by Kiana Lee
Suddenly a knock sounded at the door, startling her out of her thoughts. A cold streak ran down her spine, and she became paralyzed. Did the professor call the police? And if he did, were they here to arrest her? Maybe if she didn’t make any sound, the person would go away. But then a second rap sounded. The person on the other side of the door was certainly persistent.
Getting up, she crept quietly to take a look through the peephole. Her heart began to race when she saw the person at the door. It was Jason. Probably it wasn’t the wisest thing to do, but she grabbed the handle and swung the door open.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded. Then a new thought occurred to her and her body stiffened. “How did you find me? Did the professor send you?”
“No, I came here on my own,” he said. “After practical, I ran into your friend Jane. She told me that someone found your knife set in the girl’s change room. She was looking to give it to you, but you were nowhere to be found. Since your address was written inside your bag, I offered to bring it over.” He handed the bag to her. “So here it is.”
Caitlin stared at the black case in his hand. She didn’t think she would ever see it again. Was this a sign that things weren’t over just yet?
“Thanks.” She took the bag and started to shut the door.
“Caitlin, wait.” He placed a palm on the wooden panel, preventing it from closing. “It’s not like you to skip classes. Don’t quit, okay? You have to go back.”
She looked down the hall to see whether anyone was in the corridor. He had come all this way to drop off her knife kit. Upon reflection, she knew it was rude of her to leave him standing in the hallway. She beckoned him inside.
“I suck at cooking,” she sighed as she closed the door behind him. “And I threatened one of the teachers with a knife, remember? They’ll probably arrest me as soon as I set foot on campus.”
“Just go back,” he said. “I’m sure everything will be all right. On Monday morning you can go to the instructor and apologize for what happened. You’ve been under a lot of strain — everyone has. And since he’s a teacher at the school, he should understand this.”
Jason must have seen the doubt in her face because he shook his head in puzzlement. “Why do you put so much pressure on yourself?” he asked softly. “Is it because of the job placement that’s promised to the top student?”
“I don’t think you’d understand.” Without meaning to, her tone came out sounding petty and insecure. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Everything comes easily for you.”
“Don’t you realize that you’re just stressing yourself out?” he said, ignoring her jab.
“Well, duh, you don’t think I noticed this? Getting that job placement is important to me. It’s my one shot at getting into a career I love. But I can hardly expect you to get it. Because look at you,” She gestured at his designer clothing. Even his flip flops were the top-of-the-line. “You’re a rich boy and have everything at your disposal. I’m sure if you wanted anything, Mommy and Daddy would buy it for you without even blinking. I don’t think you can ever understand where I’m coming from.”
A frustrated expression crossed his face and he threaded his fingers through his hair. “Look, before you start attacking me, we need to establish that I’m not your enemy. I came to return your bag, and for some reason, I want to help you out.”
“Help me out? Why would you do that?” She leaned one shoulder against the wall in the hallway. With one eyebrow cocked, she watched how he would respond to her pointed question.
“I don’t know.” He lifted one heavy shoulder as if the question perplexed him as well. “Maybe it’s my boy scout deed of the day. So will you accept my offer to help you or not?”
She considered his proposal. In all the classes that they took together, he appeared to know what he was doing. Each week the overall grades were posted on the classroom wall, and she couldn’t help but notice that his marks reflected his competence. If anything it was wise to align herself with someone who was doing well in the curriculum.
“All right,” she said, making her decision.
“Good,” he said and grinned. “The first thing we need to cover is that you don’t — under any circumstances — stab your teacher.”
“I lost my cool for a moment, but I never intended to stab him, all right?”
“Well, we need to get this out of the way, just in case.”
She shook her head and gave him an exasperated look. He let out a bark of laughter. “The other thing is that you need to relax. If you want to work in a kitchen, there’s bound to be a lot of pressure. And if you’re super stressed, you won’t be able to perform.”
“Do you have trouble performing under stress?” she asked innocently. Her gaze skimmed over his muscular frame, making no mistake about what she referred to.
His nostrils flared slightly as understanding reflected immediately in his depths. His pupils dilated and she felt the wicked heat of his gaze.
“Now who thinks she’s funny?” he mocked, his tone softening.
She delicately cleared her throat, aware that they were entering dangerous territory. Jason looked as if he wanted to say more, but he shook his head as if to break the connection between them. She felt a vague sense of disappointment when he moved away from her and walked into the kitchen.
He stood in front of the refrigerator. “May I?” he asked.
At her nod, he opened the fridge and poked his head inside. “For an aspiring chef, your fridge is pretty empty,” he declared as he closed the door. Turning to her, he twisted his masculine lips to the side. “We need to hie you off to the grocery store.”
They drove to the nearby Foodland and got all the necessary supplies. When they returned to her apartment an hour later, she pulled out her notes on how to prepare guinea fowl breasts stuffed with fresh herbs and roasted vegetables. The first thing she needed to do was to debone the fowl.
