Food and Books

by Zachary, Drew

  Laughing, Garett finished his slicing, knife moving methodically but efficiently through the tomatoes.

  "Okay, chuck all that in the pot, and then we can start adding the good stuff." Nathan reached for the wine he’d had open and waiting since six, then poured maybe a cup into the pot. "Want a glass?"

  "You can drink cooking wine?"

  Nathan stared. "Dude. Cooking wine is good for cleaning drains. This is twenty dollars a bottle, so nothing great, but it's wine. You don't put anything in food you wouldn't drink on its own. Repeat after me: good ingredients equal good food."

  "Gotcha. It's not like I actually cook with wine to start with. But I've always assumed... wrong, obviously. Sure, I'll have a glass." Garett looked like he was trying not to laugh at him.

  Sighing dramatically, Nathan poured for both of them. "You live off the deli counter, don't you?" he asked suspiciously. "Okay, stand back. It's real food time." He turned on the burner under the tomatoes and wine, set the chicken aside and washed his hands again. "Homemade pasta. I mixed it earlier and it's been sitting, so now we just roll it out and feed it through the cutter."

  "Homemade pasta? No fucking way!" Now Garett looked utterly fascinated.

  "Best kind." Nathan loved homemade pasta. With quick movements he rolled out half the ball and started running it through the pasta maker, making it even flatter in nice, even sheets. "How do you like it? Thick, thin, wide, skinny?"

  "I'm easy. Which I think I proved earlier..." Garett gave him a wink, took a sip of his wine, and kept his eyes on the pasta making.

  "Heh. Cook's choice it is, then." Nathan changed the blade and started cutting long strips of fettuccini. "This will have to sit for a bit and dry. By the time the chicken and sauce are cooked, it'll be ready for the water. Fresh pasta only takes a minute or two to cook through, not like the dried stuff."

  "That is the coolest fucking thing. Forget getting used to dating a cook, I think I'm going to fucking love it. I'm going to have to spend extra time at the gym, though." Garett patted his belly.

  "I'm pretty sure I can come up with ways to keep you fit." Nathan winked at him. "Come here. You crank out the pasta, I'll spice up our tomatoes."

  "Oh, I get to work the machine. Cool." Laughing, Garett took over for him.

  Nathan had to admit, the man looked good in his kitchen. Okay, so Garett looked good anywhere; he was lucky it happened to be in his kitchen at the moment.

  He really liked the way Garett was easy with the word 'dating', too. Too often the guys who said they weren't after a fast fuck really were. Sure, they'd been quick off the mark, but Garett was still there, apparently delighted to play with the pasta maker. He didn't look itchy, like he'd rather have a burger and a nap. Nathan found himself watching Garett, smiling as he stirred the sauce and turned up the heat.

  "So what other neat gadgets have you got in your kitchen?"

  Nathan sipped his wine. "Um, mixer, mandolin, meat grinder... the pasta maker is the coolest, though. I thought I'd start big and keep you interested."

  "Start big..." Chuckling, Garett's eyes slid over him, down to his crotch. "And mandolin? Since when is a musical instrument a kitchen machine?

  "It's a fancy cutting tool," Nathan explained. "It slices stuff really fast, really thin, without wrecking one's hands. I like my hands to be useful." He looked right back, admiring Garett's assets.

  "Oh, I'd say your hands are very useful." Licking his lips, Garett's attention returned to the pasta maker. "I think I'm done here."

  Nathan made himself stop staring. "Okay, good. Um, I put a lot of fresh garlic and... well, some stuff in here. Thyme, oregano, sea salt, lemon pepper, basil. Come and smell before I crush the tomatoes and turn up the heat." He stepped back, making room for Garett near him.

  Garett dutifully came over and put his head over the pot, sniffing. "Oh, hey, that smells way better than the stuff I get out of a can." Turning his head, Garett gave him another look. "So you just throw whatever in? No recipe, no measuring?"

