Secret Sauce

by Jill Sanders

  Disgusted at himself, he smiled when he remembered how wonderful she’d felt in his arms. How her lips had felt and tasted under his. Even now, as the cold seeped into his every pore, he could feel the warmth of her breasts pushing against his chest.

  As he quickened his pace, he thought about what he’d learned over dinner. It had been difficult, at first, but halfway through the meal, after he’d started talking about his college days and family, she’d opened up a little bit more about herself.

  She had an older sister, Trina. She hadn’t mentioned where she was or what she did, just her name. She had talked about their childhood growing up in Philadelphia, where her parents still lived in the house she’d grown up in. She had moved to New York right after high school and had attended night school while working as a writer. She hadn’t mentioned where she worked, which caused him to believe he was really sitting across from the bane of his life over the past few months.

  But his biggest clue had come earlier on in the evening when she’d talked about loving the Soupe à L’oignon at Via Dante’s. He was dying to get back to his place and his computer to check old articles and see if there had been a critique on that particular dish.

  If so, he would know without a doubt that he’d just dined with the elusive M. Jensen herself.

  Chapter Five

  There were times when Marina’s wished she could speed up time. Early that next morning was one of them. When she’d gotten home, it had taken her hours to finally settle down. She could have used the short walk in the cool air to help calm her body down, but since she didn’t want Trent to know where she lived, she had jumped in a cab and taken the short ride home.

  She’d taken a long bath and had even done some yoga before finally flipping on the television and falling asleep to an old episode of Friends. She was woken around two in the morning by a phone call. When she reached over and answered it, there was only breathing on the other end. Hanging up, she sighed and wished that there was a way to make all crank callers pay.

  The next morning, she was woken when Tommy came bouncing in. He was jumping up and down on the bed before she realized she’d promised Trent she’d watch his game today. Not once had she thought about Tommy. She didn’t want to take him; she didn’t know Trent well enough to spring her entire situation on him, yet.

  Her mind cleared as Tommy grabbed her face with his little hands and asked.

  “Is that okay? Can I go with them?”

  “What?” She sat up a little and hugged his little body. He always felt warm and sticky at the same time and she loved the mix.

  He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Mark and Juan are going to the zoo today.” He emphasized the words like she was slow. “They wanted me to go with them. Can I?” He pulled out of her arms and started jumping on his knees on her bed. “Can I?” he repeated until she laughed and grabbed him up again.

  “Yes, yes,” she said over and over. “But only if you give me a kiss.” She tickled him until he almost hyperventilated.

  “Yeah!” He started to push out of her arms, but then came back and gave her a sloppy kiss.

  “Mmm, maple syrup. Did Julie make pancakes?”

  He giggled and nodded. “They’re waiting for me.” He tugged out of her arms again.

  “Well, then you shouldn’t keep them waiting.” She moved to get up and smiled when she realized he was no longer in the room. As she walked down the hall, she heard him banging around his room for something. Peeking her head in, she asked,

  “What are you looking for?”

  “My bin-oc-u-lars.” He pronounced it carefully and she smiled when it took him two times to say it correctly.

  “Why do you need your binoculars?”

  He sighed and looked at her as he placed his hands on his hips. “To see the animals of course. You can’t go on a sapharrtid without them.”

  “Safari,” she corrected.

  “Safari,” he said, trying the word out. “It’s like my jungle show. Can I wear my green floppy hat?” he asked, rushing around the room.

  She quickly helped him find both his hat and his binoculars and gave him his green backpack with a few snacks and a bottle of water in it.

  “There, now you look like you’re going on a real African safari,” she said, tugging down his hat.

  “Thanks, Mari.” He hugged her and rushed towards the door. “See you later.”

  She smiled and waved as he rushed out. A few minutes later, Julie texted her.

  - How was the date?

  - Wonderful. I’ll tell all later. Thanks for taking Tommy with you today.

  - No problem. The boys will love it. We should be back around six. Since I know they will want pizza and ice cream after.

  - Thanks again

  She dressed and cleaned up the mess they had made in Tommy’s room, then looked at the clock and realized she had two more hours before Trent’s game.

  Usually, Saturdays were full of Tommy. They would either go to the park or shops or, if it was cold out, they would spend the day playing games. It had been a long time since she’d had a whole day to herself. She didn’t quite know what to do with herself now.

  It was funny how in just over a year, her entire life had changed. She sat at her little makeshift desk and opened her laptop.

  The image of her sister and Tommy popped up on the screen. She wished she knew where Trina was, but it had been her plan to completely hide until she knew that it was safe to come back for her son.

  Sighing, she decided not to think about her sister and instead focus on last night. Trent was so different than she’d imagined he’d be. She hadn’t realized how much her mind had come up with in the year she’d spent daydreaming about him.

  He was a perfect gentleman. He was funny, sexy, and smart. How could she ever have imagined all that? Then something he’d said last night flashed in her mind. He’d wondered if she wrote books.

  She’d wanted to write a book ever since a college professor had suggested she use her writing skills for something more entertaining.

