girl comes over to us.
“I haven’t seen you two in here before. My name’s Nikki.”
“I’m Jess and this is Ki,” Jessie says.
“Ki. What a cool name.”
Even though she’s cute, I don’t want to talk to her. I mean, maybe if things were different for me, then I would. She keeps trying to draw me into conversation. Jessie picks up on it and leaves, winking at me. Now I’m stuck. Nikki is a physician’s assistant, five years older than me, and lives downtown, a few blocks from the club. She flags the bartender over for two more beers and a couple of shots. She gives her a credit card before I can argue.
“I can get my own drinks.” I know she’s being nice, but she’s not getting into my pants, or up my skirt.
“It’s my pleasure.” She leans in closer to hear me better. The club is getting louder and talking is even proving difficult. “Hey, finish your beer and we’ll hit the dance floor.” I finish my beer in two long swallows. She grabs my hand and we find a relatively free spot. The beat is fast and fun and we start dancing. It’s awkward at first until we find a comfortable rhythm together. I should be having fun, but all I can think about is Taryn. I see Jessie on the other side of the bar kissing a leggy brunette. It’s just a matter of time before she has her in a dark corner or in the bathroom.
Nikki leans in. “Let’s grab another drink.” She grabs my hand before I can respond and we head back to the bar. She orders more shots. I don’t really want to drink any more, but I take the tiny glass and toast with her. “Here’s to new friends.” We clink glasses and gulp down the alcohol. I give a little shiver when I’m done and she laughs at me. “Do you want to get out of here?” We both know what that means. Her hand is on my knee.
“I can’t, but thanks for the offer.”
She leans in and kisses me. It doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to. It doesn’t feel like anything. Her lips are nice, and she tastes sweet, but there is no fire. Apparently, I can’t do casual. She breaks the kiss and stares at me before tossing back the rest of her drink.
“So tell me about her,” Nikki says.
“Not much to tell really. We’re new and trying to figure things out.”
She nods. “I’ve been there and done that. Here, give me your phone.” I hand it to her and she adds her number. “Call me if you ever want to talk or dance.” I can’t help but smile. Two months ago, I’d already be at her place, but now I’m just not feeling it.
“Thanks, Nikki. I might just do that.”
She winks and leaves. I look around. I can’t find Jessie anywhere. I order another beer, sit back and wait for her to show up. The music is loud and right up my alley.
“Let’s dance.” Jessie hugs me from behind, spilling my beer. She kisses my cheek and drags me off of my stool and onto the dance floor.
“So what happened to legs?” I ask. It’s more like a scream because she can’t hear my normal voice. Jessie winks at me. I shake my head at her. She laughs. We dance for about thirty minutes. I’m hot and tired and Jess even looks like she’s had enough action. We grab one another and head to the bar for cold waters.
“Thanks for coming out with me. I know you’ve been worried about school, and I was hoping that you would forget about everything for at least one night.”
“I’m hanging in there. Thanks for inviting me. I did meet Nikki.” I don’t tell her that Nikki will only ever be a friend.
“Okay, don’t hate me, but let’s go home,” she says.
I don’t hesitate. I finish my water and grab her hand. “I’m ready.” We weave through the dancing women, and take a deep breath when we finally leave the
club.
“I still had fun even though we didn’t stay long,” she says.
“Are you going to call legs or was that it?” I ask.
“It was fun, but that was probably it.”
“So do you ever want a real relationship?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for one, you have sex with the same person, and only that person more than once. And you talk every day, make decisions together, have meals, and plan trips. You laugh and cry together, and support one another.” I could go on, but she interrupts me.
“How many of those have you had?”
“Yeah, I know, but that’s what I want now.” I’m tired of this scene. I’m tired of the unemotional sex and the crazy women.
“So are you thinking about Taryn?”
“That would be nice.”
