Chapter 6 Cooking was a form of art. It took the creativity of a painter and the soul of a sculpter to create dishes that made the mouth water. The perfect sauce - which when added to the dish, didn’t overpower it. The delicate selection of vegetables to accompany an entrée. A soup which left you savoring each note of flavor. As an artist, the chef made food that people would die for. In fact, three people already had..~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bobby lined up the shot, raised his hands, and sunk the Nerf basketball in the hoop which hung on the back of the door.
“Bobby, you have to concentrate,” Tara pleaded. “We have to know all of the cooking terms from A through E by tomorrow.”
Flopping on the couch beside her, Bobby hooked the ball and it sailed easily into the hoop. He turned to Tara. “It’s not like we’re really getting graded on this stuff, Tara.”
“I know, but I hate to fail at anything.”
“Really? I never would have guessed.” She laughed and he smiled at her. “Okay, try me. See what I know.”
“Al dente.”
“When the pasta is firm not mushy.”
“Baste.”
“When you brush liquid over the meat during roasting to flavor it and keep it from drying out.”
Tara’s eyes narrowed. “Are you cheating?”
“Yes, Tara, I wrote all the answers on my arms.” He held his bare arms out to her. “See? Invisible ink. Give me some more. Pick a hard one.”
“Okay, here’s one I didn’t know. Coddle.”
“Mmmm. When you take someone you care about very much and hold them for hours.”
“Bobby, I said coddle not cuddle.”
“But didn’t you like the sound of that?”
Her pinkening cheeks betrayed her. “Coddle?”
“It’s when you put something like eggs in one pan and set that pan in a separate pan of water.”
Tara shook her head in shock. “How did you know that?”
The door bell rang and he stood up. “A man has to have his secrets, luv.” Opening the door, he accepted the boxes from a delivery boy and paid him. He returned to the living room and placed the Chinese food on the table.
“When did you order this?”
“A little while ago. You’ve been so busy studying, you forgot the most important thing you can do to food.”
“What’s that?”
“Eat it.” He sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table and patted the carpet. “Come on down. You can’t have an authentic Chinese food dinner sitting on the couch.”
While he opened the containers, Tara slid off the couch and sat across from him. He tapped a set of chopsticks on the table, then broke them apart, and handed them to her. “Bobby, I don’t know how to use those.”
“Then, I’ll teach you.”
“I don’t know. I’m not very good at this stuff.”
He silenced her by deftly lifting a piece of sesame chicken to her lips. She opened her mouth and let him feed her the bite. The sweet flavor, seasoned with a bit of ginger, melted on her tongue, and she closed her eyes to enjoy it. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. This is wonderful.”
“The only way to get more is to learn to use those.” He used his chopsticks to point to the sticks in her hand.
“All right, professor, start your lesson. Just remember I warned you.”
Bobby pushed himself off the floor, came around the table, and sat on the couch behind her, straddling her body. He leaned over her and took her hand in his own. Electrical currents surged through her and pooled in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t sure she could think, let alone hold the chopsticks.
“First, one chopstick rests at the base of your thumb and the other on the side of your middle fingertip.” He moved her hand until the stick rested as he’d said. “Now, move your thumb forward until that one is firm. Good.” He held the other chopstick in front of her hand. “Take this one land hold it like you would a pencil.” She took it and began to pinch the two sticks together. “Tara, you’re a natural! Now, try to pick up a piece.” She reached for the chicken. “That’s it. Keep the bottom one stationary.” She managed to get the first piece into her mouth.
Bobby squeezed her shoulders and eased from behind her. Retaking his seat on the floor, he picked up his own utensils.
As she fumbled with a piece of broccoli, she bit her lip in concentration. He chuckled and she looked up. “You do realize that if I have to eat the whole meal this way, we will never get back to studying.”
“I thought I proved to you, I didn’t need to study.”
“Yeah, how did you know all that?”
“Promise to keep it to yourself? I learned about cooking in YA. The Australian equivalent of 4-H. Mom insisted I do a foods project every year.”
“So you can cook?”
“I can. I just don’t choose to very often.”
“Like Myles can?”
He chuckled. “Tara, I don’t think I do anything like Myles. Hey, speaking of Myles, I held out some M & M’s to him and he picked green. What’s that tell about him?”
She chewed a bite and swallowed. “Green sort of fits him. Green lovers are people who are growing. They are interested in health and nature. He has grown a lot these last couple of years, and remember the vitamins?”
Bobby’s dimples deepened. “What else?”
“Green lovers can become jealous and are sometimes inexperienced.”
“This is getting good, luv.”
“Bobby, be nice. They can also love money. Romantically, they are gentle, but not always passionate, and they are never unfaithful. They always have fresh ideas. They may be a trifle clumsy in a relationship, but in an endearing sort of way. I can see that in him, can’t you?
“I haven’t exactly ever tried to envision being in a relationship with Myles.”
