Read Chef's Delight (Stories of Serendipity) for Free Online

to walk towards the stairs, a chill creeping up his spine as the hair on the back of his neck stood at attention.
    When he set his foot on the bottom tread of the stairs, the music abruptly stopped.  As he continued up the stairs, slowly, he heard no more sounds except the quiet footfalls of his own feet.
    Grumbling about the interruption of his morning caffeine intake, he reversed his steps on the stairs and went back into the front room to finish his cold coffee.
     
    Jessie had managed to awaken at her normal five thirty, was finished milking the goats, and had started for the fridge to get the milk for her first batch of cheese when the phone rang.
    “Hello?”
    “No catchy business title to answer the phone with?”  The voice at the other end of the phone sounded familiar, but Jessie couldn’t place it.  It was low and gritty, but sweet, like her grandmother’s pralines used to be.  The speaker had a slight drawl, not an exaggerated drawl, like the locals, but definitely a Texas boy.
    “I’m sorry?”
    “Most business owners answer their phones with the name of their business, like I answer my phone, ‘Estelle’s’.”  Ah…It was the restaurant owner who had looked at her like a veal cutlet yesterday.  And the one she had shot at…
    “Oh.  I’m sorry.  Ahem…Stillwell Dairy, how may I be of service to you?”
    There was a slight pause at the other end of the line, as she blushed.  If his mind was half as filthy as hers, she was sure she knew what he was thinking.  “Hello?  Did I lose you?”
    “Oh no.  You didn’t lose me.  I’m here.”  His voice had gotten even lower, and it made something inside Jessie go all warm and gooey.  She could get used to talking to this guy on the phone.  “I was calling to let you know I was very impressed with your cheese yesterday.  Very…exceptional quality.”
    Relief flooded through her, in spite of the fact she was still angry at him for leering at her.  And mad at herself for the lurid images that kept flowing through her mind at the sound of his voice.  “I’m really glad you liked it.”
    “Do you make it all there, at your house?”
    “I have modified my kitchen to be a commercial grade food preparation area.”  She bristled, in spite of herself.  Was he trying to question her qualifications?
    “I have no doubts you did.  I was just making conversation.”
    “Oh.  Well, yes.  I do make it all here.”
    “And you flavor it with your own herbs? I noticed the gardens when I was there yesterday.”
    “Yes, I do.”  She felt the relief swell to pride, and she started to feel warm from the positive attention.  Maybe this would mean some real orders for once.  She could handle a hot guy leering at her, if he was going to order stuff.
    “The basil you used, it’s not the regular sweet basil, is it?  It had a unique flavor.  Spicy.  Was it some sort of Asian variety?”  The way he said the word spicy made Jessie’s knees weak.
    “Yes, that was Holy Basil, I think.  I also raise some other Asian varieties, some Mediterranean varieties, as well as the regular sweet basil and lemon basil.”  She needed to be friendly, get him to like her, so he would order more cheese from her.  “You should come out and see my garden some time, maybe the next time you need some cheese?”
    “That’s actually why I was calling.  I need to make arrangements to pay you for the cheese you brought by, and I would like to order more, if I could.”
    “Don’t worry about what I brought by.  It was an apology gift for yesterday.  I really am embarrassed I pulled a gun on you.  Don’t worry about it.  As for the order, I would be happy to set you up.  How much do you need?”
    He thought for a few seconds.  “I would like a little extra for experimenting with new recipes, but I think about twice as much as you gave me yesterday morning should do me for the rest of the week.  If that’s okay.”
    She nearly choked on her spit,