Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis Page 0,79
looked equally, if not more flustered than Terry, and she wondered if Lisa was right and they had been in the bedroom. The atmosphere between them appeared light-hearted and intimate and she just had time to get the main course ready when he appeared at the kitchen door with empty plates.
Katie glowed with pride in the dining room when Jessica complimented her upon the starters and smiled in anticipated pleasure while Katie ladled a helping of bourguignon onto her warmed plate.
An aroma of red wine, garlic and beef filled their nostrils and Terry declared that the sight of the large chunks of tender beef, strips of carrot, and quarters of soft mushroom which had simmered slowly for hours in a rich, red wine sauce was awesome.
Terry forked a chunk of the beef into his mouth and she saw his shoulders visibly sink as he chewed and swallowed it. The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear and he groaned ecstatically, “Oh my God, Katie, this is sublime!”
Her heart soared with happiness at his praise. “Bon appetit!” she said, and went back into the kitchen leaving them to enjoy the meal. She breathed a sigh of relief and knowing Terry wouldn’t mind she poured herself a glass of red wine to congratulate herself on a successful first booking. She felt much more relaxed now and flushed with triumph - almost on a happy-high, like a tennis player winning match point, she thought and grinned idiotically.
Suddenly, the loud slam of the front door startled her and she almost dropped the glass. What the hell’s going on, she wondered creeping to the side window which overlooked the street. Under the street light she could see a red faced Jessica climbing into a new cream and black mini, which in turn, sped off down the hill at break neck speed.
All was quiet in the dining room now and Katie floundered, not sure what to do next. Should she go in and make sure he was OK? Or wait in the kitchen until he came to look for her. Obviously, things hadn’t gone according to plan and she must have refused his proposal, but why? Gulping at her wine, she decided to load the dishwasher, give him ten minutes and then go to find him.
Tentatively she crept along the hall and poked her head around the lounge door to no avail - the room was empty. Where on earth was he, she puzzled and then tapped quietly on what she thought might be his bedroom door but with no response. He couldn’t have left because she would have heard the door close so she began to clear the half eaten meal from the plates in the dining room. What a shame all this food was going to waste, and why had he popped the question in the middle of their main course? He should have waited until they’d at least had dessert and then she jumped because he was standing beside her.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said when she swung around to face him.
He looked terrible and she immediately felt really sorry for him. “Christ, Terry, what happened?” she asked kindly, and then realising it was none of her business told him he didn’t need to answer and that she’d just finish clearing away and get going.
“No, it’s OK,” he said. “Please don’t go yet. Have a glass of wine with me?”
“Well…” she dithered, not wanting to get more involved but feeling wretched for him at the same time.
He swiped a glass from the table and poured wine into it as she protested, “Just a half glass, Terry, I’m driving.”
He swirled his wine around in the glass and said, “I was just building myself up to the question and thought when you’d cleared the dessert plates away I’d ask her, when out of the blue she told me she’s going over to Los Angeles for eight months to work! It’s a promotion and a great opportunity, and apparently, it’s too good to miss.”
“Oh right,” Katie answered sipping her wine. He moved through to the lounge with the bottle in one hand and his glass in the other and she followed. She chose to sit on the settee opposite him but then he got up, crossed the room and plonked himself down next to her. The red wine fumes were overpowering on his breath and his eyes were glassy – she decided he looked very drunk. He poured more wine into his