Free Chef's Delight (Stories of Serendipity) by Anne Conley Page A

centuries.  It’s a classic combination.”  His eyes were focused solely on Jessie, watching her eat eagerly.  “I just gave it a slightly more modern twist, pairing them on a pizza.”
    “This is so good.  Mmmmm.”  Jessie wiped an errant string of cheese from her chin.
    “The next course will be out shortly.”  Connor again disappeared into the kitchen, where strains of some rap song were coming from a faint radio.  Soon, Connor’s voice could be heard singing along.  Jessie smiled to herself.  This guy was really pretty fun.
    Jessie and Summer sat and ate, while looking around the room.  The wall paper was a muted pattern of flowers and vines, not too distracting.  The woodwork around the doors and windows was dark, polished to a gleaming shine.  Over on the stairs, the woodwork was the same, and the carpeted runner up the stairs matched the wallpaper.  The whole effect was elegant, and soothing.
    Suddenly, Summer froze, the blood had drained from her face, and her eyes were glued to the corner by the stairs.
    “What?”  Jessie turned to look, but couldn’t see anything.
    Still staring at the spot next to the stairs, Summer jutted her chin in the direction her eyes were focused.  “Over there.  There’s a woman.”
    Jessie turned and looked again.  Nothing.  “Whatever, Summer.”  She turned back to her food.
    “There is a woman standing at the foot of the stairs, and she’s staring at us…”  Her voice had faded, and she gasped.  “She’s angry, Jessie.  I don’t like this.”  Summer clutched the table top on either side of her, and Jessie could see her knuckles turning white with the sheer intensity of her grip.
    “There’s nobody there, Summer.”  Jessie wasn’t going to turn and look again. 
    “You can’t see her, that’s fine.  But I can, and she’s sending some seriously bad vibes this way.”
    Jessie waggled her fingers dramatically.  “Ooooohhhhh!  Scary…”
    “Please don’t joke about this Jessie.”  Summer’s pale complexion had turned waxy, and she looked physically ill.
    “I’m sorry.  Look, I’m having a really good time, but if you want to go…”
    “I do.  I’m sorry Jessie.  You stay.”
    “You’re okay, though, right?  You haven’t…um…”  She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “taken anything?”
    “Jesus, Jessie.  No.  I haven’t taken anything.”  Summer wiped her mouth, and gulped down her glass of wine, her eyes never straying from the corner by the stairs.  “Just…do me a favor.  Don’t go up those stairs.  Okay?”
    Jessie snorted.  “Okay.  I won’t go up the stairs.  You okay to drive?”
    Summer was standing now, edging around the table.  “Yeah.  Please be careful, Jessie?”
    “Yes, ma’am.  I will.”  Jessie saluted her friend as Summer scurried away.
    She was shaking her head in bewilderment as Connor came out of the kitchen again, carrying another platter of food.  “Where did your friend go?”
    “Prior engagement.  She just remembered something.”  Jessie looked around the dining room, noticing the other two tables had been cleared.  “Am I here alone, now?”
    His gaze swept the room, finally landing on Jessie.  His voice came out a raspy whisper, “Aside from the two people in the kitchen, yes.”
    “Then, can you join me?”  She gestured to the recently vacated seat across the table from her.
    “Let me tell Kathy when to get the tart out of the oven.”  He strode back into the kitchen, returning after a few minutes with a clean plate, another wine glass, and a fresh bottle of wine.  “Do you mind if I help you eat?”
    “God, please!”  Jessie laughed as he dished out the next course of the meal onto both plates.
    “This is a chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and artichokes, served with raviolis with a peach chevre filling.  I don’t usually serve the two together, but since you are having the chevre supper tonight, I figured why