Prompting In The Dark - 1. Prompt 304 - The Dinner Party

Prompt 304 - The Dinner Party

“Lee, what the hell is wrong with you?” Kyle shouted into the phone. He paced around the kitchen, mumbling and grumbling as he walked in circles.

“Come on, babe, chill out,” Lee tried to calm his boyfriend. “It’s not that big a deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Kyle’s voice rose the more agitated he became. “I thought it was going to be just you and me tonight? Just a nice quiet evening at home?”

“It’ll still be a nice evening--”

“With two other couples?”

“Take a breath, Kyle”

Opening and closing the refrigerator door, Kyle kept hoping that all the fixings for a gourmet dinner would suddenly appear, but he wasn’t that lucky.

“Kyle?” Lee asked after several long minutes of silence.

Taking a deep breath, Kyle rolled his eyes and blurted out, “You are so going to make this up to me.”

“I told them to be there at six--”

“That’s in less than a fucking hour!” Kyle growled.

Hanging up before Lee could say anything more to piss him off, Kyle’s mind raced for a solution. Two chicken cutlets and a mixed green salad was not going to do. Yanking open the freezer door, Kyle searched for something to save the evening.

A handful of shrimp, a single piece of cod, and a couple of small steaks wouldn’t make a dinner party, but it was a good start. Quickly throwing the shrimp into a pot of water, Kyle started cutting the chicken into cubes while the steaks thawed in a garlic-pepper marinate.

Kyle wished Lee was already home to help…or to at least to stomp on his foot and claim it was an accident. Chopping the shrimp into bite-sized pieces made the tray look double the size.

“Shrimp, beef, chicken,” Kyle said arranging the dishes, “…and fish. What the hell am I supposed to do with one measly piece of cod?”

At that moment, Gizby decided to dig his claws into Kyle’s pants, demanding his attention. The ball of orange fur rubbed his face against Kyle before meowing for food. Kyle dropped to his knee and pet the cat’s head. “What do you say we make a deal, you little fuzzball from hell? If you promise to bite Lee when he gets home, I’ll give you a tasty treat.”

Gizby circled Kyle’s legs and purred. “I take that as a yes!”

With only moments to spare, Kyle lit the candles and tuned the radio to one of his favorite jazz stations when Lee opened the front door, followed by four other strangers.

The group drank and mingled, while Kyle carried trays of chicken and beef kabobs and shrimp cocktail bites, a mixed green salad and rolls to the table.

“Wow,” Lee whispered in Kyle’s ear, pulling him to his side. “You really pulled this together.”

Kyle turned in his boyfriends arms and smiled. “Do you like the theme?”

Lee frowned glancing around the table.

“Notice the kabob skewers and the toothpicks stuck in the shrimp pieces?” Kyle waited for it to register. He leaned close and nuzzled Lee’s ear, “Let’s just say that for dessert… well, your tasty ass will be served to me on a silver platter. I hope you’re ready to be impaled.”

Thanks for checking out my prompt
 Kc