Storiesonline.net ------- Cookie Magic by Lazlo Zalezac Copyright© 2009 by Lazlo Zalezac ------- Description: Mark O'Toole and Molly Andrews are enrolled in a very special culinary school. There is lots of cooking going on in the kitchen and not all of it deals with food. Codes: MF rom ------- ------- Chapter 1 Everyone knows that a classroom is a room filled with nice little desks arranged in rows facing a whiteboard. Everyone knows that the instructor stands at the front of the room to present a lecture that numbs brains while assuming that knowledge is being conveyed. Everyone knows that; but then again -- everyone can be wrong. Not all classrooms are like that. An exception to the classroom norm was the classroom of a very exclusive culinary arts institute located in New Orleans. Entrance into this school practically required that the person was born in a kitchen. It required that the student had already worked six years in a five star restaurant and be nominated for a seat in the class by the head chef of the restaurant. The training goal was to take a good chef and produce a great chef; one that could produce a great recipe at the drop of a chef's hat. The rattle of pots and pans filled the air in a cacophony of sound that only someone born into a kitchen could love. The youngest woman in the room hummed happily while putting the finishing touches on her very first cooking assignment. The first assignment had been a surprise to all of the students gathered there. The expected assignment for a pastry challenge would have been a dessert, but that would have been too obvious. This assignment had been to create a pastry hors dourve. Chef Rupert, the instructor, shouted, "Time is up. Bring your dish here." The young woman carried her dish to the front of the room confident that it would be the best one presented. She set her creation on the table and stood behind it waiting for the rest of the class to arrive. A young man stepped up next to her and set his dish down beside hers. She frowned upon seeing that he had made an identical dish to hers. She crossed her arms to keep from exploding. He looked over at her appreciatively and smiled at her while wiggling his eyebrows. Chef Rupert walked along the table examining and tasting the dishes. He made a few comments; pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each dish. So far the average score was three stars despite the fact that none of the dishes would have been out of place in a four star restaurant. The standards of the school were just a little bit higher than that. He reached the young woman and noticed her unhappy expression. Assuming that she was not pleased with her dish, he said, "You don't look happy. What is the matter?" "He made my dish," the woman answered giving the young man who stood next to her a look that should have killed him on the spot. The young man's grin grew even larger. Chef Rupert looked at the young man and asked, "Why are you smiling?" "I like the way she has her arms crossed. It is like she's putting her breasts on a shelf to be admired and you've got to admit she's packing some mighty fine breasts," the young man answered. Every female in the room turned to glare at him. Chef Rupert rubbed his forehead and said, "You must be Mark O'Toole." "That's right," Mark answered proudly. "Oh god, not an O'Toole," one of the female students moaned. "I want my money back." Mark leaned forward to look at the woman who had complained. He said, "Don't worry sweetie, you're safe from me. I'm going to marry this luscious dish standing next to me." "Thank God." The young woman looked at Mark as if he was insane. His comment about her breasts had rendered her speechless. Stunned at his audacity, she managed to croak, "What?" Chef Rupert looked at the young woman and said, "Take my advice and quit now while you can. You really should consider changing your name and going into hiding. You might get away for a year or so before he finds you." "Never," the young woman said. Chef Rupert said, "Well, Miss O'Toole..." "My name is Molly Andrews." Mark said, "Not for very much longer." "Stop staring at my breasts," Molly said in a low growl. "I will as soon as you stop displaying them so attractively," Mark said. Putting her hands on her hips, Molly said, "I'm going to cut off your balls, saute them, and feed them to you." The woman who had spoken earlier said, "She would be better off killing him outright. A life sentence in prison has to be better than being married to an O'Toole." "You even talk like an O'Toole woman," Mark said. "I hate you," Molly said. Mark said, "That is a perfectly fine way to start a relationship." "Arg!" Ignoring the exchange, Chef Rupert examined the two dishes in front of him. He said, "This is rather remarkable. The presentations are identical." "Great minds think alike," Mark said while taking one of her hands in his. "Don't touch me," Molly said pulling her hand out of his. She backed away from him. Chef Rupert tasted each dish. Stepping back he rubbed his chin while considering the two dishes. Finally, he said, "Molly, your raspberry sauce is just a little sweeter than his. I really can't tell which I like more. Your sauces bring out different flavors in the brie." "She's a lot sweeter than I am," Mark said. Seeing the glare she gave him, he added, "You can tell just by looking at her." "You both get three stars," Chef Rupert said. "Three?" Mark said insulted by the low score. "Three?" Molly echoed. "Originality," Chef Rupert said with a grin. "I'll use his intestines for sausages." "She must really love me." Stepping back from the table, Chef Rupert said, "For tomorrow's assignment, you will prepare a five course meal using a cheese theme. Every dish must contain cheese as an ingredient. You will work in a team of two. Mark O'Toole will be teamed with Peter Chang. Molly O'Toole..." "My name is Molly Andrews." " ... will be teamed with Ellen Maples." Mark leaned over to Molly and said, "I wouldn't go with Chicken Kiev if I were you. Everyone is going to make that as their main dish." "Don't talk to me," Molly said. She wasn't going to admit that dish was the first one that came to mind. She had learned a very nice variation of Chicken Kiev at the place she had worked before coming here. ------- Having finished cleaning her cooking station, Ellen went over to her partner's cooking station to begin planning for the next assignment. Seeing Molly scrubbing her baking pan furiously, she said, "I don't know whether to congratulate you or offer you my condolences." Without looking up, Molly said, "That man is insufferable." "I know, but he's a good chef," Ellen said. "How do you know that?" Molly asked. "He's an O'Toole. At least fifty of the five star restaurants have an O'Toole working in them. I know of ten five star restaurants that are owned by O'Tooles," Ellen said. "I don't care, he is insufferable," Molly said. "We've got to plan our menu for tomorrow," Ellen said. She felt that a change in topic was necessary. "We'll start off with roasted O'Toole and then move onto baked O'Toole and then we'll make some... ," Molly muttered. Ellen interrupted, "I'm serious. We need to plan our menu for tomorrow." "I'm serious too," Molly said. She rinsed off the baking pan and started to dry it. "The theme is cheese, not O'Toole," Ellen said. Molly picked up a sauce pan. She said, "We'll turn it into a double themed meal." "Get serious," Ellen said. She had a feeling that tomorrow's meal was going to be a disaster. "I am," Molly said. She growled. " ... packing some mighty fine breasts..." "He's right," Ellen said feeling a little embarrassed. She had always felt a little insecure about her breast size and being around Molly didn't help any. "What?" "If I swung that way, which I don't, but if I did ... well, I'd be interested," Ellen said. Molly looked up at Ellen and asked, "What do you mean?" "You've got impressive breasts," Ellen said. Molly examined the sauce pan, saw that it was clean, and started scrubbing it anyway. She grumbled, "I'm only a C cup, okay." Shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, Peter Chang said, "I'm afraid that I will not be able to contribute too much to tomorrow's assignment. Chinese cuisine does not use cheese." "That's okay," Mark said. He watched Molly working over her sauce pan. "I just don't want to be a problem," Peter Chang said. He hadn't done too well with the first assignment and he didn't want to do poorly on this one. "She's a pretty woman, isn't she," Mark said looking across the room. Peter Chang looked over at Molly and said, "I guess." Mark said, "I bet she's a C cup." "Um," Peter Chang said feeling very uneasy about the direction of this conversation. Nodding his head in approval, Mark said, "Look at that passion. She's scrubbing that pot like it was filled with tar. Something must have gotten her panties in a bind." "I think it was you," Peter said. He couldn't believe the kinds of things that came out of Mark's mouth. "I hope so," Mark said. He looked over at Peter and asked, "What do you think of the idea of cheese filled egg rolls?" "Not much," Peter said with a grimace. He felt the idea was particularly disgusting. "Maybe you're right," Mark said. "How about Spring Rolls filled with shrimp and covered with a cheese sauce?" "That doesn't sound quite so bad," Peter said. Mark said, "Chinese food with cheese. It'll be great." "I don't think so," Peter said. "We'll get a lot of points for originality," Mark said. He was silent for a minute thinking about what he could do for the rest of the meal. Ellen looked across the room and said, "Look at the expression on Peter's face. You'd think Mark suggested that they make Chinese food with cheese." "That's not a bad idea," Molly said. "Are you sick?" Ellen asked looking at Molly. "Egg rolls stuffed with cheese," Molly said with a grin. "That's disgusting," Ellen said. "How about Spring Rolls filled with shrimp and covered with a cheese sauce?" Molly asked. "That's not a bad idea," Ellen said. "We would get a lot of points for originality," Molly said. Mark said, "You know, we could make some Paneer and substitute it for tofu in some standard Chinese recipes." "Paneer," Peter repeated thinking about the suggestion. He was only familiar with paneer in the context of Indian food. Nodding his head, he said, "That just might work." Molly looked across the room at Mark. Thinking that she would love to see him shamed by her brilliance as a chef, she said, "We could make some Paneer and substitute it for tofu in some standard Chinese recipes. "Paneer," Ellen repeated thinking about the suggestion. Nodding her head, she said, "That just might work." Molly said, "Let's see the bastard beat that." ------- Chef Rupert stopped at cooking station where Molly and Ellen were working on their menu for the next day. They would have to finalize it before the morning in order to get any required fresh produce from the downtown market. Normally, he would not interrupt their planning, but a special