by BrettJ Β© 2013
Simon Canavan was preparing a lovely meal for his family. He quite liked being a house husband. He was a neat freak, so cleaning and doing laundry wasn't an issue. He was very organized, so everything in his home was precisely where it should be. He had been a chef for nearly 5 years, so he quite liked cooking for his family and their friends. He even had time to read or watch television or play music, because he was always so ahead of schedule. As far as Simon was concerned, being the man who took care of every detail of the household was ideal.
The circumstances that led up to it had not been quite so ideal. He remembered it all as if had been yesterday and not almost two years earlier.
As far back as anyone could remember, Simon had been a "foodie". His mother had started teaching him to cook at the age of 8 and by age 11, he could make dishes even she had not mastered. He made all the bread and rolls for their home. Luckily, Simon also played a number of different sports or he would have been a little butterball.
When it came time for school bake sales, Simon's desserts always sold first. He took Home EC and beat out several of his female classmates. It might have made him unpopular save that he was always able to help the girls and by age 14, he was tall, tanned, blonde and gorgeous. He also had a beautiful voice to go with his athletic build and some girls actually swooned in his presence. When school dances came around, he had more girls inviting him then he knew what to do with. He didn't go to a lot of dances, for it was the one chink in Simon's armor β he could not dance. He took lessons and managed to do all right, but he would never be Gene Kelly.
It came as no surprise to anyone that Simon pursued a career in cooking. He was made to be a chef, he loved everything about food. He actually graduated the course ahead of time for he was so skilled, he was actually better than some of his teachers. He had an excellent palette and a good imagination. His food was wonderful and when he did his apprenticeship, he was usually left on his own to create.
His employers benefitted greatly from their non-interference. Word got around about his cooking and people started coming in to taste the food. Once they had, they came back, over and over again. Simon's dishes became the talk of the town and he was approached by a group of investors who were willing to stake him to his own restaurant. As he was now a full chef, it was an opportunity he was not going to turn down. "Simon's Bistro" opened six months later to rave reviews. It became the place to go for excellent cuisine and superb service. He would have settled for nothing less.
Several of Simon's customers were stunning, exquisite women. His social life took a nice upturn and he dated women of style and substance. These women were impressed with his skills as a cook and he in turn, learned from them as regarding his sexual prowess. He didn't date as much as he would have liked, due to his work commitments. When he did, everyone went home with a smile on their faces.
The disaster that irrevocably changed the course of Simon's life turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
His restaurant, his pride and joy and the source of much of his happiness, had a huge fire. His Bistro was burned right down to the ground. In one fell swoop, Simon lost his life's work. All of his staff were out of jobs. The insurance money would help when it came in, although he was told that likely would not happen overnight. It might take a year or more to rebuild. Simon felt the weight of the world on his broad shoulders.
He was at the insurance company doing some of the seemingly-endless paperwork when his life changed again. He looked over to see one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen doing as he was, filling out endless reams of paperwork. He looked at her and she looked at him and they both smiled. She looked vaguely familiar to him. When she was done, she got up and walked towards him. Even her gait had an erotic quality about it, somewhat like a lioness stalking her prey. She was tall and imposing and regal in her demeanor.
Whoever
she was, Simon wanted to know her better.
She sat in a chair beside him while he was filling out what seemed like the thousandth form. "You're Simon Canavan, aren't you?" She said as the corners of her mouth lifted into a breathtaking smile. "I ate at your restaurant a number of times and thought everything was wonderful. I'm very sorry about what happened," she said as she offered her hand. "I'm Angelique Carter,"
"Yes, thank you for your kind words," Simon smiled back. He was almost intimidated in her presence, she was that beautiful. A tailor-made suit, expensive Jimmy Choo heels, expensive gold earrings and one of the most stunning visages ever known to man. She was a dark-haired goddess with curves and long legs and class. How had he never known her before?
"How is it that we never met before?" Simon voiced that very question. "I would have remembered someone as devastating as you, I know that."
"Flattery, I love it," Angelique smiled. "I used to keep to myself when I would come to your place, on the times I could get my ex-husband to loosen the purse strings so we could enjoy your food," she told him. "Why does it seem that the people who have the most money seem to enjoy it the least?"
Simon laughed; it might have been the first time since the tragedy. "I know that when I had money, I tried to balance enjoyment with frugality. Now, it isn't an issue. I lost most of my money in the fire, it was all tied up in the Bistro. All I have now are my savings until the insurance pays out. I can afford to eat at Arby's and that's about it," he told her as he signed yet another document.
"I finally got hubby to loosen the purse strings," Angelique smiled. "I hired a shark attorney and divorced his ancient ass. We were married almost 25 years and I thought he'd change β no idea why!"
Simon blinked as he looked at the vision sitting beside him. "25 years? You must have been sixteen, you can't be ..."
Angelique placed her hand on his knee. "I was 22 at the time darling, so yes, I will be 47 in about six months. I think the old girl has held up pretty well, don't you?"