Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.
blech Bitter chocolate.
Lina put down that last bar. On the far end of the table. She then picked up the clipboard beside her.
"Bar #37... Needs more sugar..." Her pen scribbled. She went back to her pile.
What a sweet job! [Woops! Bad pun!] Taste the chocolate for the experimenting chef.
"You know, some people believe chocolate is an afrodesiac." [Oh, no! We're not going down that road!] Said the chef, dumping another batch on the table. She left for the kitchen again, before Lina had to cover up her blush.
"What are you doing?" said someone from behind.
"What does it look like?" She disregarded his annoyed look and crossed arms.
"We need to be on the road."
"That ancient library can wait."
"What about 'unbelievable power'? 'The ability to get anything you ever wanted'? 'Leading the good life'? Your words, I believe."
"It can wait." Lina said between mouthfuls of sweetness, a new bar of chocolate in each hand. "Ooh."
Her companion arched a brow. Lina scribbled on the clipboard again.
"Bar #57... Smooth, creamy, perfectly melts on contact with tongue... Perfect!" She dotted her exclaimation point with a large flourish. "Here, Zel. Have a piece." She stretched her hand across the table.
He looked at the offered candy in her hand questionably.
"It's that good, and you want to share it?"
She gave him a look.
"Just try it, OK. You probably haven't eaten much today anyway."
sigh Zel took the chocolate from the table.
"Hm?!"
"Oh, see!" Lina gave him a far too amused smile. Probably making him blush on purpose, his mind grumbled.
"Alright. It's good." He tried to regain his straight face.
"See? Don't you love how it melts so slowly, and fills every corner of your mouth, without feeling all thick and sticky?"
"Actually, that does descibe it pretty well." Zel took the next piece she offered, as well as the seat across from her.
"Well! Couldn't handle the job alone, eh?" The chef came in again, smiling.
"Are you kidding me?" Lina blurted out, as if a matter of pride. "And what are you smiling about, Zel!?"
"Well, that's good, because here's some more." She set down several boxes in front of the two.
"What's this?"
"I have to take packaging into account too, you know." And with that, she left for the kitchen again.
"Oh, that's right."
"What, Zel?"
"Valentine's Day is coming."
Lina stared at the heart-shaped boxes, varing in rose or ribbon ornaments.
"Yeah." Lina agreed. "This chef certainly waits until the last minute." Lina removed some ribbons and dug in. Or rather, was about to.
"What's the matter?"
Lina retracted her hand from the box and looked up at Zel.
"Could be anything in there?"
"I thought you liked everything, that's been made into food, anyway."
hrrrrmmph! Lina stopped scowling. "You don't know this chef. She could be putting anything in here."
Zel looked at the morsels of chocolate critically. He picked up a piece and broke it in half. Upon finding it having a creamy chocolate-colored center, he ate it. Then his taste buds found out it was really creamy, thick soy sauce.
Hack. Blech. Yuck. How did he know it was soy sauce? He didn't. Only the chef, who will remain nameless, knew what the stuff was.
"I cough see what you mean."
Lina just had to giggle.
"Stop that."
"No." She smiled.
Zel scowled at her. "Isn't there anything to drink here?"
"Not really. But there's more chocolate."
"No, thank you."
"Oh, come on, Zel. Here's the good one." She passed him a chunk, which he immediately took.
"Augh! This is BITTER!!" Lina fell down laughing. The fact was, she had already finished off the really good chocolate.
"Ok, Ok. I'm sorry, Zel." She re-seated herself and wiped a tear.
He simply crossed his arms and looked away. Lina gave him a gentle look.
"Ok. I'll try the next one."
Zel turned with interest as Lina took the chocolate in the center of the heart-shaped box. She popped it whole into her mouth. Zel watched. Lina's eyes widened.
"MMMM!"
"Great." Zel huffed.
"Zel, If I had known it was a good one, I wouldn't have eaten it. Can't do much about it now. Unless you still want the chocolate in my mouth." Lina blurted out sarcastically.
There was a silence as Zel's eyes widened, and each blushed.
"I think I'll try this one." Lina reached for another piece to change the subject. This time, she halved it, just as Zel did before, and only took a fraction. "This one's pretty good. Here, Zel." She offered him the other half in her hand.
He glanced at her, then decided to turn and accept. As he ate, he began to smile. It was an exceptional blend.
Chewing and munching. Chewing and munching. This time, there were two.
"Here's another good one." Zel pointed out the half he had left for Lina. She took it gratefully.
Chewing and munching. Chewing and munching.
"Zel. Try this one."
"Lina. I think that's enough for me."
"It's really, really good!..." Lina rolled the morsel on her fingertips.
"It's alright, Lina." Zel waved his hands sideways.
"Just try it. This last one."
"Come on, Zel. It's right here."
"I'm fine."
"Right in front of you. Only a foot from your face. It's coming closer." Lina tempted, smiling all the while.
Zel knew what she was trying to do and began to laugh.
"Really, Lina. I'm done." He said around chuckles.
"Zel. See how it just wants you to eat it? It's screaming." Her psuedo-serious face made Zel laugh all the more.
"Lina..."
"Here. I'll feed it to you."
"No."
"Stop fussing."
"Lina!"
There was much dodging and laughing as Zel sat there and Lina stood beside him, trying to reach the chocolate to his mouth.
"Alright." Zel eventually decided to give in. And Lina gave it to him. Melting chocolate on her fingertips, raked in by his lips. Silence.
"See!" They both jumped at the opening kitchen door. "Chocolate is an afrodesiac!"
Blushing. Blushing. Blushing.