by Dana Piccoli
He huffed into the phone. “If that’s what you want, you got it. But Kelli K is on my shit list from now on.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Talk to you later.”
She headed toward the coffee shop on the corner. An iced coffee with lots of sugar would help her pull herself together. As she made it inside, her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a message from Maddy. Shit. Shit shit shit. She was listening and now she’s going to be hurt or pissed. Nat winced as she opened the message.
You were awesome today. My assistant George won’t stop singing “Heart/Block.” If you aren’t busy tomorrow, would you want to come help me make some pastries?
She was perplexed. Did Maddy hear the same interview? She wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth if she escaped this one unscathed. I’d love to. What time?
Is nine okay? I know musicians aren’t exactly early risers.
Hey, some of us actually do wake up before noon. I’ll see you then.
She would need to set an alarm. Who was she kidding? Years of staying up late and playing gigs had conditioned her to be a night owl, not that she was going to admit that to Maddy right now. She hadn’t mucked things up completely, and that was good because she really liked her. They hadn’t had sex yet, but Nat was over the moon. The barista gave her a mumbled hello.
“I’ll take a large iced coffee with two sugars. Sorry, four sugars.”
Chapter Nineteen
Nat brushed imperceivable cat hair from her jeans and did a quick sweep of her ponytail to make sure it was still the smooth miracle she had spent a good hour trying to achieve. Normally she abhorred ponytails. What was the point of having long hair if you couldn’t let it run wild? Maddy’s collection of braids and ponytails however had managed to win Nat’s heart. Plus, she figured if she was going to be in a professional kitchen, she should at least try to keep any unpleasant surprises out Touché’s dessert course.
She knocked firmly on the kitchen door and moments later was greeted by a rather stout man with a salt and pepper goatee, wearing a chef’s coat. He looked at her for a moment before grinning broadly and surprisingly bursting into song.
“Heart/block, you got me begging for your sweet talk,” he sang with a heavy accent but pleasantly on pitch.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “You must be George.” She reached out her hand. He took it in his meaty paw and shook it heartily.
“Come in! Chef is just finishing up a call,” he said.
He led her through what she imagined was the most pristine kitchen in New York City. White tiles gleamed. Knives were hung with care on magnetic strips. The stainless steel that filled the kitchen was polished and buffed.
She turned to him. “This place is so clean. Does anyone actually do any cooking here?”
He gave her another smirk. “Wait until dinner at eight o’clock. It’ll look like a middle school cafeteria food fight.” He nodded in the direction of a small office. “Here she comes.”
Maddy walked out dressed in her chef whites with her red hair tied in a tight braid. Nat didn’t realize she had a thing for women in uniforms until just that moment. Maddy smiled so big and brightly it colored her cheeks with crimson.
“Hi, you,” Nat said.
“Hi, yourself.” Maddy glanced over at George. “George, thank you so much for letting Nat in. Did he sing for you? He promised that he would.”
“Oh, he did and it was epic.”
He smiled and waved to the women as he walked off into another part of the kitchen.
Maddy squeezed her hand. “Come, I’ll show you my office.” She pulled her gently down the hall and into a room with not much more than a small desk, a laptop and a few papers.
“So, this is where the…clerical magic happens?” she asked as Maddy gently closed the door behind them.
Nat could see Maddy was focused on her lips and didn’t answer. Well, with words at least. Maddy backed her up against the door and kissed her passionately. She returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around Maddy’s waist and pulling Maddy tightly against her. Maddy’s lips were soft and sweet as she traced her tongue against them. The scent of oranges filled the air around them and only added to the heady moment.
Maddy pulled away from the kiss and placed her head against Nat’s neck. “Okay, I know this is super unprofessional, but I just had to touch you for a moment,” she said breathlessly, as if she’d been running a marathon.
“Uh huh,” Nat managed to get out. Her jeans were now damp with desire and she was pretty sure her perfect ponytail had gone to shit.
