Post by Tom Carradine on Sept 7, 2024 22:30:55 GMT -5
Stella’s House
Oceanside, CA
Friday, September 6, 2024
We find ourselves in the kitchen, with the aroma of fresh pizza wafting through the air. While they wait for their gooey, cheesy feast to be ready, Tom and Stella sit on a pair of stools with glasses of sparkling water and an antipasto plate sitting on the counter between them. Stella picks up a slice of prosciutto wrapped around a stick of mozzarella cheese, biting the end off as she closes her eyes and inhales their impending dinner.
Stella: That smells so good! Not gonna lie; I’m glad I gave the chef the night off.
Tom: I figured that this would be a great way to share some time together before we head out for the evening.
Stella smiles, taking a sip from her glass.
Stella: Like I need an excuse…
Tom: Besides, I get to show that I have a few hidden talents…
Stella giggles as Tom winks at her.
Stella: I mean, I can think of a few of those talents, but if I were to mention them…
She arches an eyebrow at him.
Tom: Now, now.. We have to save SOMETHING for later…
Stella feigns disappointment, pouting slightly.
Stella: Hmph… Spielverderber (spoilsport).
Tom scoffs and rolls his eyes.
Tom: Oh, sure… break out the German…
Tom wrinkles his face in mock exasperation as Stella laughs. As she finishes her prosciutto, the timer on the oven goes off, prompting Tom to hop off of his stool.
Tom: Ah, dinner’s ready… Now to see if those Culinary Arts courses paid off…
Grabbing a pizza peel from out of one of the cabinets, Tom pulls the pie out of the oven, filling the air with the aroma of sizzling pepperoni and sausage.He places the pizza on a cutting board and goes rummaging through a nearby drawer to retrieve a pizza cutter. Stella readies two plates as Tom deftly slices the pie into fairly generous slices and deposits one upon each of their plates. Impressed, Stella smiles broadly.
Tom: (in a cheesy Italian accent)Mangia… mangia…
Stella almost has her glass up to her lips, but Tom’s cheesy accent makes her stop before taking a sip. She’s quick to stifle a laugh, but it forces its way out in the form of a snort.
Stella: Damn it… you almost made me shoot water out of my nose!
Tom: Well, we can’t have that… sparkling water coming out of your nose sounds vaguely painful…
Stella: It’s happened before… but with champagne.
Tom winces at the thought.
Tom: Ouch…
Stella nods her head.
Stella: So, what made you take Culinary Arts?
She tilts her head in curiosity as she takes a bite of her pizza, savoring the flavor as she reaches up with her free hand to catch the melting cheese as it stretches from the pizza to her mouth.
Tom: Oh, there were a couple of reasons…. One, it satisfied a graduation requirement, and two, I figured it would be useful down the road, you know? The instructor thought I was taking the course just to be surrounded by girls for an entire period. She was pleasantly surprised when I aced the course for the year. I liked it so much that I kept up with it, as long as it didn’t interfere with athletics and other schoolwork…
Tom finally takes a massive bite of his pizza.
Stella: I’ll bet the colleges were practically throwing scholarships at you.
Stella takes another bite, following it up with a sip of her sparkling water.
Tom: Some of them were promising me the moon if I signed up with their athletics programs. I was lucky, though; my parents helped me choose a school that was a good balance between academics and athletics. Before I made my choice, it was a tossup between Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Stanford. Got a LOT of swag from Kent State, though…
Stella: So, where did you ultimately decide to go?
Tom: I DID let my ego play into my decision just a bit… I chose Stanford.
Stella: Ego? YOU!? Perish the thought!
Stella laughs as Tom continues eating his pizza.
Tom: (with a mouthful of food) Hey, this is ME we’re talking about here…
Stella nods.
Stella: This is true. Modesty isn’t exactly something you’re known for. Perhaps that’s why you fit in so well with my family.
As Stella takes another bite, Tom laughs at what she just said and pinches the bridge of his nose.
Tom: Oh, I’ll bet Donovan would LOVE to hear you say that…
He sighs, then finishes his slice of pizza, washing it down with the rest of his drink.
Stella: It’s like I always say… you two are more alike than you realize. You just… express it differently.
Stella shrugs as another bite of pizza finds its way into her mouth. Meanwhile, Tom ponders his lady’s words.
Tom: That’s probably why he wasn’t so.. cheerful when we started dating. But he IS getting better… he actually offered me some of his coffee backstage not that long ago. It’s not a gilt-edged invitation into the family, but it’s something, right?
Stella: So THAT explains why you were so wired that night after the show… that stuff is extra caffeinated, and he likes it STRONG!
Tom: I knew something was up when he had this evil little grin on his face when I started bouncing off the walls…
Stella: Oh, if only he knew what happened when we got back to the hotel…
Stella winks mischievously.
Tom: Had to do SOMETHING with all that extra energy… If he ever finds out about that, I am SO dead…
Tom grimaces.
Stella: Maybe THAT’S why they call it “Death Wish”?
Tom: ”Death Wish”? That shit could make a dead elephant do Warp 10…
Stella laughs, then catches a glimpse of the wall clock out of the corner of her eye. Taking a second look, she lets out a gasp.
Stella: Shit… there we go again, losing track of time. We should finish eating so we can get ready to go. I’m thinking… that little black dress I bought while we were in Cabo…
She smiles playfully at him, popping the last bite of pizza into her mouth as Tom’s eyes grow wide.
Tom: Perfect! Need any help?
Stella gives him the side eye as her smile shifts into a smirk.
Stella: Thomas… if I let you “help,” we’d NEVER get out of here.
Tom purses his lips and nods his head.
Tom: You’ve got a point there…
They step away from the counter, but as Tom turns around to find something to store the leftover pizza in, Stella’s cat jumps up on the counter, quickly making off with one of the slices.
Stella: Arthas, NO!
Stella and Tom chase after the feline bandit as he runs out of the kitchen, his ill-gotten prize clutched in his teeth.