opportunity had arisen. He said, "I hate to rush you, but you will want to finalize your menu for tomorrow soon. We're going to have dinner at the Dirty Skillet of New Orleans." "I've always wanted to go there," Molly said standing up a little straighter. The Dirty Skillet of New Orleans was a very exclusive restaurant. The reputation of the place was so good that it didn't need to advertise. The invitation to dine at the restaurant had come on short notice, but Chef Rupert wouldn't have turned down the opportunity for love or money. He said, "I promise you that it will be a special dining experience." "I've got to try their Cajon Bayoubaise," Molly said. Five Star magazine had done an entire article on that particular dish. "It is their trade-mark dish," Ellen said. Chef Rupert said, "We'll be leaving in an hour." "An hour? That isn't enough time to get dressed for a place like that," Ellen said. "There's no need to get dressed up. It is a rather informal place," Chef Rupert said. He knew it was a lost cause from the expressions on the two women's faces. "I'm not going to the Dirty Skillet wearing anything except my best dress," Molly said. While leaving, Ellen asked, "What about the dessert for tomorrow's assignment?" "We'll just get some nice old world cheeses, cut some of them into the shapes of the various principle food regions of China, and serve that as dessert," Molly said. Her mind was already on trying to decide what to wear to the dinner. "I like it. It is simple, yet elegant," Ellen said. Peter looked across the room and noticed the two women leaving. He said, "They are done already." Mark grinned and said, "Molly is just getting ready for our date." "Your date?" Peter asked. Outside of a single call on his cell phone, Peter didn't see how Mark could have arranged for a date. "Yes," Mark said. "Does she know about it?" "No," Mark answered. "What if she turns you down?" Peter asked. It seemed to him that it was highly improbable that she would actually accept a date from Mark. Mark grinned and answered, "Don't worry. I've invited a bunch of chaperones." "What about our menu?" Peter asked looking down at the sheet of paper. They still hadn't identified a dessert. Mark shrugged his shoulders and said, "We'll just get some nice old world cheeses, cut some of them into the shapes of the various principle food regions of China, and serve that as dessert." "Simple, yet elegant," Peter said. "I like it." Chef Rupert came over and said, "You might want to finish your menu quickly. We've been invited to have dinner at the Dirty Skillet of New Orleans." "Really?" Mark asked giving a wink to Peter. "You didn't?" Peter asked staring at Mark. He wondered how the guy was going to afford taking everyone to such an expensive restaurant. "What?" Chef Rupert asked. "I'm excited about going out to eat with Molly," Mark answered. Chef Rupert said, "I know O'Tooles tend to be a little blunt with the opposite gender, but you might want to tone it down a bit. There are others in the class who are offended by some of your comments." "Did you see that Baked Brie she put together? It was almost as good as mine," Mark said. "There's no way I'm letting her get away by being anything less than honest in my appreciating her as a woman." "You're basing all this on one dish that you didn't even taste?" Chef Rupert asked incredulously. He knew that O'Tooles were rather impulsive when it came to matters of love, but this was beyond the pale. "She hates you," Peter said. "I know all about Molly Andrews. She's the reason I came here this year," Mark said. "How is that possible?" Chef Rupert asked. He knew that the two of them had worked on different continents. There was no way that Mark could have met her before arriving here. Mark answered, "Cousin Jenny worked with her a couple years ago. She told me all about Molly." "Cousin Jenny?" Chef Rupert asked with a sick feeling in his stomach. "You know Cousin Jenny," Mark said. "She's your niece." "Oh my God," Chef Rupert said. Rubbing his hands together, Mark said, "I can't wait for this date to begin. There's no way that Molly is going to go to the Dirty Skillet without dressing her best. She's going to look magnificent." "Date?" "Yes. I figured that she wouldn't be comfortable without a lot of support so I called Cousin Mary and she arranged things for us," Mark said. "You got us the invitation to the Dirty Skillet?" Chef Rupert asked. He had completely forgotten that the head Chef was an O'Toole. If he had remembered, he would have turned down the invitation. Waving a hand as if batting away a fly, Mark said, "It was no big deal. A bunch of my family will be there. Everyone wants to meet Molly." "There will be a bunch of O'Tooles there?" Chef Rupert asked horrified. He was recently widowed and was terrified of being around too many O'Tooles at the moment. There was always the chance that one of the O'Toole women would decide that he would make a good catch. Mark said, "There are only two O'Tooles in New Orleans at the moment. We've got a bunch of Anders and Sanders here." "Anders and Sanders?" Chef Rupert asked turning pale. His lawyer, Arnold Anders, was always trying to fix him up with a date. He had been tempted to take the man up on his offer to fix him up with someone. Suddenly, he had a pretty good idea who that blind date was. Mark patted Chef Rupert on the shoulder and said, "Let me tell you a little about Cousin Mary. She's single and looking for a good man who knows how to cook." ------- Chapter 2 Victoria grabbed Molly's arm before the young woman had a chance to step outside of the building. Surprised at being kept back from where the other students were gathered, Molly asked, "What?" "Go change your dress," Victoria said furtively. "Why?" Molly asked. Victoria glanced around to make sure that she wouldn't be overheard before she answered, "Mark O'Toole will see that dress and believe that you wore it just for him. You need to get in the ugliest outfit in your closet. I suggest some grungy old gym clothes." "Don't be silly. We're going to a five star restaurant," Molly said. "O'Tooles think the world revolves around them and their family. You need to get away before it is too late," Victoria said. She looked around nervously. "It can't be that bad," Molly said. "It is. Once one of them decides that he or she is going to marry someone, they are impossible to get rid of," Victoria said. Molly rolled her eyes and said, "That isn't even grammatically correct. One of them decides doesn't agree with they are. It should be he or she is impossible to get rid of." "No. I meant what I said. One of them decides to marry you and the whole family works to make it happen," Victoria said. "You don't know what you're talking about," Molly said. Victoria jumped a foot in the air when Mark said, "Hello, Victoria. Cousin Chuck sends his regards." "Oh no!" "He says that he'll be here for your graduation and hopes that you'll enjoy a little time in the kitchen with him," Mark said with a smile. "I'll never go in a kitchen with him again." "He mentioned something about a graduation present that involves sharing his leg of lamb recipe with you," Mark said. "He didn't?" Victoria said licking her lips. "Yes. That's one of his favorite dishes," Mark said. "The leg of lamb, huh?" Victoria said biting her lower lip. "That's right," Mark said. "The one that tastes like a slice of heaven?" Victoria asked feeling tempted by the offer. "That's the one," Mark said. "He can write it down on a card and mail it to me," Victoria said with a hint of desperation in her voice. Mark shook his head and said, "You know better than that." "I love that lamb," Victoria said with a whimper. "It is good," Mark said with a grin. "He'll want me in the kitchen with him," Victoria said. Working in the kitchen with Chuck would involve food, wine, and conversation. It was a triple threat and she knew it. "That's right," Mark said. Knowing that she would hate herself, Victoria said, "Okay, but I'm not going to make any crepes with him." "I heard about the little episode with the crepes," Mark said. "I don't want to talk about it," Victoria said. Her face had turned bright red. "Don't feel embarrassed. You aren't the first person to get discovered naked in a kitchen," Mark said patting her on the back. "It happens all of the time in my family." "I don't want to talk about it," Victoria said through clenched teeth. Mark turned to Molly and said, "I love that outfit. It really highlights your trim figure and impressive chest. I'm sure you were thinking of me when you put it on." Molly turned to stare at Victoria. She was beginning to understand why the woman had acted in the manner she had. She said, "I would have worn gym clothes if I had been thinking of you." "That's funny," Mark said with a chuckle. "I see our limousines have arrived to take us on our date. Let's go." "Date?" Molly asked picking up the key word in his statement. "This is our first date," Mark said. Victoria saw the look of desperation on Molly's face and said, "You're dealing with an O'Toole." "This is a class trip," Molly said. "I arranged to have a few chaperones. I didn't want you to feel too pressured," Mark said. He took the two women by the elbows and directed them towards one of the limousines. "You arranged this?" Molly asked too stunned to wonder why she was allowing herself to be lead by Mark. Victoria said, "I tried to warn you." "Hey, there's Cousin Tony. We'll ride with him," Mark said while steering them to a stretch limousine that was at the end of a procession of limousines. "Cousin Mark!" "Cousin Tony!" "How's the school going?" Tony asked. "They are teaching us how to burn food," Mark answered with a grin. "That's good." "How are things in the Senate?" Mark asked. "Same old politics. We generate so much hot air that you'd think we were responsible for global warming," Tony answered. He looked over the two women with Mark appreciatively and asked, "Who are the young women with you?" "This is Molly Andrews. She's going to be my wife," Mark answered. "No I'm not," Molly said crossing her arms. "Perky," Tony said appreciatively. "When she crosses her arms like that I can see why you like her." "Arg!" "Stunning, if you ask me," Mark said. He gestured to Victoria and said, "This is Victoria. Cousin Chuck is going to marry her." "Ah, she must be the one involved in the crepe incident," Tony said. "That's right," Mark said. Exasperated, Victoria asked, "Does everyone know about that?" "Yes. Of course, but we haven't heard all of the details," Mark answered. "You never will!" "Let's get in the car and head to the restaurant," Tony said while gesturing to the open door of the limousine. "Good idea. Let's get this date on the road," Mark said. "This isn't a date," Molly said feeling like no one was listening to her. After everyone had settled into the car, Tony asked, "Did you hear that Cousin Suzy is getting married?" "No. I heard that her love interest was putting up quite a fight. How did she get