25. Not Even At Museums?

5.8K 345 164
                                    

I'm just a tad bit late (12 hrs lol)
But here's that second part! Yeah clocking in at 2200 words, this needed its own chapter
xoxo

John

The next thing I worked on prepping was the herb seasoning glaze, then the tomato base sauce, both of which I was able to whip up pretty quickly

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The next thing I worked on prepping was the herb seasoning glaze, then the tomato base sauce, both of which I was able to whip up pretty quickly.

Derek insisted he take on the most important role in the kitchen- head chef supervisor. A role that I was positive didn't exist in the culinary world, but tonight I made an exception. So he watched on with more weariness as I chopped up white onion, bell peppers, 4 cloves of garlic, and basil for the base.

"It'll be good, I promise." I assured him over my shoulder from my spot at the stove. I could feel his gaze on me intensify. The incredible aroma from the sauce filled Derek's kitchen quickly as I poured the crushed tomatoes into the sautéed veggies, but Derek was still biting his lower lip nervously while he leant against the counter a few feet away from the heat.

"So there's really no pasta involved here?" He asked, taking a few steps forward till he was at my side and peering over into the sauce pot. This was the third time he had asked, but I didn't mind. This last time sounded more as an actually inquiry, with much less sadness, so we were making progress.

"No, but the veggies will leave you fooled." That was kinda a lie, however I'm glad I rolled with it cause I saw Derek relax more besides me.

My finger quickly swiped a bit of the sauce off the wooden ladle to try it, and my eyes almost immediately closed once those flavors hit my tastebuds.

This was by far the best sauce I had ever made for this dish.

I swiped a bit more off the ladle, then turned to Derek. He was already eyeing the sauce on my finger. "Open." I told him.

He stared at my finger for just a fraction of a second, before his lips parted and he leaned forward to suck it off.

I watched every last bit of his movements like I'd be tested on this later . His eyes drifted closed a moment, and I felt the small hum of satisfaction around my finger. It felt like that vibration ran through my entire body, before he finally pulled away slightly and my finger fell past his lips.

"That's... that's..." his eyes were still closed, but a smile spread across those now slightly raw lips. "That makes me want to try your zucchini... bread. Zucchini bread."

I felt the shift in energy between us when his lids slowly lifted and he looked back up at me.

I meant to pull my hand away, but I couldn't. Instead, that same finger started to lightly trail the surface of his lips.

With his bare chest, I could see the rise and fall of his breathing easily. How quickly his breath hitched when his eyes caught mine. I knew there was absolutely nothing innocent about the look I was giving him right now.

Derek ⚣ ✓Where stories live. Discover now