creative Prompt #304 - Creative

[comicfan]

Your loving partner called five minutes ago to announce that your quite evening together has suddenly become a dinner party of six. The simple salad and two chicken cutlets you had been planning to make won’t be enough for six guests that will be there in less than hour. Checking the freezer you find some shrimp, a piece of frozen cod, and three small cuts of steak.  What do you do to create the perfect dinner party that your partner has told his guests you do all the time?

[Sasha Distan]

The Dinner Party (based on a true story)

“We’ll that’s the freezer out then.” I sighed, slamming the door shut on the meagre offerings. “Dinner for eight people in less than an hour? Oh why do you do these things to me?”

Because I love you? I could hear Daniel’s voice in my head, smirking at me. And because you told me to break the habit of a lifetime and go make friends.

I opened the freezer again and glared at it with unfocused animosity. So much for simple dinners prepared in advance on my one day off. If we’d had plans, I would have stopped by the farm on my way back from the stable yard and bought a haunch of venison or something. Daniel better not have made new friends with a vegetarian… I snatched the three little steaks and threw them in the microwave to defrost.

“Fine…” I started slamming around the kitchen, grabbing pots and pans, and then looked over my shoulder at the mess that was our open plan lounge and dining room. The table was currently folded away, which at least meant it wasn’t covered in crap and paperwork.

There is a secret known only to women and gay men… my brain recited the lines for me. You don’t have to clean everything! Because you can always cover stuff with an Indian throw. Haazar-shazzam!

“Right then! Bread and stew it is.” I grabbed for my phone, turning on the oven pouring strong flour into a bowl with the cell pinned to my shoulder. “Babe? You need to get wine on your way home.”

“But I’m nearly back already!” Daniel whined. “Please babe…”

“Not a chance, turn around, go back and get some wine. You owe me.”

“But-”

“You can make it up to me later.”

Nothing but nothing, makes a house seemed more welcoming than bread, and people think it takes forever to make, but five minutes, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and warm water later and the bread was proving in its bowl, balanced over the top of the hot oven. I started to excavate the tin cupboard in search of beans and red things.

“The king of leaving town in a hurry does not skimp on dinner.” I felt around in the cupboard for the big blue Le Creuset, given to me by Daniel’s mother before she had become my official mother in law. I think I had fallen a little bit in love with her right then.

Hot stove. Olive oil. Two red onions. I shook out a dozen or so frozen garlic cloves and stirred the casserole while it sizzled. As one of the cheffing sort, I was distinctly proud of my knife collection, which after last Christmas had spread over two magnetic racks. I chose the five and half inch Hammer and Stahl santoku knife and got to work with the meat, a selection of peppers and what remained of a big butter nut squash. Add stock, pinto beans, butter beans, passata, paprika and stir. I left the lid on, built the table, found the cloth, and searched the flat for the other two chairs so we had eight.

It didn’t take long to knock back the bread dough, turn it into eight long strips, plait them up and dust them with egg yolk and sea salt before adding that to the oven. Just as I pushed all the mess in the lounge behind the armchair and covered it with a big purple throw, there was a warning knock on the door. My hour was nearly up.

“Babe…” Daniel stood the in doorway, looking pleased an punch. “The house smells great.”

“So who are these new friends of yours pretty boy?” I took the wine as Daniel hung his coat in the hallway. “I hope they like Spanish stew.”

“You made bread?” Daniel wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled into my hair. “I always knew I married the best guy out there.”

“Aww, thanks sweetie.”

He took a step back and looked at me, one eyebrow arched.

“You know, as much as I like you like that, they’ll be here in two minutes, and maybe the chef shouldn’t just be wearing boxers and an apron?”

[Slytherin]

I guessed that if you would write a prompt this week you'd pick this one Super Sasha and based on a true story    

[K.C.]

“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'll 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.”

 

 

 

 

 

[joann414]

That's what I'm talking about. 

[Slytherin]

Excellent story Mr Muppet     

[Mann Ramblings]

Nice work, Sasha. This must be based on a true story because you captured it really well.

 

KC - LOL impaled...

[comicfan]

Welcome back KC. Sasha, I think we have all been behind the eight ball at one point or another. Beautiful job you two.

[Sasha Distan]

KC - if ever there's a GA dinner party, we're totally hosting.

[joann414]

Boxers and an apron Sasha?  Sounds like something you'd do   I bet you sing while you cook too.   Cute story tho, and I believe every word because I've been there more than once.  But, I'd have on tee shirt and panties.  Hubby would say, "You might want to put on some pants before they get here.  

[Sasha Distan]

Boxers and an apron Sasha?  Sounds like something you'd do   I bet you sing while you cook too.   Cute story tho, and I believe every word because I've been there more than once.  But, I'd have on tee shirt and panties.  Hubby would say, "You might want to put on some pants before they get here.  

 

i have been known to commit butchery nearly naked...