Okay, so I was on the grocery store when the idea came to my head. It was originally going to be a stand alone but I came up with having the idea of having a series of Mac/Stella oneshots that all have food titles so here ya go. Thanks again for the reviews.
And I don't own anything.
-Andie
)()()()()()(
Greek Salad
)()()()()()(
The small supermarket found itself to be fairly empty that early Sunday evening. There were only a few customers lingering among the shelves; eyeing everything from cereal boxes to soup cans; loaves of bread to coffee grinds. The lonely store worker leaned over the counter at his register, sifting through a magazine as the bubbles created from his gum popped rhythmically.
The temperature was cool as the air conditioner created a soft humming noise. A simple instrumental tune was continuously emitted from the speakers perched throughout the store, creating to some a pleasant shopping atmosphere. Others could find the music to be relatively galling. The only noise that would invade the steady sounds of the store was the bell that would ring when the door opened.
She entered the store, tired from the day's tasks. She left work earlier in the day but when she arrived home, she was frustrated to find few items stored in her refrigerator. She contemplated staying home and ordering out; figuring she could deal with the need to stock her cabinet later. However, her ambitious ways got in the way and she found herself entering the supermarket and grabbing a hand basket.
She walked along the aisles, hoping that eyeing the many products would give her a clue to what she would prepare that evening. With no luck in the first two aisles, she rounded the corner and entered the third, her spirits faltering slightly.
As her eyes trailed along the shelves, they passed over a figure at the other end of the aisle. She did a double take of the figure, wanting to confirm her initial suspicions. A small smile graced her lips as she walked closer to the man she recognized.
"Mac," she called out as she moved closer.
He looked up from the box he was holding, surprised when his name was called. His eyebrows rose in mild shock as Stella reached him.
"Stella, what are you doing here?"
She let out a small chuckle. "Trying to find something for dinner. What about you?"
"Same thing," he said, holding up the box to prove his point.
Stella eyed the box, reading the name on the front. "Ah. I should have known you would be an instant rice kind of guy."
He turned his body to face her completely as he watched her with growing amusement. "Why's that?"
"Patience isn't always your strong point," she told him.
Her comment earned her a laugh from him, something that gave her a smile of her own. Pleased with his reaction, she leaned over to take a look in his basket.
"Let's see, you've got some crackers and cheese," she looked up with a raised eyebrow, "very nice Mac. What else, oh, some canned pineapples," once again, she looked up, a grin on her face, "exotic," she said in a mocking tone. Once again, she looked back in the basket. "Oh, and I see some…" she trailed off, tilting her head slightly to the side on confusion.
She reached in the basket and pulled out some a small plastic container. "What is this?" she asked, holding the container up for display.
Mac laughed out loud at the item she held in her hand. "You of all people should know what that is Stella."
The way she smirked and slightly put her hip out to the side showed him that she was not very pleased with his answer.
"It's Greek salad," he said.
Stella looked at the container and then back at Mac. "Αυτό δεν είναι ελληνική σαλάτα."
Mac smiled as she continued to eye the container in her hand. "What was that Stella?"
She sighed and shook the container. "This is not Greek salad."
"It's not?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.
"Hardly."
"Well then, if it's not Greek salad, what is it?" he asked her.
"A bad imitation of a traditional Greek dish," she stated. The way she spoke created a matter-of-fact tone.
"I happen to like the bad imitation of a traditional Greek dish," he told her, taking the container from her a putting back in his basket.
"I'm telling you Mac, once you taste authentic Greek salad, you'll never be able to eat that stuff again," she told him, pointing to his basket.
"And where might I find this authentic Greek salad that you speak of?" he asked her.
His question sparked a thought in her mind. "You busy later tonight?"
Mac eyed her curiously, gathering an idea of what she was planning. "No, I'm not."
"Good. You just finish shopping okay, Mac," she said while walking backwards away from him. "Go home and drop off your groceries and meet me back at my place in about forty-five minutes."
Before Mac could reply, she disappeared around the corner.
He chuckled lightly to himself as he turned around and did what he was told.
)()()()()()(
The knock on her door came exactly forty-five minutes later. She eyed everything in her kitchen once more before moving to open the door.
She smiled at the image of Mac on the other side of the door with a bottle of wine in his hand.
"I assumed this invitation of yours was for dinner so I figured a bottle of wine was appropriate," he said as Stella moved aside to let him in the apartment.
