Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
*Rated T for Teen
Chapter 3 – Salad
Kaiba threw open the door to his bedroom, slammed it behind him, tossed his meal onto his desk, and collapsed face first onto his bed. He stayed like that for a few seconds before raising his head, drawing a pillow to him. Propping his head on it, he let out a heavy sigh, his expression relaxing. The brunet wished he could feel just as relaxed.
Coming home to find the one and only Joey Wheeler in his kitchen had not been something he'd been expecting upon arrival. He knew Mokuba had wanted to hire a personal chef, but did it have to be him? And furthermore, why didn't Mokuba tell him?
Rolling onto his back, Kaiba stared up at the ceiling as he continued to think. The blond would obviously be living here, too. As well as cooking. Bringing the pillow to his chest, he hugged it almost desperately. Why did the person he fell in love with back in high school have to waltz back into his life?
Sure, it had been two years since he'd last seen Joey, but that hadn't stopped thoughts of the blond from entering his mind. And then today, of all days, he just appeared in his kitchen. What was he going to do?
Obviously, he hadn't started off on the right foot. Throwing out the meal Joey had prepared had been unnaturally cruel, even for him. The food had smelled delicious and even looked delicious, but he couldn't bear to take a bite. He knew that if he had, he would have fallen even more deeply in love with him than he already was.
Just the thought of loving someone so strongly, without knowing if they felt the same way in return, wasn't something he could handle. Especially with the blond; Joey hated him. It would be best just to drive him away.
Glancing at the clock, Kaiba nearly fell off the bed when he realized what time it was. Had he really been thinking for nearly an hour? Sitting up, the brunet got off the bed and walked over to his desk. He tossed the stupid meal he'd heated up into the trash. Well, now was the time to apologize to Mokuba, at least.
As he left his bedroom and went back downstairs, he paused on the steps when he saw his maids carrying large trash bags.
"What's going on?" Kaiba inquired coldly, slipping back into his stoic persona.
The maids froze.
"S-Sir, we were informed to throw out all the instant food from the kitchen," stammered one of the maids.
"On whose authority?"
"Y-Yours, sir."
Narrowing his eyes, the brunet left the staircase and approached the oratory maid. "And who said this?"
"The new chef, sir. Master Mokuba even vouched for him."
Dismissing the statuesque maids with a wave of his hand, Kaiba veered in the direction of the kitchen, overlooking the damage. Almost everything was empty. What the hell were they supposed to eat if there was nothing here?
"Where are they?" he snapped, his temper taking over.
"The young master and Mr. Wheeler?" replied one of the elder maids. Kaiba nodded. "They left to do some food shopping."
"Food shopping?" the brunet echoed.
"Yes," she replied, looking amused. "Apparently, your new chef can't work like this, so he's gone out with Master Mokuba to purchase fresher ingredients."
"Is that so?" It seemed the blond had more guts than he'd given him credit for. But was he looking to satisfy his own pride or to prove something? Kaiba rather hoped that it was the latter.
Smirking to himself, the brunet left the kitchen and headed for his study. Well, if Joey had something to prove, then so did he. Perhaps giving both of them a shot was just what they needed. However, the blond didn't know what he'd be getting himself into until it was…you know…too late.
Hearts of Romaine Salad
Serves 2
1 hearts of Romaine lettuce
Small amount of salt to taste
Balsamic Glaze
2 small wedges aged Stilton cheese
2 tablespoons Spiced Pecans
2 very thin slices Italian Bread
Put bread slices on a sheet pan with a heavy pan on top to keep the slices flat as they bake at 300° for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly toasted. This can be done ahead of time. Carefully remove bread slices from the oven (they are fragile and can break easily).
Cut lettuce in half lengthwise, add salt, and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Place on individual serving plates with the toasted bread slice, a cheese wedge and spiced pecans.
Spiced Pecans
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 teaspoon butter, melted
Pinch garlic salt
1 - 2 drops Tabasco Sauce
Mix ingredients together; spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil for 1 - 3 minutes. Do not burn.
End Chapter