Maddy ran her fingers along Nat’s jaw. “I didn’t ask you here to do that, I swear. I really do want you to hang out and make things with me today. I just…” Maddy nipped at her chin and they began kissing again. She thought she was going to burst but as each kiss flew by, she mercifully remained intact. Ridiculously turned on and high on the scent of oranges, but intact.
Maddy pulled away again, this time putting some physical distance between them. “Phew, okay. We need to get out there before the guys think we’re getting it on in here. I shit you not, they’ll be lined up with a glass at the door,” she said with a laugh.
“Whatever you say, Chef.” Nat was pâte à choux in Maddy’s hands.
Maddy bit her bottom lip. “That was kind of hot when you called me chef. Come on, let’s get you an apron.”
She followed Maddy to a wire rack where they retrieved a long, white apron and Maddy leaned in and tied it neatly around her waist.
Nat brushed her nose against Maddy’s neck. “So, Chef, why do you smell like the world’s sexiest orange grove?”
Maddy threw her head back and laughed. “I was making dark chocolate and orange tarts with smoked Cointreau caviar and I spilled the Cointreau all over me.”
“If it tastes anything like it smells, then you deserve a James Beard Award.”
Maddy cocked her eyebrow. “Would you like to try it? It’s a new recipe.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Yes, please.”
“Come on back to my work station. It’s chilling in the walk-in.”
She followed Maddy to another clean white area of the kitchen with a large stainless-steel table in the middle. Maddy popped into the walk-in and emerged a moment later with the shiniest, most decadent looking tart Nat had ever seen. There were small orange pearls on top of the almost black ganache, and the scent of toasted wood and orange trees teased her senses.
“Maddy, it’s so beautiful. I can see my reflection in it.”
“Then it is definitely beautiful.” Maddy winked at her. “Here.” Maddy cut into the tart with a fork and revealed its velvety inside. She raised the fork to her lips. As the tart hit her tongue, she was filled with fragments of memories: the salty spray of the beach where she would spend vacations as a teenager. The sensual bitterness of her first taste of dark chocolate. The vibrant, sweet acidity of the fresh squeezed orange juice her grandmother used to make during their visits to Brazil in the summers before she passed away. What Maddy could do was masterful, and it wasn’t just talent. She was an artist.
“Well?”
She didn’t even realize she’s been lost in a daze since she took a bite. “It’s like you tapped into my own happy memories. It wasn’t just a taste; it was an experience.”
Maddy’s eyes blinked away tears and Nat panicked. “Oh no. Did I say something wrong? I meant it as a compliment.”
Maddy shook her head as she blinked away a tear. “No. That’s everything I’ve ever wanted to hear. This all means so much to me. I’m just…touched, I guess.”
“Well, I am too. Thank you for sharing this with me. Is this what we’re making today because I’m a little terrified I might ruin it.”
Maddy chuckled. “No, sweetie, don’t worry.” Sweetie. “We’re making lemon almond scones for the Senior Gay and Lesbian Center’s bridge tournament this afternoon.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. I try to make something yummy for the
m once a week. Touché’s owner is a big supporter, so he lets me use our supplies and space to do it.”
Nat steadied herself on the steel prep table. Did she just actually swoon? “The more I learn about you, Maddy, the more I want to know.”
“Then go wash your hands and grab that container of flour over there and I’ll tell you anything you want.”
She did so and watched as Maddy glided around the prep area, touching her anytime she slid by to grab the butter or baking soda.
“Okay, can you measure me out three cups of leveled flour? Then a half cup of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of baking powder?”
She nodded and went to work. “So why New York? You loved Paris.”
“New York is the city of new experience and taking risks,” she replied as she sliced sticks of butter into cubes. “I learned the techniques in Paris, but I wanted to do something different. I needed the space to be creative. I got that by working in restaurants and bakeries here, and at Touché I’m given a lot of freedom.” She added the butter to Nat’s bowl. “You know, it’s not even really about freedom. I just want to be understood. I lived so much of my life feeling like nobody got me, that it’s just really important to me now. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely. I think that’s why Paul and I have been playing together for so long. He just gets me; he always has. Jackie is newer but it’s the same with her. We all just have this unspoken language, and I think that’s what makes us a good band.”
