Romancing the Runway

Inside the kitchen, Xavier guided Kennedy over to the stove, where he pulled down the upper oven to expose his masterpiece. “Beef Wellington,” he sang out, “prepared especially for my new friend. Think I can get a proper thank-you?”

Kennedy was stunned by the beautifully browned roast. It looked cooked to perfection. “Depends on what you consider proper.” Kennedy eyed him curiously.

He stuck his cheek near her lips. “Do you need more of a hint?”

She kissed his cheek, allowing her lips to linger there for a short spell. “Thank you. I can’t wait to taste the fruits of your labor. But can I let you in on something?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

She threw her head back and let her laughter trill. “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect you to follow through on my request. Now that you have, I’m going to do my best to do the meal justice. Maybe I can even take home some leftovers.”

He winked at her. “Anything your little heart desires.”

“Anything, X?”

“Anything! You heard me. Just let me know what it is you want. I’ll deliver.”

For starters, you. She hoped taking him home with her was on a future menu.

Now that all the food Xavier had prepared earlier was laid out, he ushered Kennedy over to the oval-shaped glass table and pulled out one of the six wrought-iron chairs. Before taking his own seat, he waited for Janine and Jonathan to claim theirs. Xavier then asked Jonathan to pass the blessing. His friend seemed proud to do the honors. Kennedy liked that everyone was familiar with prayer, loved the fact that no one seemed to have a problem giving God His props.

Around the table near complete silence lasted a few minutes, as everyone enjoyed the fabulous meal. Kennedy was so pleased by what he’d done for her. No one had ever cooked her beef Wellington, nor had she ever asked it of anyone.

Kennedy was just being facetious when she’d told Xavier what she’d wanted him to prepare for her. He’d said his father had taught him how to cook this particular entrée—plus many others. He had surely taught his son well. The delicious cut of beef was tender and moist and the pastry puff it had been baked in was flaky and buttery. Kennedy had never eaten food this delectable—and she’d graced a lot of first-class eateries, dining at some of the finest catered events all over the world.

Along with the beef and mushrooms, Xavier had sautéed asparagus and brown rice. The initial sight of the food had caused Kennedy’s mouth to water.

The crisp salad greens lying beneath the cherry tomatoes and thin slices of cucumbers, sprayed with an Italian-blend dressing, was a perfect complement to the wonderful meal. Xavier’s plate held double portions of everything, except the rice, which he had a bowlful of. He had told Kennedy he was a rice lover, loving it any way it was cooked. Xavier had never had a problem with his weight despite his voracious appetite.

The host reared his chair back slightly. “How is everything, Kennedy?”

“It is the best meal I’ve eaten. Don’t you see this huge smile on my face?”

“I get the point. Thanks.” Xavier grinned, grateful for the compliment. He looked to Jonathan and Janine for their opinions. Their thoughts were similar to Kennedy’s.

Conversation flowed smoothly as the two couples savored a fine French wine. Kennedy learned that Janine was a fashion writer who wrote for a host of fashion magazines and Web sites. She also had a Web site and blog where her readers could write in and give their opinions on her stories. Janine spent a good bit of her work schedule making rounds at popular fashion venues.

As the wife of an interior designer, Janine was there for him, always willing to help out in his business ventures. Many of his wealthier clients were referrals from his bride of four years. He was a fabulous-looking guy who doted on his wife. Kennedy thought they made a lovely couple. Happiness was written all over their glowing faces.

Everyone had finished with their meals, but Xavier noticed that Kennedy was still working on hers. She was a very slow eater. She had informed him of that at Café Blue. She believed eating slow was necessary for proper digestion. Very much into a healthy diet, she also drank plenty of water and got lots of exercise. It wasn’t unusual for her to linger over her meal thirty minutes or more. She wasn’t a fanatic about controlling her weight, but she did take seriously everything to do with her health and diet.

“Besides your exciting career, what do you do for fun?” Janine asked Kennedy.

“Dancing is my favorite. I include it in my daily exercise routine. I also try to go out dancing at least once or twice a week for fun. Besides, I love to play tennis, the piano and read.”

She went out dancing with her girlfriends, Martina Sellers and Bianca Wise, when they were available to hang out. The three women frequented some of the most popular dance clubs around the Los Angeles and Hollywood areas.

To once again make sure Xavier had no doubts about how great the food was, Kennedy rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. “This food is soooo good. If you’ll agree, I’d love for you to help me prepare the meal for my upcoming dinner party next week. That is, if you’re free to join my guests and me. What do you say?”

Certain that he’d heard her correctly, yet baffled by her request, Xavier widened his eyes. “You’re putting me on, right?”