  Nathan nodded. "It's easy, really. Just start with small amounts and let them sit for a bit. Taste. Add more of what you like until it's right. After a while you just kind of know. This sauce, for example, will take on flavor from the chicken and the herbs will change a bit. It needs onion." He stood behind Garett and slipped an arm around his waist. "Stir. The smells will blend and rise up to you... It's something new, each time."

  Garett stirred and sniffed again, ass rubbing back against his crotch. "You're making cooking sexy, Nate."

  Nathan laughed softly, letting himself rub back a little as his cock took a bit of interest. "No, cooking is cooking. The sexy part is you."

  "Me?" Garett's voice sounded a little thick. "I'd have said you."

  "Flatterer." Nathan circled his hips and let the arm around Garett's waist drop down. "Oh, nice," he whispered, his hand tracing the line of Garett's cock.

  Dropping the spoon, Garett pushed between his cock and his hand. "How long did you say that pasta had to dry for?"

  "About an hour. At least half an hour." Nathan flipped the dial for the burner and shut it down to low. "This'll be fine." He stroked along Garett's prick again, squeezing. "Want to see my bedroom now?"

  "Yes." No hesitation in that answer.

  Thank God. "This way." Nathan pushed against Garett again, rubbing one more time before dragging Garett out of the kitchen.

  Garett groped with his free hand, feeling up Nathan's ass as they went. It was really kind of hard to walk, pushing into a hand and moving forward at the same time. Nathan was laughing by the time they got to his room. "It's easier when we're still," he said, pulling Garett down to the bed with him.

  "Wanted to touch you," Garett muttered, sounding distracted. Which was just fine as he was obviously what was distracting Garett, the big hands moving over him, mouth sliding along his jaw.

  "Uh-huh. That's fine with me." It so was. Completely fine. Nathan wiggled and twisted and got himself pressed up close to Garett’s body, touching back. "Want."

  "I brought stuff," murmured Garett, stopping long enough to dig in his pockets.

  "Boy Scout." Nathan moaned and pushed a bit harder, thrusting his cock against Garett's hip. "I like that. A lot."

  Garett nodded, grabbing one of his legs and pulling it up over Garett's thigh. "You smell good."

  "I smell like supper. Oh, man." Nathan closed his eyes and worked himself against Garett. "You feel good."

  "Not just supper." Garett's fingers pulled his shirt out of his waistband, tugging it up and dragging over his skin.

  Nathan had no idea what else he could smell like, other than shampoo. He was just glad that Garett liked it. He ground himself against Garett a bit more then made himself back off so he could work on the man's buttons. "Too many clothes. I want to see you."

  "Working on it." Although really, Garett was working on Nathan's clothes, which wasn't going to help him see anything.

  "That's me," Nathan pointed out. With a growl that he thought came out more 'cute' than 'take charge', Nathan rolled Garett over and straddled him. "There."

  Chuckling, Garett pushed up, rubbing his jeans covered hard-on against Nathan's ass.

  "Yeah, like that." Nathan closed his eyes and rode it for a moment. "That's what I want."

  "Only naked." Garett got his shirt the rest of the way off and started working in his jeans, tugging on the button and opening the fly.

  Nathan nodded happily. "Naked. Exactly." He watched Garett's hand for a moment, then scrambled off and started shedding his jeans. "Faster," he said by way of explanation.

  Snorting, Garett got up as well, pulling off his own clothes at not quite the same breakneck speed Nathan was using.

  Naked, Nathan watched Garett with hungry eyes as his frame was revealed. The only word that Nathan could pull out of his brain to describe Garett -- aside from 'ohmygodhot' -- was 'strong'. "Wow."

  Garett's cheeks went a little pink. "I have to stay in shape for the job."

 
; "I love your job. A lot." Nathan looked for a long moment, absently stroking himself. "Wow." It suddenly occurred to him that he could be touching Garett, and he blinked. Then he pounced, once more pulling Garett to the bed. "Where were we?"

