Magic Cherries

Maggie found herself walking up to Xavier's door at exactly 7 o'clock. Whatever nerves she had built up over the afternoon had been both assuaged and amplified by Elene's excitement for her, which seemed itself to be one part delight for Maggie and one part delight at being the holder of new, tasty gossip. And who was Maggie to begrudge her such a treat?

She was coming up the steps when the door opened. Xavier smiled, a bit apologetically, and said "There are no surprises on a farm - the herding dogs tell me when anyone is coming. But regardless, I am delighted you decided to join me. Come in."

Maggie walked into the house, feeling some of her anxiousness give way to pleasure as she looked around the space. She was used to men's apartments feeling utilitarian to the point of lacking character, but the combination of the old house and the modernizations Xavier had clearly made after buying it created a beautiful melange of character. It was old and new, and clearly well loved: clean, but also with signs of life everywhere she looked.

Xavier called out to her "There are slippers in the hallway, and a bathroom as well. I will be in the kitchen!"

She peeled off her shoes and traded them for a pair of slippers, and wandered towards his voice.

Unsurprisingly, the kitchen was the star of the place. Full of pots and pans, with newer appliances chosen carefully so as to not mar the beauty of the original space. Windows overlooked the vineyard and orchard on two sides, and the sun still glimmered across the greenery as she settled into the space.

Xavier turned to her and smiled playfully: "Normally I would greet you the proper French way, but cooking requires delicate timing, and it has been a busy day! But here, come join me in a glass of wine if you would like?"

Maggie nodded and took the glass he held out, the dark red of the wine its own sort of luxury.

Xavier was still surprised at himself for inviting the American woman over for dinner, and more than a little suspicious that Elene had sent her his way intentionally in the first place. But while Elene loved to meddle, she did have good taste, and Maggie's particular mixture of determination and surrender into pleasure was his kryptonite. The work of rebuilding this farm was rewarding, but sometimes disconnected from the pleasure of seeing people enjoy the fruits of his labor. And Maggie offered a tantalizing window into that pleasure. So, here he was.

Maggie's first sip of the wine brought him back to the kitchen, thankfully a place where he felt truly at home.

"Wow, even your wine feels like it comes with a row of cherry trees, though not in a cloying way. It's really beautiful" she reflected.

"Merci. It's a tannat, a grape indigenous to this area. I've been experimenting with it, since the farm already had vines decades old of it. If you look out the windows you can see them, to the left of the orchard."

Maggie looked across the field before turning back to Xavier and the stove, noticing now the incredible smells coming from within the kitchen, and a pile of freshly pitted cherries on the counter. "Mmmmm, it looks like all my cherry fantasies are coming true tonight. How delicious for me."

Xavier laughed, taking note of the possibilities in that statement. "Well, it's rare that I meet an American with such a passion for flavor, so I thought I would celebrate the occasion by making a local favorite, duck breast with fresh cherry sauce. And then of course, potatoes in the duck fat, so we don't waste any of the drops of flavor....which would be a crime."

Maggie's initial nerves calmed at the banter, and she felt a tingle of something else come alive as she lobbed back "No, we wouldn't want to waste any drops, now would we. How gauche and American."

Xavier's eyes crinkled with laughter and he walked over to the counter, where two duck breasts were waiting on a cutting board, a cast iron pan next to them. He firmly but delicately sliced through the skin of each breast, scoring them and sprinkling salt and pepper throughout. Afterwards he light rubbed the salt and pepper in, commenting to Maggie with a smirk on his face, "Properly prepared duck requires firmness and affection...there can be no hesitation with the movement of the knife, but the flesh responds to some attention after by offering even more flavor"

At the last bit, his eyes connected with Maggie's for a few seconds and he held her gaze before picking up the duck and placing it into the cast iron pan, laying the pieces on their skin and turning on the heat.

"Now we must be patient. The fat must decide to come out, and the duck doesn't like to be rushed, it prefers to warm up at its own pace."

