But now? Screw all that. I didn’t need some title, some external justification for the goodness inside of me. I knew I was talented. I knew I was good. I didn’t need the approval of the masses to keep on doing what I was doing and thrive at it.
A cameraman followed me as I neared the door to the suite I’d be staying in. It made me a little anxious to have him behind me, even though I’d grown accustomed to being filmed throughout the last month and a half. I tried to keep my shoulders straight, maintain a happy smile on my face, a proud smile, as I pushed the key card into the door to unlock it.
Pushing the door open, I was first met with beautiful daylight, the sun shining in from the large windows taking up the entire far wall of the suite, looking out to the Park below. The suite was immaculate and gorgeous, very expensive looking and accommodating, but none of that really mattered to me when I saw her waiting for me, standing near the bar-height counter just off from the kitchen.
“Raina,” I said softly. Everything else faded away. I dropped the handle of my suitcase and bolted toward her. Raina was grinning as she saw me approaching and she eagerly opened her arms up to me.
We collided in a deep embrace, both of us happily laughing, hugging and swaying side to side. I couldn’t help myself and, pulling back slightly from our hug, I pressed my lips to hers, kissing her with a full and deep vigor, kissing her like it was the first time all over again.
The camera was focused on us but I simply forgot about it. I didn’t care. My overwhelming happiness at seeing Raina, here in her hometown of New York City, standing together in an amazing hotel suite looking out over Central Park, it made nothing else in the world matter to me but her, but this kiss, but this moment of love and passion.
Raina, upon remembering herself that we were being filmed, abruptly pulled back from our kiss with a nervous laugh and held a single finger to the camera, wagging it back and forth, as though she were chastising the cameraman for filming.
“Sorry,” he said with a shrug, keeping the camera focused on us.
“Oh my God,” mewed Raina, looking down, her giggles rolling.
“Whatever!” I said. “Raina, I missed you so much!”
“It’s only been a week since the last challenge!” she said with a chortle.
“Too long,” I said. My hands hung at her waist and I lovingly looked into her soft green eyes.
“C’mon,” she murmured, pushing her forehead down against my shoulder. “The camera.”
“Let him film,” I whispered into her ear.
As you can probably surmise, Raina had won that final challenge in Chicago and I was second after her, putting us together into the Hot Chef finale. It was all just too perfect, exactly how I had hoped it would end up. Despite any efforts to thwart us, and despite the best and valiant efforts of our fellow chef competitors, Raina and I would face off against each other for the money, the fame, and the title. I have to admit that I was a little scared of her, she was an incredible chef, but it was all washed away by the mere fact that I would be competing with the love of my life.
Maybe you think I fall in love too easily or something. I can assure you, that’s not the case. In fact, I have a hard time falling in love. Raina was something special and I didn’t want to let her slip through my fingers again. She made me feel accomplished and good. She made me feel like I could do anything.
After he got all the necessary shots, the cameraman bid us farewell and left us alone. Finally. If you’re keeping track, Raina and I had very little time alone she since was originally eliminated from the competition. We had that moment at Whole Fare, of course. That was really it. Every other time she had been swept away from me by the show… she disappeared after Unruly Restaurant, and even after the final challenge with Richard and Maggie, they made us all say farewell quickly as they organized getting us all to New York. Oh yeah, I guess that was a spoiler. But you’ve probably seen the show before. All the chefs come back at the finale to congratulate the winner. I’m not spoiling anything.
“I still can’t believe it,” I said, pouring both Raina and I a glass of red wine. Sitting up on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter, Raina grinned at me as she took hold of her glass and sipped.
“I’m just… so happy,” said Raina. “I don’t care who wins. If you win, that’s a win for me too.”
“But don’t throw it,” I warned, taking hold of my glass and drinking. I wiped at my lips afterward with the back of my hand. “I want to win fair and square.”
“Okay,” said Raina with a giggle, as if she were saying, “yeah right, Em. Good luck!”
