The Flavor Of Love

by Shiree McCarver

  “Keigo," she said his name once again and he realized he had called her Etta earlier and wondered when that had happened.

  When did she stop being Miss Jones and simply became Etta to him? It probably was when she said, 'if she was a witch, she would turn him from a frog into a prince.' How endearing could one woman be? It was refreshing to meet a woman that easily said what she was thinking. He didn’t feel the need to be anything other than himself with her; his old self, before his world turned upside down.

  “Yes? Did you want to ask me something?” He decided to get another bottle of water. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “You have alcohol in here?”

  “No.”

  “Too bad,” she muttered. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

  “Bottled water, it is.”

  She turned in her chair as he walked to the mini fridge. He could feel her eyes on his back.

  “What I wanted to ask was. You said you were a lawyer before you became a Judge. Was being a District Court Judge always something you wanted to become?”

  “District Court Judge, no.” Keigo offered her one of the bottles of water and she accepted.

  Standing in front of her, he half stood half sat on the edge of the desktop. “I had loftier dreams. I was going all the way to the Supreme Court. I was striving for my goal and doing everything necessary to continue an impressive resume.”

  He twisted off the cap and took a sip before continuing.

  “Until a few years ago, I was a member of the Superior Court and for personal reasons I thought it was best to change over to District Court and from there to being televised. Now, I’m just another one of the television judges that they do comedy skits about on late night television.”

  “Ah, albeit a successful one,” Etta chimed. “Cheers to you,” she lifted her bottle of water in salute.

  “Not to my peers,’ he muttered and held up his bottled water cheering, “Kampai! Cheers!” He tapped his bottle against hers. “Look how far the mighty has fallen!”

  Keigo tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but from the sympathetic look on Etta’s face, he wasn’t being successful.”

  “It sounds like you miss overseeing the more major crime cases. I suspect listening to petty squabble cases is boring in comparison,” she said matter-of- factly.

  “Yes, but it’s for the best,” his voice broke with huskiness. He cleared his throat of the lump that had lodged there during his reflection of dreams lost. He had quite a few of them.

  “Best for whom?” She asked softly. “I mean, when you chose your profession, I'm sure you chose Superior Court Judge because the thought of it thrilled you. What changed?”

  “I suppose…I changed,” Keigo said blandly.

  “How so?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. Keigo didn’t know why he suddenly felt chatty with Etta, but it felt good to speak about his lost dreams to someone who didn’t have a vested interest in the outcome of his life. With that in mind, he forged ahead.

  “When I started out, I really only had myself to consider. Of course my parent’s opinions were important to me and I was fortunate that they weren’t so tied to the old Japanese ways that they didn’t leave room for me to have my own dreams. My father was an accountant and he was disappointed that I wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps.”

  “Did he get pass it?”

  “Yes,” he nodded and took another drink from the water bottle. “He told me the only reason he didn’t object to my choice is because I chose a profession that could make positive changes in the world and he was proud to have a son that upheld the laws in a country he had come to call his home.”

  “Your accomplishments are his accomplishments,” Etta replied. Her voice was tender, almost a murmur. “I would be proud of you too. I’m certain he still is proud of you, regardless of the turn your path has taken.”

  He stared with complete surprise on his face. She understood. New and unexpected warmth surged through him.

  “It wasn’t a decision I made likely but I had risked all for the dream. I was so selfish that I never considered the potential dangers that came with these dreams, until it was too late…” his voice trailed off into silence. Guilt pressed hard in his chest.

  “Late how?” Her lips puckered with annoyance. “You’re still a young man. It’s never too late to pursue a dream. In your case, it would be a continuation; you’re just taking a break because you’re still in the same field.”

  “Aren’t you the same woman that told me I didn’t have the stomach for this business?”

  “Yeah, I was talking about the television business,” she said. “It’s obvious you don’t care that much for this business. You don’t even know how to play your best side up to the cameras. A day like this would be a Reality TV whore’s dream. Instead of thinking how great your ratings would be you were thinking what a pain in the ass I was being.”

  Keigo shook himself. “Speaking of, that brings us full circle to why you’re here in my chambers.”

  Etta moaned and took a drink of water. She pulled the bottle away from her lips. “You would think by now I would learn to leave well enough alone.”

  “No, don’t think of it that way,” Keigo declared. “I’m hoping now that we’ve had the chance to get to know each other a little better, you will consider my offer.”

  “You never told me what the offer was,” she reminded.

  “I’ve been trying for the past hour.”

  “I suppose we should get on with it.” Etta moaned, placing a hand over her stomach. “Hey, are you hungry? I’m so hungry I can feel this cold water making its way down. How about I cook for you tonight and you can tell me what you have in mind?”

  “How about we discuss this, come to some sort of agreement and if you’re still speaking to me or not locked up downstairs, we can discuss dinner.”

  “Always the party pooper,” she pouted. “If it will speed up this process, then, okay I agree to whatever.”

  “How can you agree to something you haven’t heard yet?” He stared.

