Free Chef Charming by Lyn Ellerbe Page B

only eating a
package of crackers for lunch.
    “Sit down, young lady,” Mr.
Watkins, the elderly gentleman in their group insisted, as he saw her wobble slightly.
    “I’m sorry,” she confessed . “I forgot to eat since breakfast and I think I’m a
little woozy.”
    Chef Marcus noticed the
slight commotion and came over to the group that he had successfully avoided up
until now. “Anything I can help with, Mr. Watkins?” Chef asked.
    He's so nice to everyone
else, Rori thought when she heard his kind tone.
    “This young lady just needs
to eat something, Chef,” the grandfather answered, as his wife was handing Rori
a wet towel. “She says she hasn’t eaten since breakfast.”
    “Is this true Miss
Sinclair?” Chef t urned to his emotional
nemesis.
    “Yes, but I’ll be okay as
soon as our delicious cream puffs come out of the oven,” she waved a hand towards their oven and covered her
distress with quick words. “Should be any second now!” Go away, please, she wanted to add.
    Seemingly i gnoring her, Marcus marched to another group’s table
and snatched one of their already plated masterpieces, returned and pushed it
at her.
    “Eat. Now.” Marcus commanded. Rori
obeyed, wanting to mimic his tone with ‘Me Tarzan, You Jane.’ She knew she was
in bad shape when her giddiness reverted to such childish humor.
    She obediently stuffed the
macaroon in her mouth, smiling around the
delicious mouthful. “There,” she said, “I’m good.”
    “Stay put until you are sure
you are steady on your feet ,” Marcus
insisted. “I don’t want to have to rescue a fainting princess tonight.”
    Rori and Marcus did not see sly smiles exchanged between the Watkins, the young
moms, and Jessica. Almost everyone in the class was aware of the undercurrents
going on between the graduate art student and the handsome young chef. It had
become quite the topic of conversation before and after class.
    “It is quite obvious that
neither of the interested parties knows the other is interested,” Mr. Watkins
commented.
    That the rest of the class
suspected what she did was news to Jessica.
    “I promise you all this, I
will tell them each to wake up as soon as the course is over ,” she assured them, out of Rori’s earshot. “I think
Chef MacRae thinks that the school has some regulation he would be violating if
he showed any interest in a student. But she’s a graduate student which makes
her fair game, so to speak.”
    “ I think he’s just in denial because she’s so different
from him,” the wise Mrs. Watkins spoke up. “It’s like a breath of fresh air
that he’s not used to. They are perfect for each other.” The romantic at heart
smiled as the rest of the group agreed.
    The coffee and pastries
filled her growling lion of a stomach and Rori left class fully sated . She only returned to the studio to retrieve her
backpack and wallet. She was heading straight home under orders from her pseudo
doctors John and Calvin.
    “Whatever is down there can
wait ,” they insisted as Jess joined them
to head out to late night bowling. “Go home!”
    The light sprinkles from
earlier in the day had turned into a full-fledged
downpour as she ran across the sidewalk and jumped into her VW Beetle. This
will be a fun ride home, she thought. Her windshield wipers were due to be replaced , but it was something she didn’t think about
until she needed them. Like tonight.
    She was rubbing off the
condensation from the car’s poor
ventilation when Marcus came out of the building. She saw that he had no
umbrella as he began to walk down the block. She honked her horn, leaned over,
and rolled down her window.
    “Do you need a ride?” she
asked . The rain would begin in earnest
any minute now if the typical pattern held.
    “No, I’ll be fine. ” He was startled at the voice coming from the bright
orange Volkswagen. An early seventies model, from what he could tell.
    “Get in, you big stubborn
oaf!” Rori demanded . For some