Page 24 of Fall of the Trident
He let out the breath he’d been holding.One step inside the door he handed her the flowers, hiding his glance at the floor.Four pairs of shoes.His gaze instantly slid to Marta’s bare feet.She wore skintight white jeans that started several inches above her small ankles.He took in strong shapely calves and well-developed thigh muscles.Her hips rounded to a small waist where she’d tucked in the silky blouse that scooped down in the front where he caught a glimpse of breasts that somehow looked larger.He saw her every day in the office and had never thought of her as well endowed.No doubt, she hid that beautiful figure of hers while at work.
He grinned.She was allowing him to see the real her.
“Let me put these in a vase of water.Chef Jorge is almost set up.”She turned and walked away from him as he admired her backside.He liked her curves.Several of the single commanders seemed to prefer stick-thin women who pushed lettuce around a plate.He didn’t think Marta was like that.She was high-octane and that on-the-go lifestyle required calories.
Trevor slid out of his sandals and placed them next to Marta’s flip-flops.He caught up to her in seconds, gathering only a glimpse of her living room.When he entered the kitchen, the vase sat in the sink filling with water while she cut the plastic wrap off the flowers.Multitasking, as usual.She dropped the stems into the water and fluffed them into a gorgeous bouquet before setting them at the far end of the island counter.
She walked straight to him, lightly setting her hands on his shoulders, she went on tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his cheek.“Thank you.The colors are stunning.Summery.”
That was almost the same description the helpful clerk at the florist had given when she reminded him that in Southern California, it was very much still summer.Score two for listening to women.He couldn’t wait to tell Linda on Sunday.
“Chef Jorge, I’d like you to meet my friend, Trevor.Trevor, meet Chef Jorge.”She gestured between the two of them.
“I’d shake your hand, but I’ve already gloved up.”He wiggled his fingers in the air then gestured to the counter near the refrigerator.“Trevor, would you please open the bottle of Vouvray?And while you’re there, go ahead and open all the reds.They need to breathe.”
Marta wiggled her shoulders.“Fancy, fancy.”
“I give my hosts the opportunity to either watch or participate.After chatting with Marta while I emptied all the food chests, she seems like the type who wants to get her hands on the food and learn.”The chef kept arranging the vegetables as he emptied sturdy plastic boxes.“Trevor, you can sit and enjoy the wine or help me prepare.The choice is yours.”
“I’m not one to sit around while someone else works their ass off.Give me your next order.”Trevor popped the cork off the second bottle of wine.
“Even though we eat dessert last, we make it first.”Jorge caught Trevor’s glance.“Do you have any food allergies or restrictions?”
“I don’t have any.”Marta looked his way.
“You might be disgusted at the things I’ve eaten in my life.Bring it on.”He brought the bottle of Vouvray and the first two glasses in the line over to Marta.“Should I just go ahead and pour?”
“That would be wonderful.Start with just an ounce.”As he started to chop vegetables, he gave them a lesson in their first wine.They sat at the bar stools at the island and agreed it was deliciously crisp to cleanse the palate, just as Chef Jorge had suggested.
Moments later, the chef emerged from behind the freezer door holding what looked like cupcake holders.“Who wants to make whip cream and who wants to paint with chocolate?”
Marta glanced at Trevor with a hopeful grin.“Do you mind if I make the whipped cream?I really want to learn to make it right.If I have to paint with chocolate, I won’t be able to restrain myself from sampling so there might not be enough left for the cups.”
“I’m game for anything, tonight.”He was just fine painting as long as they didn’t expect much.When the cold plastic cupcake holders were placed in front of him, Trevor raised his eyebrows.
“You’re going to brush these with white and dark chocolate.”The chef then handed him a tablespoon, a wide brush, and a narrow brush before he turned back to the freezer and handed Marta a metal bowl and beaters.
“This is the first secret to perfect whipped cream.Everything has to be chilled from the beginning.”Jorge got Marta started on whipping cream then stirred melted chocolate on the stove.Somehow, Trevor had missed that step.No doubt because his eyes had been on Marta since he’d arrived.
Not that she wore much makeup at work, but tonight her eyes seemed bigger and more blue, close to the color of her blouse.Her usual red lipstick looked more copper, subdued, but it may have been the bright lights of the kitchen that highlighted the streaks of gray.He liked that she didn’t color her hair or have long blue fingernails.Hers were neatly trimmed and what he thought was called a French manicure.That was so Marta, preferring natural over the usual California perfection that didn’t stop with women.
He’d given a speech at a business luncheon where he’d overheard men his age discussing liposculpture where they sucked the fat out of the belly, chest, and love handles and injected it into their ass so it didn’t droop as much.Trevor would never admit it to anyone, but that evening he’d stood naked in front of his full-length mirror.His pectorals and abs were not as tight as they had been ten years earlier, but there wasn’t any fat to be removed.His waist had increased in size, but nothing overlapped his belt.He felt proud of his physique, but he assuredly spent more time in the gym and running in the sand than anyone at that meeting.
“Sir.”Jorge pulled him away from thoughts of fake bodies.“I’m going to set the dark chocolate in front of you first.It will be hot.I’ll demonstrate on the first one and then you can do the other five.”Trevor carefully watched the professional spoon chocolate into the cup then pull it up the sides using the brush.“Save room for the white chocolate.We want the dark to cool for just a few minutes.It makes it so much easier to add the white.”
Marta’s job was completed much faster than his, so she came over and finished the last cup.“Are you having fun?”She sounded nervous.
“Wine.Chocolate for dessert.We’re still having Beef Wellington, right?”
“Yes.”She looked at Jorge for confirmation.
“I certainly hope so, because I brought the most beautiful filet.”He picked up the chocolate cups.“Now, everything goes in the fridge, and we’ll get started on the main course.While it’s baking, you will be making crab stuffed mushrooms.I’ll be assembling chilled smoked salmon over baby greens with lime vinaigrette.We’ll be having bacon wrapped asparagus with hollandaise, that the two of you will help make.Quick question, I have two options for the starch portion of dinner; baked sweet potatoes or risotto with mushrooms?”
Marta looked at Trevor.“I’m good with either one.”
“Me too,” Trevor admitted.When Marta said nothing else, he decided to make the decision.“I make rice a lot at home, and although risotto isn’t rice, it looks like it, so I opt for baked sweet potatoes, please.I haven’t had those in years.”
Her smile turned soft.“I make rice often, too.I like it so much that a couple years ago, I bought a real Japanese rice maker.”