“I’ve got some tricks,” I said. “Just because you can tourné a turnip better than everybody else, that doesn’t mean I’m just gonna let you flit by me and take the win.”
“You’re a turnip,” Raina cooed, teasing me with a light purple glaze of wine on her lips.
“I’m going to destroy you, my dear,” I sang, leaning forward and gently kissing the wine off of her. We held the kiss for a moment more, offering each other consistent light pecks, each punctuated with the requisite sound of what a kiss should be. I could feel my heart leaping.
“Mmm,” Raina sighed gently, then pulled back and took another sip of her wine. “I’m already feeling this,” she said, holding up the glass to look at it. “I don’t really drink very much.”
“It’s bad for you,” I grinned, resting my palm atop her hand on the countertop. After a moment, Raina flipped her hand over and we threaded out fingers together, giving each others’ hands a squeeze.
“What do you think you’ll do after the show ends?” asked Raina absently, herself appearing as though she were daydreaming her own answer to the question.
“What do you mean?” I said. “I told you that I’m interested in opening up my own restaurant, trying my own thing out. If I win, of course, and get that cash prize.”
“Yeah,” said Raina. “But I mean, you know, about us,” she said, offering me a coy smile. “I live here in New York, you’re in Chicago…”
“Oh,” I said, nodding, suddenly understanding her question. “Yeah, uh, I don’t know.” When you’re on Hot Chef it’s like you’re in some dream world. It really puts you in the moment and your city of origin just becomes more backstory for your character. But while I had most certainly dreamed of what I’d do if I won the whole thing, and this dream nebulously included Raina at my side, I hadn’t exactly thought of the logistics of it.
“I’m sorry,” said Raina, sensing my confusion, seeing the conflict in my face. “We don’t have to figure that out right now. But, I mean, you do want to be… um, with me… right?”
“Oh my God, yes!” I intoned. “Yes, of course. There’s nothing I want more.”
“Okay, good,” said Raina with a satisfied smile. She averted her eyes down to her wine glass as she lifted it up and drank from it.
“We’ll just have to figure some things out,” I mused. “I don’t know the answer yet. But I know the answer to your second question.” I smiled, I kissed her again. I felt warmth inside of me.
Raina and I continued holding hands, sipping our wine, and adoringly grinning at each other.
*
The hotel suite was quiet, lit only by a small lamp on the bedside table. While this particular suite had two large bedrooms, each with a California king size bed in it, Raina and I only messed up the blankets and sheets of one of them. Our suitcases were pushed to one side of the room, both of them open with clothes hanging out. I sighed happily, wiped some residual wetness from my lips with the back of my hand, and lounged on the bed as I waited for Raina to return.
This was an absolute dream. I was staying in the fanciest hotel I’d ever been in, sharing it with the girl who had my heart. It was chance that brought us together. Had either of us made a mistake in the show tryouts, we never would have met. Perhaps even had we not been roommates at the Hot Chef loft in Chicago, we may never have grown so close so quickly, discovered our attraction for one an
other, and fallen for each other. There were so many little things that had fallen into place to make sure we could be together. And it almost didn’t happen. But it was happening and I profusely thanked the Gods of every religion our species had for allowing me the opportunity to find Raina. I thanked fate, I thanked chaos, I thanked science. Whoever or whatever wanted to hear my prayers, I made sure they were thanked.
Raina bobbed back into the bedroom, completely naked, her body pale and slender. She held a large clear glass of water in her hand and she took a greedy drink from it, ending her drink with a gratified sigh. Looking across the room at me in the bed, she smiled sheepishly and gave me a little wave.
I could still taste her on my lips. As I gazed at her across the room, I could see the fur that covered her between her legs was lightly matted with moistness from our previous roll in the sheets. I had made her happy and the remnant sounds of her moans still peppered my ears.
“This is good,” said Raina, taking another drink of water. “I need this after that.” Raina absentmindedly dropped her hand to herself and tenderly petted her mound. She then stretched her petite body out and casually slinked over to the bed.
