Page 42 of In the Works

“A friend from long ago.” Chuckling, Vic shrugged as a plate of perfectly fried calamari appeared in front of us.

She gestured for me to take the first dish.

Bringing a few pieces onto my appetizer plate, I sprinkled some lemon juice on them and bit in. They were crispy on the outside and soft inside, the light bite of the lemon juice puckering my lips as it hit my tongue. I wasn’t sure I’d tasted seafood so fresh and bounding with flavor.

After I swallowed the decadent seafood, I shook my head. “You’re gonna have to give me more than that.”

Victoria nodded. “The chef was a friend when I was in my party-girl days after selling the app. She vacations up here in the summers. And when she does, she opens little pop-up restaurants to test new items for her actual place in Manhattan.”

My eyebrows lifted. “So, this is a sneak peek?”

With an eager smile, Vic nodded. “Of one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, yeah.”

I didn’t really know what to say. I still felt like Red Lobster was a fancy night out. This… was something otherworldly. The food so far was immaculate, the waitstaff pampered us, and I was ready to enjoy every moment of it.

It was like being whisked away on a superb vacation. As we ate course after course, Victoria asked me about my life, the kids, my work. And in turn, she revealed slightly more about her illustrious past.

She had founded Pop just after graduating college. Ironically, her degree wasn’t even remotely relevant to the tech sector.

“I went for Art History. And while I was there, I felt like I couldn’t find my queer community as easily as I’d hoped. So that’s when I started working on the idea.” Vic finished off her wine.

The waiter brought over two gorgeous plates of ravioli, steam falling off the dish as the plates were set down in front of our respective place settings. I wasn’t sure which looked more appetizing: the homemade noodles or the white truffle sauce they sat in.

I cut into a piece, revealing mushrooms and ricotta at the center. A strong truffle aroma wafted through the air as I delicately lifted the fork into my mouth. The flavor overwhelmed my every taste bud – I let the ravioli sit on my tongue for a moment as I tried to take it all in.

“Holy fuck.” I moaned. Setting the fork down, I closed my eyes and began to chew.

Once I swallowed, I opened my eyes to see Vic watching me with a smile as I ate.

I shook my head. “Sorry, that was probably so cringey. I just don’t think I've ever eaten anything this delicious in my life.”

Victoria’s jaw tensed as she held her fork just below her mouth. Instead of placing the food in her own mouth, Vic brought her fork to my lips. My mouth fell open for her, taking in the small bite of pasta.

My eyes rolled back as I tasted more of the truffle sauce on my tongue. As I swallowed, I could feel Vic’s eyes on me. I could feel my center starting to pulse with excitement again.”

“Why’d you do that?” I raised an eyebrow.

Vic’s temples tightened as she looked at my lips. “I like watching you enjoy yourself.”

My heart leapt out of my chest.Jesus. It felt impossible that someone could be so suave. But here she was, eating this Michelin-grade meal like it was a nice diner and inviting me to do the same.

A part of me didn't understand how someone could ever get so used to this sort of luxury and offer it so generously to someone else. But another part of me understood it completely. As my eyes trailed from Victoria's clenched jaw down the edge of her unbuttoned shirt, all I could imagine was pushing this meal aside and tasting her instead.

After I composed myself, I giggled. “Maybe you should do it more than.”

Nodding, Victoria laughed and took her bite. “Maybe I should.”

It took thirty minutes just for us to finish the main course. Between every bite, I sat back in my chair and chewed as if it was my last meal.

The meal ended with two pieces of rich chocolate cake, hand-delivered by the chef. Once she set the plates down, Vic shook her hand. “Good to see you.”

“How was the food?”

Vic shrugged. “I don’t know, Carrie. You could have tried a bit harder.”

Rolling her eyes, Carrie punched Vic on the shoulder. She turned her attention to me, meeting my eyes with a sharp gaze. “What did you think, my dear?”

I was startled by her beauty. She was tall, close to six feet if I was guessing correctly. Just as I felt myself getting carried away, I shook my head.Two is plenty for now.

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