He chuckled."I wouldn't expect you to reveal any.So, do you want to cook first, or be cooked for first?"
"Cook first," I said."Otherwise, you have an unfair advantage."
"I'm not entirely certain that I see how, but please, be my guest."He picked up an apron and held it out to me.
I took it from him, my fingers brushing against his as I did and sending a pleasant tingle through me.It was going to be difficult to focus on anything if that kept happening.
I cleared my throat."Would you put some rice on?"I asked.
"Already done," he responded."I wanted some for my dish, and figured you might for yours."
"I'm almost disappointed you're not planning on making me fried stuffed olives," I said as I switched my heels for my flats and tied up my hair.It was strange to be doing things like this in a situation that was verging on a date, even though I knew it wasn't.But it also felt fairly natural around Poseidon, which was unexpected.
"I considered it," he said."But they're more of a snack to have after drinking."
"So, the kind of thing to do after doing a wine tasting at Dionysus' vineyard?"I asked.
"Yes.And if that's something you want to do, then it can be arranged."
"Maybe let's see how tonight goes first."I washed my hands and made my way over to the counter where he was waiting.
I grabbed a bowl and mixed some garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and salt together, adding a squeeze of lemon and mixing it so that it turned into a paste.After a quick test to make sure that it tasted the way I wanted it to, I coated both pieces of the lemon sole with it and set them aside so they could marinate.It wouldn't take long, but it would be enough to make sure it tasted delicious.
"Do you need any help prepping for your dish?"I asked Poseidon.
He raised an eyebrow."You're almost done?"
"It's marinating," I responded."So?"
"I've got shrimp to prep.But I want the shells for a quick broth."
I nodded and went to join him in peeling them, keeping an eye on my timer so that I didn't over-marinate my fish.
"I'm surprised you closed the restaurant for the evening," I said as I tore the head off one of the shrimp and threw it into his stock pot.
He chuckled."I can't cook every night," he said.
"You're cooking now," I pointed out.
"Cooking with someone who enjoys food as much as I do is different from cooking for hungry guests."
"Maybe I'll be worse than all of the hungry guests put together," I teased.
"Somehow I doubt that."He washed his hands and moved the bowl of peeled and deveined shrimp to the side to focus on the stock.
A beeping came from my timer, and I turned my attention back to my fish.I was pleasantly surprised to find that he'd included some ghee in the ingredients he'd prepped.I'd been tempted to bring some of the clarified butter from my fridge, but that had felt a little excessive, especially when I'd already brought the garam masala and the curry leaf powder.
I added some to a heavy-bottomed pan and waited patiently for it to heat up.I was glad no one was asking me for instructions on it, because I couldn't tell anyone the exact amount of time it took for the butter to be ready, it was just instinct from having made this dish under the watchful eyes of my mother for years.
A satisfying sizzle filled the air as I put the two fillets into the pan, and I tried to ignore the intense way that Poseidon was watching me so that I could focus on what I was doing.I could safely say that I'd never cooked for someone who had been doing this professionally for so long.
I flipped the fish and sprinkled over some of the curry leaves, taking in the satisfying scent of spices as they filled the air.This was one of the most satisfying parts of the cook, and I loved it.
"Can I have a couple of plates?"I asked.
He nodded, and a couple appeared immediately.I plated some onion, and then slid the two fillets of fish out of the pan, placing them on the plate.Was it particularly artistic?Probably not, especially compared to the food that Poseidon was regularly serving his guests, but I still thought it looked good.
He plated some of the rice and headed over to the table, setting it in the middle.I followed him over, a little nervous when I put his plate down in front of him.Maybe I should have thought this through better and come up with a plating that would impress him, but I knew that was unreasonable of me.I had to accept that what I'd done was good enough.
