The Winemaker's Dinner: Appetizers

by Rusilko, Dr. Ivan

  Tasha waved her off and steadied herself against the streetlamp. “I’ll be okay. Just give me a minute.”

  Ivan watched as Jaden efficiently lifted Tasha’s hair and held it to the side. Sure enough, a loud wail echoed in the muggy Miami night as Tasha leaned over and painted the sidewalk.

  “I’ll find us a taxi,” Ivan offered, turning his attention discreetly away from them.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” he heard Jaden ask. “Do you want me to get you a drink of water or something?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Tasha murmured, and let out another heave.

  Just then, a yellow taxi pulled to the curb in front of them. Ivan turned to offer a hand to Tasha and help her into the backseat. “I think we’d better let her have the window seat,” he told Jaden with a smile.

  “I think you’re right.” Jaden slid into the center spot, followed by Ivan. She gave the driver their address and emphasized that speed was of the utmost importance.

  “If she gets sick in my car, you’re paying to have it cleaned,” the driver announced in a clipped tone.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Ivan snapped back, his voice more forceful than he’d intended.

  Somehow, they made all the lights but one and arrived at the condo in record time. As the taxi pulled to a halt at the front door, Ivan leaped out and rushed to the other side to help Tasha maneuver. With Jaden on one side and himself on the other, they seated her on the bench outside the building.

  Jaden looked from Ivan to Tasha and then back to Ivan. “Thank you,” she said. Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned in to give him a kiss, soft at first, but becoming more aggressive as she reached down and cupped his bulging crotch in the palm of her hand.

  “I think you’d better get Tasha inside,” Ivan said breathlessly as he broke the kiss.

  “Right again, doc.”

  “Do you need a hand getting her upstairs?”

  “You’re not staying?” Ivan could hear the disappointment in her voice.

  “Not tonight, baby girl. I think we’ve both had a little too much to drink, and Tasha needs you more than I do right now.”

  “You’re unbelievable,” Jaden whispered as she laid another soft kiss on his lips. “How on earth did I ever get so lucky?”

  “I’m the lucky one.” Ivan kissed Jaden’s cheek before releasing her. “Are you sure you don’t need any help getting her inside?”

  “No, she can make it.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll go then,” Ivan said reluctantly as he took a step backward. Every part of his brain screamed at him to follow Jaden upstairs, but his common sense prevailed, and he took two more steps back to the waiting taxi. “My chariot awaits.”

  “Call me in the morning,” Jaden said as she helped Tasha to her feet.

  “’Night, baby girl.”

  “’Night, Dr. Ivan,” he heard Jaden call as he slunk back into the backseat of the taxi.

  Chapter 19

  “How Sweet It Is”

  BRIGHT, BLINDING LIGHT SEARED Jaden’s eyes as she made the short walk from her car to the entrance of the restaurant. The dim light of the foyer did little to relieve the massive hangover she was battling, with a throbbing headache that made her ears ring and her vision blur. Pushing thought the double doors to the kitchen, Jaden was met by more blinding light from the fluorescents that lined the ceiling and reflected vibrantly off the white-tiled walls. She ignored the stares and jeers from the kitchen staff as she walked to the back of the kitchen and sat on the bench in front of her locker.

  “Morning, boss,” Susan said from the bench across from her.

  “Morning,” Jaden grumbled as she slumped over, resting her head on her arms.

  “Did you see it?” Susan asked excitedly.

  “Sue, it’s not going to be out for at least two or three weeks, and that’s if the article even makes it into the next issue.” Jaden sighed and squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to block out the last bit of light. No amount of painkillers or coffee was going to rid her of this hangover, and Jaden briefly wondered if she should’ve used one of her sick days.

  “I’m not talking about the article. I’m talking about Dirk D’s blog. Your pictures are all over his website.”

  Jaden’s head snapped up, and she immediately squinted against the throbbing pain. “What pictures?”

  “The pictures of you and Ivan at that club,” Susan replied.