  Opening a new document, she stared at the screen until something came to her. She spent the next hour punching away at the keys. When she wrote for the paper, she thought of it as work, but now, glancing down at the few pages she’d written, she realized she was actually having fun.

  The next hour she spent fussing over her hair and make-up as well as picking out the right outfit. She finally decided on a pair of her designer jeans with a crimson blouse over a black silk tank top. She’d purchased most of her clothing in her previous life, as she called life before Tommy. She could remember spending most of her paychecks on clothes, shoes, and accessories. She had a closet full of items that she hadn’t worn since she’d chosen her solitary life.

  She glanced at her reflection in the hall mirror as she walked out her front door. She was thankful she’d picked her flats to wear when she arrived at the park and had to walk through a grassy field to get to the small stands that sat along the ball field.

  She was anxiously looking around for Trent among all the people when she felt a familiar zing up her spine. Turning around, she smiled when she saw him walking towards her. Her breath hitched and her heart jumped when she noticed what he was wearing. His gray uniform stretched tight over every inch of his muscular form. She’d seen him in loose sweats and dress clothes, but nothing had prepared her for seeing every curve in the light material.

  He smiled when he noticed her eyes slowly running over him. She couldn’t help it, her face started to flush and heat. All of a sudden, she wished she’d worn something cooler instead of the long-sleeved blouse and jeans.

  “Hi, you’re just in time.” He nodded towards the field to his left. “We’re over here. You can sit with Mike’s wife, Terry.” He motioned towards a young blonde woman sitting in the small bleachers. “They were married last year. Terry is a school teacher at St. Martin’s Grade school.” He waved at her as they got closer. “Mike’s a fireman.” He nodded towards a huge muscu
lar man who was currently stretching his arms over his head with the rest of Trent’s teammates.

  “How do you know all these men?” she asked, looking around nervously.

  He chuckled. “Some from college, some from work.” He nodded to Mike. “Some have saved my butt on various occasions.”

  “You’ll have to explain that one to me later.”

  He laughed. “If I know Terry, I won’t have to. She’ll tell you all about it during the game,” he said as they walked up to where Terry sat, smiling.

  After introductions, he jogged towards the field, leaving her alone with the blonde.

  “So, how did you two meet?” Terry asked right away.

  “Well, actually, I’ve seen Trent around for the last year. He’s been jogging in my neighborhood and up until last week, he’d been running right by me.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Then last Monday he walked into my favorite coffee shop and asked me out.”

  Terry laughed. “That man is smooth.” She shook her head. “He’s never brought someone to a game before. He must have really enjoyed the date.”

  Marina laughed. “I’d like to think so.” She turned a little and looked at Terry. “Now, what’s this about your husband saving Trent?”

  Terry laughed. “Not literally. Mike’s a fireman, but it had nothing to do with a fire.” Terry looked off towards the field as the game started. “You see, Trent was on a blind date, and Mike just happened to be at the same restaurant on one as well. When they met in the bathroom, they came up with a plan to ditch both women, since things weren’t going so well.” She chuckled. “After that, they became each other’s blockers. You know,” she continued when Marina just looked at her questioningly, “the person who calls or shows up in the middle of a blind date to end the evening.”

  Marina laughed. “I guess I’ve never had cause to have a blocker before.”

  “Neither have I. But back then, Trent and Mike had friends that were always trying to set them up.”

  “How did you meet Mike? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “Not at all.” They stopped and cheered when Mike hit the ball and ran towards first base. When he’d made it to the base, they sat back down. “My friend Jenny set us up on a blind date.” She giggled. “Needless to say, Trent was called off when he called halfway through dinner.”

  Marina smiled. “Does Mike still play blocker for Trent?”

  Terry shook her head. “Not for a while. His friends that always used to set him up are now both happily married men living in Maine somewhere.”

  Marina smiled and waved as Trent walked up to bat. “How long have they been playing?” she asked, not taking her eyes from Trent’s backside.

  “Almost three years now. Mike and I were married last spring and I haven’t missed a game yet. It’s kind of addictive.” They both stood as Trent hit the ball and raced towards first base.

  They chatted the rest of the game, stopping to cheer when the game called for it. By halfway through the game, Marina was enjoying every minute of the game. The game finished a little over an hour later with Trent’s team in the lead.

  When he came up to the stands, he was covered in sweat from his last home run. “Usually everyone likes to get together at Harry’s Pizza Parlor afterwards for beers and a pie.”

  “Sounds good.” She tried not to sound too excited.

  “If you want, you can come back to my place while I shower and change.”

  She nodded and felt a zing of excitement at being able to see his place.

  “So how did you like the game?” He nodded when Terry went down to meet Mike.

  “I’m loving it. It a lot better than watching it on television.” She smiled.

  “So what have you been up to today?” he asked as they started to walk towards the line of people.

  She smiled. “I started writing a book.”

  “Really?” he asked, his eyebrows going up as he looked at her.