“According to the instructor, we need to make the incisions like this to get to the breasts,” she said showing a diagram to Jason. She picked up her phone and scrolled through the pictures to find the finished dish. “And then the end product should look like this.” She stared at the image. The demo instructor’s creation was something typically found at a four-star restaurant. Her version, on the other hand, was something that might be served at a potluck.
Grabbing a peeled potato, she began to cut it.
“Make another cut,” Jason said, studying her movements.
She sliced another chunk of the spud and started to dice it.
“First of all, we need to get your knife work under control.”
“I cut and diced vegetables for nine months when I worked at the Hawaiian Peak Resorts,” she protested.
“You worked at the hotel for nine months and you cut like this?” he said with astonishment.
Caitlin looked down at the vegetable pieces on the cutting board, and frowned as if they were the cause of all her problems. “Whenever I lose focus, my cutting goes a little awry,” she admitted.
“When you’re in the kitchen, your life outside no longer exists. You can’t be thinking about what you’ll do after your shift. You can’t be thinking about your boyfriend. The only thing you need to do is to concentrate on the task at hand.”
“Sometimes I can’t help it.”
“That’s why you have to get control of yourself. You can’t get your panties in a knot while working in the kitchen.”
“How do you know whether I’m wearing panties?” she asked, unable to resist teasing him.
Jason opened his mouth and for a moment he looked startled. “I wouldn’t know.” A heart-stopping smile slowly spread across his sculpted face and he winked. “But I’m open if you want to show me...”
“In your dreams,” she said giggling. “Admit it. You fell right into that one!”
His deep laugh rumbled in his chest, and as they cooked, they fell into an easy banter. Three hours later, the entire apartment smelled
of roasted garlic and cooked fowl. At school, cooking was a stressful and rushed affair, but preparing food with Jason was relaxing and fun.
Caitlin set up the kitchen table to accommodate the dishes that they prepared. She went to the cupboard where she and her roommates kept a stash of alcohol and picked out a bottle of wine. Pouring the amber liquid into two glasses, she then handed one to him.
“This was the best practice session I’ve had since school started,” she said, clinking her glass with his. “Thanks for coming over, Jason. I really needed it, and I learned a lot today.” She tipped the wineglass to her lips, drinking the entire contents before pouring another helping.
“I’m glad to assist,” he grinned. “I can pick up some things tomorrow, and we can go over more recipes.”
“You don’t have to,” she said shaking her head. The day had caught up to her, and she was tired. And since she hadn’t eaten until now, the alcohol’s effects were immediate. For the first time in a long time, she felt mellow and happy.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I don’t mind coming over again. It’s not like I’m doing much anyway.”
Chapter 9
The next morning frustration and annoyance thrummed through Caitlin’s body. The TV in the living room was on but she could barely concentrate on the show. Maya had borrowed Caitlin’s car, promising to return before she left for work. It was supposed to be a quick errand, but her roommate had yet to return. Caitlin picked up her phone on the coffee table and stared at the screen. She had already called Maya several times, although for some reason her friend wasn’t answering the calls. As the minutes ticked by, she felt the four walls closing in on her as worry added to her mix of jumbled emotions. Her part-time job doing keiki parties was the only thing that allowed her to stay financially afloat. As much as she hated to admit it, missing one day of work would have a serious and detrimental impact on her already tight budget.
Caitlin was about to set her phone back on the table when she let out a small curse. The battery was low. The long cooking session yesterday had exhausted her, and she forgot to charge the device before she went to bed. The last thing she needed was to have the phone die while Maya tried to reach her. Retrieving the cord, she went to recharge her cell phone.
Just when she plugged the cord into the wall, she heard a soft rap at the door. Her heart jumped and she ran to answer it, swinging the door wide open. It had to be Maya returning from her errand.
“Mrs. Brown,” she said as disappointment hit her with full force. Mrs. Brown was a retired senior that lived a couple doors down with her husband. For some unknown reason, the old lady had taken an interest in her and her roommates. Her fingers gripped tightly on the wooden panel while she fought the instinctual desire to slam the door closed. “What brings you here?”
“I was wondering if I can borrow some eggs.” The woman peered past her shoulders as if she wanted to see if there was someone else in the apartment.
“I can get you a couple of eggs. Just hold on.”
Caitlin expected the neighbor to wait outside, but the woman entered the apartment. As her uninvited guest swept her gaze across the small space, Caitlin was glad she’d spent a bit of time tidying up the living room.
“I guess the young man is gone,” she said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“Young man?”
“Yes, the one who came to visit you yesterday.”
“Oh, that was my friend from school. He left long ago.” She turned to the kitchen. “How many eggs do you need, Mrs. Brown?”
