How to catch a chocolate addict
It had been a quiet week in the ARC. No dangerous creatures, no anomalies and no Helen.
It seemed like the one above had decided they needed a break.
The strange thing was that they now seemed to missed the action. The only one glad of the peace was Lester. He sat contentedly in his office and sharpened pencils.
Abby and Stephen spent most of the time in the gym whilst Connor tried to better his record on his video game.
Cutter draw little dinosaurs on a sheet of paper and apart from that watched Claudia working in her office.
He really should do something nice for her. She still was reeling from the pterosaur's attack.
Some hours later, Claudia had finished her papers and had nothing else to do either.
To kill time, she talked with Abby.
Right now the topic was female problems and her craving for chocolate on those special days.
Nick Cutter and Connor Temple sat not far from them. Now and then some sentences carried over to both men.
Connor tried to busy himself with the computer. He had his hat drawn deeply over his red face, and at the moment he was feverishly wishing the hat had earmuffs too.
Nick wore a bemused smile and tried to listen to some more of the conversation between the two woman.
Claudia had just told Abby:
"I have to confess I'm a chocolate addict. I often need some, especially if I'm stressed or frustrated or just horny
Of course eating chocolate makes me horny too, so I just eat more chocolate. It's a bloody vicious circle"
"Last month Connor ate the last piece of my "Montezuma Peppermint & Vanilla". I wanted to strangle him."
"I prefer the Montezuma Truffle Boxes. The Grand Truffle Collection or the Champagne Collection are the best."
.....
"Have you ever tried the Cote d'Or Sensations Noir Pistache? That's the Belgian chocolate with the elephants stamped on the pieces.
It's delicious, all creamy and mild at first and then you taste the bittersweet flavour before you bite through the pistachios. Heavenly."
....
"I tried the Lindt Excellence Crunchy Caramel yesterday. It was so great I ate the whole bar all at once."
.....
"The Cadbury Cherry Ripe Double Dipped isn't bad either."
.....
"If I have no chocolate at home I just eat Nutella with a spoon straight out of the glass."
.....
"You know, Abby, good chocolate is better than sex. I would do nearly anything to get some."
"Do you mean the chocolate or the sex now?"
Both woman giggled and moved on to the cafeteria, probably to buy some sort of chocolate bar.
Meanwhile in Nick Cutter's mind a plan was forming.
A week later a big basket full of different kinds of chocolate was standing on Claudia's desk.
As Nick stepped into the office, Claudia had just nibbled on a fine Champagne truffle.
"Must taste good."
"Mhh, fantastic. Life is too short to eat bad chocolate. Want some?"
"No thanks. I'm glad you like it."
"I do, Nick. That was really quite a surprise. But what's this all about?" Claudia asked.
"Just me trying to sedu.., ah impress you." Cutter said nervously.
Steely-eyed, Claudia stepped closer to him, so he could smell the faint fragrance of her perfume and asked: "Do you really think a basket of chocolate is all you need to impress me?"
"Give me some credit here. I'm a little out of practice. The next time I'll get you flowers too. Anyway, is it working?"
"We'll see, tonight at my flat, 7 o' clock, sharp. Wear something nice! The "Pearl" is a fine restaurant." Claudia grasped the basket and, swinging her hips, she walked out of the office.
Nick Cutter looked after her. To get a date with Claudia had been a lot easier than he had expected.
*****
At five minutes to 7, Nick Cutter stood in front of Claudia's flat, clad in his best suit and freshly shaven. He had even attempted to change his hairstyle but the centre parting he'd tried had looked too horrible.
Claudia slipped out of the door, all smiles. "You looking nice in a suit." Gently, she touched him on the cheek. "Oh, I see, you' ve shaved too. Do you have any particular plans for tonight I should know about?" she asked, with sparkling eyes.
Nick fell into the easy banter that Claudia had started. "Perhaps I want to show you that chocolate isn't the only thing which stimulates the production of endorphins," he whispered, grinning impishly.
Claudia flushed faintly. "In case of need I still have your basket of chocolate," she laughed. "Come on, we have a table in the "Pearl" waiting for us."
The "Pearl" was a fancy French restaurant with backround music and a cocktail bar, in High Holborn.
Claudia seemed to know her way around the restaurant.
"They have a Chocolate Souffle to die for," she told him before becoming engrossed in the menu.
After a fantastic dinner, although the portions were on the small side, they sat at the Cocktail Bar, drinking some digestifs.
Nick had enjoyed his time with Claudia greatly. In her fashionable little black dress she looked extremely attractive.
"Do you wanna go somewhere else, with a dance-floor perhaps?" he asked.
Claudia shook her head. She was not a good dancer and would probably step on his feet the whole time.
"Pity, I want to be close to you," Nick sighed.
Claudia took a small sip of her drink. "We don't have to dance for that," she whispered and touched his knee, her fingers caressing him softly.
Nick exhaled and looked around. The place was a little crowded right now. He hoped everyone was busy with their meal and drinks and that no one would look too closely.
He hopped down from the barstool and drew her down off hers as well. Slowly, he slid behind Claudia, closed his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him.
Claudia felt the faint outline of his erection pressing against her backside and her breath quickened. Nick started to nip on her neck, drawing a small groan from her.
Aroused, Claudia pushed back against his erection.
Nick Cutter started to circle his hips and rub himself against her arse. His right hand crept gradually up to her breast.
"We should go now, before someone calls the police for improper behavior in a public place." Claudia whispered.
Breathing hard, they parted and left the restaurant together.
*****
Across the room, a woman spoke to her husband: "Did you see that pair at the bar? They were all over each other; in a public place as well, scandalous."
"Indeed?" James Lester replied with an amused smile and shook his head. It seemed that Cutter had finally got over his wife.
Very good. So there would be fewer problems when he gave the order to hunt down Helen on Monday.
*****
After a long makeout session in the car, Nick and Claudia eventually got out.
"Wait, Nick, I left the chocolate basket in my car earlier on. I was too busy preparing for my date," Claudia grinned. Nick kissed her, then took the basket from the back seat.
With arms linked they walked into Claudia's flat.
*****
From the shadows Helen was watching and sulking. Here she stood, nearly dying from extreme chocolate deprivation and that woman had got a whole basket full.
It was not fair. Nick never gave her chocolate, just flowers and bones.
'Just you wait, Claudia! I'll have a surprise for you on Monday,' she thought vindictively before she vanished in the sparkling light of an Anomaly.