  Garett laughed, fingers sliding up his ribs, making a beeline for his nipples. "I think we were here."

  "I like here." Nathan shivered a little, wanting. "I like your hands." He really, really liked Garett's hands on him. "And I like your... everything." So far, that was true. He tilted his head, looking for a kiss, and touched Garett's hips and thighs, mapping him.

  "My everything thanks you." Garett's words whispered across his lips, and then Garett's tongue pushed into his mouth, the kiss full of heat.

  Groaning, Nathan fell into the kiss, opening wide and letting Garett take over. His fingers brushed up the length of Garett's cock and traced the tip of it, the skin so soft and warm. Garett jerked against him, grunting into his mouth. Two fingers pinched his right nipple.

  "Yes." Nathan jerked, too, but not away. "More." His fingers curled around Garett's cock and he squeezed, but didn't start stroking. Garett's hips started moving, pushing the hot prick through his fingers even as Garett's touch slid randomly over his skin, coming back regularly to touch and twist at his nipple.

  Nathan let Garett dictate the pace, pushing his thumb over the head of Garett's cock now and then and rubbing his own prick on Garett's thigh. "That's it," he murmured, taking another kiss. "Feels good."

  "Uh-huh. Wanna do more?"

  Nathan nodded, feeling a little high. He could feel the blood running through the thick veins in Garett's cock. "Yeah. Want this inside me, I think. You wanna do that?"

  "God, yes." Garett took his mouth, kissing him hard before pulling back. "Yes, I want to fuck you."

  Heat rushed through Nathan's body and his cock twitched. "How do you want me?" he asked, already moving to roll over.

  "Hands and knees." Garett reached back for his pants, coming up with a couple condoms and a little, sample-sized packet of lube.

  Nathan didn't even bother saying that was his favorite, didn't try to talk at all. His breath was caught in his chest and his entire being felt engaged, on-on-on, ready to go. He moved fast, right into the middle of his bed, his ass high. He was pretty easy, he supposed. But he was feeling too good to care.

  The bed dipped a little as Garett settled behind him, hands sliding over his ass, feeling him up thoroughly.

  Nathan made himself breathe. It would be really horrible to pass out from holding his breath while he waited to feel Garett take him. "Want you," he whispered, looking at his bedspread. "Right from when I saw you."

  Garett's hands stuttered and he groaned. Then a slick finger teased at Nathan’s hole and pushed in.

  Hissing, Nathan pushed back, welcoming Garett. "Yes." A little shift of his knees and Nathan adjusted his weight, gave himself a little more leverage. "Garett."

  "It's good?" Garett asked, finger slowing its movements inside him.

  "Uh-huh." Nathan hung his head low and breathed. "More?"

  "Yeah. Good. More." Garett, it seemed, was down to one-syllable words.

  A second finger joined the first, spreading him. Nathan pushed back again, taking them in, the small of his back arching. "Yes, like that." He was panting, he could feel his chest getting tight. He hadn't done this in a while, but his body was jacked up, ready and wanting.

  "Tight," groaned Garett, fingers pushing deep.

  "You're welcome." Nathan grinned. It had made sense in his head. He shifted his weight again and yelped, sparks going off all along his spine. "Oh!"

  "Here?" Garett pushed in the same spot, with the same amazing results.

  "Oh, fuck, yes, there, don't stop!" Nathan shuddered and dropped his shoulders down low to the bed, his ass even higher. "Fuck." He was babbling, he knew, but he figured he'd be forgiven for it.

  Garett pushed a third finger in with the first two, stretching him even wider, and managing to keep hitting his gland.

  "God!" Nathan fell forward, his hands sliding until he grabbed the bedspread. "Garett! Please!" His hole was stretched and ready, and he needed Garett's thick cock to fill him up.

  "Ready?" It seemed Garett was still down to single words, which was just fine as long as it got him fucked. The long fingers disappeared, and he heard Garett fussing with the condom package.

