Offer to help…in the kitchen

“Anything I can do to help?” you ask.

Kelly smiles at you, but this time there’s a bit a touch of thankfulness in her playful grin. “Sure. Could you stir the sauce for me while I put the bread in the oven?” You step over to where a pan of tomato sauce is simmering, stirring it while careful not to stand in front of the oven door. “Everyone pitches in on food but the cooking is usually left up to me. I’m not the greatest cook but at least I don’t burn the food.” Kelly comments in an off-handed manner as she puts a store-bought loaf of garlic bread in the oven to toast.

You pause for a moment and smell the sauce. Then you turn to Kelly. “Do you have any spices?”

“Um…let’s see.” Kelly goes to one of the nearby cabinets. “Got some black pepper, a bottle of Italian seasoning, and some of Sarah’s Sriracha. She calls it ‘cock sauce.’”

You take a small taste of the canned sauce, then think for a moment. “Hand them here for a second.”

Kelly gives you a funny look and hands the containers to you. With a little work, you season the sauce a bit as Kelly looks on. After a few minutes, you take a spoonful and offer it to Kelly. “Taste that and see what you think.”

She looks at you skeptically and takes a very small sample. After rolling it around a bit, her eyes widen. “You did that with this stuff?” You nod. “Andi! Sarah! Come here and check this out!”

Andi comes bouncing in almost immediately. Bounce is the only word you can think of when you see her breasts twirling inside her tank top. Kelly gives her a taste of the sauce and Andi “oooohs” in delight. Sarah yells back for us to shut up so she can hear the television.

By this time the pasta is done. Andi drains it in the sink, then puts it back in the pot. The two of you stir in the sauce while Kelly takes the bread from the oven and cuts off a few pieces. The three of you sit down to eat. Sarah only comes in during the next commercial break; she’s there long enough to fill up her glass with more ice and Diet Coke, load up a plate with a small amount of pasta and bread, then head back to the living room.

After Kelly takes a bite of pasta and coos a bit, she takes a drink of water. Then she turns to you. “So, John, tell us a bit about yourself.”