And Then Came Dessert - Sex Stories

And Then Came Dessert

... liked her for that. ‘Jane says you make a mean vinaigrette. The salad bowl is in the fridge and there’s vinegar and olive oil in that cupboard over there. What else do you need?’ ‘Uhm, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, some onion. A chef’s whisker.’ ‘Onion and mustard, fridge. I have the salt and pepper right here. Sorry, no whisker.’ I got to work on the vinaigrette, which is real easy if you have a good whisker. I couldn’t quite get the same blend with a fork. The salad had rings of yellow pepper, slices of cucumber (that cucumber?) in the skin, baby tomatoes, slices of Chinese radish, cashews and lots of lettuce. I mixed in the vinaigrette and took the bowl to the table, which was already set elegantly for two, with a vase of red roses and a bowl of water with floating candles. ‘You put a lot of work into this. You shouldn’t have gone through all this trouble.’ ‘You like it? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’re worth it.’ She cackled with laughter. I hoped I was wrong about what I thought she meant by it. ‘Be a darling and bring over the rest of the food while I go freshen up a bit. I won’t be a minute.’ She took another swig of her beer and went upstairs. When she came back, I held her chair for her to be seated before I sat down myself. My hands shook while I served her soup. As a host it was she who should be serving, but I had always served Jane and had gotten accustomed to it. ‘I hope it’s not me making you nervous?’ It was a kind remark and she was smiling, but her words made me ...

... jump all the same and I spilled some soup on the table cloth. ‘I-I’m sorry. No, not at all. I’m still a bit cold, that’s all.’ ‘Oh, you should have told me. Wait, I’ll turn up the heat some more. These old houses don’t keep the heat in very well.’ She got up to turn up the thermostat and sat back down. ‘I… I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what’s the occasion?’ ‘For this dinner? No occasion. Since when do friends need an occasion to get together?’ We weren’t friends. I had met her before I knew Jane, because we seemed to frequent the same cafés, but she had always ignored me until I hooked up with Jane, who was her friend. She must have sensed that I didn’t quite believe her, because she promptly corrected herself. ‘All right, yes, there is an occasion. Jane told me all about your break-up, and I thought you might need some cheering up. That’s all.’ Her second reply convinced me even less, but I hadn’t been honest about my own nervousness. A great start for a dinner party. ‘That’s very kind of you.’ ‘Don’t mention it. I’m not so worried about Jane, because… well, you know her. It’s not that it doesn’t affect her. She’s just very much her own person. Independent, you know, and strong. I’ve never seen such a strong woman.’ ‘Yes, that she is.’ ‘How did you take it?’ ‘I’m OK. I don’t really want to talk about it. I’m realistic about it. We just didn’t work out.’ ‘Do you love her?’ ‘I don’t know. She has that effect on people, you know, she takes you in. I guess I just couldn’t ...