“Even though she has a kid?” I give her a look. “An adorable kid, but still, a kid? Isn’t she really an untouchable? Single mother with child? Are you really ready for that?” She’s got me there. I’ve been so focused on Taryn and sex with her, I haven’t really thought about Olivia and what that will do to her. Taryn and I kind of talked about it, but without resolution. We’re keeping it light because there is a good chance that I will be gone for ten months. “Plus, you’ll be in Italy for almost a year. Italy with beautiful women who are fantastic lovers.”
“How do you know that?”
She winks at me. I just laugh. She’s completely hopeless and I’m completely hopeful.
Chapter Twenty
“We only have two more weeks left of class, chefs. Let’s keep it together and try to get through the German lesson,” Taryn says.
I’m the only one who is excited about making German food. Ever since the Ethnic Food Festival, I’ve been itching to try that nice lady’s sauerbraten recipe. It’s all about the sauce. The cuts of meat are different and I’m pleased with what Taryn has available for us. We have roasts, topside beef, veal, and turkey cutlets. She has shown us the proper way to cut the meats for popular German dishes including schnitzel, rouladen, and sauerbraten. Yesterday she even showed us how to make spaetzle, a rough texture noodle that is served with the proteins we’re learning how to master. My sauerbraten has been marinating twenty-four hours and I’m anxious to start my sauce.
Two of us are trying sauerbraten; Brian is making rouladen, and the rest of the class is making schnitzel, including Scott. That’s about as difficult as cooking a pork chop. I grab my ingredients, close my eyes, and get into my zone. Today, I plug in my headset and listen to music. I’ve been obsessing about my upcoming weekend with Taryn. If I listen to loud music, I can’t recall the last night we spent together. My memories of fucking her, tasting her, making her come again and again is repressed by the loud music.
I don’t think about her unless I catch her out of the corner of my eye helping a student or working on her laptop. When she looks at me, my knees get weak. I’m not going to survive. I’m going to have to see her before our weekend. The other night was incredible. I only slept an hour. Her appetite is insatiable. When I finally fell asleep, I woke up to her behind me, sucking on my neck and her fingers deep inside of me. I came fiercely, quietly, remembering not to wake up Olivia down the hall. I climbed up the headboard as she drew out another orgasm. What a fantastic way to wake up. Since her mother is in town now, I can’t just sneak over there. She’ll have to come over to my place, but I have a feeling she’ll wait until the weekend. I shake off my memories and focus on my sauce. It’s sour enough and I scoop out a cup to add the gingersnap crumbs. Much to my delight, it really does enhance the flavors. I add some to the rest of the sauce.
“How does it taste?” Taryn is suddenly beside me. I take out my earbud. The urge to dip my finger in the sauce and let her lick it off is great. My lust must be showing because she takes a step back. I look down quickly so that nobody can see me and I take a deep breath. She finds a spoon and quickly takes a taste. “This is really good.” She puts her spoon in the sink and heads to Mary’s station without looking back at me. Shit. I really need to leave my hunger for her at the door. I’m going to have to apologize to her later. “Be sure to prepare several small plates for your colleagues,” she says.
I opted not to make the noodles, and make mashed potatoes instead. The gravy will be better served with potatoes. Everybody else is making spaetzle and I second guess myself. Apparently, I’m not the only one.
“Why did you decide on potatoes?” Mary asks.
“Don’t tell Chef, but I really don’t like the texture of them. I guess I’m Americanizing the dish. Mashed potatoes are the perfect pillow for this gravy,” I say.
Mary grabs a spoon and tastes the sauce. “This is good. I think you’re right. The mashed potatoes will enhance the gravy. Good call.”
While the beef rests, I start mashing my potatoes. Such a comfort food. I might have to make this my dinner tonight. It’s five now so I have another hour until we have to be out of here. Most people are done. The three of us who picked the harder meals are standing around making sides while our proteins cook. I opt for a cold red cabbage salad that will add texture and acid to my plate. At this point, I’m cooking for Taryn. By five thirty, I have four plates ready to serve. I serve Taryn first, then leave the plates for Mary and Brian, the only ones still in the classroom. I head back to my kitchen to finish mine.