him?" Mark asked sitting up straighter. "Cousin Lily served her up to her boyfriend," Tony answered with a grin. "What?" Molly asked confused by the exchange. "Main course or dessert?" Mark asked. "Dessert," Tony answered. "I'm sure that he appreciated that," Mark said. Molly asked, "What are you talking about?" Realizing that the exchange had been a little cryptic, Tony explained, "It is a standard tactic O'Toole women use to get their man. Cousin Suzy's boyfriend was invited to the private room of a restaurant for dinner. After a full meal, Suzy's mother wheeled her out, announced that dessert was served, and then left the room. The dessert was strategically placed on Suzy's naked body. The guy didn't stand a chance." "I imagine," Victoria said. "Her mother did that?" Molly asked. She couldn't imagine a mother doing something like that. Victoria leaned over to Molly and said, "O'Tooles don't fight fair." "All's fair in love and war," Mark said. "Amen to that," Tony said with a grin. "It is a Donaldson family trait. You should have seen me going after my wife." Mark said, "If I recall correctly, your thirtieth anniversary is coming up." "That's right," Tony answered. "Linda has rented a dungeon up at the Hamptons for the week. We're recreating our honeymoon. I'm looking forward to it." "Dungeon?" Molly asked thinking that she had misunderstood something. "It is a strange family," Victoria said. "She spent a thousand dollars on a new leather outfit. I can't wait to see her in it," Tony said. "She is an impressive woman in leather," Mark said. Tony looked puzzled for a second and then remembered where Mark has seen his wife in leather. He said, "I forgot that you catered the Leather and Lace party she held two years ago." "Half of the Anders family was there. Who else would cater it except for O'Tooles?" Mark said. He shook his head thinking back to that party. He commented, "It still amazes me how the Republican members of the family go for leather and the Democrat members of the family go for lace." "We adhere to the party line," Tony said with a wink. Turning to Molly, he said, "I happen to know that Mark is a Democrat." "This is sick," Molly said. For a half a second she entertained the idea of switching over to leather underwear. "What's with her?" Tony asked. "It is our first date," Mark replied. "Ah, that explains everything," Tony said. "It is not a date," Molly said. She was tempted to cross her arms, but one glace at Mark made her realize that wouldn't be a good idea. She clenched her fists instead. She muttered, "All I need is ten minutes alone with him while I'm armed with a rolling pin; he'd be pie crust." "She sounds like an O'Toole wife-to-be on a first date to me," Tony said. "She does, doesn't she?" Mark said in agreement. "It is not a date," Molly said. Mark said, "Speaking of first dates, Chef Rupert is coming." "Cousin Mary must be excited," Tony said. "I'll say. She canceled half the reservations to clear out the restaurant for us," Mark said. That was a pretty significant action on her part. "Maybe she'll serve herself for dessert," Tony said. Victoria looked out the window trying to imagine what it would be like to be served as dessert. Idly, she said, "If I didn't hate Chuck so much, I'd do that for him. It sounds like fun." "Molly and I would be happy to give you a hand," Mark said helpfully. "No I wouldn't," Molly said staring at Victoria. Realizing what she had been thinking of doing, Victoria shook herself and said, "I must be crazy. Why would I even think such a thing?" "You love Chuck," Mark said. "No I don't," Victoria said. There wasn't much force behind her words. Tony looked out the window for a second and then asked, "You don't think we could fit another person in, do you?" "I don't see why not," Mark said. Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. After putting on some reading glasses, he scrolled through the list of names on the phone. "Who are you calling?" Mark asked. "There is a certain socialite who is interested in Cousin Ed. I thought I might invite her along since he is coming to the restaurant tonight," Tony said. He found the number and selected it. "Is this the woman who has been chasing him all over the country?" Mark asked barely able to restrain his laughter. Members of the Donaldson family weren't the only ones in the world who knew how to pursue a love interest. "Yes. She's a Republican and he's a Democrat," Tony said with an evil grin. Mark laughed and then said, "Give her a call." "That's mean," Victoria said. "That's politics," Tony said punching the dial button. "Are you really a US Senator?" Molly asked dumbfounded. "One of the best in the country," Mark said. "How do you know?" Victoria asked. "He's an Anders," Mark answered as if that answer settled the matter. He watched while Tony waited for the call to go through. "Hello, Bridget." "I just wanted to let you know that Cousin Ed was going to the Dirty Skillet tonight." "No, I didn't realize that your reservation was canceled." "Well, I thought you might want to join me as my guest." Tony laughed and then said, "Don't worry. My wife will be there." "I happen to know that he's wild about lace. Just keep that in mind." "Sure. I'll see you there." "Bye," Tony said just before closing his cell phone. Looking over at Mark, he said, "She's coming." "Great. Cousin Ed is long past the age of getting married," Mark said. "Do you guys do anything except gossip about your family?" Victoria asked. "Not really. We have an extensive family and it is hard keeping up with what all of them are doing," Tony said. "We're here," Molly said ready to fly out the limousine. The front of the restaurant was not very pretentious unless one looked at the cars parked there. "I heard it was in the middle of nowhere, but this is ridiculous," Victoria said. There wasn't another building within sight. The place was surrounded by swamp. The group got out of the limousine and joined the rest of the class. Molly put as much distance between her and Mark as possible. She followed the line of people only to discover that Mark was holding the door open for everyone else. She growled, "I can't get rid of you." "That's right," Mark said. "We'll be cooking in the kitchen together until death do we part." "I can arrange the parting part," Molly said with a low growl. Mark followed her into the building. Once inside, he announced, "Hey everyone. This is Molly and she's going to be my wife!" "Hello Molly!" echoed through the room. "I am not marrying him!" Molly shouted. "This must be their first date." "Look at the chest on her." "I want to die," Molly said hanging her head. Mark said, "I'm going in the kitchen to say hello to Cousin Mary and let her know that Chef Rupert is here." "Lucky Chef Rupert," Molly said in a voice filled with sarcasm. She looked around and noticed that the terrified man was hiding behind the Senator. "He is lucky," Mark said before heading off to the kitchen. "Thank god he's gone," Molly said when he disappeared from the room. A tall attractive man came over to where Molly was standing and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Dr. Fred Sanders. It is so nice to meet you, Molly Andrews." "Thank you," Molly said feeling relief at someone who talked normally. "Let me say that it is a pleasure to meet a woman who does not need my services. Cousin Mark is a lucky young man," Fred said. "What kind of services do you provide?" Molly asked. "I'm a plastic surgeon," Fred answered. He turned and shouted, "Hey, Freda. Come here and check out Mark's bride-to-be." "I'm not marrying him," Molly said. She wondered if she could get a sign to that effect. A statuesque blond walked over. She looked over the younger woman with a critical eye. Holding Molly's chin, she said, "This is one woman who will never be a customer of ours. Look at that nose. It would cost most women five thousand dollars to get a nose like that." "Nice bone structure," Fred said. "You're talking about me like I'm not here," Molly said feeling like she was some kind of rare specimen under a microscope. "Hush," Freda said. "I'd bet money her breasts are totally natural. They look like a C cup." "I agree. She's definitely a C cup. Her chest looks a little larger than that because of her small frame," Fred said. "Millions of women would be envious of her build. Tall, busty, slim frame, and good curves," Freda said. "I wish we had a picture of her mother to see how she'll age," Fred said. "You wouldn't happen to have a picture of your mother, would you?" Freda asked. "No," Molly said despite the fact that there was one in her purse. "Pity," Freda said. "What do you do for a living?" "I'm a Chef," Molly answered. "That was a stupid question on my part. Cousin Mark would only be interested in a Chef," Freda said. Fred said, "Diet could be a problem." "That's an obvious occupational hazard." Fred said, "Hmm, we ought to introduce her to Cousin Georgette." "I agree with you. A few afternoons with Cousin Georgette will keep her from getting fat. There isn't a better nutritionist in the country," Freda said. She patted Molly on the stomach and said, "You've got a nice tight tummy. Do you work out?" Molly looked around wildly trying to find a way to escape the couple. She pointed over at Victoria and said, "That's Cousin Chuck's bride-to-be, Victoria." Freda and Fred both looked in the direction that Molly had pointed. Fred asked, "Is she the one who had the little incident with crepes?" "That's the one," Molly said inching away. ------- Chapter 3 The tables in the restaurant had been arranged in a giant U with the guests seated along the outside. The staff moved around in the center filling wine glasses with practiced ease. It was obvious by the arrangement of tables that this was more than just a little field trip by the students from the culinary school. Across the room from where Molly was seated, a woman and a young man were seated side by side. The young woman moved awkwardly in her chair for a second and then sat up straight. She handed something to the young man seated beside her. Unable to believe what she had just observed, Ellen asked, "Did that woman just hand her panties to that man over there?" "Probably," Molly answered. She looked across the room at the young man who was now glowing bright red. Watching the young man looking at the present from the rather aggressive woman, Ellen said, "He's got the same haunted expression on his face that you have." "He does look like I feel," Molly said. She glanced around the room nervously. Ellen leaned forward and watched the couple with open interest. She had never observed anything like it in her life. The woman's hand snaked under the table. Ellen sat back and said, "I swear she's got her hand in his pants." "It wouldn't surprise me," Molly said. She continued to watch every corner of the room nervously. The attractive woman stood up and took the hand of the man with her. She pulled him out of his chair and led him out of the room. Ellen said, "I wonder