  She nodded. “Your idea.” Then she laughed, “Well, sort of. I guess you can say you put the idea in my head.”

  “What’s it about? Don’t tell me it’s one of the lovey-dovey kind.” He frowned a little and she noticed a small crease between his eyebrows.

  She laughed. “No, it’s a self-help book about organizing your life.” His eyebrows shot up again.

  “That’s wonderful. I think.” He smiled at her.

  She felt the need to explain further. “A year ago I moved from a twelve-hundred-square-foot apartment into one barely six hundred square feet. I’ve always been an organized person, but moving into such a small space really caused me to rethink my skills. Now, after a year, I think I’ve done pretty well.” She laughed. “Julie, my neighbor and friend, is always amazed at how Tommy and I fit into what she calls a shoe box apartment.”

  He was silent for a moment. “Tommy?” His question threw her for a loop. She’d been so excited about telling him about the book that she’d let the most important word slip from her lips. Tommy.

  “My nephew.” She turned and was thankful that a few of his friends had stopped right in front of them and started chatting about the game and where they were all heading for a pie and beer.

  When they finally left the field and started heading towards his place, she noticed how close it was to her own apartment and frowned a little when she realized it was right across the street from Manhattan Nights. Since he was busy unlocking the gate to let them in, she doubted he’d noticed and decided to keep it to herself. After all, just because she’d had a bad experience at the restaurant didn’t mean everyone had.

  When the gate opened, she was shocked to see a large private garden area that sat between two tall buildings. As they took the outside stone steps up to two large wood and glass doors, she tried not to feel nervous. She hadn’t even known places like this existed in the city. Not only was the brick building beautiful, it was huge. And from the looks of it, he was the only tenant upstairs. There were three little shops that sat on the ground floor outside of the privately gated area.

  “Is this all yours?” she asked, nodding towards the garden below.

  “Yes, part of the perks of living in an older area.” He smiled as he opened the door. “I’ll just be a few minutes.” He motioned for her to follow him inside.

  When she stepped in, she held her breath. The place was not only huge but beautiful. The older architecture had been salvaged during a recent remodeling. All of the classic wood beams had been saved and gleamed with newness. Even the hardwood floors looked authentic.

  “It’s lovely,” she said as she looked around.

  “Help yourself to anything in the fridge. I’ll be quick.” He headed up a large iron and wood staircase as she walked around the large main floor.

  The furnishings were simple and masculine yet had a slight touch that was unmistakably feminine. Most likely from a decorator, she decided. The huge windows opened up the room, letting in enough light that she doubted he ever needed to turn on the classic hanging glass bulbs, except at night.

  The living room and kitchen were separated by a large stone bar area. There was a small dining table and chairs off towards the windows on the other side of two huge wood beams. Expensive artwork hung on the walls, and rugs that no doubt cost more than an entire year’s salary for her sat on his floors.

  The more she looked around, the more she felt like she was way out of her league. What was it he said he did for a living? Service? What kind of service? So many questions started popping into her head that the only way to calm herself down was to start listing off things she did know about him.

  He’d been raised in New York. He had a younger sister. He’d gone to Princeton.

  There her mind stopped. Princeton. Why hadn’t she seen it before? The answer was so clear now. His family had money. Instantly, she was on guard. Brandon, Tommy’s father, was from a wealthy family. If there was one thing she had learned about the rich, it’s that they always stuck together in matters of family and had enough p
ower to cause problems if they wanted to.

  Her mind was telling her to run, but her feet were glued to the wood flooring. She heard the shower cut off and wished more than anything that she knew more about him. Then she noticed a stack of paperwork by his phone and decided that a little look wouldn’t hurt; after all, it was lying on the counter for anyone to see. Rushing over as quietly as she could, she started looking through the unopened mail.

  The only thing she could tell was that he used the same power and television service as she did. He hadn’t lied about his name, or that this was indeed his place. Every letter was addressed to him at this location.

  She set his mail back down and walked to the glass windows and thought about her next step.

  Chapter Six

  When Trent walked downstairs, fresh from a quick shower, he saw Marina looking out the glass windows at Manhattan Nights. He decided to try and get something, anything from her.

  “Nice place.” He nodded towards his restaurant when he stepped up next to her.

  “Hmm?” She turned to look at him. When he nodded again, her eyes followed his direction.

  “Oh, sure. I guess. I’ve only eaten there a few times. Are you ready?” she asked, looking a little nervous. When she’d walked into his place, she’d looked excited and curious. Now, however, it looked like she was jumping out of her skin and eager to get out of his apartment.

  “Sure.” He reached for her hand and pulled her close. “Just one thing first.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed those sweet lips again.

  All throughout the game, his eyes and his thoughts had kept wandering back to those lips. He’d kept telling himself that he had built up last night’s kiss into something it hadn’t been. But when he tasted her again, he realized he’d been wrong. She tasted as sweet as he remembered, even a little sweeter.

  At first her body was tense, but when he started running his hands up and down her back, he felt her relax in his arms.