Chef's Like it Hot!

by Alexandria Infante

  I wanted this so bad.

  He was my every dream.

  I sighed, plugged in the flat iron, then took off the shower cap. I was happy to see the shower hadn’t done too much damage. I took special time with my make-up. I wanted to look extremely well, especially if we were going to be doing what I thought we were.

  I spent the next 20 minutes retouching my hair.

  ***

  When I came from the bathroom 45minutes later, I looked at the clock.

  It was 7:20.

  I dressed, then walked into the kitchen to check the warmers.

  I was happy Colin had thought to bring them.

  I set the table, brought out some more chairs; then realized it would have to be buffet style, because I didn’t have enough room at the table for everyone.

  I looked up as the doorbell rang.

  When I got to the door, I saw that it was Colin.

  “Hey, so good thing you remembered the warmers.” I said as he handed me the bottle of Sangria.

  “Yes, and it was so a last minute thing too. I actually had to run back in and get them.”

  “So, are you ready for tomorrow?” I asked as I placed the wine in the fridge.

  “As much as I can be. You know how it is. I mean just because Bare and Sandy are friends, doesn’t mean we don’t put it down.” he said leaning on the counter and I nodded.

  “Of course, plus, I want their day to be perfect.” I smiled, and he nodded.

  “So, how come you never got married?” he suddenly asked, and I looked at him shocked, then sighed.

  “The guy I was in love with never asked, then disappeared.” I mumbled, and he nodded.

  “Same here. But do you see yourself being married?”

  “Oh totally, if I find the right guy. Weddings always make me so giddy.” I laughed, and he did too nodding.

  “So, I brought these.” he said grinning as he held up the index cards.

  “And those are?”

  He turned them over, placed them on the table, and I saw that they had each of the dishes on them, with a like, dislike, or fare box next to it.

  “Seriously!” I cried laughing, and he grinned wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Yea, this is a bet gurl, I’m down to win!” He cried back, and I laughed as the doorbell rang.

  “Fine ass!” I called over my shoulder, to his laughter.

  “Hay.” I said as I opened the door to Kendra and Mannford.

  “I brought chilled wine.” Kendra said, and I nodded.

  “My God, it smells so good in here! I’m starving.” Mannford moaned as he headed towards the kitchen.

  Colin handed him a beer, and they chatted.

  I smiled to myself, because he seemed so at home in my kitchen; I thought as he leaned against the counter sipping his beer in convo with Mannford. He looked up, winked, then went back to his conversation with Mannford.

  “So, how was it?” Kendra asked as we walked into the living room.

  “Fun, we basically just cooked together, and it freaked me a lil bit.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it was so comfortable Kenny. I mean, it was like it was exactly where we were both supposed to be. Just like when we used to be best friends all those years ago. There was no tension, no malice, like he wasn’t trying to out cook me. We just had fun with it. I would have never been able to do that with Kellen in a million years.”

  “But that’s a good thing right Sar?”

  “Yes and no.” I sighed, and she frowned at me.

  “Why?” She demanded, and I sighed again.

  “Kenny, you know I’m in love with him.” I hissed, and she frowned.

  “So.” She hissed back, and we both looked towards the kitchen.

  “I’m afraid.” I whispered, and she embraced me.

  “Just like I’m sure he is. Just because he’s a guy, doesn’t mean he can’t feel fear as well. Manny said I petrified him. What he felt for me after the first month scared the shit out of him, and he almost broke it off. Now amplify that by ten years! But he’s still here Sariekiko, and probably would have been for the last six years if he ever thought he had a chance with you.”

  “Thanks.” I said as I lifted my head from her shoulder and sighed.

  “For what?” She grinned, and I grinned back.

  “For being the voice of reason these last ten years.” I said, and she laughed as the doorbell rang.

  “Hay hay hay!” Ms. Kerry called as he walked in.

  I just loved it when she dressed up!

  She was a Diva, and nothing less.