  “Easy.” Joy bubbled in her laugh and brightened up her eyes. “Over here I have the alternative and over here I have thirty days in jail. Well, I thought I made it clear from the beginning. I have no intentions of going to jail. So yes to the alternative.”

  Keigo suppressed a grin watching her kick off her shoes. She drew her knees up towards her breasts. The voluminous skirt completely covered her bare feet. Folded in the chair, she nursed the nearly empty bottle in one hand swinging it back and forth.

  “The alternative is a month at Bent Arrow Camp. You will be in charge of handling the kitchen. We get three squares a day with desserts, anything else you decide to kick in will be up to you throughout the day.”

  “Won’t your regular chef mind?”

  “Not this year,” Keigo stated. “His wife is overdue and they plan on inducing labor the week he was set to come up.”

  “I get to do all the shopping and I don’t do can goods.”

  “Too late for you to create a garden and the nearest market is about an hour drive,” Keigo supplied. “Can good’s will keep better, fresh goods spoil and that’s wasted food.”

  “Not in my kitchen,” she pursed her full lips in deep thought. “Since we have to get what we need before we leave anyway, then let me do the shopping. I have connections for organic vegetables at a steal. We get what we need from here and I will can my own goods the old fashion way with natural preservatives. Do you have a freezer?”

  “Huge walk-in sub-zero.”

  “Perfect. I can do some vegetable mixes and soup stocks that will keep in the freezer. I also have homemade preserves and apple butter in my pantry. We can get a leg of smoked ham and hang it. That way it will last all month and because it’s cured, it will keep well. Any vegetarians, allergies, special diets I need to know about?”

  “Slow down,” Keigo smiled. “I can see your wheels turning. I will make
sure Nan gets all that information ready for you and an open expense credit card so that you can get what you need. Once you have it all together, just let us know. We have refrigerator truck that will take everything up.”

  “Wow, I can’t wait.” Etta’s face glowed with excitement. “It will be like the old days traveling with the carnival. Being in the outdoors; definitely have to throw barbecues. Oh…oh! Maybe every Saturday we can have a bonfire and do smores. It’s okay to build a fire, isn’t it?”

  “Private property and I have a bricked in place for the fire to help keep it contained.” He frowned, shoving his hands in his front pocket. “I don’t think you will be able to do it every Saturday. Its rainy season, the showers can be quick, hard and unexpected and in certain areas, flooding and mud slides. We find it’s safer if we don’t allow anyone to go outside certain parameters if there is a weather report of potential flash showers.”

  “No worries, I will make sure I always have a backup plan.”

  Keigo enjoyed, watching this side of her. For someone who went with the flow of things, when it came to her kitchen, she seemed to do a lot of planning. Seeing Etta like this was like meeting a new person. Even her expression changed, taking on a serious engrossed appearance. He silently admitted he found her thought process extremely sexy.

  “I’m glad you’re on board,” he voiced. “I can’t think of anyone better suited.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet,” she crooned. “You need me, don’t you?”

  “Huh?” He blinked once. Twice. He noted her smug smile and decided to knock her down a peg or two. How easy it was for her to forget why she was going. “I suppose I should have said, I couldn’t think of anyone better suited at such short notice and free of charge,” he revised his statement.

  Etta moaned and said, “The frog is back. Ribbit…ribbit.”

  “Then why are you the one making the frog noises?” He pointed out.

  “Because it takes one to know one?” Etta said snidely, ending the question by sticking her tongue out at him.

  Keigo laughed.

  “Tell me, Etta, with exception of your Internet cooking show, what are your future plans? Don’t you think people would take you more serious if you didn’t tell them you fancy yourself as a psychic chef?”

  “You don’t have to believe in me. Lord knows before Neil died, I was determined to never read another hunger pang and to become one of the ‘normal’ people.”

  “Who’s Neil?” Was he the “almost marriage” she implied about earlier?

  “Neil is another story, for another time.” Biting her lip, she avoided his eyes. It wasn’t enough for him to miss the moisture that pooled in them before she looked away. “I know what I do is strange to some, but I grew up in a carnie. Normal is strange to me. In my world with the people that I call family along with my mother, people with the second site is a reality. There is no way you can grow up around people with gifts of their own and remain a skeptic.”

  Keigo admired her easy optimism. He was an admitted reserved planner. If he worked in a bank and someone with her personality came to him wanting his bank to invest based on supernatural abilities without having scientific documented facts to back it up, he’d turn her down without further consideration. Dreamers were good in a romantic affair, but not business.

  The one thing he couldn’t deny is the kids at his camp would love her. The more he thought about his decision, the more he was coming to like the idea of having Etta underfoot at Bent Arrow. It definitely wasn’t going to be boring.

  He must be dizzy from lack of food too, because he couldn’t stop looking at her, especially when she wasn’t looking at him like she was at the moment. Her lovely eyes trailed from his face to his chest and then to his crotch? He must be mistaken. Surely she hadn’t just sized him up! He would be offended if he hadn’t already done the same to her several times.

  Men sized up breasts. Women secretly sized up crotch bulges thinking men weren’t aware that they were being checked out. When in actuality, men always did crotch checks on themselves to assure zippers were up and penises nestled in the most flattering position.