Maddy opened a drawer and pulled out a tool Nat had never seen before and started cutting the butter into the flour. “I think that’s really clear when you see the three of you together. You seem like a family.”
“We are. Totally. We do a lot together. Go to shows, celebrate holidays, create, go to museums. We love to devour the city together.”
Maddy’s strong forearm muscles twitched as she mixed the dough together and Nat couldn’t help but stare.
“Promise not to judge me, but I haven’t done much of that since moving here.”
“What?”
“Explore. I’ve been so focused on building my career, I honestly haven’t had much time for museums or Broadway or…well, much of anything. In fact, you are only the second person I’ve dated since moving to the city, and the first one was so casual that I didn’t really mind when she stopped texting. I don’t think we went on a proper date. Do people even do that anymore? Can you pass me a half a cup of milk?”
She measured the liquid out and passed it to Maddy.
“How are you with zesting?”
“The zestiest. All yellow, no white, right?”
Maddy smiled. “You got it.” She handed a lemon to Nat.
Nat suddenly felt bold. “So, you and me… It’s more than casual to you?”
Maddy stopped mixing the dough and stepped toward her. “Oh, Natalia.” She kissed Nat lightly on the lips, then the nose, and chin. “I am very serious about this.”
Nat murmured with pleasure at Maddy’s words and the feather-lightness of her kisses. She took Maddy’s flour-covered hand in hers and whispered, “I want you. So much.”
“Oh god, Natalia, what you do to me,” Maddy whispered, her lips close to Nat’s ear. “I’m so wet right now.” The kitchen began to swim as Nat leaned in to kiss Maddy’s neck.
“Hey, Chef!” a voice called. George popped his head around the corner to see them standing too close to be doing any constructive baking. “Uh, Chef, sorry to interrupt. Was just checking when you wanted those scones to be delivered to the center.”
Maddy cleared her throat. “Uh, about forty-five minutes will be perfect. Thank you, George.” He chuckled and disappeared. Maddy laughed nervously.
“Do you think he noticed?” Nat asked.
“Please. Those guys have been rooting for this since you stopped in that first night. Anyway, we should probably finish these scones.”
“Yes, scones. That’s all I will think about from now on. Tender, sweet, kissable, sexy scones.”
“I love that you don’t take yourself too seriously,” Maddy said. “It seems like everyone in the city does, but you don’t. Why?”
She had never really thought about it. “I guess I just want to get through the day and have a little bit to smile about when my head hits the pillow. I used to take things too close to heart, but when you put aside all the bullshit, we’re all just people and no one is any more important than anyone else.”
Maddy grinned simply. “I like your philosophy. Can you reach those sliced almonds? You have a couple inches on me.”
She reached up on her tip toes and grabbed the almonds from the top shelf.
Maddy pulled out a pan and turned on the burner behind them. “The trick to toasting nuts is to stop when you start to smell them. Can you squeeze those lemons for me?” Maddy turned her back, while Nat dutifully squeezed away. “So, you and Melissa Hartford, huh?” She winced. At least she didn’t have to make eye contact right now.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Me and Melissa Hartford. It didn’t last long and it was really messy. I probably should’ve told you, but it was over months before I even met you.” Lemon juice splashed on her hands, seeping into a small cut and adding a sense of stinging drama to the whole conversation.
“Nat, it’s fine,” Maddy replied as she tossed the nuts in the pan. “I mean, I would’ve liked to hear it from you personally, but you don’t owe me a synopsis of your dating life. I guess I got weirdly jealous. She’s like this big-deal musician. You must have a special connection.”
The fragrant smell of almonds drifted toward Nat. “Well, there’s no need to be jealous. I even turned down another tour with her. I lost a best friend and my dignity to Melissa, and I don’t need to give her another moment of my time.”