where they are going." "The coat room," Tony answered in a matter of fact voice. "Why would they go there?" Ellen asked. She noticed that the man's fly was open. "Think about it," Tony answered. "Oh." Molly was afraid to relax despite the fact that Mark was nowhere around. There was an empty chair beside her and the Senator was chasing off anyone who even approached the seat. She muttered, "Where is he?" "Who?" Ellen asked still staring at the door where the couple had exited. "Mark O'Toole." "I don't know. Why did you ride here with him?" Ellen asked. She had been waiting for Molly by one of the limousines and had been surprised to see her get into the car with Mark. "I don't know," Molly answered with a whimper. Tony said, "It is the O'Toole charm." Tony's wife, Maria, said, "Resistance is futile." Molly said, "I want to go home." "We're at the Dirty Skillet of New Orleans. It is a five star restaurant and serves some of the best food in the world. Relax and enjoy the meal," Ellen said trying to cheer up her partner. "Half of the people in the room are related to him," Molly said looking around. She now had the business cards of a nutritionist, general practitioner, and a gynecologist in her purse. The discussion with the gynecologist was particularly unsettling. The woman had talked about how much fun Molly would have as the mother of a dozen O'Toole children. "Really?" "Yes," Molly said. "Victoria tried to warn me." "About what?" Ellen asked. "Once a member of the family decides on a person, the whole family moves in to make it happen," Molly said. "Who is that woman feeding Chef Rupert and what is it that she's feeding him?" Ellen asked watching the action taking place across the room. "I believe that's Chef Mary O'Toole and I have no idea what she is feeding him," Molly said after looking in the direction Ellen had pointed. "Look at the expression on his face. It must taste like heaven," Ellen said watching the action with fascination. She had never seen anything so sexy in her life. "Where is he?" Molly growled while glaring at the empty chair. "Who?" Ellen asked. "Mark O'Toole," Molly answered. "Missing him?" Ellen asked in surprise that Molly was concerned about Mark. "The suspense is killing me," Molly said. She looked around carefully before taking a sip of her water. The last thing she wanted was to be surprised while taking a sip. She said, "This is like sitting at a theater watching a horror movie. The music keeps getting louder and more threatening, but the monster doesn't show up. The tension just builds and builds until you are ready to snap. Then all of a sudden the monster bursts onto the screen and you scream." "They are playing Mozart. Cassation No. 2 in B Major if I'm not mistaken," Ellen said after listening to the background music for a moment. It wasn't exactly the kind of background music for a horror film. "I'm waiting for the monster to arrive," Molly said ignoring the comment about the background music. "You're letting this get to you," Ellen said. "I don't want to scream," Molly said. She picked up a fork and polished it her napkin. "What are you doing?" Ellen asked. "I'm cleaning. I always clean when I get nervous," Molly said. Her eyes were locked on the door to the kitchen. "I noticed that you also clean when you get angry." Molly said, "I feel like a sacrificial virgin about to have my heart cut out of my chest and fed to an angry volcano god." "You're a virgin?" Ellen asked. In a louder voice then she intended, she said, "I said that I felt like I was a virgin sacrifice; not that I was a virgin." Tony leaned over and said, "I'm sure that Mark will be very cooperative when it comes time to sacrifice your virginity." "Be quiet," Molly said sinking into her chair. Ellen asked, "Are you sure you're a Senator?" "Quite sure," Tony answered with a smile. Molly jumped when the door to the kitchen opened. Ellen said, "Calm down, Molly. You can handle him." "That's easy for you to say." "Here comes the food," Ellen said sitting up straighter in her chair. "We didn't even order," Molly said. It took the staff just a few minutes to place the appetizers in front of the assembled group. One of the waiters placed a simple plate in front of her. Molly stared at it for a second before she asked, "Is this a joke?" "Ah, someone spelled out Mark Heart Molly with the sauce," Ellen read. "That's so sweet." "I'm going to send it back," Molly said pushing the plate away. "You've got to taste it," Ellen said. "No." "This is a five star restaurant. I'm sure that it tastes great," Ellen said eyeing the dish with interest. The plate contained a row of small circles of bread. Each piece of bread was decorated with individual toppings. Below the circles of bread was the message spelled out in a dark sauce of some sort. "You're probably right," Molly said. She took her fork and drew a line through the heart. "Ah, you added an arrow pointing from him to you," Ellen said. Molly snapped, "No, I didn't." "Yes, you did." Turning attention to her own appetizer, Ellen speared a little of her food on her fork. Taking her time, she slipped the morsel into her mouth. "How is it?" Molly asked. "Oh, this is great," Ellen said. Molly looked over at the appetizer placed in front of Ellen. It was a simple slice of roast duck on endive with cheese. It did look very good. She looked down at the plate in front of her. She wondered how she was going to eat it. She didn't have long to wonder. A hand slid into view and picked up one of the appetizers. She looked up and saw that Mark was leaning across the table. She hadn't realized that he had been the person who had set the dish in front of her. He smiled at her and said, "Close your eyes and open your mouth. Prepare to taste loneliness." She said, "Get away from me." "Close your eyes and open your mouth," Mark said gently. Molly rolled her eyes before closing them. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. The small slice of bread dropped onto her tongue. She chewed for a moment and then swallowed. Disappointed by the dish, she said, "That was kind of bland." "I agree. Loneliness is kind of bland." Picking up another one, Mark said, "This is a taste of foreplay. Close your eyes and open your mouth." Half the women in the room leaned forward to watch while Molly tasted the morsel Mark feed her. It started the same way that the last one had, but a sudden flavor started building in her mouth. She said, "Interesting. I kind of like it." Picking up another one, Mark said, "This is the taste of building passion." "Like I believe that," Molly said. "Close your eyes and open your mouth." "No." "Close your eyes and open your mouth." She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Mark put the morsel in her mouth. She chewed it. Two indefinable flavors chased each other around her mouth. It was a remarkable sensation that left her desiring more. She said, "Oh, my." By this point, everyone was watching while Mike held out another little piece of food. He whispered, "This is the taste of the throes of passion." Not quite trusting him, Molly closed her eyes and accepted the morsel. She took one bite and nearly jumped from the chair. The flavors were balanced but danced on her tongue. The flavors left her mouth and a warm sensation spread across her body. Her cheeks flushed. It took her a minute to calm down enough to say, "Incredible." Mike held out another little piece of food. He leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear. He whispered, "This is taste of orgasm." "Right," Molly said. "Close your eyes and open your mouth." She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. She slowly bit into it. Flavors of incredible intensity rushed out. She savored the taste of it. Her body quivered. When the flavors disappeared, she moaned, "More." Mike held out the last little appetizers. He said, "This is the afterglow." Molly closed her eyes and opened her mouth. He dropped the piece into her mouth and stepped back. She chewed and the flavors in her mouth melded into a warm satisfying blend that slid down the throat. An expression of satisfaction settled over her face. She sighed and said, "That was the best sex of my life." Mike held out a little piece of plain bread. Molly wondered where it had come from. He said, "This is the taste of love. Are you ready for it?" "Yes," Molly answered breathlessly. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Mike tossed away the little piece of bread. He leaned forward and kissed her. He kept kissing her until she pushed him back to catch her breath. The next thing she knew, she was pulling him closer to her. She said, "More." Mike ran a finger across her lips and, in a very soft teasing voice, said, "That was just an appetizer. You have to save room for the main dish." Mike stepped back and headed towards the kitchen. A number of people gave him an ovation. When the door finally closed behind him, Ellen asked, "How was it?" "Incredible," Molly answered with a sigh. "You looked like you had an orgasm," Ellen said awed by what she had witnessed. "I think I did," Molly said. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. She noticed that everyone was watching her. Realizing what she had done, she growled, "I hate him." "Really? It didn't look that way to me," Ellen said. "Yes. I just forgot it there for a second," Molly said. She wanted to crawl under the table and hide. She thought about it for a second and started wiping off her mouth. She said, "Ugh, he kissed me." "It didn't look like you were fighting it," Ellen commented. "Be quiet," Molly said. Ellen said, "I wonder what dessert will be like." "I don't want to think about it," Molly said slumping down in her chair. "Where's Chef Rupert?" Ellen asked noticing that their instructor was missing. Sometime during the appetizer course he had disappeared. "I don't know," Molly said. She jumped when the door to the kitchen opened and the staff started bringing out the next dish. She said, "Ah, the salad dish. That should be safe." Ten minutes later, Molly was staring at her empty plate with glazed eyes. Ellen remarked, "That was amazing." "Huh?" "I've never seen anyone feed another person a fruit salad like that. It is like he made love to you with the food." "Huh?" "I said that I've never seen anyone feed another person a fruit salad so sexily. He made love to you with the food." "Huh?" "Never mind," Ellen said while shaking her head. Tony remarked, "He's a fine example of an O'Toole." Tony's wife, Maria, said, "I love watching an O'Toole at work." "It is amazing what they can do without restraints and a whip," Tony said nodding his head in approval. "Are you sure you're a Senator?" Ellen asked staring at the couple. "It is a power thing," Maria said with a knowing smile. She slipped a hand under his suit coat and he jumped in his seat. Ellen said, "This is definitely going to be an interesting meal." Three hours later, Molly walked out of the restaurant on shaky legs. She was having difficulty walking and required