Page 198 of Yearn
Book Club Night
Teyonah
Three Months Later
The chandelier above the dining table threw liquid gold light, catching the crystal glasses and making them wink. I still wasn't used to it—the way everything in Dominic's mansion sparkled as if polished by someone whose job title was literally "makes things shine."
Matilda Morales—Dominic’s head housekeeper and the woman who ran this mansion like a five-star hotel—had outdone herself tonight.
Born in Cartagena to a Jamaican mother and a Colombian father, she moved like discipline wrapped in sunshine, her British-finishing-school accent occasionally slipping into a rich, musical Spanish when she spoke to the boys.
During their last school break, she’d turned the mansion into an impromptu Spanish immersion camp, teaching themgraciasandpor favorbetween lessons on how to make arepas and roll their r’s without spitting.
Now the kids greeted her every morning with“Buenos días, Señorita Matilda,”and she answered with that serene smile that said she ruled this house with grace and a wooden spoon.
Tonight, she’d transformed the massive dining room into something straight out ofArchitectural Digest.
The long mahogany table gleamed beneath the chandelier. Linen napkins stood folded into wonderful triangles beside crystal stemware.
A cascade of sunflowers and white orchids spilled from a low vase of rippled glass, their stems submerged in water tinted the palest turquoise.
The faint scent of coconut and citrus drifted from floating candles nestled in hand-blown glass bowls.
Scattered seashells—real conch and tiger cowrie, heavy and smooth as pearls—glimmered between mirrored chargers that doubled the candlelight.
At each place setting, a leather-bound menu rested atop a pool-blue plate edged in fourteen-karat gold, the kind of elegant formality that felt less like dinner and more like an invitation to indulge in something rare.
On each leather-bound menu and embossed in gold at the top:
POOL BOY: A Four-Course Study in Desire
I’d laughed so hard I nearly cried. In anticipation of my first book club meeting at the mansion, Matilda had actually read the book, Pool Boy too before creating the food for the evening.
I continued reading the menu.
This is a culinary exploration of heat, temptation, and very poor decisions made near chlorinated water.
Course One–Temptation:
Jalapeño Poppers with Lime-Cilantro Aioli —For the first spark. Hot. Reckless. Impossible to eat just one.
Course Two–The Floaty Incident: Cucumber Gazpacho with Mint Foam —Cool relief that never quite cools you down.
Course Three–Deep End Entanglement: Seared Scallops with Champagne Butter Sauce—Slippery, decadent, and probably against HOA rules.
Course Four–After-Splash Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake with Sea Salt —Because sometimes you have to get messy to find the sweet spot.
Signature Cocktails:
“The Chlorine Queen” (Blue Curaçao & Coconut)
“Dirty Diego” (Martini, extra dirty, extra dangerous)
“Oh my God! This is amazing.” I put the menu back on the table.
“You like it?”
“Yes. This is going to be so much fun.”
