“Now it’s my turn to ask a favor of you.”
Gage angled his head. “Talk to me.”
“Hannah asked me to help her plan a menu for her Super Bowl get-together, and I need your opinion as to a more fusion menu besides wings, guacamole, and chips. I thought spring rolls, sesame prawn toasts, deep-fried bite-size spare ribs, Moroccan-style meatballs, and miniature shrimp and crab cakes would be a welcome addition and surprise.”
Wiping his hands on a towel, Gage splayed his fingers at her waist. “I know my cousin’s wife will be more than pleased with your eclectic menu choices, and so will I.”
“Why you?”
“After I help Eustace with his catering orders, I’m joining St. John and Hannah for the game.” He dropped a kiss on her hair. “Just make certain you put aside some of your kick-ass wings for me.”
Tonya laughed softly. “I’ll make certain to put aside a little of everything for you.”
Gage eased back, staring down at Tonya. “I’m willing to predict that after the Super Bowl party, you will become a much sought-after chef in this town even before you open your restaurant.”
Her eyebrows lifted slightly. “Aren’t you being premature with your prediction?”
“Not at all. And one of these days I’ll take extreme pleasure in telling you I told you so.”
“And hopefully I’ll be gracious enough to accept it.”
“Believe me, you will, Tonya.”
Tonya felt a warm glow sweep over her body with his prediction. She did not doubt that she could prepare palatable dishes, because she had proven herself over and over; she could broil steak to a diner’s precise specification, and cook a pot of rice so all of the grains were light and fluffy. Her spareribs were tender enough to fall off the bone, and she had perfected tuna tartare, eliciting raves from those favoring sushi and sashimi. However, the thing that nagged at her was the worry her restaurant would become just another eating establishment in a city where food and music were responsible for attracting tourists to the Big Easy.
Picking up a spoon, she scooped up a small portion of the wasabi-infused avocado. She extended the spoon to Gage. “Let me know if you like this.” She held her breath, waiting for a reaction from him as he slowly chewed the smooth mixture.
“It’s incredible,” he said after a long moment.
Her smile was dazzling. “I have to chill it until the shrimp cakes are ready.”
“The chilled avocado will counter the heat from the wasabi, and the sauce is the perfect complement for crab, shrimp, or salmon croquettes. I hope you’ll include it for your fish Fridays.”
Tonya affected a saucy grin. “What grade are you going to give me?”
Gage leaned over and brushed a light kiss over her parted lips. “A-plus.”
She went completely still when she felt the pressure of Gage’s mouth on hers. He hadn’t actually kissed her, but she could not stop herself from fantasizing what it would be like for him to really kiss her. The heat in her face had nothing to do with the warmth from Gage’s body but was a result of her own traitorous thoughts. They flooded her mind with unbidden memories of long-denied passion. Darius had accused her of sleeping with another man because his lovemaking left her frustrated, unfulfilled, and after a while she refused to let him touch her.
“My, my. I had no idea my judge would be so liberal.”
Gage kissed her again, this time on her hair. “Your judge is open-minded, and that means he will always tell you the truth. By the way, I like your taste in music. Dave Brubeck’s ‘Take Five’ is a favorite of mine.”
“Yours and my father’s. I grew up listening to my father playing jazz. He inherited a priceless collection of vinyl seventy-eights from his father. Collectors have offered him an obscene amount of money for them, but he refuses to give them up. I did manage to convince him to convert them to disks, so I have a set for myself. Let me know if you want a set, and I’ll make a copy for you.”
“Thank you. You are truly an angel.”
Tonya felt closer to Gage than any other man she had encountered since her ex-husband. Within minutes of Samuel Alexander asking if he could sit with her in the high school cafeteria, she felt the envy of the other girls at their table. Samuel was good-looking, intelligent, and co-captain of the swim team. However, after a few years of marriage, the love of her life turned into her worst nightmare. She shook her head as if to banish the bad memories and concentrated on sectioning orange, grapefruit, and mandarin orange for the mixed citrus salad.