the help of Ellen and Victoria to make it to the limousine. Victoria said, "She's lucky she wasn't in the kitchen. She would have been naked about midway through the main course." Pausing to catch Molly when the young woman stumbled, Ellen said, "I'm kind of surprised she didn't end up naked in the dining room during the salad dish." "If it had just been family there, she might have," Victoria said. "I've never seen anything like that." "I have," Victoria said. She sighed and said, "I was in a state of shock for three days when Chuck did that to me." Molly licked her lips and a shiver ran through her body. She moaned. "I can still taste the desert." "I know," Victoria said patiently. She sighed and added, "After watching that, I realize just how much I miss Chuck. God that man was a wonder in the kitchen." "He's a good cook?" Ellen asked. "That too," Victoria said. "Oh." The two women helped Molly into the limousine. When the young woman curled up on the seat, Victoria said, "You'll feel better tomorrow." Molly mumbled, "Feel fine now." Mark slipped into the limousine and took a seat next to Molly. He said, "That was nice. It's a shame that I had to work in the kitchen alone. Maybe next time Molly can join me there." Victoria asked, "What were you doing in the kitchen?" "I was working. Cousin Mary was busy entertaining Chef Rupert. You should have heard the noises coming out of the pantry." "Oh." "They're getting married and we're invited to the wedding," Mark answered with a grin. "That didn't take long," Ellen said. "Once an O'Toole makes up his or her mind about a mate, he or she doesn't waste time," Mark said. He put an arm around Molly and pulled her close to him. She snuggled up to him and drifted off to sleep. "I noticed that," Ellen said. "Is she okay?" "She's more than okay; she's gorgeous," Mark answered. "She's fine," Victoria answered. "I think I'll give Chuck a call when we get back to the school." "Who's Chuck?" Ellen asked. "He's an O'Toole," Victoria answered. Looking at the two women in the car with her, Ellen said, "I think I'll sharpen my knives tonight in case there are anymore O'Tooles around." Mark looked over at Ellen and said, "I like you. I bet you'd be perfect for Cousin Sid." Thinking about how Mark had turned Molly into a quivering mess, Ellen said, "I'm gay." "Oh. Then you'd be perfect for Cousin Lucinda," Mark said reaching for his cell phone. "No!" ------- Chapter 4 Chef Rupert sat at the table staring into his coffee cup. He looked up when Ellen snuck into the room while looking around nervously. He cleared his throat and watched the woman jump two feet in the air. He asked, "What's the matter?" "Is he here?" Ellen asked. "No," Chef Rupert answered. He didn't need to ask about whom she was referring. "Good," Ellen said. She went over to the coffee pot and poured a cup of coffee. She returned to the table and took a seat. She stared into her cup. Chef Rupert looked down at his cup of coffee. He sighed. He looked up when Molly snuck into the room. He cleared his throat and watched the woman jump two feet in the air. He asked, "What's the matter?" "Is he here?" Molly asked. "No," Chef Rupert said. "Good," Molly said. She went over to the coffee pot and poured a cup of coffee. She returned to the table and took a seat. She stared into her cup. "I had a nightmare last night," Molly said. "I had one too," Chef Rupert said. "Same here," Ellen said. "I dreamt that Mark feed me," Molly said. Chef Rupert said, "You think that is bad? I dreamt that I proposed to Mary O'Toole." "That's nothing. I dreamt that Mark set me up on a date with his Cousin Lucinda," Ellen said. "Lucinda?" Molly asked. Ellen said, "I dreamt that I told Mark that I was gay when he started trying to set me up with one of his cousins. Next thing I know he's calling his cousin Lucinda." Peter Chang walked into the room causing everyone to jump. He said, "Good morning." "No it isn't," Chef Rupert said. "I agree," Molly said. "Ditto," Ellen said. Peter walked over to the coffee pot and poured a cup of coffee. He said, "By the way Chef, congratulations on your upcoming marriage." "What?" Chef Rupert asked feeling panicked. "You proposed to Mary O'Toole last night," Peter said giving the chef funny look. "I was hoping that was a nightmare," Chef Rupert said despondently. He stared into his coffee. "Sorry. Molly, I've got to tell you that I've never seen anything like you and Mark last night," Peter said. "I thought you didn't like him." "I was hoping last night was a nightmare," Molly said. Mark stuck his head through the kitchen door and said, "Good morning everyone." "Good morning, Mark. Are you ready to go shopping for today's assignment?" Peter replied. "Yes. Just give me a minute to give the wife-to-be a good morning kiss," Mark said. "Don't," Molly said. He was entirely too cheerful this morning. Mark went over to Molly and kissed her neck. Unable to stop herself, she leaned her head to the side and sighed. He said, "I can't wait to wake up with you next to me in bed." Shaking her head as if to cast off a spell, she said, "I hate you." "No you don't," Mark said with a smile. He ran a hand along her jaw line eliciting a purr from her. "I don't know anything anymore," Molly said with a whimper. "By the way, Cousin Lucinda will be here tonight," Mark said looking over at Ellen. "I'm not gay," Ellen said in protest. "We'll let Cousin Lucinda sort that out," Mark said. He winked at her and added, "I guess you're still in the closet." "I'm not in the closet," Ellen said on the verge of hysteria. She looked around wildly and spotted Peter drinking his coffee. She said, "Peter and I are lovers." Peter sprayed coffee over half the room. Setting his coffee cup down and trying to wipe the coffee off his shirt, he asked, "We are?" "You are?" Mark asked. He looked over at Peter for an answer. The poor guy looked like he had just noticed that an eighteen wheeler was about to run over him. "Yes, we are," Ellen said thinking that a little more proof was required. She jumped out of her chair and flew over to Peter. She wrapped her arms around the poor guy and kissed him. "Oh my," Peter said wide-eyed. "I'm going to have his baby," Ellen said wanting to make sure that Mark backed off. "My wife is not going to be happy about this," Peter said. He could just imagine his wife's reaction to this conversation. "We're a threesome," Ellen said grabbing onto Peter's arm. "Really?" Mark asked. He noticed that Peter was shaking his head in denial. "Definitely," Ellen said. "Interesting," Mark said. He looked over at Peter and asked, "Are you ready to go shopping? We've got a special cheese dinner to put together." "Yes," Peter said wanting to get out of the room. Molly watched the two men leave. She sighed and said, "We had better get shopping." Ellen said, "You're right." Molly looked over at Chef Rupert and asked, "Are you okay?" "No," Chef Rupert answered. "I really thought it was a nightmare." "I know how you feel," Molly said. "At least we're going to show Mark what we can do in the kitchen with the dinner tonight." ------- "Arrrrrrrrrrrrg! I'm going to kill him!" "Interesting reaction," Mark commented. Peter looked at the meal in front of Molly and then said, "This is a most unexpected result." Mark was surprised by the fact that the meal he had prepared was identical in every way with the meal she had prepared. Mark said, "Great minds think alike." "I'm going to fail," Ellen said. Tears were threatening to run. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you," Molly shouted. "No you don't," Mark said. He leaned over to Peter and said, "Look at that passion." "I'm going to filet you and serve you with Béarnaise Sauce," Molly said. "She really sounds like an O'Toole wife-to-be," Mark said. Chef Rupert looked at the two presentations feeling a headache coming on. This had never happened in the history of the school and he wasn't sure how to proceed. He turned to the panel of judges and asked, "What do we do?" "We judge," Chef Smith answered. "What about the originality score?" Chef Jones asked. "I don't know," Chef Smith answered. He looked at the two menus and said, "Chinese food made with cheese. It has to be original." "I would have never come up with that," Chef Jones said. "I've never heard of Won Ton Soup Au Gratin and now there are two examples of it in front of me." "That is a problem," Chef Jones said. Chef Smith asked, "Was there any collaboration between the two teams?" "No," Ellen answered. "None," Peter said. Chef Jones frowned and then asked, "Are there any personal relations between any of you?" "Molly and I are going to get married," Mark answered. "No we're not," Molly said. "She's gorgeous and I'm handsome. It is a match dictated by heaven." "Be quiet," Molly growled. Mark said, "According to Ellen she's in a threesome with Peter and his wife." "That's right," Ellen said. She had seen Mark greet a woman outside of the school. She assumed the woman was the infamous Cousin Lucinda. "No we're not," Peter said. Chef Jones looked at the two menus again. He couldn't believe that they were identical. He read the names and exclaimed, "Mark O'Toole!" "Yes?" Mark replied. "No wonder. Things always get complicated when an O'Toole is involved," Chef Smith said. He threw the menu on the table. "I wouldn't say that," Mark said. Chef Wilson had been silent until now. He said, "We rate the creations of the other students and have the two teams repeat the contest with some other ingredient." "May I suggest that the ingredient be O'Toole," Molly said while glaring at Mark. "I know a good recipe for Haggis O'Toole." "You have to admit that she's creative in the kitchen," Mark said. "That's true," Peter said. Chef Rupert said, "I'm going to suggest that one of us has to approve their menu before they get the ingredients." "That's a good suggestion," Chef Smith said. "I agree," Chef Jones said. Chef Wilson said, "Then it is agreed. The two teams will repeat the contest but will have to clear their menus with Chef Rupert." "Thank God," Ellen said relieved that her score wouldn't be lowered for lack of originality. Chef Smith said, "I am going to suggest that we try out their dishes. I'm very curious about the use of cheese in Chinese food." ------- Peter sat in one corner of the room putting as much distance from Ellen as possible. Molly sat in another corner of the room putting as much distance from Mark as possible. Giving Ellen at great big smile, Mark said, "Cousin Lucinda is here." "I don't want to meet Cousin Lucinda," Ellen said nervously. Looking over at Ellen, Peter said, "I do." "Why?" Molly asked looking over at Peter curious about his reasoning. "Losing a girlfriend to another woman will give my wife something to laugh about while she's killing me," Peter answered. "That's a good one," Mark said while laughing. "I was serious," Peter replied just as a young woman entered the room. "Cousin Lucinda." "Cousin Mark." "How are you doing?" "Great. I heard you found a wife," Lucinda