Chef Charming

by Ellerbe, Lyn

  “Jess teased me mercilessly about it, you know,” Rori said, shyly giving Marcus a quick kiss of thanks. “She insisted you were the whole motivation behind it. I don’t have any idea where she got such an idea,” Rori said facetiously. “It’s not like I started it right after I met you or anything.”

  Their helpers arrived soon and all her possessions were stored quickly, and neatly, in the extra bedroom. Carla, Zoe, and Rori went back to her dorm so she could change.

  “Were you surprised?” Carla’s excitement was evident. “We couldn’t be happier. You are just what Marcus needs. He gets so serious sometimes and I knew right away that something was going on when he talked about you after the first cooking class. I hadn’t seen him that relaxed since culinary school when he and Jake got into all sorts of scrapes.”

  When the girls met up with the men at the picnic, Rori had changed from her overalls into a cute light green and blue shorts set. Marcus would have preferred the overalls, but he kept his opinion to himself. He was grateful that she had pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

  Rori was not looking forward to leaving the next morning. She would head home for Gwen’s graduation and now to find a wedding dress. She and Marcus, along with Carla, Jake, and Jessica, had talked long into the night about wedding plans. Actually, the ladies had talked, the guys had listened in-between innings of the baseball game.

  The wedding being less than four weeks away actually made planning much easier. The ceremony would be a small affair with mainly family and a few close friends. At the picnic, they had talked to Sam and he was thrilled to clear his schedule on that Saturday evening to perform the service. The church had a lovely gazebo and gardens that were available for church members. They stopped by Sam’s office before heading home to reserve it on the church calendar.

  Even just one day into their engagement, everything seemed to be falling into place. Still, Rori was worried.

  “I’m still afraid I’m going to wake up tomorrow and this is all going to have been a fabulous dream,” Rori admitted to Carla as she placed the toy tiara that hung over her bed on Zoe’s dark curls.

  “You know, Rori,” Carla said, sounding much older and wiser than her years. “You do have to trust that God loves you enough to bless you even beyond your wildest dreams.”

  The next morning Rori’s car was packed and Marcus had met her for an early breakfast before his class started. He was teaching a two-week intensive for the year-round culinary students in addition to another community cooking class.

  “This is going to be the longest four weeks of my life,” he said as he hugged Rori close one more time.

  Rori just nodded, snuggling closer, unwilling to give up the security of his embrace. When she woke up that morning she had to get assurance from Jessica that yesterday’s events had really happened.

  “Yes,” her sleepy roommate had replied. “You and Chef Charming are engaged. It was all very romantic.”

  Despite her sarcasm, Jessica was actually very, very happy for Rori. She had insisted that Rori wake her up to say goodbye before heading home.

  Now nestled in his arms, Rori sighed. Her hands were resting on Marcus’ chest and she could feel his heart beating. Finally, Marcus pushed her gently away. He tilted her face up with a finger under her chin, and kissed her.

  “You’ve got to get on the road.” He rubbed his thumb along her jaw line. “And I’ve got to get to class.” She merely nodded, eyes still closed, hoping for another kiss.

  “Aurora, look at me,” her fiancé commanded. She smiled impishly, aware she was dragging out the goodbye.

  “I will call you tonight, but it might be late,” Marcus reminded her. “My community class starts tonight and it’s scheduled to go half an hour later that yours did, to make up for missing Memorial Day.”

  “Or you could just email me.” Rori grinned. ”That worked well in the past.”

  He opened her car door and buckled her seat belt using the motion as an excuse to grab one more kiss.

  “That may happen occasionally," he said, now leaning through the window after closing her door. ”But I know I’ll need to hear your voice every day, too. Call it an addiction.”

  Rori boldly ran her fingers through his hair, needing one last physical connection. Marcus’ breath caught and he jerked away.

  “Behave, woman,” he admonished.

  “I love you,” she said almost pleadingly, wishing he hadn’t been so eager to break away.

  “I love you, too,” he stated in a no-nonsense manner. “Now off with you! Call me and leave a message that you’ve arrived safely, ok?” He leaned in for one last kiss.

  “Yes, Lord Marcus,” she said sassily as she started her car.

  -------------------------

  Hoping to catch him the next morning before his class began, Rori got up early and opened her email program.

  Dear Marcus, I’m sorry I was asleep when you called. I know I probably didn’t make much sense. How were your classes? No lovely young women?

  He obviously was at his computer as he sent a message almost immediately.

  I actually loved the sound of your voice, just awake from sleep, he typed, the backspaced deleting what he had just typed, deciding that statement was probably crossing the line that he had laid out in his mind for his own, and her, protection. He began again.

  I know that the last two weeks were crazy for you and you need to catch up on your rest. You actually sounded quite cute, if slightly incoherent. Classes went well, and you do not need to worry. There are three happily married couples, the husbands having apparently lost a bet (from what I could tell), two grumpy old codgers, two middle-aged sisters, and two older ladies. One of the ladies is a volunteer at the high school cafeteria and the other is her recently widowed neighbor. Should be a good class. Of course, nowhere near as exciting as last time. Or as life changing, he thought.

