Sweet and Sexy

by Jeff Adams

  Anna, the housekeeper and cook, greeted me. “This is an unexpected surprise, Matt. Good to see you. It’s been too long.” She spoke in hushed tones to ensure the conversation wouldn’t spill into the dining room.

  I gave Anna a brief hug. She’d worked for my parents since I was five. She was a great cook and we’d always gotten along great.

  “Are you joining your parents? They hadn’t mentioned setting a place for you.”

  I shook my head. “No. Just need to talk to Dad. But that can wait until they’re done.”

  “Do you need some dinner?”

  The smells in the kitchen were intoxicating. I’d gotten my love of cooking from Anna. Mom had initially been annoyed when she found me helping Anna cook dinner when I was in middle school. When she discovered that I enjoyed it and was learning something, she let me continue. We never told Dad, though, since he’d frown on helping someone we paid to cook.

  “Is that beef bourguignon?” I took in a deep breath.

  She smiled. “It is.”

  “Yes, please. If you’re sure there’s plenty.”

  “There is.”

  She went to the oven and pulled out the dish she was keeping warm. I got a plate and some silverware. The beef looked succulent and delicious. I wished Leo was with me. We’d had dinner here a couple times and he’d raved about Anna’s food. He’d love this.

  I sat at the kitchen island and took a bite. I could’ve passed out from the flood of amazing flavors.

  “You’ve outdone yourself, Anna.”

  “You always say that,” she laughed as she waved a hand in the air. “But thank you. I’ve got to get dessert going, but you’re welcome to stay there as long as you want.”

  She took some ramekins out of the cabinet.

  “Thank you.”

  I watched her as she made the crème brûlée. I was mesmerized watching her stir the custard, as she periodically let it drip from the spoon back into the pan to test its consistency. Lucky dinner guests. They were in for a treat.

  I needed to make that for Leo more often. I was pretty good at it, but I’d only made it at home once, for his birthday.

  Anna and I were quiet—she cooked and I savored the meal. She even snuck a bit more onto my plate. She must’ve been sure no one would want seconds.

  She pulled the crème brûlée from the oven before the timer went off. Just another of her little touches to keep noise to a minimum. The custards looked beautiful, glistening, and silky. She put the ramekins into an ice bath and set them in the freezer to cool.

  As she turned from the freezer, she caught me staring. “I know you love those, but I’m afraid I don’t have enough.”

  I got up from the counter and took my empty plate to the sink.

  “It’s okay,” I said, going to the stove. “There’s plenty of goodness here.” I grabbed the saucepan and ran my finger along the cooled steel. I sucked the yummy concoction off my finger. She laughed.

  “Some things you never outgrow.” She shook her head mockingly. “What would Leo think of that?”

  “Oh, I assure you, he’d be right here doing it with me.”

  She went to check on the coffee while I continued to clean out the pan. I got every creamy bit possible. Once I finished, I put the pan, along with my dinner dishes, into the dishwasher.

  “You didn’t have to do that, you know.” I shrugged. “Do you want to handle the brûlée?”

  My eyes went wide with excitement. The small kitchen torch was one of my favorite things. Watching the sugar caramelize in seconds always fascinated me. When I’d officially moved out of the house after college, Anna gave me a torch so I’d have one anytime I needed it.

  “I’ll take that as a yes. It’ll be another couple minutes and they’ll be ready to go.”

  I got the torch out of the utility drawer and stood ready. It was just like when I was a teenager. I’d stand in this spot, waiting patiently with the torch at the ready like I was on a James Bond poster. I only screwed up the torching once, and that was with some meringue—it went from a nice golden brown to a blackened mess in a matter of seconds. Luckily Anna was able to fix that pie and I never made that mistake again.

  After she prepared the coffee service, she pulled the ramekins from the freezer and set them in front of me.

  The sugar was already on the counter so I started sprinkling it as if I were Jack Frost unleashing snowflakes.

  As I worked, the kitchen door swung open and Mom came in.

  “Matthew?” she said, completely surprised.

  I looked up and grinned, briefly feeling like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t. Luckily she smiled back, so I didn’t have to worry

  “Did you come over just to take care of the torching?”

  She was in a great mood, even more so than when we’d met for lunch.

  “This is a bonus,” I said, as I went back to making sure the sugar was perfect.

  “Is everything okay? You’re always welcome, but it’s a little strange to see you on a Saturday night.”

  “I wanted to talk to Dad. Figured I’d catch him after whatever you guys were up to.”

  She looked skeptical but nodded. “Probably another hour or so, we don’t want to rush.”

  “Take your time. I’ll either be in here or in my room.” I finished with the sugar and ignited the torch.

  “All right. I’d come in to tell Anna we’re ready for dessert but as usual she’s on top of it.”

  “Of course.” Anna smiled, knowing she was good at her job. “I’ll have it right out as soon as he does his thing.”

  I torched as Mom returned to the dining room. I had a wonderful time turning the sugar golden brown and bubbly.