said. "I'm not marrying him," Molly said. She hoped that if she said that often enough that someone would finally believe her. "This is Molly," Mark said. "She's cute. Nice figure. I can see why you want her," Lucinda said. She turned to look at Ellen and burst out laughing. She said, "You look like the last chicken in the coup with a fox." "I'm straight," Ellen said. Lucinda doubled over in laughter. She said, "I see that Cousin Mark has been having a little fun." "You're not here to marry me?" Ellen asked. She almost sounded disappointed. "No. I'm one of the judges for tomorrow's assignment," Lucinda answered. She went over to Mark and gave him a little tap on the side of the head. "You have been having entirely too much fun." "You should have seen her when I mentioned Cousin Sid," Mark said. "I can imagine," Lucinda said. Chef Rupert entered the room and nodded his head at Lucinda. He said, "I see that you're here for tomorrow's event." "I thought I would swing by early and say hello to my cousin and his wife-to-be," Lucinda said. "I'm not going to marry him," Molly said afraid that the event they were discussing involved the exchange of marriage vows. "She sounds like the bride-to-be of an O'Toole," Lucinda said. "Won't someone in that stupid family believe me?" Molly said in frustration. Lucinda turned to Chef Rupert and said, "By the way, congratulations on your engagement with Cousin Mary. Welcome to the Donaldson family." "I don't remember last night," Chef Rupert said. That wasn't exactly true. He remembered bits and pieces of it. "I heard all about it. I heard you did it three times in one evening. You're quite the stud," Lucinda said. She leaned over and checked out his crotch. "You should have heard the noises coming out of the pantry," Mark said. "Cousin Mary has always been a little vocal," Lucinda said. "She was really screaming last night. I was afraid that her screams were going to shatter the crystal glasses," Mark said. "Way to go Chef Rupert," Lucinda said looking over at him with appreciation. "I don't remember a thing," Chef Rupert said. Mark asked, "What is the assignment for tomorrow?" "Dessert," Chef Rupert answered. "Each team is to create an assortment of six different desserts." "Excellent," Peter said. He had several different dessert recipes that he thought were the best around. Chef Rupert looked at Molly and then at Mark. He said, "Due to the fact that you two keep coming up with the same dishes, we decided to change the teams around." With a sense of impending doom, Molly asked, "Changed them around how?" "You and Mark are one team. Peter and Ellen will team with each other," Chef Rupert answered. "That is good news," Mark said. "That's a disaster," Molly said staring at Mark in horror. She didn't know how she would survive a day in the kitchen with him. "Maybe we can do some crepes," Mark said wiggling his eyebrows. "No way," Molly declared. She had been warned about fixing crepes in the kitchen with an O'Toole. Lucinda said, "Speaking of crepes, did you hear about Cousin Chuck and his wife-to-be, Victoria?" "Victoria is here," Mark said. Lucinda laughed and said, "I've got to see what she looks like. I heard that they were found on the kitchen floor completely covered in chocolate sauce without a stitch of clothing to be found anywhere in the room. She was riding him cowgirl style and comparing his dick to a zucchini." "I hadn't heard that. She was a little short on details when I talked with her last night," Mark said. Lucinda shook her head and said, "I guess I was wrong about Cousin Chuck. I always thought that he was a little inhibited." "You can't be a cook and be inhibited," Mark said. Peter said, "Yes, you can." "Definitely, you can," Molly said. The idea of getting caught in the act of sex in the middle of the kitchen terrified her. "I agree," Chef Rupert said. "Listen to Mr. Three Times In the Pantry," Lucinda said with a laugh. "I'm never going to live that down," Chef Rupert said with a sigh. Puzzled by the comment, Mark asked, "Who would want to?" "I have no idea," Lucinda answered. Peter looked at Ellen and said, "I think we should start planning our desserts for tomorrow." "Good idea. It is getting a little thick in here," Ellen said. She headed towards the door without waiting to see if Peter was following her. He was. "Maybe we can get your wife down here so that the three of you can have a little fun tomorrow," Mark said to Peter's retreating back. "Arg!" "My wife is going to kill me." "That was cruel," Lucinda said with a laugh. "Speaking of cruel and unusual punishments, maybe we ought to start planning the dessert menu," Molly said. She wasn't looking forward to this at all. ------- Chapter 5 "We got five stars," Molly said. Her words were followed by a long low moan. "Hmmp," Mark replied. The dessert assignment had gone very well from his perspective although he hadn't quite expected the evening to end up like this. Getting five stars for a cooking challenge in this program was almost impossible, but they had done it. Molly tilted the bottle of brandy and took another long drink. She wobbled from side to side while continuing to moan. It was very hard to sit still. There were two reasons for this. First, the room kept spinning around. Second, there was all of the activity between her legs. She touched her nose and said, "My nose is numb." "Hmmph," Mark said. "At least the rest of me isn't." A shiver ran through her body. Looking down between her legs, Molly said, "You do that really well." "Hmm," Mark said. "Ohh! That must have been number six," Molly said trying to catch her breath. Her body's reaction overtook what little control she had left. The bottle of brandy rolled across the floor spilling the golden contents in a wet line from where she sat. "Umph," Mark said. "Where did you learn to do that?" Molly asked while her eyes rolled back in her head. When he didn't answer, she looked down between her legs and said, "I guess it is kind of hard to talk with your mouth full." Ellen walked into the kitchen and took one look at what was happening. Covering her mouth with one hand, she exclaimed, "What are you doing?" "I'm celebrating our dessert masterpieces," Molly answered. The last few words came out of her mouth slurred and sounded a lot more like 'dethert mather plaseth.' "You're naked," Ellen said. Molly pointed behind her and said, "Of course I am. I'm riding that monster next." "You're slurring your words," Ellen said staring at the cock that was being pointed at by the very inebriated woman. It was a monster and was pointing back at the equally nude woman. "I've got a tongue up my twat," Molly said and then giggled. She swayed and said, "That's a nice word. Twat. It just kind of rolls off the tongue ... Speaking of which..." Mark reached up to touch the breasts above him. She swatted his hands and said, "I told you that you could look but not touch." Ellen stared at Molly wondering what had happened to the woman she had known. She asked, "What are you doing?" "I discovered I was a Rupub ... Repub ... licken," Molly answered. She fell over to her side and went out like a light. "Oh my God," Ellen said. Finally having a chance to sit up, Mark looked over at Ellen and said, "I think I could use some help getting her to her room." "Uh, yeah," Ellen said staring at Molly. ------- Molly let loose with a long low moan which was immediately followed by a grimace. She stared at the cup of coffee and asked, "What was I thinking?" "As far as I can tell, you weren't thinking at all," Ellen answered. She had spent half of the night in the bathroom watching Molly make offerings to the porcelain goddess. Between offerings, Molly had spent half the time praising Mark and half the time cursing him. Ellen's voice cut through Molly's head like a knife through butter. She clasped her hands over her ears and said, "Don't talk so loud." "Sorry," Ellen said lowering her voice a little. "Ouch," Molly said. Ellen slid the bottle of pills across the table and said, "I couldn't find any aspirin. I hope Midal is okay." Molly fiddled with the bottle for a second and then said, "I can't get it open." Shaking her head, Ellen said, "Let me open it for you." "I'm never cooking with Brandy again," Molly said with a low moan. "Guess what the theme ingredient is for today," Ellen said. She removed the cap on the bottle of pills and dumped two pills into the palm of her hand. After a quick glance at Molly, she dumped two more out. Molly grabbed the four pills and chased them down with a swallow of lukewarm coffee. She said, "I hope that it isn't Brandy." "Earthworms." "What?" Molly asked in a screech. She nearly crawled under the table in response to the pain inflicted by her own voice. The idea of cooking worms nearly sent her to the bathroom. "I'm just kidding. The theme ingredient is fish," Ellen said. Holding her head between her hands, Molly said, "I'm going to die." "What do you remember of last night?" Ellen asked. Molly said, "Enough." "So are you a Republican?" Ellen asked. "I didn't really say that aloud, did I?" Molly asked. She had a dim memory of forcing Mark to the ground while announcing to him that she was going to try being a Republican for a change. "Right before you passed out," Ellen answered. Molly stared at her cup of coffee for a minute. Red faced, she asked, "What was I doing?" "You don't remember?" Ellen asked. She would have been very surprised if Molly remembered that exchange. "I'm not sure," Molly said when memories of the previous evening started returning. She couldn't believe that she had been so aggressive. "You were riding his face like he was a washing machine," Ellen said. "A washing machine?" Molly asked. "You've never done that?" Ellen asked surprised by Molly's blank look. "Done what?" "Ride a washing machine during the spin cycle," Ellen answered. Molly's expression didn't change in light of the explanation. "I guess not." "You do that?" Molly asked. Ellen shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Don't knock it until you've tried it." "Don't knock what until you've tried it?" Victoria asked while entering the room. She noticed Molly grimace and recognized the signs of a hangover. "A washing machine," Ellen answered. "My roommate used to wax poetic about the pleasures of washing clothes. She couldn't wait for the spin cycle to start," Victoria said. She poured a cup of coffee and looked at the cups in front of the two women. Noticing that they were empty, she held up the pot and asked, "Want a refill?" "Please," Molly answered. She stared into her cup wondering when it had become empty. "You look like hell," Victoria said while pouring coffee. "She had too much Brandy in the kitchen with Mark," Ellen said. Victoria grimaced and asked, "How many times did you come?" "Who said I had sex with him?" Molly asked defensively. "You were drunk and in the kitchen with an O'Toole. Need I say more?" "No," Molly said. "She was riding his face like it was a washing machine right before she passed