Secrets of the Night
The kitchen was the first thing they cleaned when they returned home. Jason was insistent on having a good space for his "creations." He liked to pretend he was a great chef in a fancy five star restaurant. Since Evan was coming over it would be an even bigger deal. A new palette didn't come along every day. He looked totally ridiculous in a lace-trimmed apron with big pockets in the front.
"Madame!" he beckoned waving a sauce filled wooden spoon at Brenna. Obediently, Brenna went forth to partake. The scent of the herbs hit her first, strong, but she knew they would mix well with the acidic tomato sauce. As always it was delicious.
"So, what do you think of our town?" Brenna asked reluctantly pulling up a stool to watch him cook.
"In a word? Quaint," he smiled at the saucepan. It was a private smile reflecting inner thoughts of contentment. "Great place to raise kidsÂ…"
"Hold on there Sparky, who said anything about kids?" Brenna demanded pinching him playfully.
Jason smiled at her benignly as if he knew just what to say to drive her completely over the edge. If it weren't so unladylike she might have given over to panting. Instead she placed her hand over her mouth and nibbled her lower lip. Her body responded to him in spite of her best-laid plans.
The gravel churned in the driveway, and Brenna gave Jason that accusing look for leaving her un-sated with company on its way- young company. Jason's grin widened maddeningly. Brenna threatened him with the end of a fork, and then went to answer the door. Evan was carrying a photo album in one hand and a flower in the other. She was pretty sure he had stolen the flower off Mrs. Pettigrew's prize flowerbed, but it was a noble and charming thought.
"Hello Evan, what a lovely flower," Brenna accepted it gracefully and went to rinse out one of her grandmother's crystal vases. It added a bit of finesse to the bare wooden table with mismatched plates and various sized glasses. "Have a seat, the Chef will be done momentarily."
"Hiya Evan!" Jason called waving with his spoon and making drips on the floor. "We cleaned the kitchen, that puppy is clean enough to eat off of, but I don't recommend it, nor do I serve guests on the floor. "
"Thanks," Evan mumbled still not comfortable with Brenna's presence.
"So, Evan, what's in the book?" Brenna asked cheerfully.
"I thought you'd like to see it," He opened it to a page tagged with a post it note. A pair of girls spanned two pages of photographs. Brenna gasped, her mother at age 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, various ages in various outfits. Dressed in a woman's hat and shawl, dressed for Easter with basket in hand, cheerleading, holding a coke in one hand her other draped around Amalia. Every image revealed smiles of varying degrees of maturity and mischief. The last was her mother dressed in a wedding gown with Amalia beside her laughing and crying.
"Evan, thank you," Brenna whispered tracing her finger over the plastic cover of the pictures. "They look so happy together. I think that means we'll be good friends, what do you think?"
Evan blushed and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "They were pretty."
"Jas, come look what Evan brought to share." Brenna called hoping Jason's presence would calm the boy.
Evan relaxed visibly when Jason approached and looked at the pages. "Hotties aren't they?"
"Uncouth Yankee, don't mind him. He just doesn't know how to behave." Brenna apologized to Evan.
"Not what she said last night" Jason contributed to Brenna's humiliation. When she looked though Evan was blushing as much as she was.
"What I said last night is between us, besides, all I said was stop snoring," Brenna declared.
"Evan this is a case of the lady protesting too much," Jason said as he dipped sauce onto noodles and carried a pair of steaming plates to the table.
"You'll get a bigger protest tonight mister!" Brenna threatened.
"Ah, the couch and I have lain together more than once," Jason, said fondly.
Brenna snorted and flicked a wet noodle at him like a whip.
"Save it for the bedroom sweetheart."
Evan laughed, it came out as a snort angled at his food, but their joint unacknowledged mission had been a success. The beginnings of relaxation for the boy were a great reward.
"Madame!" he beckoned waving a sauce filled wooden spoon at Brenna. Obediently, Brenna went forth to partake. The scent of the herbs hit her first, strong, but she knew they would mix well with the acidic tomato sauce. As always it was delicious.
"So, what do you think of our town?" Brenna asked reluctantly pulling up a stool to watch him cook.
"In a word? Quaint," he smiled at the saucepan. It was a private smile reflecting inner thoughts of contentment. "Great place to raise kidsÂ…"
"Hold on there Sparky, who said anything about kids?" Brenna demanded pinching him playfully.
Jason smiled at her benignly as if he knew just what to say to drive her completely over the edge. If it weren't so unladylike she might have given over to panting. Instead she placed her hand over her mouth and nibbled her lower lip. Her body responded to him in spite of her best-laid plans.
The gravel churned in the driveway, and Brenna gave Jason that accusing look for leaving her un-sated with company on its way- young company. Jason's grin widened maddeningly. Brenna threatened him with the end of a fork, and then went to answer the door. Evan was carrying a photo album in one hand and a flower in the other. She was pretty sure he had stolen the flower off Mrs. Pettigrew's prize flowerbed, but it was a noble and charming thought.
"Hello Evan, what a lovely flower," Brenna accepted it gracefully and went to rinse out one of her grandmother's crystal vases. It added a bit of finesse to the bare wooden table with mismatched plates and various sized glasses. "Have a seat, the Chef will be done momentarily."
"Hiya Evan!" Jason called waving with his spoon and making drips on the floor. "We cleaned the kitchen, that puppy is clean enough to eat off of, but I don't recommend it, nor do I serve guests on the floor. "
"Thanks," Evan mumbled still not comfortable with Brenna's presence.
"So, Evan, what's in the book?" Brenna asked cheerfully.
"I thought you'd like to see it," He opened it to a page tagged with a post it note. A pair of girls spanned two pages of photographs. Brenna gasped, her mother at age 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, various ages in various outfits. Dressed in a woman's hat and shawl, dressed for Easter with basket in hand, cheerleading, holding a coke in one hand her other draped around Amalia. Every image revealed smiles of varying degrees of maturity and mischief. The last was her mother dressed in a wedding gown with Amalia beside her laughing and crying.
"Evan, thank you," Brenna whispered tracing her finger over the plastic cover of the pictures. "They look so happy together. I think that means we'll be good friends, what do you think?"
Evan blushed and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "They were pretty."
"Jas, come look what Evan brought to share." Brenna called hoping Jason's presence would calm the boy.
Evan relaxed visibly when Jason approached and looked at the pages. "Hotties aren't they?"
"Uncouth Yankee, don't mind him. He just doesn't know how to behave." Brenna apologized to Evan.
"Not what she said last night" Jason contributed to Brenna's humiliation. When she looked though Evan was blushing as much as she was.
"What I said last night is between us, besides, all I said was stop snoring," Brenna declared.
"Evan this is a case of the lady protesting too much," Jason said as he dipped sauce onto noodles and carried a pair of steaming plates to the table.
"You'll get a bigger protest tonight mister!" Brenna threatened.
"Ah, the couch and I have lain together more than once," Jason, said fondly.
Brenna snorted and flicked a wet noodle at him like a whip.
"Save it for the bedroom sweetheart."
Evan laughed, it came out as a snort angled at his food, but their joint unacknowledged mission had been a success. The beginnings of relaxation for the boy were a great reward.