  That’s reassuring, but I still can’t help being a little jealous. They get to see you every day. I miss you. What time will you be here on Friday?

  He smiled at her enthusiasm.

  Sweet Aurora– I miss you, too. I plan to be there early on Friday, probably before nine. Jake must be extremely excited about all this for him to volunteer to cover my Friday and Saturday classes. Speaking of classes, I hear the herd approaching. I love you, Princess.

  A Rival Prince

  “Rori, Marcus is here!” Her sister called over her shoulder as she opened the door to her tall handsome soon-to-be brother-in-law.

  Marcus was nervous. He had spent the two-hour trip from campus to the Sinclair hometown with prayers and mental planning. Although he had spent several hours just last weekend discussing his feelings and plans with Rori’s dad, now that they were officially engaged, things were different. Plus, Marcus had forgotten what life before Aurora Sinclair was like and the last four days had been miserable.

  “Marcus!” Rori practically launched herself into his arms from the stairs that were just to his right. She had been on her way downstairs already when her sister called. Her exuberance was both intoxicating and embarrassing to the normally reticent Scottish man.

  “You’re embarrassing him, Rori,” he heard her mother call from the kitchen. “Let him at least get in the door.”

  “Sorry,” she giggled against his neck. “You can put me down now.” Marcus dropped her quickly. He had caught her mid-jump and had her dangling inches off the floor. He flushed bright red.

  "You scamp,” he whispered good-naturedly in her ear. “I’m trying to make a good impression.”

  “Welcome son,” Professor Sinclair shook his hand after Rori pulled him into the dining room. “I hope you’re ready for a crazy couple of days. You mention wedding to a household of women and you might as well go and hide because madness will ensue.”

  “I’m ready, sir,” Marcus replied and added, “If I could get away with eloping tonight I would.” The knowing look from the older man gave him the impression that Rori’s father understoo
d and completely agreed. As Dr. Sinclair motioned for them to retreat to the back deck, Marcus could tell there was something else the older man wanted to say.

  “I need to tell you about Jason,” her father’s tone indicated the seriousness of the upcoming conversation.

  “Jason?”

  “There was a boy in high school that had a devastating effect on my daughter. It was over six years ago, but I sometimes have to remind myself that I’ve forgiven him.”

  Marcus braced himself for what sounded like a troubling story but knew from Dr. Sinclair’s tone that it must be important.

  “Jason was a popular football player and Rori, despite how she looks now, was actually a gawky, skinny teenager with untamed hair and glasses. She never seemed concerned about her looks, although she wasn’t sloppy or unkempt, just didn’t fit into the popular group. Apparently, Jason and some friends concocted a scheme to see who could get Rori to agree to go out with them, with the ultimate plan of standing her up and making her disgrace known throughout school.”

  Marcus’s anger was searing at this point. Her dad continued.

  “For some reason, Rori had developed a schoolgirl crush on Jason and he knew it. She was so excited when he asked her out that the happiness actually transformed her. She came down the morning of her date, having borrowed a stylish outfit from a friend and even venturing to try the contacts we had ordered for her several months before. She looked like a different girl. She was still floating on a cloud after school and was ready for her date almost an hour early.”

  Dr. Sinclair hesitated noticeably. “Jason never came. I remember holding her that night while she cried herself to sleep.”

  The pain was evident in the father’s voice and Marcus was battling the urge to hunt the young man down and inflict physical pain for the emotional pain he caused Rori.

  “What she didn’t know until later is that I called the young man the next morning. I also spoke to his father. Jason seemed distraught but his father was furious. Jason dropped off the football team, supposedly for health reasons, and within a few weeks had transferred to the local private Christian school.”

  Marcus was again in awe of Rori’s father. His wisdom, both in handling the situation through Jason’s father, and in not telling Rori what he had done, was inspiring.

  “Rori recovered quicker than I expected, at least outwardly. The new look she wore to school that day had actually helped soften the blow of the humiliation. Jason’s dad, with Jason’s help, made sure that rumors swirled implying that she was the one who had rejected his son. I’m still amazed at the integrity of that boy’s father. We didn’t hear from Jason again until almost two years later. He called and asked if he could talk to Rori when she was home from college one weekend. I made sure Rori was okay with the idea. It was then that we found out that her recovery was just outward. She panicked at the thought of seeing him as the feelings of humiliation resurfaced. She hadn’t dated or even been interested in anyone since then. It took some convincing and prayer, but she finally agreed to see him.”

  “You let him see her again?” Marcus interrupted, glad the scoundrel was not within reach, sure he would do Jason bodily harm.

  “It worked out well, trust me,” Professor Sinclair said, glad to see Marcus ready to defend his daughter. “Jason had experienced a huge crisis of faith and had completely turned his life around. He apologized to Rori and begged forgiveness. He even admitted that he had tried to get out of the bet because he really did like Rori even before her outward transformation. ‘I shouldn’t have been so concerned with my so-called friends,’ Jason told her, 'I was a stupid, ignorant, wicked, fool.’ She agreed with his self-assessment, but did eventually forgive him. I know now how deeply the incident had hurt her because it wasn’t until after that meeting that we recovered the Rori we know now. It was like a weight had been lifted.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Sinclair,” Marcus said quietly. “I am feeling overwhelmed, but I know that is an important piece of the intricate puzzle that is Aurora. I’ll admit that it frightens me a little when I realize how much I don’t know about my future wife.”