  “What are you talking about…?” Jaden’s voice trailed off as she dumped the contents of her purse on the floor in front of her, frantically searching for her cell phone. Snatching it from the pile of junk, Jaden touched the screen and the phone sprang to life. Once she’d finally read that first blog post Dirk D had written about her, she’d become a regular follower, so navigating to the page was quick. As the images began to load, Jaden couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Pictures of her, Ivan, and Tasha plastered the website. In fact, there were so many that a photo gallery had been created for easy viewing. “Thirty-two pictures?” Jaden stammered in disbelief. She began reading the latest post. “And how in the hell does he know about the OD Magazine article already?”

  “Word spreads quick in Miami, boss. That’s what happens when you’re a power couple.”

  Power couple? A smile lit up Jaden’s face. She was a small-town girl from Colorado, and Ivan was a farm boy from Pennsylvania. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.

  Over the next few weeks Ivan and Jaden grew as inseparable as their schedules would allow—attending VIP dinners, sharing intimate moments, and networking at high-end events, but also trading phone messages and often substituting texting for time to be together. Susan was right. Miami had labeled them the city’s newest power couple, and it felt as though they’d lived a ten-year relationship in just a few short weeks.

  Their connection still grew, but it became increasingly apparent that scheduling conflicts could have an impact on the most solid of relationships. Once made public, Ivan’s weight loss plan kept him even busier, and Jaden’s career took off in several directions at once. Appearing in an array of media outlets, she was truly becoming the Queen of Cuisine in Miami, and the restaurant required more and more of her time. Gone was her leisure time, as nearly every week now seemed to include some special event at Bianca or an appearance somewhere else. Career stepped to the forefront and demanded the intensity from both of them that they’d once reserved for each other. Though they did their best to talk every day, plans often fell by the wayside or occasionally were forgotten entirely in the quest to make just the right media and business connections. Newer to the limelight than her power-couple partner and fueled by a quest for fame, Jaden drove herself relentlessly, lest at any moment it all slip away.

  She might have been Miami’s Queen of Cuisine, but at the moment, Jaden didn’t feel particularly regal at all. The screeching alarm she’d silenced only moments ago was now replaced by an incessant ringing from the phone on the bedside table. Snatching it from the stand, Jaden saw that it was her building’s front desk calling.

  “Hello?” she muttered through a receding haze of sleep.

  “Good morning, Ms. Thorne. There’s someone here to see you. He claims he’s an acquaintance of Dr. Rusilko.”

  What the hell? Still a bit foggy, she mumbled, “Okay, let him up. Thank you.”

  Trying to focus, a million questions drifted through Jaden’s mind. She’d dreamed of her photo shoot with OD Magazine—a dream that had become more and more frequent in the days leading up to the new issue’s release. Would the article be near the front, or at the back with all the advertisements no one bothered to look at? How long would it be? What picture would they use?

  Jaden was ripped from her line of self-questioning by a loud banging at the door. Argh! She’d said this person could come up. Throwing back the covers and not bothering to get dressed, she stumbled across the room and retrieved her robe from the back of the bedroom door as the knocking turned into a rapid succession of thuds. “Jeez, this
better be worth the trouble,” she complained before yelling in the direction of the front door, “All right already! I’m coming.”

  Jaden fumbled with the lock and struggled to look through the peephole to see who had the nerve to wake her up at such a God-awful hour. She was met with only black. Either the person was standing way too close to the peephole or was purposely covering it. Jaden let the door creak open, and encountered a sight no one should have to endure so early in the morning. A person wearing a heart-shaped costume, complete with white limbs and oversized sneakers, stood in the hallway. What the fuck is this? Jaden wondered as the giant red heart handed her a package. Taking a step back, the stranger moved awkwardly in the costume as he shuffled his feet and attempted to do some sort of ridiculous dance, concluding with a quick bow.