  I went to close the door, and Barry caught it laughing.

  The house began to fill, and I realized how happy I was, and hadn’t felt this way in eight years; I thought as I looked at Colin and he winked.

  “So, buffet style tonight. By each dish, you’ll see a stack of cards, please take one from each dish. However, read them before you drop them in the bag.” Colin said, they nodded, and I laughed at Ms. Kerry’s look.

  “You’ll place them in this velvet bag when you’re done.” Kendra said as she held up the bag, and I laughed.

  Leave it to Kendra to make it a real contest.

  “Okay, but what are the cards for?” Victor asked puzzled, Montez whispered something in his ear, he let out a whelp of laughter, and I immediately wondered what Montez told him. I also noticed that he winked at Colin, and Colin’s grin widened.

  “So, everybody got it?” Missanna asked, they nodded, and she stood up.

  “Let’s eat.” Kevin cried, and I laughed as I got up and turned on the IPod since we would be mingling in the living room.

  “So what’s up with you two?” I asked Missanna as I nodded in Kevin’s direction.

  “Not sure yet, sorta just letting it flow. Gurl, he does things that could actually make me an honest one man woman.” She said, and I howled with laughter.

  Missanna, one man! I would love to see that.

  We called her Samantha for a reason!

  “Oh hey, you two can’t vote.” Kendra called, I looked at Colin, and we nodded at the same time laughing.

  “Fine.” he said, then held his beer up to me, and I wrinkled my nose and gave him the finger. He threw his head back laughing, when he turned his attention back to Mannford, Kevin and Armando.

  ***

  “So what’s the bet?” Kevin asked as he took the new beer from Missanna as she passed, kissed him, and he smiled as he watched her walk off.

  Armando elbowed him laughing.

  “Yo ass gone be sprung in a week.” he laughed, and Kevin wiggled his eyebrows.

  “I hope!” he moaned, and they laughed.

  “The bet?” Mannford asked shaking his head.

  “She gets my Wu-Tang tickets…”

  “Shite, you still have those? That was their first concert ever! You sure you wanna do that?” Mannford cried, and he nodded.

  “And you get?” Armando asked grinning.

  “Anything I want.” Colin grinned back, and they laughed.

  “And she went for that?” Kevin asked with a wide grin of his own.

  “Yup.” Colin replied smiling, and each of them gave him a pound.

  “Let me see your phone.” Mannford said, and Colin frowned slightly as he handed it to him.

  “What are you doing?” Kevin asked looking over Mannford’s shoulder as Mannford scrolled through Colin’s phone, found Pandora, then typed in a name.

  “Jhene Aiko?” Colin questioned.

  “Yup, just put it in her IPod jack after we’ve left.”

  “Okay but why?” Kevin asked frowning too.

  Armando laughed shaking his head.

  “Damn, You so white Kev. Here I used to think Manny was white.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Kevin frowned.

  “Women of color love Slow Jams, which is subsequently known as “Baby making Music,” therefore the sex is amazing with said music.” Mannford replied so mater of factly; Coli
n and Armando howled with laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Barry asked as he walked up, and Kevin hurried to type Jhene Aiko into his phone as he winked at Missanna.

  ***

  “So, what do you think they were laughing about?” I asked Missanna as she sat down.

  “I have no clue, but it seemed hella funny. Something Manny said.” Missanna said, and Kendra and I both looked that way.

  “So Sandy, you have to be about to burst?” I said, and she laughed.

  “You would not even believe. You know how long I’ve been in love with him. Almost as long as you and Colin.”

  “And how did your parents take it?” Kendra asked, and she frowned slightly.

  “Not well at first, you know my parents are so fucken whitebread. They came up with the most lame ass excuses, until finally I was like cut me off, I don’t care. They finally came around, and my dad actually loves Barry now.”

  “Well that’s good. No matter if they can be jerks, no one wants to have to choose between the person they love and their family.” I sighed, and she nodded as she drew a blonde lock behind her ear.

