I glanced into the mirror as I finished getting ready for my voyage into entrepreneurship. The face looking back at me exuded charm and confidence. The inner man did not match the exterior, but it was just a case of nerves, I told myself.
I'm just over thirty years old, tall and built like a tight end. My body is toned, thanks to Uncle Sam and untold hours in the gym. My shoulders are broad, and my torso is tapered down to a waist which actually does show a six pack of abs. Narrow hips, long well-muscled legs, and long feet complete the package.
I'd been blessed with a handsome face. I'm not vain about it, as I'd done nothing to deserve it, just like the mole on my groin. It was heredity, simply a fact of life. While not being stuck on myself, I didn't turn down any of the benefits that came from being handsome. I did alright with the ladies.
My green eyes looked back at me from under thick dark eyebrows. A high forehead ended at a thick brush of wiry dark hair, cut short and brushed back. It stays short because my occupation was one involving a warm, sometimes very hot working environment. I am a chef by trade.
I've always been a foodie. I love to eat, to experience the sensuality of a fine meal. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can be a carnal delight if it's done right.
I started cooking around the time I became a teenager. Simple things to start, of course, but by the time I got out of high school I could lay down a pretty impressive meal, having the courses come off the stove at the proper time and in the correct sequence. I looked at it as a military campaign, making the preparations, doing the planning, culminating in the actual preparation of the food, complete with a proper presentation.
After graduating high school I spent my time doing short order cooking, first at one of the chain breakfast joints.This was a cakewalk for me, the only difference being there was an unending stream of orders to complete. Also, there was unceasing prep work, especially for the next shift cook who needed to have things ready so he could hit the ground running, spatula in hand. It was fun, I learned a few things, and I made enough money to run around and party a little. All in all, not an unpleasant first year following school, but I was also aware it was doing little to advance myself toward a more fulfilling future.
I joined the military about a year following graduation. Nothing exciting was happening in my life. I was dating, but they were casual affairs, nothing serious. It was amazing how many of the girls I knew from high school, the ones who weren't very friendly or who were too far up the social ladder to notice me, suddenly found me interesting. While these relationships were short-lived, they did involve a lot of sex. It took me a while to figure out that girls talk, and I had become an item on the grapevine. Like the old Bob Segar lyric says "I used her, she used me, and neither one cared."
Ok, so I have a big cock, and I was learning how to use it. Everyone thinks if you're hung that's all it takes. That, my friend, is total and complete bullshit. Anyone can be a fucker, but it takes study and dedication to become a lover. You can buy any jerkwad a set of wrenches, but it takes a lot of time and experience, along with dedication and a willingness to learn, to become a mechanic.
I'd learned a lot about female physiology, what and where the parts are and their function. I knew where the infamous G-spot was, when and how to stimulate it. The clitoris and its role in pleasure creation was part of my study. You'd be amazed at how many guys don't know where these structures are, what they do. Some guys think that if they stick it in and pop up and down the woman will automatically go insane with pleasure. Some guys don't give their partner oral stimulation either. In my not so humble opinion, these are the guys who don't get laid, the ones spending the weekends at the bar waiting for some chick to get drunk enough to say yes. If the woman in question is lucky enough they'll have been too drunk to remember the encounter.
I'd joined the military as I said. The Navy was my choice, as I figured I'd get to see the world as the advertisements promised. What I got to see was the inside of a ship's galley, which was alright. I'd been introduced to the world of institutional cooking, where the goal was to feed a crowd as quickly and efficiently as possible while making the food as appetizing as possible. That is not an easy accomplishment, but my fellow cooks and I managed to do some amazing things with the tools at hand. A well-fed sailor is a happy sailor. But he'll still bitch, given half an opportunity.
At our ports of call, it was all hands overboard. I did get to see the world as well as sample the delights of a number of foreign cities. I enjoyed the local cuisine and the cultures, including the local ladies. Many of these were very friendly and compliant when it came to sex. I always delighted in the endless variety of women, from the frosty blondes of Scandinavia to the dusky beauties of Spain and Portugal, to the lovely black women of the African continent.
After ten years in the Navy I'd seen about as much of our planet as I wanted to, so I mustered out and returned to my home city. While I had been secure in my niche in the Navy the civilian economy had fallen into recession, and employment was difficult. I looked for work as a cook in the federal government, but the few available positions available required I relocate, which was not on my 'to do list'.
