Page 33 of A Table for Two
“Okay, okay, gather around, ladies and gentlemen,” Natasha said. “Here are the rules. This is going to be a blind test. Serenity and Gabriel will put portions of their yams on plates for everyone and line them up on the counter labeledAandB. We’ll wait in the family room until you two are done.”
“Instead of labeling them, how about using two different patterned saucers?” Serenity asked.
“That works. Call us when you’re ready. We’ll taste each, then just bring the entire dish out to the table with the rest of the food so we can really enjoy it.” Natasha shooed everyone out.
Gabriel couldn’t believe how serious they were about this. A part of him felt guilty. However, he did plan to tell Serenity the truth before leaving. He turned to Serenity. “Ready to get this party started?”
She handed him five navy-colored saucers and kept the gray ones. “The question is areyouready?”
He just chuckled. It took only a couple of minutes to spoon the portions onto the plates. After they were lined up along the island, she went to call everyone in. Spirited debates about flavor, sweetness, and balance of spices ensued as they went back and forth. Reflecting on what she’d gone through with her ex, he had to wonder whether that played a part in the way Serenity now stood off to the side nervously biting her lip and wringing her hands. For him this challenge had been nothing more than a way to have a little fun with a group of people he’d begun to think of as friends. It obviously meant more to her, and the vulnerability he saw tore at his insides.
The group huddled together for a few more minutes, then Natasha held up a blue plate. “We have a winner! But I have to tell you it was so close. The blue one edged the gray one out by this much.” She put her thumb and index finger very close together.
“Then we’ll declare it a tie,” Gabriel said.
“I can go with that,” Dana chimed in. “Now can we eat?” Laughter filled the kitchen.
Serenity playfully bumped Dana. “The asparagus has another five minutes, but everything else is ready to go.”
While everyone carried the various dishes out, Gabriel hung back with Serenity.
“Well, since it wasn’t really a tie and you won, what do you want?” Serenity asked, leaning against the counter with her arms folded and a mock pout.
Gabriel closed the distance between them and placed his hands on the counter, effectively pinning her in. He bent close to her and whispered, “What I want, more than anything, is to share another amazing kiss with you.” Her eyes widened, and a soft gasp escaped. “However, I have a confession to make.”
“What?”
“The yams I made are still in a pot on my stove because the amount of cinnamon in them is enough to choke you or send somebody to the hospital. These”—he gestured toward his casserole dish—“belong to Ms. Ida.”
Serenity stared at him for a full minute before she burst out laughing.
A wry smile curved his lips. “You think we can keep this little faux pas between us? And since you’re the true winner, we’ll take your trip whenever you’re ready.”
She made a show of thinking. “Well…since you did own up to cheating and I’m going to get my prize, and I’m feeling generous today…I guess so.”
Moving closer and leaving mere inches between their bodies, he asked, “Does that generosity and the fact that I told the truth mean I can still get the kiss?”
“Um…everybody’s waiting for us.”
Gabriel sent an unhurried glance over his shoulder to her friends seated on the deck, then checked the timer on the oven and brought his gaze back to her. “They’re fine and there’s still one minute left on the oven. Plenty of time. So?” Serenity peeked around him. From where they stood in the kitchen, the partial wall blocked them from view.
“Yes,” she whispered.
She’d barely finished saying the word before he captured her mouth in his, needing to kiss her as much as he needed to breathe. He slowly, thoroughly explored every inch of her mouth, twining his tongue around hers and feeling the slight tremble in her body. Then it was his turn to shudder when she slid her hands up his chest, wound them around his neck, and arched her body against his. He groaned and pulled her closer. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he heard the oven timer going off. Reluctantly, he lifted his head. “Time’s up,” he whispered against her lips.
Serenity moaned. Her eyes fluttered open. “What?”
“The oven timer. I don’t think you want burned asparagus.”
“Oh, shoot.” She ducked under his arm and rushed over to turn off the timer and remove the tray. She let out a sigh of relief. “You’re way too much trouble in the kitchen.”
Gabriel placed a hand over his heart. “Who, me? I’m an angel.”
She rolled her eyes and snorted. “Whatever.” She placed the asparagus on a plate. “What are we doing here, Gabriel? I thought we agreed to be friends. But this…” She waved a hand as if it were an explanation itself.
He knew what she was asking, but he didn’t exactly have an answer, either. “We are. And this isn’t anything I’d planned. How about we talk later?”
Serenity nodded. “All right. Can you get the pitcher of iced tea out of the refrigerator?”