I don’t even wait for their reviews. With only four of us in the kitchen, they can talk to me from across the room and I will hear them. I taste my own food as though it’s somebody else’s. I have no complaints. The meat is tender, juicy and the creamy potatoes help dull the sour sauce. The salad provides a nice crisp to the meal. I start cleaning up my station, taking bites of my dinner in between running dishes to the washer. By the time I’m done, Taryn and I are the only ones left in the room.
“You impressed me,” she says. She walks over to me and I don’t even hide that I’m looking at her.
“Ever since the Ethnic Food Festival, I’ve wanted to try that recipe.” I look at the clock. “Don’t you have to pick up Olivia?”
“Actually, my mum is picking her up tonight so I don’t have to be anywhere until bedtime.”
“So you are free for two hours? Do you want to grab a drink?” She nods. “Let’s go.” I head to my car and don’t look back. I know she will follow me to my apartment. I work my way through the last cars of rush hour and make it to my apartment in less than fifteen minutes. I unlock the door and leave it open because I know she will be here soon. I open a bottle of wine and pour two glasses. I don’t know if we will even get to them so I take a quick sip. I look up and see her standing in my doorway.
“That was quite the look you gave me today in class. Whatever was on your mind?” She shuts the door and locks it behind her.
“I was thinking about our last night together and how you woke me up.” I’m not shy with her. She smiles at me.
“It’s hard to teach when you look at me like that.” She comes over to me and takes my wineglass out of my hand, carefully placing it on the counter. “Take off your jacket.” I unbutton my jacket slowly, never breaking eye contact with her. I have a feeling I’m still going to be the student even though class is over. My heart is hammering in my chest. “Now take off mine.” She’s wearing a suit jacket and I can’t wait to feel her skin again. I get as close to her as I can, my lips inches from hers, and slide my hands between our bodies. I unlatch the button and slide my hands up to slip it off of her shoulders. I lean into her wanting to taste her lips, but she leans back preventing the kiss. I lick my lips in anticipation. “Take off your shirt.” She looks down at my erect nipples and must know that I’m not wearing a bra. I don’t hesitate. She reaches out and runs her thumb across my nipple. I gasp at how sensitive it is. She leans over and sucks it into her mouth. She slides her hands down and unbuttons my pants. “Go ahead and step out of them.” She keeps me steady as I kick them across the floor. Her hands skim my body. “You’re beau
tiful.” She turns me around. I let my hair down because I know she likes to dig her fingers in it. “Get up on the counter.” I hop up and she stands between my legs. I watch as she runs her fingers up my thighs and stops at my panty line. “These are coming off.” I lift up my hips and she slips them off. She reaches over and takes a drink of wine. I watch her lick her lips and I just can’t take it anymore. I pull her toward me and kiss her hard.
“No more teasing.” I wrap my legs around her waist, trapping her against me. I quickly unbutton her blouse, ripping off the last button. I don’t apologize. I need to feel her skin against mine. She’s wearing a camisole and a bra. “Why are you wearing so much clothing?” I’m frustrated. “Can we go back into my room?”
“Not yet.” She leans forward and licks my stomach, running her tongue down to my thighs. I lift my hips up when she gets closer to my pussy. Her warm tongue splits my folds and finds my clit immediately. I moan as she devours me. The counter isn’t comfortable so I lean back on my elbows to better support myself. I watch her, my eyes half closed, as she spreads me open with her hands and buries her face in me. Thank God I don’t have to be quiet. I couldn’t if I tried. It’s amazing to me how well she knows me, how to bring me to orgasm so quickly. I know we don’t have a lot of time, but I hang on for a few seconds longer. Her mouth is incredible. When she slides a finger inside of me, I lie all the way back. It’s the only way I can stop from orgasming right away.
“You’re so wet, love,” she says.
I push against her hand finding a nice rhythm. My moans are getting louder, and my hips are moving faster. I come loudly and wonderfully against her mouth and hand. My back is killing me, my legs are shaking, but I feel fantastic. I sit up because it hurts too much to stay horizontal.