I decided to go all in, use my G.I. Bill benefits and attend a culinary school. That was a great experience, learning a lot about food chemistry and the finer arts of preparation and presentation.
One of my fellow attendees was a younger woman named Gloria. She was a petite little firecracker of a redhead and she provided all the entertainment I could ever ask for. I think the term is insatiable, I'm pretty sure that her picture is in the dictionary alongside that word. I'll never forget her tiny breasts with her little hard nipples and what she looked like when she was on top of me, riding me like a rented horse.
When we completed our courses we parted ways, realizing that what we'd both enjoyed was more recreational than romantic. That's how things go, how the cookie crumbles. I'd learned though that if the cookies crumble, they probably needed more egg in the batter.
Employment prospects were still poor. The better motels were staffed and the people who had gigs as their executive chefs were holding on to their jobs. I didn't want to go back to being a hash slinger, maybe it was a matter of pride, as much as a matter of economics. Which slinging hash was a good job for a kid out of high school, it didn't make the grade for someone with my training, experience, and ambition.
I went out on a limb and took out an ad in an executive magazine. I offered a very personal dining experience to the busy executive, one which had me come to their suite and preparing a meal fresh on site. I knew that even in the worst of times, the upper echelon finds a way to live well. My plan was to offer a pampering and sensory experience while charging an exorbitant fee. It only costs a little more to go first class, right?
I had my website up and running, complete with displays of my offerings. My photo also was featured prominently, along with my fee schedule. Now, all I could do was wait. The line was in the water, the bait was on the hook, all I needed was a fish to come along and take my offering.
I was thrilled to receive my first booking two weeks later. My client was a forty-something lady executive in town to oversee the reorganization of a branch of her company. She'd be arriving late on Saturday evening and wanted my services for the following afternoon. Her name was Alexa Chambers.
I got busy assembling my wares, knowing the facility at which she was staying included a kitchenette. I could do a lot of the prep work in the morning, leaving the main course to cook on site.
I'd given a number of menu options on my website, basing my offerings on seafood, beef, pork, poultry, or vegetarian. I'd also included that other offerings were available on request, though I hoped most would stick to the tried and true basics. Ms. Chambers, bless her soul, had selected seafood for her cuisine choice. This would be fun for me and delicious for her.
I went to market, getting crab and salmon as the basis of my meal, along with some fine tender young asparagus, salad greens, cherry tomatoes, yeast rolls, and dark chocolate, as well as a number of minor ingredients.
I also selected the wine to accompany the meal, a fine California white as well as a bottle of Asti Spumante to pair with the dessert course.
I went home and started by preparing the stuffing for ‘crab rangoon’, a nice little appetizer. I'd stuff the wonton wrappers tomorrow just before going to my appointment. Ditto the dessert course, a dark chocolate mousse, which I'd make now, pour into a brandy snifter so it could set. I'd whip heavy cream for the topping on site, as well as shave more dark chocolate slivers on top to crown the offering.
The main course was to be salmon almondine, a dish with differing textures to tease the palate. I also planned to pair that with sauteed asparagus. All in all, a tasty and healthy dinner was in the offing.
Having done all I could do, I packed my cart with all the utensils I'd need. In my experience, when a facility said they had an equipped kitchen, that meant a bottle opener and a wine corkscrew. They must have known the guests would be dining out and only needed a way to open their alcoholic libation of choice. Heaven forbid, they actually have a decent set of knives available. So, I packed pans, whisks, tongs, and everything else I'd need. Tomorrow I'd get everything into my SUV and set sail on this adventure.
My arrival was scheduled for 4 PM, and I was punctual. I knew that everyone hates to be kept waiting, and executives more so than most. I had on my chef's whites, jacket, and trousers over my well polished black slippers. Attention to detail wins the battle, that's my motto.
Ms. Alexa Chambers opened the door to me and greeted me in a businesslike manner. She was not aloof, nor was she excessively friendly. If she was forty, she didn't look it, being very trim and well groomed, with not a trace of wrinkles about her blue eyes or her mouth. She was about five feet six inches tall with ash blonde hair, which was pulled back into a French braid. She presented a very attractive and poised picture.