  * * * *

  I went up to my room after the dessert went out so I wasn’t in Anna’s way as she tidied up. Technically it wasn’t my room anymore, it was a guest room. It still had most of the furniture from when I was in high school, but the earth tone paint and the other decor was more adult now.

  I was strangely calm as I waited. Watching what happened with Peter galvanized me into getting this done and possibly moving past the point of no return.

  As I waited, I sat at my old desk and traded texts with Leo about Peter’s condition. Unfortunately, Peter was still unconscious. The doctors were doing tests and were optimistic that he’d come around in the next few hours. Leo was still at the hospital, where most of the team was. He’d let me know when he was headed home.

  Just after nine-thirty there was a knock on the door, followed by Dad’s entry. Even when I was growing up, that was his M.O.—knock once and come in. As a teenager I had to listen closely if he was home and I was doing something I wanted private. Luckily he wasn’t around much, so I avoided most embarrassing moments.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said, turning in the chair to face him.

  “Matthew,” he said as he gave me a curt nod from the doorway. “Your mother says you want to talk. After three days of not coming into the office, I’m rather surprised that you’ve decided this was the right time. Come on down to the study so we can be comfortable.”

  “Sure.” I stood and followed.

  Going to the study was code for “come to my domain.” I knew this power play—him behind his desk and me waiting to hear what he expected of me. However, this time he didn’t sit behind the desk, which confused me. He took the couch and offered me the adjacent chair. In nearly thirty years in this house, I’d never sat in this chair.

  Once we were settled, he looked at me expectantly. Was he trying to unhinge me? I was sure he was going to lay into me for the time off but he waited, so I spoke first.

  “I need to travel less.”

  I put it out there like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “I’m sorry? You need to travel less? That’s not possible. You know the requirements of the job.”

  “I know I travel more than the other architects at my level do. We’ve all got projects out of town, and yet I log mor
e miles. It’s got to stop. I’m willing to travel if the project requires it, but not more than that.”

  “You don’t think Miami requires it?

  “No, I don’t. I’ve seen nothing while I’ve been there that says I need to be onsite as much as I am. You know Margaret has that project under control.”

  “This has nothing to do with Margaret. I want you there. You’ll learn a lot on site. It’s valuable.”

  “That doesn’t solve the problem. I want to travel less.”

  “That’s preposterous.” He got up and went to the bar. “You can’t decide to just stop. It’s your job.”

  He dumped two ice cubes and a bit of whisky into a glass before turning back to me.

  “The requirements of your job are to travel when I tell you to.” He wasn’t yelling, but his voice was commanding. “I’m grooming you to take over. I was onsite all the time when I was coming up in this business. I knew every aspect of my projects. It made me a better architect and eventually a better business owner. I want that for you.”

  I held his gaze while I pondered my words. I couldn’t let the silence go on too long, though, because he’d think we were finished.

  I softly sighed. “But this is not what I want.”

  “What are you talking about?” He sat on the corner of his large oak desk. “Of course it is.”

  My frustration grew and it tingled in my chest, but I had to stay calm. I wouldn’t succeed with him if I got upset. I simply had to will myself to play the game.

  “I want time at home. Time with Leo. We want to get married, start a family. And…”

  “You can do that. Your mother and I married while I was still learning the ropes, and we did fine.”

  “I talked to Mom. I actually want to be home. If we have children, I want to be there for them.”

  “So I was a bad father?”

  He finished his drink in a single swallow

  “No, Dad.” I shook my head for emphasis. “I love you. This isn’t about something you’ve done wrong at home. It’s about work.”

  “You know, everything you see here was made possible because I worked hard, harder than anyone else.” He waved his free hand around the room, gesturing at all the things.

  “And you and Mom decided that’s the way you wanted it to be. I’m not judging you. I don’t understand it, but I don’t have to.”

  He returned to the bar and made another drink.

  “You’re going to have to decide your future with the firm. I expect things to stay as they are.”

  I considered saying more, but decided I was done. I gave a curt nod, similar to how he’d started the conversation at my bedroom door.

  “Understood.”

  I headed for the door. I was frustrated, but at least I’d said my piece.

  “So you’re back in Miami on Monday.”

  “I’ll let you know Monday.”

  “Make the right choice, Matthew,” he said as I walked out of his study.

  Chapter 9: Leo

  I woke up to the smell of sausage and maple syrup. Initially I snuggled deeper into the covers because it reminded me of Christmas time at home when Mom would make a huge breakfast. I lay in bed, feeling cozy in the childhood memories, until my stomach rumbled loudly, declaring it was time to get up.

  Matty hadn’t cooked breakfast in a long time. Mornings were usually too busy, even on the weekends. We’d usually just go out. I knew we didn’t have anywhere to be this morning, but breakfast was still a surprise.

  I threw on sweats and padded my way to the kitchen. I was curious to find out what happened last night. I’d been lying in bed, watching TV, when he got home at around midnight. He said things were okay, but that he wanted to think before we talked. Hopefully he’d spill over breakfast.