out," Ellen volunteered. "Would you quit talking about that?" Molly asked. "Ah," Victoria said. "Being in the kitchen with an O'Toole is hard on virtue." "Yes," Molly said. She discovered that even blushing while suffering from a hangover was painful. "I helped Mark get her to her room," Ellen said. "What happened then?" Victoria asked. "She spent the night with her head in the toilet," Ellen answered. "One of those kinds of nights," Victoria said. She sighed and said, "My first time with Chuck was a lot like that." "I'm not that kind of woman," Molly said feeling depressed. More of the details of the previous night were returning. She couldn't even blame Mark for her behavior since she had been the aggressor. There was just something about cooking, conversation, Brandy, and winning that had punched all of the right buttons. Victoria said, "I bet you initiated it." "I don't want to talk about it," Molly said. "He'll get you addicted to it. A little cooking, a little conversation, and a few sips of alcohol and your sexual engine lights up. Before you know it, you get wet going into the kitchen with him," Victoria said. "I don't want to talk about it," Molly said. "Good morning," Mark said slipping into the communal kitchen. "Uhmm," Molly said covering her ears. "Feeling a little hung over?" Mark asked in a softer voice. There was real concern in his voice. "She is," Ellen answered. "Did you give her a little hair of the dog that bit her?" Mark asked looking at Ellen and then at Victoria. "No," Ellen answered. Mark went over to the pantry and rummaged through it for a second. He emerged after a minute holding a bottle of Brandy. He went over to the table and poured a little into Molly's cup. He said, "Drink your coffee. You'll feel better soon." "I don't want to drink," Molly said. "He's right. You'll feel better if you drink your coffee," Victoria said. After pouring a cup of coffee, Mark said, "We're partners again and need to go shopping for ingredients this morning. I can't wait to get in the kitchen." "We don't have a menu," Ellen said. They had started to discuss it while washing the dishes, but the discussion had been cut short by their extracurricular activities. "I put one together last night," Mark answered while taking a seat at the table. He winked at her and said, "You weren't in shape to help much." "Thanks, I think," Molly said. She would have been angry that he had put together the menu without her input, but her head hurt too much to argue. All she really wanted was to return to bed. "If we get to the market early enough, we could be back in time for you to get a nap before we need to start cooking," Mark said. Every morning they had to visit the markets to get the ingredients for their assignment. Selecting the best available ingredients was part of what they were to learn. "If we have to get an early start, then we should leave soon." Mark said, "I can't wait to be married to you." "I'm not going to marry you," Molly said. ------- "Five Stars!" Molly screamed out. The pair had earned a five star rating that night and that had led to a little bit of celebrating. The celebrating had led to a little more vigorous of an activity. Mark grunted. There was something under him that was digging into his back. The trashcan had overturned when she had tackled him. He had fallen onto the contents of the trashcan. The constant irritation was ruining the moment. "You're so big!" He didn't know or much care at the moment. Molly was an animal. Mark reached under his back and pulled out a fish head. He looked at it and tossed it away. Who knew what else was on the floor under him? He muttered, "We're going to have to name our restaurant the Fish Head." "Oh God!" Molly said rocking back and forth on Mark. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and she was oblivious to what he was saying. Mark grunted thinking that she was going to tear off a particularly favored part of his anatomy. He sat up a little and latched onto her nipple. She screamed. It wasn't a little scream, but a full scream from deep in her lungs. The noises of feet entering the kitchen filled the air. Oblivious, the couple continued with their activities. Chef Rupert took one look at the situation and said, "Peter, would you go to the store and buy a dozen of the large bottles of lemon juice? They are going to have to bathe in it to get rid of the fish smell." "I'll go in a minute," Peter said absently. Caught up in another orgasm, Molly screamed, "I never want this to end!" "That's disgusting," one of the other students said looking at the mess on the kitchen floor. "I wouldn't say that. It looks like they are having fun," Ellen said. "I was talking about the floor." Ellen looked around at the garbage strewn around on the floor and then said, "You're right, that is a little disgusting." Watching the frantic activity in the center of the kitchen, Chef Rupert said, "We should probably leave the kitchen and give them a little privacy." "I want to watch." "Me too. I've never seen anything like this." "I want some woman to do that to me." "Jesus, he's hung. Next time I Jill off with a salami, I'll be thinking of him." Turning to look at the woman who had spoken, Peter asked, "Salami?" "Hey, I like them big. A salami is bigger than a cucumber." Peter said, "I'm never introducing any of you to my wife." Victoria sighed and said, "I really miss Chuck." Mark screamed when Molly bit down on his nipple. Ellen said, "She's a bit of an animal." "We should probably get out of here," Chef Rupert said. This time everyone followed him out of the room. ------- "I can't believe that you watched us," Molly said. Her body glowed bright red from the embarrassment. She had not known anyone had been in the kitchen until Ellen had mentioned it a few minutes ago. "I couldn't help it. The two of you were hot," Ellen replied. "Who else was there?" Molly asked. She wanted to crawl under the table and hide from view. "Everyone," Ellen answered. "Oh my God," Molly said. "You really rode him hard," Victoria said. She sighed and said, "I remember doing that with Chuck. God, he was big." "You sound like you miss him," Ellen said. "No I don't. There's just something magical about being in the kitchen with an O'Toole," Victoria replied. "Satan's spell," Molly said staring into her coffee. "I'm not going to argue with you on that," Victoria said. She sighed and said, "I really need a good time in the kitchen." "Try Peter," Ellen suggested. Peter said, "Ha ha, very funny. I heard that Lucinda was looking for you last night." Ellen shivered and said, "Don't even joke about that." "Why?" Peter asked. "O'Tooles don't fight fair," Ellen said. "Neither does my wife," Peter said. ------- Chapter 6 "What do you think about Pensacola, Florida?" Mark asked while chopping the cilantro into the small pieces. "I don't think about Pensacola, Florida," Molly answered wondering what the reason for the question was. "Start thinking about it," Mark said. "Why?" Molly asked looking up from the tomato she was dicing. "I think it would be a good place for our restaurant," Mark answered. He picked up a pepper and started to clean it. "Pensacola?" Molly asked. It didn't even dawn on her to question opening a restaurant with Mark. She picked up a second tomato and started to dice it. "Yes. A couple of my cousins have set up a company there. They are always complaining about not having a good place to eat," Mark said. "I was thinking of someplace in New York or London," Molly said. She picked up an onion and deftly removed the outer layer. "Those places are boring," Mark said. "Boring?" Molly asked shocked at the suggestion that London or New York could ever appear in the same sentence as the word boring. "Easy market," Mark said. "Are you kidding?" Molly said. The rich in those two cities had a clear understanding of great food and would be extremely critical of any flaw in flavor or presentation. She picked up the clove of garlic and set it on the wooden cutting board. A quick whack with the side of her knife and the skin fell off. "No," Mark said. He picked up an avocado and cut through it to the seed. With practiced ease, he cut around the seed separating the avocado into two halves. Giving it a twist, the avocado split into two pieces with the seed remaining in one of them. Molly chopped the garlic into very small pieces and dumped half of the pieces into a mixing bowl. She wanted just enough garlic to provide a contrasting flavor. She said, "The New York and London markets for restaurants are the toughest in the world." "You've got people there who already have refined palates. With two of the greatest chefs in the world working in the kitchen, what kind of challenge is that? They would come to our restaurant and we'd be an overnight sensation. If we go to Pensacola then we would have to invent a regional flavor, develop a customer base, and establish a national reputation. That would be far more interesting than just opening a restaurant in New York or London," Mark said. "That would be a challenge," Molly said thoughtfully. She watched Mark scoop the avocado from the skin and dump it into the mixing bowl. She picked up another avocado and cut it in half. Mark picked up another avocado and started preparing it. He looked over at her and said, "We would have to start with a southern cuisine and slowly evolve it into something unique for the area. I figure it would take a couple of years to establish a good consistent customer base. Our first set of clients would probably be lawyers, doctors, and politicians. It would be a while before we'd pick up the old money crowd." Molly picked up the fourth avocado and went to work on it. She was silent while thinking about Mark's idea. She had to admit that the idea of opening a restaurant was attractive although she would never have picked Pensacola as the location. She asked, "Where would we get the money?" "I wouldn't worry about that," Mark said with a grin. Molly took a sip of her wine and asked, "So which one of us is going to mash the avocado?" "I thought we would do it together," Mark said moving behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and took her hands in his. He could feel her shiver in response. Pressing his body against her back, they proceeded to mash the avocado into a thick chunky paste. "You're cheating," Molly said. She groaned when he started nibbling on her neck. She tilted her head to give him easier access to her neck. "This is nice," Mark said. "No it isn't," Molly said in a half hearted protest. Unable to stop herself, she pressed her ass against him. "Thou doth complain too much," Mark said with a grin. He reached over and dumped the contents of the second bowl into the paste. Mixing the ingredients together, Molly said, "This looks good." "It looks almost as tasty as you," Mark said. He squeezed half a lime over the bowl while she continued to mix the ingredients. He nibbled on her earlobe. She shuddered and asked, "Do you really think we could make it work?" "Yes," Mark