“Just a couple, dear.” She walked farther into the apartment and peeked around the corner as if she didn’t fully trust Caitlin’s words. “Well, I was telling my Robbie that you girls shouldn’t entertain men on your own. And —”
“Thanks for the advice, Mrs. Brown,” Caitlin said, cutting her off. “There’s nothing to worry about. Jason’s a schoolmate, and he came over to help me prepare some recipes that we learned in class. That’s all that happened.”
“Well, you should be careful just the same. From what I’ve seen on TV, some men like to get a little fresh with young women these days.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She handed over the eggs and steered the older woman toward the entrance.
But Mrs. Brown seemed reluctant to leave. Normally Caitlin was fine with talking to the neighbor, but today wasn’t the day. When the older woman left a few minutes later, Caitlin leaned her back against the door, and let out a loud sigh. Remembering her phone, she checked whether Maya sent a message. But there was nothing.
Walking over to the sliding doors, she went out on the lanai. The midmorning heat was already starting to permeate the island. Peering down, she scanned the streets. From her vantage point, she saw several cars whizzing by, although none of them looked like her black Jeep. She reached up and shoved her fingers through her hair, gripping her skull.
“Hello, dear,” her neighbor said, waving from her balcony.
“Hi again, Mrs. Brown,” Caitlin said and ducked back into the apartment before her neighbor could engage her into further conversation.
Once inside, Caitlin resumed her pacing. “Where the heck is Maya?” she asked the empty room. The errand was supposed to be quick, yet her roommate hadn’t returned. Time was ticking by, and Caitlin needed to get to work soon.
Reaching out to unplug her phone, she lifted it in the air and glared at the unlocked screen.
“Call, dammit,” she yelled at the device as if Maya could somehow hear her. She needed this job to help her pay her portion of the groceries and rent. She was still new at the job so she could easily get fired for being a no-show.
Another knock on the door penetrated her annoyance. It had to be the neighbor again.
“What does she want now?” Caitlin wondered aloud. Mrs. Brown was a pleasant old woman who felt a need to look out for them, but seeing her for the third time today was simply too much. Caitlin debated whether to answer the door but then decided she would do it just to avoid contention with the neighbor. She hurried through the living room, phone in hand.
“Did you forget…?” But the rest of the sentence died in her throat when she found someone else standing on the other side of the threshold. “Jason? What are you doing here?” At seeing the bag of groceries in one hand and a hamper in the other, her anxiety increased tenfold.
His brows creased. “We agreed to pick up practice again today, remember?”
“I don’t remember,” Caitlin said, shaking her head. After they made the dishes yesterday, she gorged herself on the tasty food and drank most of the wine that she cracked open. It wasn’t every day that she indulged like that, and she’d taken full advantage of it. She had a good time and probably consumed too much alcohol in the process. After the meal, she had felt drowsy and perhaps she agreed to do another cooking session with him. If she had, then she’d completely forgotten about the birthday party she needed to host the next day.
“Well, I’m pretty sure you agreed.”
For a moment her mind went blank as she studied his handsome face. When she first met him, she thought that he was a conceited jerk. But after spending time with him, she was no longer sure. In fact, she now liked him. Everything about him was entirely too captivating, she decided, but it was dangerous to allow her thoughts to dwell on his male attributes. And since she was a realist, she knew that she would never have a chance with him. Guys like him didn’t pay romantic interest to girls with her background. History had already taught her that lesson. There wasn’t even a point in thinking about it. It was clear that Jason only saw her as a classmate and maybe even a friend. If she allowed herself to dwell on the fantasy, she knew that she’d only set herself up for disappointment and probably misery as well. He was used to rich girls, and she was far from being one.
“You brought a picnic basket,” she said, clearing her throat.
“Yeah, I keep my supplies in here.”
“I don’t think I can cook wi
th you today,” she said, feeling like a heel. “I have to get to work.”
Caitlin heard the echo of someone’s front door opening in the hallway. It was likely Mrs. Brown trying to investigate the commotion in the corridor.
“Come in before my neighbor sees you,” she said, quickly beckoning him inside.
She turned to continue her conversation with Jason when suddenly her phone rang and Maya’s name popped up on the screen. Caitlin sent him an apologetic smile, and said, “I’m sorry, I have to take this.” She walked into the living room and lowered her voice when she answered. “Where are you, Maya?”
“I’m on the highway,” Maya answered, her voice echoing through the static. “There was a serious accident, and they closed off the roadway. I thought that the mess would’ve cleared by now but I’m stuck.”
“You’re stuck?” she tipped her head back and stared at the clock on the wall. No doubt now she was going to be late for work. She blew out a long breath of air. “How long you think it’ll be?”
“I don’t know. I can see the ambulance and fire truck blocking the road, and no one’s moving. I’m sorry about this, Caitlin, but I think you might have to call a cab.”