  He cleared his throat bringing her attention back to his face. “So plans for you being head chef at Bent Arrow aren’t going to be a problem for you?”

  “Does the camp have Internet access?”

  “It’s a training camp for inner city kids who want to go into the field of law. Fast access is a necessity along with other necessities,” Keigo assured her.

  “I’m hoping for the most important necessity such as indoor plumbing. I’ve seen enough bushes and port-o-potties to last me a lifetime.”

  “Etta, it’s not a boot camp,” he shook his head at her musings. “We try to give kids options before they decide to make the wrong choices, not after.”

  “Sounds like something that I would feel honored to be a part of. So when do we leave?”

  Keigo stared. She had loveliest reddish-brown eyes he’d ever seen. They reminded him of a puppy he had once; trusting, affectionate and needy for love and attention in return. He crossed his arms over his chest and moved to take a seat behind his desk, putting some distance between him and those eyes.

  “How about we get together and discuss everything another day? I will call you and set up a time that is good for you.”

  “I…I thought you were going to come for dinner.”

  Was that disappointment he saw on her face? “I’m afraid I’m not up to eating anything else today.” He massaged his tender stomach.

  “Should have left off the hotdog with double chili,” she mumbled.

  “How--” His words dwindled to silence at her knowing grin. An immediate chill went down his spine. For a brief moment, he wondered if there was something to this psychic stuff after all and spied the small spot of dripped chili on the white shirt he wore. Keigo’s judge’s robe was no longer hiding his guilty pleasure. He still remained unconvinced.

  “Well, I suppose that’s it then. We’ve reached an agreement.” Etta unfolded her legs from the chair and slid her feet back into her sandals.

  “I’m glad you accepted my offer, Etta. Thank you.”

  “No, thanks for coming up with something where I will feel as if I’m being useful.” She came to her feet and stretched, reaching far over her head.

  Keigo’s eyes fell to her breasts once again. The dark nipples brushed against the white material. His body tightened. He knew what he would be doing in the shower tonight besides scrubbing his body.

  “Will you be going home and cooking you something to eat?” He asked.

  “I think I will warm up some leftover lasagna since I will be eating alone and listen to some of my favorite albums, nursing a glass of red wine in the bath.”

  Pushing aside the visualization of picturing Etta naked in a tub, he asked, “Are we talking real albums or CDs’?”

  “Records, of course. Man, it’s the only way to go,” she smiled. “There’s nothing like the pop and crackle of vinyl.”

  “Something we can agree upon.” Keigo returned her smile. “I love holding the album jacket in my hands and looking at great cover shots of Charlie Parker or Billie Holiday, along with a blurb about the artist’s personality or career. There is something so delicate about handling an album, don’t you think?”

  Etta nodded her head. “You place it on the turntable and ease the needle just a breath above the album and let it drop. There is this silent pause before that first crackle, then the music begins to play and I swear there’s nothing like it.” She paused and asked, “By the way, what do you know about blues and jazz on vinyl? Or are those backup names you throw out just to impress?”

  “It’s you that are the perpetrator of jazz and blues, if anyone in this room is being accused of such a crime,” Keigo replied with feigned haughtiness. “Is there anything else that sounds better on vinyl?” Their gazes locked and he tried to swallow. So much for judging without prejudice, he thought wryly. Etta was too interesting for
him not to be interested.

  “I’m impressed. I don’t mean to sound racist but I don’t know too many Japanese men that appreciate good jazz.”

  “Really? So how many Japanese men do you know?”

  “Counting you? Three, but only one of them is a good friend and he’s purely techno.”

  “I see,” Keigo rubbed his chin. “I would say out of large population of Japanese men, three is adequate enough to base your conclusions.”

  The laughter he received from Etta warmed his insides and he admittedly enjoyed the feeling. It had been so long. He thought he’d lost the ability to feel such warmness once more.

  “Okay, that was a stupid thing to say,” she admitted.

  “If you want to make it up to me, how about I bring a few of my favorites and you bring a few of your favorites to Bent Arrow and we can compare notes?” He found himself suggesting. Keigo would wonder later what had gotten into him. He wasn’t usually this forward.

  “Sounds good to me.” Etta beamed at him. “My name sake is definitely at the top of the list.”

  “Let me guess,” he pretended to think long and hard before blurting out, “Etta James.”

  “Indeed.”

  “She’s one of my favorites also,” he admitted. “I love to hear her sing my favorite song--”

  “Let me guess.” Etta interrupted. “Everyone’s favorite, including the “jazz clueless.” At Last.”

  He was shaking his head before she finished speaking. “Wrong,” he said lifting an “I told you so” eyebrow at her for once again making assumptions about him. “For me, it’s My Dearest Darling.”

  “Damn,” she slapped her hand against her thigh with excitement. “You impress the hell out of me. If you don’t stop, I’ll swear you’re trying to steal my heart. You do know your stuff.”

  “Yes, I do,” he admitted proudly. “Not only do I know what I like, I have the only known copy of a studio demo with Chet Baker and piano player, Russ Freeman, during a jam session in 1954 messing around in between sessions.”