She welcomed me in and showed me the kitchen area. I smiled and told her it was adequate for my needs. She then told me she had just arrived herself, her flight of the previous night having been canceled, and would like to have a shower before dinner if there was time for it. I assured her that the timing should be fine, wished her an enjoyable shower, and set to work.
Quickly I chopped Romaine lettuce, washed it along with the cherry tomatoes, cut fresh cucumber slices for salad as I preheated the oven to bake the ‘crab rangoon’. I arranged the ingredients for the Caesar dressing she had requested and quickly assembled them into a creamy dressing which I popped into the fridge to chill. I put the wine into a bucket of ice to cool a bit, but not too much, as it needed to be awake for her enjoyment.
I could hear the shower as I worked and saw that she hadn't closed the bathroom door but left it well ajar. I heard the shower cut off and knew she'd be out in a few minutes.
Into the oven went the crab wontons, along with the yeast rolls. I set to work on the salmon, skinning it, rinsing it, then patting it dry. I prepared the dredge for the salmon, using almond meal, adding chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt and white pepper for this step. I lightly beat an egg, dredged the salmon fillet in the beaten egg, then dredged it in my almond meal mixture. I let the fillet rest a minute for the coating to adhere well. While waiting I took a heavy pan and melted butter to a sizzle, then added the fish.
As this was starting, I pulled the delicately browned ‘crab rangoon’ from the oven. A few minutes later the rolls came out, also browned perfection. I left the oven on, knowing I'd need it again in a short while. Things were going fantastically well if I do say so myself. I put another skillet on, melted butter and started the asparagus.
A voice from behind me said, "That smells delicious!"
I turned and was surprised at the change in Alexa Chambers. Gone was the business attire and instead she was robed in a long plum colored kimono tied with a black sash. On her feet, and I shit you not, were fuzzy slippers. When she saw me noticing them she laughed and said her feet were always cold. I laughed right along with her.
"I hope you won't mind but I'll just stand here and watch you work. I love the sight of a man in the kitchen."
I agreed that would be just fine and kept at my task. I flipped the salmon as well as the asparagus and started to toast a handful of almond slivers.
"I'll pour us both some wine if that's alright," she said. "And you can call me Alexa. I don't bite, at least when I'm off work I don't."
I heard the cork pop and she set a glass of pale golden liquid on the counter within easy reach. I turned enough to smile my thanks and she tilted her glass toward me in a silent salute.
I plated the crab wontons and told her that if she wished she could start.
"Great. I'm starved and it's been a long trip. I need some nourishment and this looks just divine."
I took the plate to the table and used a set of mini tongs to serve her, setting them aside for her use to refill if she desired. I'd prepared ten, figuring even the healthiest appetite would be satiated with that amount.
I returned to the kitchen, assembled the salad and put the croutons I'd made earlier in the oven to crisp a bit. I got out the freshly made Caesar dressing and took it, the salad, and crunchy croutons to her table and presented them with a smile.
Her smile said thank you and she attacked it with gusto. She'd polished off five crab rangoon, so she wasn't a big eater. I hoped that was the case, as I'd be crushed if she hated my crab rangoon.
After a few minutes, I plated the salmon, sprinkled the top with the toasted almond slivers, added a lemon slice. On the plate, beside the salmon, I laid a bed of greens and stacked the asparagus spears on this verdant bed. I was cutting it close and the salmon was well crusted, just short of being overdone. I let the fish rest a few minutes as she worked on her salad.
As I presented the main course to her she sat back and stretched like a cat. I took that as a sign of contentment.
She took a bite of the flaky salmon and exclaimed, "Oh my God, THIS is so perfect! I've never had better in my life, and this is one of my favorite dishes!" I couldn't help but smile like the Cheshire cat.
I returned to my galley and got out the chocolate mousse. While she ate, it'd have a chance to warm a little as I whipped the cream for the topping. I had the cream in a vessel whipping away when I felt a pair of hands lightly rest themselves on my hips.
"When you do that, it makes your butt shake in the absolutely most provocative way."
"Then I'd better continue doing it, don't you agree?"
"I certainly do."
I felt her hands move, saw then lace themselves across my stomach, felt her warm and firm body press itself against me.
I was a little nonplussed, to put it mildly.