“C’mere,” I said, reaching out for her. She giggled abashedly and then set her glass on the nightstand. Placing her hand into mine, Raina allowed me to pull her down into the bed with me. She tumbled down onto me, her naked body wrapping around me, and we lovingly cuddled into one another.
Raina sighed happily as I started to place kisses all over her face. I couldn’t help myself and I eagerly slid my hand between her legs to give her wetness some more attention.
“No, no, no,” she said, reaching down and pulling my hand out. “It’s your turn.” Raina pushed her lips firmly into mine and gave me a playful grin.
“Mmm,” I moaned. “Okay, I like that.” I flipped onto my back and kicked my feet down at the sheets, getting them untangled from my legs as I relaxed into the soft bedding. I laid there, uncovered, wearing nothing but my panties.
“We’ll have to get these off,” hummed Raina, taking hold of the elastic waistband of my panties and giving them a light tug. I felt them begin to slide down off my hips, the fabric dragging down my thighs, as Raina deftly maneuvered the material down my legs and off my feet. I watched her as she did this, ending up holding my panties aloft while sitting on her knees. She looked at me, gave me a smile, and then brought my panties to her nose and gave them a sniff.
“You!” I called out and Raina just giggled, tossing my panties gingerly off the bed.
“You’re so pretty,” Raina mewed, lowering her hand and running her fingers through my fur. I sighed happily, grinding my butt down into the bed, and relaxed further. I was eager for Raina’s attentions, lusting after her body. I felt Raina slide a single finger downward, parting my cleft, then pulling her finger through my wetness and settling on my tender petal. Her finger slowly began to circle as she lowered her head and planted a kiss softly on my belly.
The motions of her finger easily brought a fire to me, the nest between my thighs growing ever more heated and humid with Raina’s desirous provocations. I spread wider, accepting her hand and its sensual movements.
With my eyes closed and a silly grin etched on my face, I could feel my pulse quickening as Raina continued on. I felt her finger move down once again, splitting me, touching the sticky wetness between my lips, and then entering me with but a quick penetration. I moaned automatically, my hips shifting, my rear digging deep into the sheets. I felt the intoxication bubble up in my brain, lust-drunk, those wanton emotions of fervent appetite overpowering me and plunging me deep underwater. Sopping wet. My heart felt huge, thumping against the inside of my chest, each exhale stilted as I was tried to steady myself.
It wasn’t much longer before I felt Raina’s mouth take me in, her lips on mine, offering sudden suckles, my fleshy folds being taken up into her mouth as every little nerve-ending inside of me stood on its heels. Raina attended to my passion with both her mouth and fingers, causing me to vibrate and stir, my belly taking in full, deep breaths, exhaling each with a long, low sigh.
“Oh God,” I achingly called, letting my face fall to one side of the pillow, succumbing to Raina’s luxurious lapping.
I live a lot of my life dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. I mean, I think we all do that. It’s just part of being human. And it seems like all the philosophers tell us, “if you want to be happy, focus on the moment, focus on the present.” That’s what sex is. That’s what sex gives us. It takes us out of our heads and allows us to just exist in the pleasure of our bodies. It’s the greatest gift we were ever given. Not only the ability to feel happy by another person’s touch, but to touch them and make them feel happy as well. Sometimes life can be difficult, sometimes it can be hard, but when you let yourself melt into sexual pleasure, with someone you love at your side, there’s no worry that can’t be forgotten about for, at the very least, those ten minutes, half hour, hour, whatever. You can forget it all and just be.
My thighs slowly built up to a quiver as Raina redoubled her efforts at the apex of my legs. I could feel her lips vibrate, her tongue flick, her fingers push into my tightness. Reaching my hands up, I threaded my fingers through my own hair and gave my locks a firm pull, my arms feeling a light stretch as I tightened and loosened, tightened and loosened. I could feel the lower half of my body clench hard and then suddenly relax. My butt wriggled into the sheets. My own humidity warming my middle and trickling downward.