“I… I don’t ….I mean I haven’t. Ooooo, you know what I mean. I don’t ever think about
him that way.” She waved the chopsticks in the air as she spoke.
Bobby caught her hand. “Easy, Tara. Who do you think of … that way?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sterile environment of the morgue gave Myles the creeps. He pushed open the swinging doors and called out to see who was still around. A tall, slender woman stepped through the next doors, and flipped up a clear visor. He immediately recognized Dr. Gracie Cirulis. “Special Agent Leland, I still don’t have the blood results. You didn’t have to make a trip down here.”
“I called and your assistant said you were still here. I thought I’d come pick your brain for a while about the possibilities. You’re too good to not have an idea even without the final labs.”
Her expression softened at the compliment, and he found he liked her engaging smile. “Can you give me about ten minutes to finish up in here and then we can talk in my office?”
“Yes, to the ten minutes and no, to your office. Have you had dinner? I haven’t and I’m starved.”
“Strictly business?”
“Of course.”
“Then, I’ll need ten to finish and ten to freshen up.”
“I’ll give you thirty. Do you like Italian?”
“Love it.”
“Perfect. See you in half an hour.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Our reservations are made,” Jack announced after getting Sue’s attention.
She turned from the kitchen sink. “What reservations?”
“Candlelit dinner. Homework. You can’t say no.”
“Jack . . .”
He took the package of speghetti from her hands. “Go get ready. We have to leave in an hour. I promise you’ll enjoy yourself.”
An hour and half later, Jack came around to her side of the car and opened the car doors for both she and Levi. He extended his hand to her and watched her long, shapely legs swing out of the car. The little black skirt and sparkly red top were perfect. “Have I told you how great you look?”
She smiled. “About ten times. Levi is getting a complex.”
He ruffled the retrievers head. “You look good, too, boy. Nice coat.”
Inside the restaurant, they were shown to a table on the veranda. The candle alone would not have given off enough light for her to read his lips, but the strings of lights in the bushes made it perfect.
“Will this lighting be sufficient?” the host asked Jack.
Jack turned to Sue and raised his eyebrows. “Yes, “ she answered. “It’s fine.”
He seated her at the small table and then took his own seat. The host handed them the menus. “Your waiter will be with you in a minute.”
Over steak d’ biergo, rice pilaf, and luscious mixed green salads with raspberry vinaigrette, Jack broached the subject of their homework. “Are the questions still in your purse?”
Sue retrieved the folded paper and a pen and passed them to Jack. “You know, we don’t really have to do this. You can just make some answers for us.”
He shook his head. “Sue, I’m surprised at you. I never took you for someone who would cheat at school.”
“I didn’t cheat!”
He grinned. “Good. Then, let’s not start now. Question one: Every meal is a chance to cherish your partner. What would make you feel cherished?”
Sue took a deep breath and stared into Jack’s eyes. They sparkled in the candlelight, but she saw a flicker of something else, an intensity she didn’t recognize. “I’m not sure, Jack.”
“Yes, you are. Tell me, Sue, what would make you feel cherished?”
“A night like this. Ending with a long walk, talking, holding hands, and . . . .” She stopped when she felt her cheeks warm.
“And?”
“You know.”
“Obviously, I don’t,” he challenged.
She met his challenge. “A toe-curling kiss goodnight.” He chuckled, and she reached for the paper. “Now my turn, Jack. Question two: Cooking and eating, like making love, are pleasurable and fun experiences that ignite the flame of romance. What fun things have the two of you done to that have ignited your romance?”
Jack gulped as visions of the last three years flashed through his mind. “Honestly? Every thing I do with you. Pizza suppers, movies, hockey games, Christmas parties, and making cinnamon rolls.”
“We didn’t do that together.”
“But I did it for you.”
Sue shifted uncomfortably. Was this just another assignment? But that was before the assignment. What did he mean? When had the line of between playing a couple and being one become so blurred. Her hopes had soared so many times only to be crash moments later. She wouldn't let that happen again.
He nudged the paper from her hand. “What’s next?” His eyes trailed down the sheet. “Aw, here it is. Question 3: When you are cooking for someone, you are nuturing them at their most basic level. How does your partner nuture you? I know it’s your turn to answer, but I want to answer this, okay?” Sue nodded and he continued, “You are my touch stone. My calm when the world spins out of control. I want to be a better person when I’m with you. I want to be the person I see in your eyes.”
Tears filled her eyes. Sue grabbed her purse and stood up. “I can’t do this, Jack,” she breathed. It’s just too hard.”
As she zig zagged through the tables, he watched her race out of the restaurant and, he feared, out of his life.
Let the cooking begin! And this kind, too! 
Jill!!!! let the Fuzzies begin!! 
That was priceless and (again) something I could easily see on screen!
This is going to be good.
Perfect, Bobby...perfect! 
, Bobby and Tara are so funny 
And poor Myles 
Go after her!!!!! 