"Good analytical conclusion Detective," she replied in mock serious tone.
Mac chuckled as he eyed around the apartment.
The small table in her kitchen had been set neatly for two. There were two candles placed in the middle, each lit with a sparkling ember. The lights had been dimmed slightly, the mood created displaying a cool and collective air.
Mac turned back to Stella, a satisfied expression on his face. "This is nice Stella," he said, his tone genuine.
Her eyes lingered on his for a moment before she finally spoke up. "Just wait until you try the Greek salad. Now sit," she playfully demanded.
Mac moved to sit in the chair she pointed at while Stella went further to the counter to retrieve the two pre-made plates.
She went back towards the table, setting one plate in front of Mac and one on the place setting across from him. She gathered up two wine glasses and set them on the table.
"Stella, you sit down. I'll pour the wine," Mac offered before she could even move to do so.
"Thank you Mac," she said before sitting down. A content sigh escaped her lips in the process.
Mac carefully filled each glass with the red liquid, handing one to her.
Stella took the glass and raised it slightly. "Cheers to…" she trailed off in attempt to think of the right world.
"Authenticity?" he offered with the raise of an eyebrow.
Stella laughed lightly at his word choice. "Wow, Mac. I was going to say to Greek salad but I think I like yours better. To authenticity," she said, lightly tapping her glass against Mac's.
They set their glasses back down, each picking up their fork.
Stella watched Mac carefully has he took the first bite of his meal.
Mac saw her watching him and purposely decided to drag out the amount of time it took for him to completely chew and swallow.
Stella immediately caught on and frowned at him. "Would you hurry up and tell me how it is," she said with a laugh.
Mac smiled and looked up at her, a genuine expression on his face. "It's the best Greek salad I've ever tasted," he told her. The way his eyes stayed on her caused Stella to have to look away momentarily. She tried to cover up her embarrassment with laughter.
"I'm glad you like it Mac," she said when she finally managed to look back up.
Mac smiled and the two entered a comfortable silence
The rest of the evening was filled with small talk and the occasional discussion of work.
When the evening grew late, Mac expressed his need to leave for her had to work the early shift the next day.
Mentally, Stella was disappointed but she managed not to let it show.
The pair got up and walked towards the door. Stella opened it for Mac as he walked past her and into the hallway. She leaned against the doorway as he turned around to face her.
"Thanks for dinner Stella. It was amazing."
"I'm glad you liked it. Now I better not catch you with another store bought Greek salad again," she warned him playfully.
Mac shook his head in laughter. "Thanks to you, I'll never be able to eat it again," he paused, contemplating what he said next. "I guess whenever I get the urge for it; I'll have to come over here."
Stella smiled sweetly at him. "That wouldn't be such a horrible thing."
They shared another laugh before Mac spoke again. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, you will," she replied.
She watched him for a moment before leaning closer to place a kiss on his cheek. Her hand rested on his shoulder as his found its way to her waist.
When she went to pull back, she was surprised to see that his hand lingered on her hip as he hers stayed on his shoulder.
This time, it was Mac who leaned in closer. He brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss. The moment the connected, Stella found herself pressing her mouth harder against hers. She pulled back for a moment, shocked yet satisfied with what just happened.
"Wow," she breathed out, her mouth still close to hers.
Mac remained still and silent as he just stared at her.
"Mac?" she questioned. She grew confused when he remained in his fixed position. "Mac, Mac."
She frowned when she received no answer from him at all.
She back up and shook her head on confusion when his hand remained where it was, except for this time, she wasn't there.
"Mac, Mac, Mac…."
)()()()()()(
"Mac, Mac, Mac…" Stella frowned in confusion when she suddenly saw nothing but darkness. She began to noticing the feeling of something soft on her cheek.
She opened her eyes to be greeted with a sideways view of her living room. After a moment of confusion, it finally hit her that she had just awoken for a nap on her couch. She remembered trying to think of what to have for dinner when she figured she fell asleep.
Laughing to herself, she got up from the couch. She laughed harder when her stomach growled in hunger. Smiling, she gathered up her purse and headed towards the door. On the way, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the familiar number.
"Hey Mac, it's me…You busy?...No?...Good, how about dinner?...Yeah, I have something in mind…You ever taste authentic Greek salad?"
)()()()()()(
So, what did you think? (Oh, and the Greek was from a standard online translator.)