Then everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, like I’d fallen into a pool of water and everything went at half speed, sounds muffled. Although in reality my body was juddering back and forth on the bed, feet kicking, my mouth agape to release sounds of passion and fulfillment, inside my head everything felt like it was just switched off for a moment. It was as though my spirit had levitated above my figure, watched my body wiggle with mild amusement, scratching its chin and humming, “Okay, Em, how about… now?”
And at that now? My spirit came crashing back into me and I felt all the sensations, all the tingles, all the electricity blasting into me at the very same time. My heart was full of love, of acceptance, of the feeling that anything was possible, while my body went back and forth between feeling hot and feeling cool, my middle feeling impossibly damp, my head spinning with drunken frenzy. My eyes blasted open, as though I were coming above water, and my mouth dropped open to release a deep moan. I caught Raina looking at me, smiling, giggling, sliding the finger that she had used between my thighs into her mouth and giving it a quick suck.
Then I collapsed. What else could I do? You’ve been there. You know. I absolutely dissolved down into the bed with a heaving chest, almost gasping for air, feeling dizzy and spent and animated and exhausted all at the same time. My body bristled with a spark as it tingled through my every nook and cranny.
Raina slipped down next to me, her warm little body pressing against mine, and we immediately embraced. She buried her face into my neck and I kissed her hair, nuzzling my nose against the soft tendrils, heavily panting my hot breath into her head. I could feel her giggling against my neck and then she kissed it, her lips wet against my flesh. Then another kiss. We squeezed each other with loving arms.
“Mmm!” I purred, feeling tickled throughout my form. I laughed softly and shivered. “Thank you.” It’s all I could say. You’ve got to be appreciative of your lover.
Raina just simply sighed against me, her nose feeling slightly cold against my neck. I kissed her on her hair once again and let my hand fall further down her body and rest on her bare bottom. We cuddled like that for some time on the bed, occasionally lifting our heads to sweetly join our lips together, until the two of us, in each other’s arms, delicately began to drift away to sleep.
We had a lot to consider in the coming days. But none of it was important right then. No, in our post-coital daze, all either of us cared about was being close to the other. And that we were.
*
The next morning, Raina and I sat together at the kitchen counter sipping mugs of coffee. Everything felt perfectly relaxed. You know those mornings where you wake up with your lover, wrestling around a bit before you lazily crawl out of bed, slink into the kitchen half-dressed to brew that first amazing pot of coffee for the day? It was that. The two of us were propped up indolently by the stools, groggy, trying to make sense of the day we had ahead of us.
This was it. The finale.
We didn’t really talk about it too much. There was still a streak of competition running through both of us and I don’t think either of us wanted to show our hand too soon. Lovers in the bedroom, competitors on the field. It really gave me an immense sense of pride to be facing off with Raina. She had been the favorite all season and she was an absolute monster in the kitchen. I knew I had my work cut out for me.
Just then, there was a knock at our hotel room door. We looked at each other soundlessly, raising eyebrows, wondering who it could be. I slowly stood up from the stool and sauntered over toward the door.
Upon opening it up my eyes grew wide.
“Morning Emily,” said Tim. There was Tim Cicerone, dressed in a bright white chef’s jacket, with a stainless steel push cart in front of him filled with various ingredients.
“Chef!” I called out in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“May I come in?” he said with a smile.
“Of course,” I said, moving out of his way. By this time Raina had stood up, her eyes trained on us, she too wondering what the hell Tim was doing in our hotel room so early.
“Chefs,” said Tim, pushing the cart into our kitchen. And of course, he had a cameraman behind him filming the entire thing. I was just glad Raina and I weren’t slinking around the room naked. “The two of you have done such an amazing job this season. You’ve really cooked your butts off.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling excited.
Chef Cutegirl: A Sweet Lesbian Romance Page 13