  "Ready!" God, was he whimpering? Maybe he was. He wasn't really sure it mattered. He rocked back, feeling empty, and shoved a hand under himself to grab at his own cock.

  Garett was a moment longer and then finally a hot pressure pushed against him, his hole stretching as Garett pushed into him.

  Nathan groaned and squeezed his own prick. "Yes," he whispered, feeling himself fill up. "Good."

  Garett grunted an agreement, hands wrapping around his hips and pulling him back onto the thick cock. Another groan sounded, and then Garett was moving, cock pushing into him with long movements.

  Nathan grunted with him, each time Garett thrust deep. He couldn't breathe; it was like his air was being dragged in when Garett pulled out, and forced out with every thrust. Eyes closed tight, Nathan tried to move, to shove himself back and take more, wanting it harder and faster. Garett seemed to get the message, the thrusts getting harder, becoming short stabs that hit his gland, and one hand slid away from his hip to wrap around his cock and tug.

  Crying out, trying to at least say Garett's name or something encouraging, Nathan shuddered and clutched at the bed, throwing himself back. He could feel Garett's balls slapping against his ass, and it would have been funny except Garett was stroking him off, too, and rubbing right at the head of his cock. "I'm gonna come," Nathan said, his voice rasping.

  "Do it," muttered Garett. "Do it!"

  Nathan did it. He lifted his body up, shoved himself back hard to get Garett's cock deep inside him, and came with a yell that people down the block must have heard. He shot hard, and with every pulse his ass clamped harder around Garett's prick.

  "Fuck," Garett pushed harder, almost jerking and then stilling as he filled the condom, cock pulsing inside Nathan's ass.

  "Yes." Nathan was breathing hard, panting as he felt Garett come. "That's it." Goddamn, that felt good. Right.

  Garett collapsed down on top of him, shoving him down onto the mattress, muttering something that might have been "good."

  "Mmmhmm." Nathan snuggled down, happy to be pinned while he caught his breath. "If this is what cooking does to you, wait until you taste the food."

  Garett laughed, prick jerking inside him. "I think it was the cook more than the cooking."

  "Oh, good. So I won't have to meet you at the door with a slotted spoon in my hand to get kissed?" Nathan chuckled, amusing himself.

  "I don't even know what a slotted spoon is, Nate." Garett petted his side, and then slid out, leaving him empty as the condom was disposed of.

  "You'll learn," Nathan assured Garett. He snugged himself up close as soon as Garett was done. "You're going to use one on the sauce."

  "Oh, I am, am I?" Garett chuckled and patted his ass. "We get to nap a little first, right?"

  "Short one." Nathan yawned at the mere mention of a nap. "If the sauce sits too long the garlic will take over."

  "I thought there was no such thing as too much garlic?"

  "Clearly you've never eaten too much garlic." He nuzzled Garett. "It's true, sadly. Garlic takes over the senses."

  "Can't have that." Garett was starting to sound more asleep than awake.

  "Nope. Nothing's going to take over your senses." Nathan yawned again and closed his eyes. "Except me."

  ***

  Four weeks later

  Garett once again found himself ensconced in his favorite chair at The Other Shelf, a plate of cookies on the little table next to him, along with his pile of books to buy. The place wasn't quite empty yet, but it was getting there.

  The person he was waiting for hadn't turned up yet, but Nate had to help clean the kitchen af
ter his shift, and that made him later some nights than others.

  It didn't matter anyway; Roberta would let Nate in. She felt personally responsible for getting the two of them together and oversaw every move they made at the bookstore like an eagle-eyed matchmaker.

  He had to admit, she'd done him a favor when she'd steered Nate in his direction. Things got better and better every day and Garett was one happy man. Even if it was nearly midnight and his man was still MIA.

  The bell over the door finally rang out, and a moment later a voice called, "Did he wait this time, Roberta?"

  "Child, he'll wait for you each time. You know that."