Silently Falling in Love: Race (THE EDITED VERSION)

Chapter 25 - Dinner Party

Anjali – June 1994

After setting the table I finished the last task of chopping cilantro to garnish my vegetables for dinner. I'd been cooking all afternoon and I was impatient to see auntie and uncle.

"Do you need me to taste try anything?" Katherine asked as she walked into the kitchen fresh out of the shower.

"You've already tried everything."

"Well, you know the spices in Indian food take a little while to sink in so maybe the dishes taste different now. I'm an expert on Indian food; I've had a lot of experience eating it," Katherine said with an air of superiority.

"Katherine why don't you start with getting dressed. No one will taste the food if you're dressed in a towel when they come over," I said, waving my rolling pin at her like my mother would.

"Don't do that, you look like your mom!" Katherine said pouring herself a glass of wine.

"You don't scare me with those comments; now shoo!"

Katherine grabbed the glass of wine and sashayed back to her room, swinging her hips like she was doing a dance show in the 20s.

"When does Andrew get here?" I shouted from the kitchen.

"He should be here soon – I told him to come a little earlier so he could also taste test for you!"

On cue, the buzzer rang. I buzzed him in without even looking who was at the door.

"What are you doing just buzzing me in? I could be an axe murderer!" Andrew said shutting the front door, "and not to mention leaving your front door wide open." He walked into the kitchen and handed me a bottle of wine and kissed me on the cheek.

"Do you want to taste test?" I asked, ignoring his comments.

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"Then drop the security sermon and I'll let you taste test otherwise you can go help Katherine get dressed," I smirked.

"Damn it, Anjali! You're making me pick between food and sex! That's not fair!" Andrew pouted.

I laughed. "All is fair in love and war."

"Can I taste test but don't tell Katherine that I turned down an offer to help her get dressed?"

"Yes, but that will cost you?"

"How much?"

"Nothing now, but someday I will," I said as I winked at him and handed him a plate with samplings of all the dishes.

Andrew inhaled it without a word. "I needed that. I skipped lunch."

"I would appreciate your feedback, that is the purpose of taste testing," I said in my best Southern accent.

Andrew came up to me and placed his hand around my waist. "Sweetheart, if I had met you first Katherine wouldn't have stood a chance. The way to a Southern boy's heart is through his stomach and you accomplish that."

Katherine came in and grabbed Andrew from behind and whispered to us both, "I keep telling him let's do a threesome."

I moved away from both Andrew and Katherine.

"You both are sick! I don't share my men! You know that Katherine. We've already tried, and it didn't work out to well."

Andrew looked over at me and then Katherine, "Wait you tried a threesome without me?"

Katherine and I burst into laughter, neither of us were good at keeping a tall tale going.

"God, I wish I had a camera," I said as I poured myself a glass of white wine.