  Still stunned, Jaden managed to blurt out a thank you. She pulled the card from the meticulously wrapped red-and-white gift. As she opened it, she immediately recognized the terrible handwriting:

  Jaden,

  Over the past weeks I have watched you grow from the mysterious woman in a red dress who took my breath away without uttering a word, into a beautiful, successful, and confident woman who has breathed that very breath back into me. I’m so happy with how far we’ve come. The memories we’ve shared eclipse anything I could have imagined for us.

  I spend every day looking forward to where we’re going and remembering where we’ve already been, and I anticipate sharing many more years of happiness with you. I know right now our schedules make things tough, but no barrier can ultimately stand between us or the way I feel about you.

  I’m so proud of you and of being able to say I knew you before you were the Culinary Queen of South Beach. I’m thrilled that all your dreams are coming true, because mine are as well.

  Ivan

  PS Check out page 23 and let that ridiculous heart know your answer. I’m sure he’s growing impatient by now.

  Jaden’s eyes welled with tears as she read and reread the note, almost forgetting there was a package yet to be unwrapped. Finally examining the parcel, it hit her, and she screeched, “Oh, my God! The magazine!”

  Anxiously tearing through the paper, she found a cardboard box with the words couldn’t make it easy on you, written on top in the same familiar handwriting. Of course he’d duct taped the box tighter than Fort Knox. Ivan was a smartass—one of the qualities she’d grown to love. Finally ripping through the all the gray tape, she tossed the lid aside and looked in the box.

  Jaden held the thick, glossy magazine in her hands and stared. She was on the cover. It was one of the first pictures they’d taken. She was cutting a large, raw piece of beef that just so happened to look suggestively like something else. She bit her bottom lip with a look of “come get it” in her eyes. Her white coat sparkled, with the help of Photoshop, of course. Jaden couldn’t believe how amazing, how sexy they’d made her look.

  Still in shock, she shook the disbelief from her mind and managed to make out the words printed across the bottom of the cover. Chef Jaden Thorne, Culinary Queen of South Beach, takes her rightful place on the throne. See page 23 for details. She stood for what felt like twenty minutes, holding back her excitement and a fresh wave of tears. Quickly flipping past all the crap at the front to the magazine, Jaden stopped at page twenty-three, where another cream-colored envelope was stuck between the pages. In the photo on this page, she sat on the countertop with her feet up and her chef’s jacket slightly askew, revealing a glimpse of her chest. With her head tilted back and tendrils of jet black hair trickling down her neck, it looked as if her eyes were having sultry sex with the camera lens. The picture spread across both pages and another title ran across the bottom: Dining out has never been so sexy.

  Quickly shuffling through the article, Jaden noticed that it seemed to be mostly about her and only briefly mentioned the restaurant. There were a few shots of the dining room and kitchen, but the majority of the pictures were her looking sexy in her kitchen whites.

  The giant heart standing in front of her coughed and cleared his throat, so tucking the magazine under her arm, Jaden ripped open the second envelope and began reading.

  I know probably the last thing you want to do is read another card right now, but I’m sure that ridiculously dressed heart is getting very impatient.

  I would be honored if you’d allow me to treat you to a celebratory outing for your amazing accomplishment. We could either cruise through the Caribbean, where I’m sure we’d find tons of sea turtles, or spend a hillbilly Thanksgiving in northwestern Pennsylvania with my family. Everybody gets to celebrate the holiday, so I know we can schedule this! Please let the heart know your answer.

  Ivan

  Jaden jumped for joy, and the heart stepped out of the way for his own safety. She’d always dreamed of going on a Caribbean cruise, but she wasn’t about to pass up the chance to see where her new love came from and to meet the amazing family she’d heard so much about. Looking at the heart, she offered her reply. “Tell the good doctor that as much as I love turtle watching, I’d much rather meet his family.”

  The oversized, red heart gave her an oversized thumbs-up. Jaden, thinking the conversation was over, began to shut the door, so she was surprised to see the costumed person shuffle his feet and begin another awkward dance. Now slightly annoyed, she said thank you again, but before she could slip away the heart reached for the zipper at the top of his costume and slowly slid it down. A full head of long brown hair emerged, followed by an ecstatically grinning Ivan.