answered. He reached over for a chip from the store bought bag of chips. He scooped a bit of the guacamole onto the chip and offered it to Molly. She ate the chip with a low moan of appreciation. "That's good," Molly said. She grabbed a chip and topped it with a bit of guacamole. She turned and fed it to Mark. "That is good. Just the right amount of garlic," Mark said. Molly said, "Okay. So our assignment is to come up with a full menu for a restaurant in Pensacola, Florida. That sounds a little challenging." "We don't graduate until we come up with a five star menu," Mark said. They not only had to come up with the menu, but serve it to a crowd of customers. It was all part of a charity event to raise money for breast cancer research. "So where do we start?" Molly asked thankful that they had three weeks for this last assignment. They had achieved an impressive record consisting of ten five star dishes over the past few weeks. The challenges had gotten progressively more difficult. It had started with simple dishes, themed meals, and progressed to fixed budget meals. The last one had required them to prepare a seven course meal with less than five dollars worth of ingredients. "I suggest that we start by moving over to the couch and eating this guacamole," Mark said. Molly eyed the couch with dread. She knew what would happen once they reached the couch and knew that she would be helpless in stopping him. It would start with feeding each other and then end with clothes being scattered around the room. She was still missing a pair of panties from the last meal they had prepared together. Mark turned to the refrigerator and removed a pitcher from it. He held it up and said, "I made a little something to go with the guacamole. Would you like a Margarita?" Reaching up to the top button of her blouse, Molly said, "I might as well get naked now." "That's my girl," Mark said with a grin. "I'm not your girl," Molly said. She hoped that none of their classmates would decide to come down for an afternoon snack. ------- Molly looked at the menu feeling like something was missing from it. Every high class restaurant had a core set of dishes that were basically expected and then a few signature dishes on which the reputation of the place rested. They had the typical appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts that would serve for clientele that did not have developed palates. She was pleased with their signature dishes, but there was something missing from the menu. She looked over at Mark and said, "Something is missing." "I know," Mark said. "What do you think it is?" Molly asked. She looked over the menu and decided that she didn't like it at all. Like a lot of ideas, the idea of a nice southern cuisine restaurant had sounded great until they had started working out the details involved. Mark shrugged his shoulders while staring at the menu. He dropped the menu on the table and said, "The more that I think about it, the less I like the menu as a whole." "Same here," Molly said. "I've almost decided that I don't like the idea of a restaurant." Mark looked across the table at Molly for several long seconds trying to decide what she meant by that. He sighed and said, "Maybe we need to step back for a bit and think about something else for a while." Victoria entered the kitchen and said, "I'm hungry for a snack. Do we have any cookies here?" "No," Mark answered. "We can make some for you if you're willing to wait a while," Molly said wanting a break from working on the menu. "I'll just run out and get some," Victoria said. She slipped out of the kitchen to continue her quest for a cookie. Watching her leave, Molly said, "I'd like a cookie." "Let's make some," Mark said shrugging his shoulders. He was pretty sure that they weren't going to fix the menu anytime soon and he always appreciated a chance to spend some time in the kitchen with Molly. "Ginger snaps?" Molly asked. "Raisin cookies?" Mark asked. "How about both?" Molly asked. "Sounds good to me," Mark replied. Confident that his recipe for raisin cookies was the best in the world, he said, "We both know that everyone will enjoy my cookies the most." "Do you want to bet?" Molly asked. She crossed her arms across her chest, looked down when he grinned at her, and then put her hands on her hips. "Sure," Mark answered with a grin. "How will we go about deciding whose cookies are the best?" They hadn't gone head to head with a cooking challenge since the cheesy Chinese food debacle. This was her chance to show him which of them was the better chef. Molly said, "We both make three dozen cookies and set them out for others to eat. The one whose cookies are eaten first wins." "What are the stakes?" Mark asked. "You stop trying to get me to marry you if I win," Molly answered. She knew that she had the best recipe for ginger snaps in the world. "You marry me if I win," Mark said. "Deal," Molly said. "I hear wedding bells," Mark said while cupping a hand to his ear. "In your dreams," Molly said while putting on her apron. "And in yours," Mark said. Forty minutes later, Mark and Molly carried two platters filled with cookies out to the living room. The plan was that they would just leave the plates out and watch the cookies disappear as others discovered them. Seeing that everyone was there, Mark asked, "What's up?" "Why is everyone just sitting around?" Molly asked wondering why everyone was facing the kitchen door. "You two were in the kitchen cooking. We all thought we'd come down here to watch the fireworks," Ellen answered. "I've got a salami upstairs with my name on it." "Remind me not to introduce you to my wife," Peter said. "I was thinking about washing some clothes later." "Washing clothes?" "Spin cycle." "Oh, I love the spin cycle." "I was looking for some inspiration for my date with Mary O'Toole later." Victoria asked, "What kind of inspiration?" "New positions," Chef Rupert answered. Listening to the comments floating around the room, Molly's face had turned almost purple from embarrassment. She hadn't realized that her times in the kitchen had become a form of entertainment for everyone else. She said, "I want to die." Mark was not embarrassed by the comments at all. Dropping his platter of cookies on the table, he asked, "Would anyone like some coffee or milk with their cookies?" "Sure." Mark said, "I'll bring in some coffee. Molly, why don't you get some milk?" "I'll bring some milk," Molly said grasping at the excuse to flee the room. She beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen. It didn't take much more than three minutes for the pair of them to get the coffee and milk. Stepping out of the kitchen Molly stopped and stared at the empty plates. She asked, "Where are the cookies?" "Gone," Peter said. There were cookie crumbs on his shirt. He wasn't the only one in the room covered in crumbs. "They were great," Ellen said eyeing the pitcher of milk. Chef Rupert said, "I'd give them five stars." "Which plate was empty first?" Mark asked thinking about the bet. He was rather surprised that the group had managed to polish off six dozen cookies in three minutes. "I don't know," Victoria said. She brushed some crumbs off her blouse. "Have you got any more?" "That was six dozen cookies," Mark said staring at the empty plates. "Hey, they were best cookies I've ever eaten," Ellen said. "Do you have any more?" Molly noticed that there were crumbs all over the table where the cookies had been and more crumbs on the floor. She said, "You ate six dozen cookies in three minutes." "It didn't take us that long," Peter said. "It was only seven cookies each," Chef Rupert said. "You had ten," Victoria said. "Some of us may have had more than others," Chef Rupert said without embarrassment. "Which plate of cookies was finished first?" Mark asked. "I don't know. We were fighting over the last few. It was a regular melee," Victoria said. "A battle royal." "A riot." "I got an elbow in the side." "That was after you pushed me out of the way." "You bitch. You pushed me first." Ignoring the arguments that were breaking out across the room, Mark turned to Molly and said, "Chocolate chip." "Oatmeal," Molly said in return. "Same bet," Mark said. "You bet," Molly said heading into the kitchen. ------- Molly stared up at the ceiling for a minute and then sighed. She looked over at Mark and asked, "Did you see which plate was empty first?" "No. Peter pushed me out of the way," Mark answered. He had flown across the room and landed on the floor next to Molly. He had no idea how Molly had ended up on the floor. He asked, "Are you okay?" "I'm okay. How about you?" "I'm fine," Mark answered. The first round of servings had been rather cordial but each time the pile of cookies diminished the effort to get the last few cookies had gotten more aggressive. Towards the end it had become all out warfare with everyone pushing and shoving to get at the last few cookies. "I've never seen anything like that," Molly said. "I think the last dozen cookies ended up in crumbs," Mark said. Molly said, "Chocolate Meringue." "Black and whites," Mark said. "Same bet?" "You bet." "Six dozen each?" Mark asked. "That would be a good idea," Molly said. ------- Rubbing the back of his head, Mark asked, "Where did all of those people come from?" "I don't know," Molly said. "Are you okay?" "I hit the back of my head when I was thrown to the wall. I think the woman who threw me was a karate expert or something," Mark said. He looked over at Molly and asked, "Are you okay?" "Some fat woman pulled me out of her way by my hair," Molly said feeling around the top of her head to see if she had lost any hair. "Which fat woman?" Mark asked. "I don't know. There was a whole herd of them," Molly said. She noticed that Peter had a black eye and wondered how that had happened. "Did you see which plate was empty first?" Mark asked. "No, I was too busy trying to get out of their way," Molly answered. "I now know why cowboys fear stampedes," Mark said. The two of them sat with their backs to the wall watching the activity across the room. Most of the crowd had disappeared, but there was still a dozen people milling around. Mark asked, "Do you want to do another round?" "I don't think so. It is getting kind of dangerous," Molly said. "I agree," Mark said. "Besides, you're going to marry me anyway." "I know," Molly said. She was silent for a moment and then added, "I think it is time that we drop the idea of opening a southern cuisine restaurant and start thinking bakery." "We would make a fortune baking cookies," Mark said. "I agree." Mark asked, "Now what?" "Let's go up to my room," Molly answered. "Your room?" Mark asked. "We've never done it in a bed," Molly replied. "That's true," Mark said. Molly was silent for a second and then grinned. She looked over at Mark and then said, "Of course, the kitchen is closer." ------- The End ------- Posted: 2009-09-07 Last Modified: 2009-10-05 / 09:14:11 am ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------