Dessert
The restaurant wasn't usually open on Monday, but the Head Chef had asked her to come in for a special sitting. She hadn't heard anything about a private party, but she agreed for the overtime...and because it was Chef. Whenever he asked her anything directly--even if it was just to take a dish to a table--her pulse quickened and she got butterflies. Ever since she had come to work there about eight months ago, she had been smitten with him. As, she knew, were all the other waitresses, and she had to admit small flashes of jealousy when he spoke to any of them.
So when he asked her to come in specially, she jumped to say yes. She had arrived at her usual time, about 4 PM, when they would normally be setting up for dinner. It was a high-end establishment in the city, frequented by businessmen, politicians, and socialites. The main dining room could hold about 300 people, and there were smaller rooms for private groups.
Since the request was unusual, she had made extra effort to look just right. She had curled her light brown hair, done her green eyes with dark eye shadow and a cat's eye liner, made sure her lashes were full, and put a slightly brighter than usual shade of red on her full, curvy lips. Her uniform consisted of a white button-up shirt, black bow tie, slim black pants, black shoes with heels just high enough to give definition to her calves, and a crisp, white half apron that tied around her waist with a neat bow centered above her buttocks. She stepped back from the mirror, admiring herself, then was out the door.
When she arrived, she was surprised to find the front room empty. He had said a "special sitting," so she assumed that meant a private party, probably one that had rented the entire restaurant. But the place was deserted. There was no activity, no sign of setting up, no other waitresses or hostess.
"Hello," she called into the kitchen.
"Back here," Chef called from the prep area.
She walked back to find Chef in the back kitchen, mixing something in a bowl. He smiled at her. "Hi there. Thanks for coming in." He was wearing his white chef's hat and tunic with the sleeves rolled up. His forearm muscles flexed as he stirred, and he had the intense look he got when he was concentrating on a dish.
Damn
, she thought, her heart fluttering,
he is so fine
.
"Sure," she said. "What's going on?"
We have a request for a private birthday party later this week. The clients are very particular in what they want. It's unusual, so I need to make extra preparations.
"Unusual how?" There was something about his demeanor that told her he was excited about this, whatever it was, and she was intrigued.
"The clients are from out of town, and they have some...exotic...tastes. They are counting on us for the details, and to be discreet." She was becoming more interested as he talked.
"Do you know what Nyotaimori is?" He tested the batter he had been mixing.
She shook her head, "No."
"It's a Japanese custom, an artistic, erotic way of eating food. Sushi, specifically."
"Erotic?" she repeated.
His eyes twinkled. "That's right. It's only the finest sushi, with extra care taken in the selection and preparation. Not your average stuff. The centerpiece--and this is what makes it special--is the model. A specially trained model. She lies on the table, naked, and the sushi is served on her body. The sushi sits on leaves so it doesn't touch her skin, and the guests pick it up with chopsticks. The guests aren't allowed to touch or talk to the model, and she has to lie completely still. Ribbons and makeup are used for decoration, and the whole thing is an art form. The idea is ancient. We learned about it in culinary school, but I've never seen it for real."
"And that's what we're doing now?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Not quite. The clients are having Nyotaimori at their party, and they have the sushi part arranged. What they want us to provide is the dessert, in the same theme."
She listened a moment, then her eyes widened at the implication. "And you want us...me...to...to..."
He laughed. "No," he said. "They have their own models, and I will make the dessert from scratch that night."
She felt relief, but she also had a vision of him standing over another woman, naked, incredibly beautiful, waving his hands over her as he lay out cakes and creams, turning her into a piece of delectable art as she stared up at his strong, handsome face. She felt a stab of jealousy.
"What I need tonight," he said, looking at her, "is practice."
She started. "Practice?"
"This is a new recipe, and I need to make sure it will work."
"And..."
He nodded, smiling. "Will you be my dessert model?"
Her heart didn't know if it wanted to stop or hammer away. Would she really strip naked and let herself be covered in...in his...creations? As the thought moved through her mind, her emotions swung from uncertainty, to curiosity, to, she realized as she thought about his strong, firm hands on her, excitement. She looked up. He was looking at her hopefully. She nodded.
He grinned. "Excellent. Come over here." He led her over to one of the long prep tables. It was covered by a starched linen tablecloth. "Take off your clothes and lie down. I will be back in a minute." He went into the front kitchen.
She stood a moment, not sure if she could do this. It was daunting, but he seemed so pleased, and she thought about his grin. He was so handsome when he grinned. Slowly, she began undressing. Then she thought about all the other waitresses at the restaurant, all beautiful, eager, and in love with Chef. He could have asked any of them; they would all leap to be where she was now, be positively tearing their clothes off. But he had asked her. She undressed faster.
She untied the bow of her apron, folded it, and laid it on another table. Then she removed her bow tie and unbuttoned her shirt. She reached behind her and unfastened her bra, letting her breasts--firm, full, with perky rosebud nipples that were suddenly hard--swing free. Then she stepped out of her shoes and slipped off her pants. She didn't like wearing a bra, but at least the pants were dark enough that she could go without underwear.
"Wow," Chef said from behind her, making her jump.
"You...you, startled me," she said.
"Sorry," he said. "It's just--you're so beautiful. Even more than I expected." There was an awkward pause, and he looked away. "Sorry. Anyway, you are going to be perfect for this."
"What do I do?"
"Lie down on the table." He reached out his hand, and after a moment she took it. He helped her sit on the table and lie back. The steel table was cool through the tablecloth, and she broke out in goosebumps. "Here," he said, placing a folded towel under her head as a pillow.
"Now what?" she asked.
"Just relax, and I will craft the most fantastic dessert ever made," he said with a flourish. She chuckled, the tension eased.
She lay her head back and tried to make herself relax. She could hear him moving dishes and bowls around. He came to stand beside her.