  “But Marcus,” Rori’s dad comforted him with a laugh. “That’s part of the fun of being married!”

  As the two men came back inside, they discussed the plans for the weekend, knowing they were both at the mercy of the ladies.

  “Rori’s mom has started a list of decisions that only you two need to make and I think Rori wants you to go look at flowers and wedding rings,” her father said. “You guys are free this evening, too, since Mrs. Sinclair and I will be taking Rori’s sister out for her graduation dinner.”

  “That will be nice,” Marcus admitted. “I have a little surprise planned that I hope will work out. I have a friend from culinary school that has a restaurant downtown. I’m hoping to get in between lunch and dinner service and introduce him to Aurora.”

  “You two are going over to your parent’s house on Saturday evening, correct?” the professor asked. Marcus’s family lived about an hour away. They were anxious to meet their future daughter-in-law.

  “Yes,” Marcus said. “They’re anxious to meet Aurora and we need to get my grandmother’s engagement ring on her finger!” Rori’s dad understood completely.

  “We’re also scheduled to meet with our family pastor for pre-marital counseling,” Marcus added. “He’s a friend of the pastor back home and they’re going to tag-team our counseling sessions.”

  “I’m glad you two are working that in even though time is short. It’s always good to be aware of the possible pitfalls early in a marriage and starting with a good foundation is very important.”

  After their quick coffee and breakfast, Marcus and Rori headed out to tackle their list. She was simply looking forward to spending time with him and was finding it hard to care much about the details. She was looking forward to finding her dress, which she had grand plans to do early next week.

  Sitting next to him in his car, Rori wished he would hold her hand, but he needed both to drive the manual transmission car. She resisted the urge to run her fingers along his forearms, almost embarrassing herself with the direction of her thoughts. Who would have thought strong, masculine arms could be so sexy? She knew her experience on the first night of class when Marcus had held her hands to demonstrate the cutting technique he wanted her to perfect was responsible for her fascination.

  “You’re awfully quiet, Princess,” Marcus squeezed her hand as they sat at a red light. “What are you thinking about?”

  She blushed. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me.”

  “Nope. It’s embarrassing.”

  He raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

  “Really,” she insisted. “I’ll tell you when we’re married.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  The rest of the morning was productive. They found matching trinity knot rings that paid homage to his Scottish heritage and her English-Irish roots. Trying them on made the seriousness of what they were doing a reality. Rori caught Marcus watching her intently in the mirror behind the counter. She smiled as he mouthed, ‘I love you.'

  As he held the door to his car for her after they left the jeweler’s, Marcus pulled her close and kissed her quickly but effectively. She rewarded him with a contented sigh.

  “I’m very impressed, Chef MacRae,” Rori complimented him as they sat among a rainbow of flowers at their next stop. “You actually seem to be enjoying this.”

  “It’s an act,” he tried to deny he was thoroughly enjoying watching his fiancée surrounded by her flower choices. “I really don’t know the difference between a carnation and a peony. I do like the irises, though,” he said, pointing to the deep purple stems that Rori had placed on her favorites list.

  “Good,” Rori said. “Because that’s what we’re using. I think everything else just doesn’t look like us.”

  “So, we’re done?” Marcus asked, trying to hide his hopeful tone.

/>   “Yes, Mr. Impatient,” she laughed. “What would you like to do now? The only other thing we absolutely have to get done this weekend is the invitation list. With the culinary department doing the light supper after the ceremony, we are in great shape. The only thing easier would have been eloping.”

  Marcus groaned inwardly. The thought of eloping and making her his wife quicker than the already hasty four weeks was more tempting than she should know.

  “My mother, and yours, would never speak to us again if we eloped,” he reminded her, trying to hide his true feelings.

  “I know,” she laughed again. “At least it’s going to be a small family affair. I don’t think I would like a big wedding.” Plus I don’t want to wait that long she added mentally, but didn’t want to admit such a provocative thought to him.

  “Are you hungry?” Marcus had called his friend while Rori was looking at flowers in the back room with the florist. Jose was thrilled to hear from his old friend and was more than pleased to share his kitchen this afternoon. Their lunch service was over in a half hour and dinner prep wouldn’t start for another couple of hours.

  “Umm, yes,” Rori said. “What did you have in mind?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  A Nervous Princess

  Their afternoon turned out to be one of the most enjoyable times Rori had ever had. Chef Jose Ramirez regaled her with tales of Jake and Marcus in school. The two chefs even let her participate in the preparation of their meal. While she wasn’t chopping vegetables, she sat on a stool out of their way and sketched.

  “Wow, you’re good!” Jose said as he looked over her shoulder. She had sketched the two chefs intensely bent over a sumptuous plate of food. “Can you sign it and let me put it up on the wall?”

  She laughed and complied. Rori was always amazed that people liked her art, especially the pieces that took such little time.

  The three enjoyed their meal as the couple described their unconventional courtship to the chef.