Cassandra was excited beyond words. Had it been anyone else, they might have been somewhat embarrassed to be so excited over something so trivial, but not Cassandra. Ever since the surgery to remove her brain tumor had given her a new lease on life, she was determined to take nothing for granted, not even this: She was not only going to have roasted chestnuts for the first time in her life, she was actually going to roast them herself!
She had seen fresh chestnuts for sale at the grocery store and simply had to try them. Not sure how many the average household would typically buy, she simply guessed and bought five pounds. As soon as she returned to the Annex, she researched how to prepare and roast them. She carefully washed and dried the little brown nuts, then painstakingly cut a small 'X' into each nut's tough skin as a steam vent. She then spread them all out on a large cookie sheet and turned on the oven. She bounced on her toes impatiently while the oven warmed up to the proper temperature, still not quite able to believe that she was really going to have fresh, roasted chestnuts for the very first time in her life. How freaking Christmassy was that?! She hoped that she liked them.
"Ah, Cassandra my dear, here you are!" said Jenkins as he entered the kitchen in need of a fresh pot of tea. "I wanted to ask you if you would mind looking over…" He stopped as soon as his eyes fell on the huge tray of waiting chestnuts sitting on the countertop.
"Good Lord, woman!" he exclaimed, coming over to take a closer look. "You have enough chestnuts here to feed a small village!" The young woman looked up at him anxiously.
"Really?" she asked. "Is this too many? I wasn't sure how many to get, I thought maybe they would shrink as they cook?" Seeing her crestfallen look, Jenkins silently kicked himself for spoiling what was obviously something fun for her, and tried to repair some of the damage.
"Well, personally speaking, there's really no such as a thing as too many chestnuts," he reassured her. "I adore them, myself, though it's been a while since I've had them." He looked over the tray of nuts, quickly inspecting each and pulling off the ones that experience told him were bad. He showed them to his wife.
"You can skip these. See these dark spots? That means the meat inside is molded and inedible." He tossed them into the waste-bin. The Librarian's eyes suddenly shone with renewed excitement.
"Do you know how to roast these things?" she asked. "I mean, am I doing it right? I did a bunch of research online and this is what it said to do…" Jenkins smiled, his brown eyes crinkling with happiness in the way that always made her heart skip a beat.
"Indeed I do! I've roasted many a nut in my day," he said jovially, then, catching himself, gave her an impish wink. "That didn't come out quite right, did it?" Cassandra laughed and slipped an arm around his waist, laid her head on his arm.
"So I'll make you a deal: You tell me if I'm doing this correctly, and I'll let you have some when they're done!" she said cheerily. Jenkins wound his own arm around her tiny waist and gave her quick hug.
"A cheap price to pay for such a tasty treat!" he murmured gladly. He gave the top of her red head an affectionate peck before releasing her. "If you'd really like to learn how it's done, then grab that tray and follow me."
Jenkins turned and strode briskly across the kitchen to hold the door open for Cassandra as she navigated the large tray through the doorway. He lead her to their suite and into his sitting room, where there just happened to be a warm fire crackling in the fireplace. Jenkins took the cumbersome tray from his wife and set it on his desk.
"Now, you sit down and make yourself comfortable, my dear," he instructed. "I'll be back in no time." He left the room while the Librarian settled into the soft, dark brown leather sofa in front of the fire. As she waited for Jenkins to return, she idly poked the logs with the old iron poker, enjoying the warmth on her skin.
After several minutes, her husband returned, carrying what looked like an antique bed-warming pan that she'd once seen in history books. Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement.
"What's that for?" she asked. Her husband gave her one of his patented looks of exasperation.
"Don't tell me that you've never even seen an honest to goodness chestnut roasting pan before?" he said acidly. Cassandra snorted at his sarcasm.
"I can't help it if I was born at a time when people cook their food on stoves in pots and pans, instead of stabbing it onto a pointed stick and then holding it over a bonfire!" she shot back boldly. Rather than take offense, the immortal merely shook his head sadly.
"You poor child of the ironically-named Information Age," he muttered, as if to himself. "To know so much, and yet live in so much ignorance at the same time." Cassandra jumped up from the sofa and went to stand next to him at the desk. She swatted his arm in mock anger at his teasing. Jenkins began scooping some of the chestnuts into the square, flattish brass box at the end of the long wooden handle.
"So how does this work?" she asked. "Do you hold it over the fire until they're cooked?" Her husband closed the lid of the box and carried the roasting pan over to the fire, Cassandra right behind him.
"Yes, they should be ready in about twenty-five minutes or so. When you hear a popping sound, that means they're almost ready!" He lowered his tall frame to floor in front of the fireplace, crossing his long legs. He held the roasting pan over the fire, occasionally giving the chestnuts a good shaking to make sure they evenly roasted. Cassandra plopped down on the floor next to him and put her arm around his back as she laid her head on his shoulder, and watched him roast the nuts.
After a few minutes off small talk, the couple fell silent, the only sounds being the snapping wood as it burned and the metallic rustle of the chestnuts in the pan whenever Jenkins shook them. Eventually the Caretaker held the pan's handle with one hand while he slid his free arm around Cassandra's shoulders. He laid his head against hers, and a few seconds later he began to sing "The Christmas Song". It was one of Cassandra's favorite yuletide songs, and she joined him, her pure soprano blending perfectly with his richer baritone. As the song progressed they grew louder until by the time they reached the line "Merry Christmas to you!" they were turned and gazing mawkishly into each other's eyes.
They leaned toward each other simultaneously and their lips met for a soft kiss. Jenkins's hand moved up his wife's back and came to rest lightly on the back of her head as he quickly followed up the first kiss with second, more sensuous one. Cassandra responded, her small hand holding onto him at the back of his neck. Suddenly, there was a loud POP from the roasting pan, startling them both and causing Jenkins to almost drop the pan into the fire. A second popping sounded, quickly followed by a third. Cassandra giggled and clapped her hands.
"Are they done?" she asked excitedly. Jenkins nodded his head.
"Almost," he said. "We'll give them a few more minutes, shall we?" He leaned over again to nuzzle her temple.
"Careful!" she laughed, giving him a sly look and coquettishly slapping his knee while trying to lean back out of his reach. "We don't want your nuts to burn!" Jenkins stretched out his free arm and easily caught his teasing wife by hooking a large hand behind her neck and pulling her back towards him. He lowered his head and kissed her again, leisurely and deeply, ending it with a light nip to her plump lower lip. He then rested his forehead against hers, the end of his nose pressed against the tip of hers. As all of this was going on, the roasting pan slowly drooped in his right hand until the pan came to rest on the hearth, forgotten.
"No, indeed!" he growled, voice low and lusty all of a sudden. The pan's handle slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor. The immortal wrapped her tightly in both arms and pulled her down to partially lie across his lap. He then dropped his head to kiss her yet again, much more hungrily this time. Cassandra kissed him back as she threaded her slim fingers into the thick white at his temple, all thoughts of chestnuts melting away as the two lovers happily partook of their own special version of 'holiday cheer'.