"This is just great. I love the room, and the location is just perfect for me," he said.
"Oh, does that mean you want to take it?" she asked. "I should at least show you the kitchen."
"That probably would be a good idea," he said. "Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself."
"This way," she said and turned and walked from the room. He was right behind her, his eyes glued on her incredible ass.
"This is it," she said as she led him into the most amazing kitchen he had ever seen. Featuring dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, and a pot rack hanging from the ceiling, it was obviously well put together and equipped. A set of fantastic cookware hung from the pot rack. Looking around he saw all the things he had always wanted but never had. Stainless steel appliances, a fridge with water and ice in the door, a six burner gas cooktop, and even a double gas oven.
"Whoa," he exclaimed. "I think I've died and gone to heaven."
"Most guys don't get that excited about kitchens," she said with a sexy little chuckle. "This was my ex-husband's last renovation project before he decided to move on."
Charlotte saw Kevin's eyes lift at the brief mention of the "ex" husband.
"Well, I guess I ain't most guys. I love to cook, and I love to eat. I don't watch sports, I watch the Cooking Channels. Something my ex-wife didn't appreciate very much," he told her.
"Well, if you like to cook, I would love to get a break. Feel free to cook for me anytime," she told him with a smile.
"OK," he replied, fixing her in his gaze. "I might just do that."
"So you'll take it?" she asked, with just a hint of question to her voice.
"Unless there's some strange catch, I don't see a thing wrong with this. Great room, great kitchen, really nice landlord, and the price is right. Am I missing something?" he asked.
"No, I don't think so." she said. "This is our first time to rent, so we might be learning too. But if you want run of the kitchen to yourself, you will need to work that out with me and my daughter. We will have first priority, obviously. If you want to share meals with us, I don't have a problem with that, but we might work out some way of sharing food costs. Is that reasonable?"
"Oh yeah, very reasonable," he responded. "If you'll have me, I'll take it."
"Great!" she said excitedly. "I am so happy to have someone show up that seems so nice and, er, well … normal." She giggled like a schoolgirl.
"Well, I know you must be apprehensive allowing a stranger into your home. Just know that you and your daughter don't have to worry about me," he said.
"Oh, I sensed that. And I'm usually a pretty good judge of character" she added after just a little pause.
Chapter Four
Charlotte
The first weeks after Kevin moved in were a whirlwind. They talked for a while that first day, and he told her of his new job at the university. She shared with him her work as a freelance stenographer. She was often hired by different attorneys to take depositions and made great money doing it. Her hours were short, but the pay was long. It was her kind of job.
He was in and out constantly, putting in long hours at the college. He explained that he had to prepare lectures to get his classes ready to go. He was teaching five sections of history at the school, but each section was in a different subject, so his preparation load was crushing for now.
He usually arrived home late at night, about ten or so, and immediately went to his room to collapse. The only times that they had spoken much was during breakfast. He went in fairly late three days a week, since his classes didn't begin until later. He would come down to the kitchen table in a robe, or T-shirt and sleeping pants. She figured out his schedule and made sure that she had breakfast on for him those mornings that she could predict his schedule.
Crystal, her 18 year old daughter, got along great with him. He had a really easy-going manner and got along with her well, which explained why he was teaching college. One morning, she came into the kitchen and found Kevin helping her with her history homework.
Later, Crystal told Charlotte, confidentially, that she thought Kevin was "hot."
Crystal was the captain of the high school drill team, and was dating the quarterback on the football team. She was built just like Charlotte, pre-boob job. She had a nice B-cup rack on top of a lithe, athletic size 0 or 2 body. Everyone said she was a brunette version of her mother, with the same kind of tight little body, and a lithe dancer's build. Her long chestnut colored hair was also worn in the popular Jennifer Aniston type layers.
"Charlotte, thanks for you and Crystal taking such good care of me," Kevin said one morning after he had come out to find bacon, eggs and English muffins ready for his breakfast.