Maddy turned and looked at Nat. Her eyes were soft and warm. “Okay, so no Melissa talk.”
Nat nodded. “No Melissa talk. I much prefer talking about Madeline.”
“I hear she makes a mean scone.”
“You don’t even know the half of it. She’s smart and sexy and I can’t stop thinking about her.”
Maddy licked her lips. “Come here.”
Nat followed her request until they were just an inch apart.
“My almonds are toasted,” Maddy said breathlessly, holding back a laugh.
“And hilarious. Did I mention she’s hilarious?”
They made quick work of the scones, rolling out the dough and cutting them into the classic triangle shapes. While they baked, Maddy introduced Nat to the rest of the kitchen crew, who all robustly serenaded her with a few lines from “Heart/Block” as well. Maddy showed her around the restaurant, they snuck a chilly kiss in the walk-in, and sampled some of the evening’s wines.
“Mmm, this one will be perfect with the Cointreau tart,” Maddy declared as she sipped on a red zin from Napa. She passed the glass to Nat, who had to agree. It would be wonderful with the bitter chocolate and citrus.
“How do you come up with your ideas?” Nat asked as they sat close together at Touché’s reclaimed wood bar.
“I really love classic flavors, but with a twist. I fell in love with molecular gastronomy, so I play around with that as much as I can without completely alienating our guests,” she laughed. “I mean, I don’t want someone to be so turned off by technique that they lose the essence of what I’m trying to bring them.”
“And what is it that you are trying to bring them?”
“A memory. A feeling. A fleeting moment that passes through their taste buds and speaks to their hearts. God, it sounds so pretentious when I say it like that, but I mean it. I want to feed people’s souls, not just their stomachs. Pastry—baking—saved me. It gave me purpose. It’s like a religion to me.”
“I don’t think it sounds pretentious at all,” Nat said as she rubbed her thumb along Maddy’s hand. “I think it sounds beautiful.”
“Chef, your scones are done,” George called from behind the swinging kitchen door.
>
“Oh shit, we better grab them before they burn!”
Maddy leapt up and Nat was close behind her. The scones were safe. George had carefully removed them from the oven when they were golden brown and gorgeous and placed them in the cooling rack.
“You’re a saint, George!” Maddy called.
“Sí, lo sé,” he shouted from the other side of the kitchen.
“So, shall we glaze?” Maddy asked.
“Let’s get our glaze on.”
Maddy combined lemon juice, a small amount of zest, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar until it became smooth and glossy. “Want to do the honors?”
“No, please. I’ll be the almond-placer-on-er.”
“Deal.”
Maddy dipped the warm scones in the bright lemony glaze and placed them on a tray where Nat affixed perfectly toasted almond slices. She had to admit, they looked mighty fine.
“The senior center is going to have the most rocking bridge party ever with these scones,” Nat declared.
Maddy laughed. “You would know, my rock star. I mean, rock star person. Ugh, sorry, getting a little ahead of myself.” She blushed.
“I’ll be your rock star if you want,” she said sweetly.
“I’d like that.”
“I should probably get going and let you finish your prep. Thank you for letting me help you today. Honestly, we could have been making dog biscuits and I would have been happy just to be here with you.”
“I do have a great recipe for those.”
“I bet you do. Can I kiss you goodbye?”
“Please do.”
She took Maddy by the apron and kissed her. “When can I see you again?”
“I’m free on Monday. All day.”
“Then I’ll see you soon.”
Nat woke up the next day with Maddy on her mind and Eddie sitting on her head. While he purred away, she thought about their searing kisses and how Maddy made her head spin just by standing near her.
As she practiced songs for the tour and tidied up her apartment, she knew she wanted to do something epic for Maddy and take her on a date she’d never forget. She’d need some assistance though, so she sent an SOS text to Paul and Jackie, asking them to meet at her apartment as soon as possible.