  “So how did this bet come about?”Rebecca asked, and I could see the twinkle in her green eyes. Rebecca was a sexy hot ginger, and Armando knew he was out of his league, but she fell for him away. That was certainly a Pauper and the Princess story right there.

  “Before we got started, you know Col, he was bragging of course, and I laughed and said he had me fucked up if he thought he was better. Then he came up with this bet. No one knows what we cooked, you guys just vote.” I said and she nodded grinning.

  I had no clue that Missanna had already told them.

  “Sarie, did you want to put out the desert, or should I?” Colin suddenly asked from the kitchen, and I got up and went to the kitchen.

  “So everybody got it?” Missanna asked, and they laughed.

  “Yup. If we don’t, poor Colin will be 50 years old before he ever gets to hit that!” Rebecca cried, and they yowled with lighter.

  I frowned as I walked back into the living room, and they were snickering.

  “It is impolite to tell secrets.”

  “Ain’t no body telling no secrets. I said my ass was too big for deserts. And Kenny said Kevin didn’t have a problem with it.” Missanna said, and I nodded as I sat down.

  I so didn’t believe her, but let it go anyway.

  Colin brought me a glass of wine, and I smiled up at him.

  I felt tipsy, but I was enjoying their company so much.

  It had been a long time since I was this happy.

  I thought smiling as I looked around at my friends, and the conversations that were going on around me.

  I yawned sometime later, and I noticed Kendra elbowed Mannford.

  “Er’body ready?” Missanna said as she passed the velvet bag around.

  They each placed their cards in, and she shook the bag. I shook my head laughing. She counted out the cards, held them up so we could each see, then started laughing.

  I frowned slightly.

  “Col wins.” She said, and they roared.

  “You guys suck!” I wailed, and they laughed even harder.

  “Thank you thank you.” Colin said as he bowed, then brushed off his shoulders.

  “Ass!” I cried, then threw one of the dinner rolls from the table at his head, as he continued laughing as he ducked.

  We laughed, drank and talked for another hour, and I was a bit sad to see them rising to go. Not because I would be alone with Colin, but it had been so enjoyable.

  “Aight, I guess we’re out.” Missanna said as she pulled Kevin up from the sofa, and he draped his arm around her waist.

  I nodded, then kissed her cheek.

  “I want details.” I whispered, and she laughed.

  “Me too.” She whispered back, and I laughed too.

  By the time they had all shuffled out the door, I was quite buzzed.

  I walked towards the kitchen, but he shook his head and tugged me towards the living room.

  “Nope, we can do it in the morning.” he said, and just those eight little words made my entire body tingle.

  They implied that he would be here in the morning.

  He walked to my IPod jack, took my phone out, which caused my brows to rise; then replaced it with his.

  I looked up at him as Justine Syke’s Collide sang into the room. My brow lifted, and he grinned.

  “That a new playlist?” I asked laughing, and it was his turn to wiggle his brows as he brought the wine bottle and my glass and sat them on the coffee table.

  I kicked off my shoes, and as he sat down he reached for my legs and put them in his lap.

  The song changed to Hics’s Tangled, and I was surprised.

  “I love her voice. It’s so sensual.” I sighed as he began to massage my feet.

  “I’ve never heard them before.” he said, and I smiled.

  “Now you have.” I replied, and tried to suppress the moan as he massaged my foot.

  “So, I won.” he grinned and I opened my eyes.

  “Yes, you did that? And?”

  “I get what I want right?” He asked, and I felt the shiver go through my body at his look.

  I nodded, not trusting my voice.

  He turned me, then pulled me into his lap.

  “Do you know what I want Sarie?”

  “No.” I whispered, as his lips went to my throat.

  “You.” he whispered back, and both my body and mind sang a happy tune.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, for ten years now.” he said as he slid the strap to my dress off my shoulder, then caressed it with his lips, and I sighed running my fingers through his blond locks. What I loved about his hair besides its softness, was the fact that the ends curled up on their own.