"Kevin, you know I don't mind. You've been a dear to Crystal and I," she said.
"How have I been a dear? I don't' feel like I've even been home," he asked.
"Well, you haven't been any trouble at all," she explained. "We couldn't ask for anyone better. And Crystal got an "A" on that history project you helped her with."
He chuckled, and drew his fist down in a pumping motion.
"Yes! I knew it!" He practically screamed.
They both shared a laugh together, celebrating in Crystal's success.
"Well," as told her, when they came up for air, "as soon as I can, I promise I am going to cook for you. As soon as I have some time and get my first paycheck, I'm going to blow your socks off!"
"Well that, sir, I am very much looking forward to!" she replied.
Chapter Five
Kevin
From his office, Kevin logged onto his laptop early one day and checked the balance of his bank account. From its paltry two-digit number, Kevin gleefully saw that his bank account had swollen by nearly four thousand dollars.
Taking his iPhone from his pocket, he pulled up Charlotte's contact and typed a text message.
Do you have plans for dinner?
About a minute or so later, his alert tone went off. He looked for her reply.
Not for dinner. Going to watch Crystal
perform at halftime at the game
tonight, but open otherwise.
Kevin typed in his reply …
Can I make you dinner tonight? Say six?
Charlotte replied:
I'll be there with bells on!
Kevin left his office early that day, as soon as he could bust loose. He knew that he a ton of stuff to do if he was to make the meal that he really wanted to make for Charlotte. He knew he was attracted to her, badly, and wanted to do something special. So he fell back on a tried and true recipe, quite simply the most romantic meal he had ever eaten. Chateaubriand for Two.
When he left the office, he hightailed it to the best grocery store in town. Heading straight inside for the butcher shop, he ordered a 1-1/2 pound piece of center cut beef tenderloin, telling the butcher he was making chateaubriand. He got the best cut of meat out of the center of a complete tenderloin.
He picked up Portobello mushrooms, fresh asparagus, some fixins' for a Ceasar Salad and some baking sized potatoes and headed for the check out.
Driving down the street to the nearest liquor store, he went in and asked for a bottle of cognac and a bottle of Madiera wine. He also picked up some other bottles of wines to have with the meal. He didn't know if she was a red wine or white wine girl. After dealing with the store clerks for a bit, he left in a hurry to pull off his surprise.
By the time it was said and done, he had spent about a hundred bucks on this meal, but it was going to be worth it. Charlotte would be amazed and pleased.
Once at home, Kevin stoked a charcoal fire on the BBQ pit out back. Taking his potatoes, he slathered them in butter, salt and fresh ground pepper and put them in the grill. He liberally sprinkled hickory wood chips on the fire to get the good wafting smoke he wanted. He knew that once the potatoes absorbed the smoke from the grill, they would be amazing.
Inside, he prepared the tenderloin for grilling by a simple dosing with fresh ground black pepper and placed it in a cast iron skillet. He then took the asparagus, cropped off the cut-off ends and wrapped bundles of three or four inside strips of bacon for roasting.
As the hour of Charlotte's arrival home from work loomed, Kevin seared the beef tenderloin in the skillet stovetop, before moving it to the oven to roast. After a few minutes he added the asparagus to the oven.
Carefully watching his beef, Kevin removed it from the oven at the right time, drained the juices to a skillet, and tented the meat with foil. In the skillet, he combined garlic, some olive oil and Portobello mushrooms to sauté.
At that moment, Charlotte came through the front door.
"Something smells really good!" she exclaimed.
"Wanna see something that looks good?" he asked from the kitchen.
"Sure!" she replied and came to the kitchen door.
He doused the sautéing mushrooms with cognac and tilted the skillet to ignite the alcohol. The skillet burst into flames, which quickly settled to a deep blue flame.
"Oh my god!" Charlotte squealed.
"Dinner will be served in about five minutes," he told her as the flames subsided.
"I'll just go get changed for the football game then," she said.