Page 22 of Thanking Her Brother's Best Friends

A rumble escaped my throat and echoed across the room. "Are you serious? I'm pretty sure we're catering to a full house at noon only because you are here! I can totally see you prancing out of this kitchen like you're on a ramp walk and everyone clapping or losing their shit. You deserve every bit of that glory."

After the success of her work in kitchens and as a food writer, Selene went on to become a consultant and a public speaker and did all sorts of little gigs until she gave her heart and soul toPâtisserie du Ciel.

And then, the Netflix show happened, and she became pretty much the pride of every culinary artist in Boston. The girl was living the dream, and I loved that for her.

I realized I was gawking at her like a horny teenager. From the corner of my left eye, I could totally make out Aiden snickering as he regarded my star-struck expression.

When I spoke next, my voice was unreasonably high-pitched. If this wereHarry Potterand I were The Fat Lady, I'd be breaking glasses with my pitch.

"Selene, man, you're making me feel like burnt toast. Charred with all these fucking emotions that I can't handle."

Her luminous eyes widened with surprise and her lips curved into an amused grin. She leaned in closer and replied with a slight chuckle in her voice. "Burnt toast, huh? I think I could do better than that."

"Hey, hey, now," Aiden said, furrowing his eyebrows at the two of us like a pedantic teacher. "No getting sticky in the kitchen! Wait until after-hours for that!"

All three of us burst into laughter, the mirth swirling in the air like rising steam from a simmering pot.

We were so involved in our conversation that I completely forgot about Pierre, who was in charge of the busy kitchen. He surveyed the array of dishes that needed attention and confidently directed the line cooks.

Then, I heard him shouting at one of them—a barely adult Max. And by barely adult, I meant this boy had an affinity for mischief.

"Hey, what's going on?" I called out, trying to make sense of the commotion.

It turned out that when Pierre had reached for a saucepan, Max had slyly sneaked up behind him with a can of compressed air.

He then sprayed the compressed air onto his back, creating a loud, startling noise that resembled something that had no business belonging in a kitchen.

Startled and embarrassed, Pierre jumped in surprise, causing the saucepan to slip from his hand and crash to the floor, splattering its contents everywhere.

The entire kitchen froze, the bustling chaos turning into momentary silence. Pierre's face turned beet red as he sheepishly glanced around at his astonished colleagues. Sauce dripped from the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling, transforming the kitchen into a surreal art installation.

I was drawn by the commotion. I rushed back to the scene. I surveyed the saucy chaos, my face transforming from surprise to a mix of frustration and amusement. Trying and failing to maintain my composure, I finally let out a chuckle, unable to suppress my laughter.

"Ah, Pierre! It seems the saucepan had its own ideas for the evening." I spoke through my laughter, patting Pierre on the back once again.

"Let's salvage what we can and turn this around. We'll be known as the kitchen that defies gravity with our sauces! Selene, on that note, come here. I want you to taste something."

She came over and gave Pierre a smile that made even the seasoned old chef blush like a schoolgirl. I went to our pastry chef and came back with one of the tarts on our tasting menu.

This was a savory item, topped with a concoction of full-fat cottage cheese, chives, a hint of burnt garlic butter, and crisped bacon. The catch was a burst of finger lime infused into the cottage cheese right in the center. "Try this."

Selene took a bite of the crust and the topping and made a very gratifying sound that immediately produced another spell of sinful thoughts surrounding a bed and her moaning at other things.

I launched a brief internal monologue with my penis and asked it to shut the fuck up.

"My goodness," Selene said, licking her fingers. "This is delicious. What order have you placed this dish on?"

"It's an interlude between the main course and the dessert," I replied, smiling. "Like a palate cleanser with that hit of citrus. It should help the guests prepare for the toffee pudding we have as the final course on the lunch menu."

"I love how adventurous you guys are with your menu," she said, sighing as she looked around her. "I've been trying to get more inspiration for some of my desserts, like introducing unconventional flavors. But I feel stuck."

"Well, I can think of a hundred different ways to get you all unstuck," I responded, my voice suddenly low.

She returned my reply with a befitting gaze. It was intense, the way she looked at me. Like she too wanted more from this, and if we were alone right now, she'd also let that primal being in her loose, let me taste her—

"I’ll literally have to put a barricade between the two of you, at this rate," Aiden drawled, his lips curling into a grin. "Seriously."

There were moments in my life when I felt like a male character being written by a woman.

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