Chef's Delight (excerpt)

Prologue

He was the one.

She had been watching him, since he’d moved into the house.  All the changes he’d made excited her, and she could tell he loved the house as much as she did.  He was the one that she would be able to be with, Louise could tell.  For some reason though, he didn’t see her. 

She knew in time, he would be able to sense her presence.  She just needed to be patient.  In the meanwhile, she would continue to watch him, and wait.

He was hers.

Chapter 1

Jessica sighed and took a sip of her whiskey and coke, grimacing at the taste.  “Heard from Kathy, yet?  She should be here by now.”

Summer shrugged.  “She texted me a little while ago.  Said she was having a problem at work, and might not be able to make it.”  Summer drank deeply from her frozen margarita and grimaced.  “God, this drink is awful.  Doesn’t even taste like a margarita.  I think I’m going to get wine on my next round.”

“Yeah, this drink’s pretty bad, too.  I should have stuck with beer.”  They were at the Gin, actually, its official name was the Shelton Hall, but since it was an old renovated cotton gin, most everybody just called it the Gin.  Decorated in neon beer signs, and posters featuring bikini-clad women, it was definitely a dive bar, but one of the only places to go in town for a drink.  Apparently, tonight was not the night for mixed drinks though.  The bartender must be new, Jessica thought to herself.

Summer was bouncing in her seat to the beat of whatever rap-type, top-forty song the DJ was playing.  “You feel like dancing, Jessie?”

“Naw, you go ahead though.  I’m fine right now.”  Jessica took another swig of her drink.

Summer hopped up and boogied out to the dance floor, and Jessica watched her pull some of her moves.  They had been friends since high school, and managed to still get together occasionally.  With both of them trying to keep small businesses afloat, though, it was tough to be able to have social time.                            

As her eyes flickered around the bar, Jessica noticed Asshole come in the door.  “Great,” she muttered under her breath as he noticed her and sauntered over to where she was sitting.  The smile on his face was smarmy, in a totally creepy, domineering way.

“Hey gorgeous,” he was leering at her now.  She had to struggle not to vomit up her drink.

“Chad.”  Jessica crossed her arms and leaned back.  Exes could be asses on a good day.  This particular ex deserved the moniker with a capital A.

She appraised him, carefully, wondering what attracted her to him in the first place.  Granted, he was good-looking, but he knew it, and reminded her constantly.

“You out trying to find my replacement?” 

“Maybe.  Although, if I do find another one of you, please put a bullet between my eyes.” She took another sip of her drink, grimacing.  ”You’re definitely a one of a kind, kind of asshole.”  She wasn’t sure why she was trying to provoke him.

His eyes narrowed, as he grabbed her knee under the table.  “You know you really shouldn’t say things like that, Jessie.  It’s not nice.”  His fingers tightened on her knee.

“Fuck off, Chad.”

“We had something great, Jessie.”

“We had sex, Chad.  Nothing great.”  She tried to pry his painful grip from her knee, with no avail.