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How could I when she had on the most exquisite expression when she ate that piece of pork? When she made the most delightful sound, which went straight to my groin? I could have sworn she was having an orgasm.
God, I wanted to give her one.
I wanted to kiss her lips made shiny by the fat and juices off the pork. I wanted to lick the gravy from the corner of her mouth. Hell, I wanted to pin her against the counter and devour her.
Cathy may have been surprised, but she was willing. I could tell from the look in her eyes.
Still, I managed to hold back. But it was too late. Cathy had already seen all the things I wanted to do and she ran away in fear.
Or did she? Is that why she’s angry at me? Because I scared her? Because I did something I wasn’t supposed to?
At any rate, I should stay away from her for now, give her time to cool down. Or maybe I should give myself time to cool down.
“Tell me, is that look because you’re having trouble coming up with a new recipe, or is it because you’ve finally had your heart broken?”
I turn my head to look at the man who’s just interrupted my thoughts, the man I’ve been waiting to meet at this cafe.
“Simon.” I get out of my seat and offer him my hand. “Thanks for meeting me.”
He shakes it firmly. “Thank you for asking me to meet you. I must say I was surprised, because I hadn’t heard from you in years.”
Right. The last time we saw each other was back in college when we were roommates, just before I dropped out. He’s gained some weight since then, but he still has that cleft chin. He seems to be wearing the same rimless eyeglasses, too, or at least a similar pair.
“I’ve been busy,” I tell him as I take my seat.
“I know.” He pulls out a chair. “I haven’t heard from you, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t heard about you. My wife is actually a big fan of yours. A chef groupie, I think that’s the term. She follows your Instagram and buys your books and all that.”
Chef groupie. I’ve heard it before.
“Well, tell her I’m grateful for her support.”
As long as they follow my career and not me, that’s fine.
“I would if we still talked,” Simon says. “As it is, our marriage is on the rocks.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
He shrugs. “It happens. How about you? I heard you’re a widower. Any plans on getting married again?”
Strangely, the thought of Cathy is the first that comes to mind. I dismiss it.
“I’m not – ”
“Don’t.” Simon points a finger at me. “Marriage sucks. I swear if I get out of this one, I’ll never do it again.”
Okay. I don’t remember him being this bitter before. He did used to complain a bit, but it was mostly about the guys in the other rooms being noisy, and the amount of homework. Overall, he was a nice guy. He was as devoted to his studies as I was. He never talked about relationships, in fact. I don’t think he had a girlfriend back then.
Then again, I can’t say I really knew him. I was only his roommate for a year. He’s from a rich family, so he could have stayed in his own bachelor pad. Instead, he decided to live in the dorm just for the experience, for a dose of reality. I resented that at first. I actually thought his father paid for him to get into the university. But then I figured out how smart he was. And nice. In spite of his background, we got along.
That’s why I decided to contact him a few days ago.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” I suggest.
“Right.” Simon takes out his laptop and puts it on the table. “As you said in your email, you wanted me to come up with a program that would give your new restaurant a touch of innovation.”
“Yes.” I nod. “We’re near Silicon Valley, after all. It would be nice if the restaurant could reflect that, even just a bit. Timeless food, old-fashioned setting, but modern service.”
“I understand. Well, I’ve come up with a few ideas.”
For the next hour, I listen to Simon explain them, making my own comments every now and then in between sips of coffee. He has good ones to share, just as I expected from a high-ranking IT executive.
When we’re finished, I shake his hand again. “Thank you. I was right to ask you to handle this.”
He closes his laptop. “I’ll do my best to incorporate your suggestions and requests and see what I can come up with.”
“I look forward to seeing it.”
He puts his laptop in his bag. “Oh, by the way, I never did offer my condolences, not just for the loss of your wife but for your sister, the one who died when we were in college.”