  Jaden stood speechless, her mouth hanging open.

  “I would’ve picked the cruise, baby girl,” Ivan said after a moment.

  Overcome with emotion, Jaden rushed the costumed fool and jumped into his arms. Ivan lost his balance, and they both toppled into a heap in the center of the hall.

  Laughing feverishly, Jaden whispered, “This is better than any magazine cover ever could be. Do you think you can unzip that the all the way down and come in for a second?” She raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

  Rushing to get out of the costume, Ivan quickly followed her inside and shut the door behind them.

  Chapter 20

  “Tempted”

  JADEN HAD OFFICIALLY TRANSITIONED into the fast lane of local stardom. Someone recognized her everywhere she went, long lines to get into clubs were a thing of the past, and sought after invitations to the hottest parties in the city rolled in like junk mail. And right by her side was Ivan. Drawing on his long history in the limelight, he offered advice on what to say during interviews and what to expect at events. Not only was she lucky to have him as her boyfriend, he was her stand-in manager as well. After all, she didn’t really need a full-time manager. She wasn’t that big…yet.

  With Ivan away playing doctor in Chicago and promoting his weight loss program, Jaden decided to do something productive to jump-start her day, and she opted for a beach jog. The temperature was soothing this time of the year as October quickly faded away. Looking up and down the beach, she thought of how magical Miami was as winter began. November, they said, was when the rains began to dissipate and the vacationers rolled into town. Events were already in full swing and would stay that way until April when things slowed down for the summer.

  With the trip to Ivan’s home in Meadville fast approaching, Jaden wanted to make an extra good impression and had been secretly exercising more than usual. Her plan was to surprise Ivan with her new and improved sexy curves, and so far it had been working like a charm.

  Before stepping onto the grainy sand, Jaden fished her phone out of her pocket to check her messages one last time before cranking up the tunes and settling in for the long run ahead. Within seconds her email came up on the screen. A message from R&H Casting marked “urgent” topped of the list of unread emails. Perplexed, she opened the message and began to read:

  Hello, Chef Thorne.

  My name is Jessie Alexander, and I’m a casting agent based in Miami. I represent various businesses a
cross the US, but primarily my clients are TV networks. We are currently casting for contestants on an upcoming celebrity chef cook-off culinary show that will be based in Los Angeles. Local auditions are being held today at 2 p.m. in Miami Beach. I know this is last minute, but we would love you to come in and audition for the part. Please call my cell and let me know if you’ll be able to make it.

  Jessie

  814-555-8165

  This has to be a joke. Since when was she a celebrity chef? The thought made her laugh out loud. Maybe it was one of Ivan’s tricks? But what if it wasn’t? Deciding not to risk it, Jaden dialed the number and held her breath as she waited for someone to pick up.

  “Hello?” A female voice answered on the third ring.

  “Hi, this is Jaden Thorne. I just received an email for a casting—”

  “Oh! Chef Thorne,” the woman jumped in. “Thank you so much for getting back to me quickly. I had your name come across my desk and wanted to contact you immediately. This is the last day of casting, and we’d love it if you could make it for an audition.”

  “Well, today must be my lucky day,” Jaden replied. “It just so happens I have the day off, and I would love to audition.”

  “Fabulous!” the woman exclaimed. “I’ll email you the directions and instructions on what to bring and wear. Oh, and Jaden, I’m looking forward to meeting you in person.”

  “I look forward to meeting you too.” Jaden ended the call and suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. She turned back to her apartment, and all thoughts of jogging vanished from her mind. It was already twelve fifteen and the audition was scheduled for two.

  Jaden burst into her apartment, checking again for new emails as she hurried to get ready. As promised, there was an email from Jessie containing instructions and the address. Scrolling down, she found the list of required items: driver’s license and casual wear. That seemed easy enough, and as for the address, 1111 Lincoln Road. Perfect! It wasn’t far at all.