  Walking into the kitchen, his back was to me as he worked at the stove where scrambled eggs cooked, syrup warmed and French toast was on the griddle. I couldn’t see the sausage but I smelled it. It must have been in the oven staying hot.

  “This is quite the production,” I said, coming up next to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

  “Seemed like a good morning to make a big breakfast. It’s beautiful outside.” He gestured out the kitchen window to a crisp blue sky. “We have the day together. It’s a perfect way to start.”

  Either the talk went really well or he was trying to lessen the blow of bad news to come.

  “What can I do to help?”

  “Set the table, please. I’m about ready to serve. I was coming after you in about five minutes.”

  “Any word about Peter this morning?” I asked as I got things together for the table.

  “Nothing on my phone. Yours?”

  “I didn’t look, but I’m guessing not since I think news would’ve gone out to the whole team.”

  Matty pulled the items from the oven and took the platters to the table. I grabbed our coffee cups and slipped a Donut Shoppe pod, Matty’s favorite, into the machine. He zipped around getting some final things on the table, including the water pitcher from the fridge.

  Once the coffee was finished, I brought the cups over and sat down. He served food, in heaping helpings, on to the plates. I nearly drooled, completely surrounded by the delicious looking food.

  “This is an impressive spread. I feel like we should have at least two more at the table.”

  “I may have overdone it.” He looked proud of his efforts though, and I loved seeing how bright and happy he looked. “We may not have to eat the rest of the day.”

  “Or we’ll keep eating this all day. Like an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

  We dug in. I gave a small moan on tasting the French toast. The buttery flavor was just what I needed.

  “So the talk with Dad pretty much went as expected,” Matty said after we’d been eating for a few minutes. “He won’t let me cut back, since he’s planning to give me the company. He wants me to get all the experience he had.”

  I stopped eating and gave Matty my full attention.

  “I like the idea of working for myself, being the boss. But I don’t want it under his rules. I love learning, especially from him because he knows his stuff. But…”

  He looked down at his food, but not before I caught his pained expression. I imagined tough choices were on the way.

  “I want to be more in control of what I’m doing,” he continued, looking back to me. “And maybe I want to do something with you. I don’t know what that looks like, but working with you could be awesome. You know how you said I could take some time if I wanted to?”

  I didn’t know what we could do together, but I loved the idea.

  “Yeah. Of course.” I said eagerly and with a smile. He needed to know I’d do whatever I could for him.

  “I want to give notice on Monday. I’ll stay long enough to transfer the Miami project fully to Margaret. I figure two or three weeks. We can hang on that long, right?”

  “Hell yeah!” I said enthusiastically. “Two or three more weeks won’t matter.”

  His hand shook next to his plate. I put my hand on top of it to calm him. His expression was difficult to read. There was excitement plus a little bit of fear. It was an unusual mix for him.

  “You’re sure this is what you want?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve thought about it all night. I want to do things with you now. If we’re going to be busy, I’d rather be more like Simon and Alex in how they control what they do.”

  “Maybe they’ll teach us how. I’ve already talked to Alex a little bit, so I bet they would if we asked.”

  Matty raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t look upset that I’d done it. His hand quaked less under mine.

  “I know they would,” he said.

  He gave me sort of a shy smile before digging into his eggs, which set off another round of eating. The idea of working with Matty intrigued me. Our current professions didn’t have an obvious overlap, but I bet there’s something that we’d have a blast doing together. I understood w
hy he’d been shaking. Striking out on his own like this was exciting and daunting at the same time.

  “I like how all that thinking turned into an incredible breakfast,” I said as I piled more food on my plate. “Did you sleep at all last night?”

  “Not much. My mind was kinda in overdrive. I want to find work that will let me be around here more. I want to have dinner and fall into bed with you more often than not.”

  My heart sped up and a few butterflies flittered in my stomach.

  “I’m proud of you,” I said. “Taking control like this. It’s a good look for you.”

  We burst out laughing at the cheesiness of the line.

  “I’m serious, though. This is great and I’ll help with that any way I can.”

  Matty stabbed another piece of French toast off the pile and dropped it on his plate.

  “My main concern is that when I dive into something of my own, I’ll work even more to pull it off.” He slathered some butter and poured syrup on his plate while we talked.

  “Of course you’re going to work hard. This isn’t about working less.”

  He nodded. His expression clouded over.

  “What?”

  “I have to admit that I worry a little that I might be making a mistake. I mean, I was going to end up with a company.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  He didn’t answer. I stood and moved behind him, wrapping him in a hug while resting my head on his.

  “If it turns out this isn’t what you want either, then you change up again until you find what’s right.”

  “I guess you’re right. Looking at our friends, they all seem to shift jobs every year or two. Even you’ve been through a few places until you landed with the Penguins.”

  I kissed the top of Matty’s head and returned to my seat.

  “And who knows what will be next, or what we’ll do together?”

  “You’d be into that?”

  “Absolutely. I think we’d be good together. Me, bossing you around.”

  He nearly spit out his coffee as I winked at him. He shook his head and the cutest smirk spread across his face.