Maggie was starting to warm up at a less than slow pace herself, but she couldn't complain. There was something about seeing this man doing a thing so competently, with such devotion...the teasing commentary was just icing on the cake.

As the duck fat began to release, bubbling slowly, Xavier turned his attention to the empty saucepan next to it, pouring in honey and vinegar to begin the cherry sauce, whisking them together. "This cherry sauce is one of my favorites with the duck...it's rich and tangy at the same time, and the way the caramelized juice of the cherries blends with the salty gaminess of the duck is just decadent. I thought, given your response to the cheese and jam, that you might particularly enjoy the combination"

Maggie blushed, taking note of how his attention to flavor seemed to carry over into other details as well, and agreed, looking him directly in the eyes as she responded, a smile on her face, "Honestly, I'm already enjoying it, and it's not even in my mouth yet. So I think you may be on to something"

Xavier laughed, and returning his attention to the stove, added in the broth and wine to the sauce to reduce, and turned the duck breasts onto the other side, pulling out some of the duck fat from the pan to finish cooking the potatoes he had already parboiled before she arrived.

The aromas filling the air were a heady mixture of savory and sweet, and Maggie sipped the glass of wine as she took it all in, giving herself a moment to let herself marinate in the absurd deliciousness of the situation. She pushed herself up to sit on the adjacent counter as Xavier added the cherries to the sauce and pulled the duck off the stove.

Xavier's eyes, now level with hers from her higher perch, turned back to her as he placed the duck onto a wooden cutting board to rest before slicing it. "And now we wait a few minutes, so that when we slice into her, she is perfectly tender, and none of her deliciousness is wasted"

Maggie noticed the shift in tone, and responded with playful gravitas "You certainly wouldn't want to rush her and waste the pleasure now would you?"

Xavier looked at her, pupils dark and green-blue eyes sincere as he answered. "Absolutely not. Such a delicacy must be savored."

He returned to the stove and began plating the now finished potatoes, crispy from duck fat, and then began to slice the duck, the deftness of his movements with the knife belying the years of experience at this very task. The duck breasts, intact but separated out, were laid on top of the potatoes, and now it was time for the cherry jus.

Before pouring it on the duck and potatoes, Xavier filled a spoon with the caramelized liquid, taking a small sip himself to confirm the flavors, and then held it out to Maggie's mouth. She opened to try it and was met immediately with a burst of flavor.

She might have been crazy coming here on such a whim, but damn if she wasn't glad she did.

Xavier smiled as he watched her eyes close in delight, finally tasting those cherries she had gone on such a journey for. Yes, inviting the American woman over was definitely a good decision.

Maggie's eyes lit up as they reopened, and the look she gave him now possessed no artifice. "Wowwwwww. C'est incroyable, vraiment, je n'ai jamais mangé...."

Xavier nodded in agreement. "The cherries here are incredible, something really special"

He poured the jus on to the plates and brought them to the table just outside of the kitchen, overlooking the vineyard, and pulled out a chair for Maggie.

Before they began to eat, he raised his glass to her, saying, "to an American worthy of indulgence" and then gestured at the food, giving her permission to begin the feast.

Each bite was a revelation. Maggie had no words. She could feel Xavier's eyes on her as she began to taste the flavors all together, could vaguely hear sounds of delight coming from her, but they were all muted compared to the symphony of perfectly balanced flavors filling her mouth. No wonder everyone went to this man for his cherries. She was ready to make them a religion.

Xavier slowly made his way through his own food, savoring this meal he had made many times over but now with the added joy of witnessing this beautiful woman fully immersed in the experience of it. Her reaction did not let him down. On her face was a look of captivated bliss, all her attention absorbed in his food. It was satisfying, and it was its own tease.

He hadn't been sure exactly what he wanted with her when he invited her over for dinner, but his body was sure now. Their easy back and forth throughout the cooking, the way she got lost in the flavors of the food - he wanted her, and as her eyes met his over the food, he felt pretty sure she felt the chemistry too.