  I heard the faint sound of a cell phone then.

  Colin drew his hands from my hair, took the phone from his pocket and flicked the screen.

  I bit my lip then.

  “No.” he said, then hung up.

  I couldn’t help laughing, as he drew me into his body, then stood up with me in his arms.

  He walked into my bedroom, placed me on my feet, walked to the bureau, flicked on the Bose, and I smiled as Niki Minaj ft Meek Mill’s Buy a Heart spun into the room.

  I sighed, then looked up and into his beautiful blue eyes.

  I had waited ten years…to be right here.

  *

  Loving this woman was all Colin could think about for the last ten years, his mind, body, and soul craved her like nothing else.

  He sighed as he placed her on her feet, then looked into those beautiful cinnamon brown eyes of hers as Telepopmusik’s Don’t Look Back, seeped into the bedroom, expressing everything he felt at that exact moment.

  There had been other women, a long string of them, but no one had ever made him feel this need, this deep yearning, the way Sariekiko did. He knew years ago that he was whipped, and forever would be; all because of one kiss in a closet years ago.

  He commenced to undress her then.

  Once she was standing before him nearly nude, he grinned.

  “Fuck, its more than I could have ever imagined.” he whispered, and she reached up to unbutton his shirt.

  As she drew it from his shoulders, when her hands made contact with his skin, he gasped and closed his eyes. She unbuckled his jeans, he stepped out of them, and she grinned.

  He tossed her on the bed, and was immediately there taking her into his arms.

  “It seems like forever.” he whispered as his lips traced her face, her neck, then traveled to the tips of her breast, and her back arched.

  A moan of desire was her only response, and he liked that. His lips trailed kisses across her shoulders and neck, while his hands continued to roam her body. He unlatched her bra, then sighed as his eyes feasted on her beautiful body.

  *

  As his head dipped, I bit my lip to keep from crying out as he took my nipple in
to his mouth, flicked it with his tongue, then sucked on it, till the peak stood erect.

  “Colin.” I moaned, and he removed the bra completely, kissed my stomach, and this time I did cry out.

  He kissed his way down my body, and I nearly screamed as he sucked the skin down the length of my thighs, switching between them. It was a combination of both pleasure and pain, and it sent a direct hit to my vajay.

  “You taste so sweet.” he whispered, as he dipped lower, then drew my lace panties down with his teeth.

  My hands automatically went to his hair, tugging slightly, and he chuckled.

  I felt his warm breath as he hovered over my hot spot, and as his head dipped, and he buried his face completely, I was in heaven.

  His mouth felt amazing, and my fingers tightened in his hair.

  My back arched as he sucked my swollen bud into his mouth, as his slipped his finger inside.

  “Colin.” I cried, as he flicked his tongue again, then drew me back into his mouth, placing another finger inside, his rhythm leisurely.

  I could feel my body begin to tighten, my toes tingling, and as his mouth drew me completely in, I screamed as it hit me, taking the breath from me.

  His hands roamed my body, as if he was committing every curve, every slope to memory, and I smiled to myself.

  He cupped my ass, then jerked me further into him, bringing his mouth back to my throat. Pressing my hip forward, I could feel how hard he was, and I gasped as he ground his hips into me. The tip of his rigid shaft brushed my swollen parts, and I moaned deeply.

  “I’ve wanted this so bad, for ten years now.” he whispered in my ear, as his hands caressed my breast, slightly tugging on my nipples. I moaned deeper, his scent was intoxicating. He took my breasts with both hands and gently sucked on both nipples.

  *

  “Fuck!” Colin moaned, as his hand traveled down her body, his fingers came in contact with her heat, and she moaned his name as he slipped his fingers inside. Her hands sunk under the waist band of his briefs, and he moaned against her lips as her warm hand grasped his shaft. She drew it upwards, and he closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her hands.