“Of course not! I’m serious. There’ll only be six or so of us, total,” Kennedy said.

Xavier hunched his broad shoulders. “What’d you have in mind to serve?”

“I’ll leave that up to you. After this meal, I definitely trust your judgment.”

“Oh, no, I’m not going out like that. If I agree to help cook, you plan the meal.”

“We have a few days to decide the menu.” Kennedy turned to look at Janine and Jonathan. “I’d feel honored if you’d both come. The group I hang out with is a lot of fun. But I have to warn you, they’re lively and very much into playing practical jokes.”

“We’d love to come,” Janine said, readily accepting the invite for her and Jonathan. Sighing hard, she stretched her arms high above her head. “Can’t believe how tired I am. This has been an extremely busy week for me.”

Kennedy understood. She was fatigued. Her feet ached, and she planned to soak them once she got back home. But being with Xavier was exhilarating.

Suddenly, Kennedy realized she didn’t want to miss out on one moment of their time together, nor did she want to be distracted by any one thing or another. She couldn’t sleep in late tomorrow, since she had an early-morning assignment, but this evening she wanted every moment she spent with Xavier to be memorable.

“Why don’t you guys go on into the media room and relax while I clear the table? It’ll only take me a few minutes to get it all done,” Xavier remarked.

Janine got to her feet. “Can’t believe you went there. You know how we roll. We always do the cleanup bit together. This evening is no exception.”

Jonathan stood up and then kissed his wife gently on the mouth. “Maybe our boy is putting on airs for Kennedy.” Everyone laughed. “Let’s knock out the cleanup so we can all sit down, relax and listen to some good music,” Jonathan suggested.

“Count me in,” Kennedy remarked. “We can get everything done in a flash.”

Arguing with his friends wouldn’t do a bit of good, Xavier knew. He’d been there and had done that enough times to know better. After getting to his feet, he began to clear the table. “Let’s do this.” He flashed Kennedy a brilliant smile, but all he really wanted to do was lean into her and give her a sweet kiss. He felt like letting go with a low growl, satisfying his desire to act naughty with her.

Smiling back at him sensuously, Kennedy’s gaze locked on to Xavier’s luscious mouth. Keep smiling at me like that, and you’ll get yourself into a heap of trouble. Playfully, she swatted his arm, though she would’ve rather popped him on his sexy backside. Bring it on, big boy, she taunted mentally, gathering up the wineglasses.

Finished with the kitchen duties, the foursome quickly made their way to the lavish media room, furnished with fine Italian leather sofas and several different kinds of chairs designed for comfort. The chocolate-and-gold-veined marble fireplace and beautiful hand-carved mantel were the first items to catch Kennedy’s eye. The plush white rug laid out only inches away from the hearth was exquisite. Instantly, her mind conjured up images of their bodies entwined, watching the flames of a roaring fire.

While Xavier’s guests took seats, he turned on the CD player he kept stacked with the latest in releases. Big on Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige, he usually kept at least two discs of each artist on the playlist. He’d learned from Kennedy that she was an Usher and Beyoncé fan. Once she’d accepted his dinner invitation, he had made sure to include a couple of her favorite discs for her listening pleasure.

Jonathan and Janine had a quiet conversation going on between them, one that Kennedy and Xavier weren’t privy to. With the other couple completely into each other, it allowed the host to fully concentrate on entertaining his date.

Xavier extended his arm across the back of the sofa where he and Kennedy were seated. “How was your day?”

“Really busy, but all my days are that way, especially lately. I keep telling myself I’m going to set aside some me-time, but I never seem to do it. You know the type of life we high-fashion models lead. If we’re not into one thing, we’re into something else. There’s always that last-minute call to help someone out because of an unexpected cancelation. I’d love to take a vacation where I can just lie out on the beach and soak up the rays. I love to read, but I don’t seem to have much time for that anymore, either.”

Xavier nodded. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. But only you can make the difference in how you pace your lifestyle.”

She looked perplexed. “What do you mean?”

Xavier went on to explain to her that everything to do with a person’s life was about choices. He kept a list of the things he wanted to accomplish and he had it in order of importance. As jobs came in, he weighed out each one, deciding to do only those he thought he’d really enjoy or benefit from. He did the same with charitable events.

A newcomer to the profession thought they had to do everything they were asked. As models became seasoned veterans, he told Kennedy they could begin to choose only jobs that held their interest. In fact, they had to learn to choose wisely or face burnout.

Xavier wrapped a tendril of her hair around his finger. “Why take on something you might not enjoy? Favors are just that, favors. You don’t have to say yes to everything you’re asked to take on. If it’s something you really don’t want to do, say no.”