Page 29 of Made to Love Ya

“Like other females?” I asked teasingly.

“Nah. Taking care of my businesses, visiting the folks, my brother, whatever.”

“And tonight?” I prompted.

“Tonight, you were hurting. I couldn’t stand back and watch you in pain and not do something about it. I couldn’t stand back and listen to you talk about yourself the way you did when I knew better. I damn sure couldn’t let you go a minute longer believing that there wasn’t someone who wanted you, someone who always wanted you,” he whispered, tilting my chin and kissing my lips.

I reached between us and gripped his dick which was still covered in the condom. Izael gripped my wrist and squeezed.

“You better stop that shit before you get something else started, baby. I need to get rid of this.” He climbed out of the bed.

“I’m going to my room,” I murmured and pulled the covers back.

Izael grabbed the covers and pulled them back over me.

“Not tonight. You’re staying in my bed with me. I’ma get this shower together. Meet me in the bathroom.”

I watched him remove the condom and head into his bathroom. I buried my face into his pillow, inhaled his scent, and muffled my scream.

The man who I was already in love with loved me too!

IZAEL

“What’s up, man?”I asked Jaylen when he stepped into my office.

“The James Beard award ceremony is a little over two months away, and look at this,” Jaylen instructed, setting his iPad on my desk.

I looked at the iPad, and instantly, my stomach knotted up when I saw the familiar yellow and pink website ofT’s Tasty Temptations.

“…River & 3rdhas a line that extends around the corner and across the block and a waitlist that is six months long. I was surprised that with all the five-star eateries in the city, anyone would want to wait that long for a reservation. The website isn’t user friendly. Rather than links that take you to the menu, reservation, or about us pages it has a series of pictures that you must determine which one to click to find the menu or reservation pages.

I entered the restaurant expecting to be greeted and seated by a maître d’, but instead, I found a large black chalkboard with patrons’ names listed on it and a table number beside each party. Cute enough, I guess, but with the prices they charged, I want someone to lead me to the appropriate table. Reading street signs and following the street markers that are posted at various intervals throughout the restaurant made me feel like I was touring a foreign city.

Every area of the restaurant is Instagram ready and provides several photo ops for those looking to see and be seen. You already know that T isn’t in that group.

The servers were friendly, the restaurant was clean, and the atmosphere was lively and engaging, but…and this was a big one, the food was highly overrated. Y’all already know this is my third time going to this restaurant. They say the third time’s the charm, or it’s three strikes, and you’re out. I’ve tried, y’all. I honestly did, but…for River & 3rd, it’s the latter.

Each night, River & 3rdoffers a different menu selection. There are three items that you can choose from with the menu revolving around some variation of a lamb, chicken, or fish dish. Tonight’s meal was biryani chicken.

I do not recall filling out a W2 for a job. I worked for my food. I added pepper, salt, and hot sauce and stopped just shy of asking them for some mace, star anise, poultry seasoning, cardamom, and Garam masala.

Y’all know the saying, “If you ain’t sneezing, it ain’t seasoned.”

I mean, come on, people. We’re in the South here. I mean, come on, sir. If you’re going to give me chicken biryani, don’t feed me something that tastes like it came out of one of the dozen chains of Mango Bhavani, the Indian restaurant chain that we all know ain’t worth the cardboard boxes they’re served out of. And for the prices, it definitely was questionable.

People don’t believe the hype. My complaints (not to be mistaken for compliments) to the chef. Chef Adler, you get one star from me. River & 3rdgets two and a half out of five stars for me.

Its only saving grace was the friendly staff because looking for my own table, eating bland food, and paying out the poonani for that was simply not worth the experience.

For me, it rates two and a half silver chef spoons.

Chef’s Kiss,

T.

“What the hell is this bullshit!”I growled.

Jaylen grabbed the iPad just before I slammed it down.

---