Death By Chocolate

Sarti stood next to Max as he worked, watching him measuring out ingredients, leveling off a tablespoon with the edge of the box from which he drew cocoa powder. Max had just recently gotten promoted at his restaurant, a small family run chain called Griffin, and was given the opportunity to present an entirely new menu of his own making to the manager for consideration. This was a huge step for max and would be even bigger if it went well. He’d been testing dishes on friends and family for weeks. Tonight was dessert night.

Sarti loved Max and knew that he like it quiet when he cooked at home, but there were people over anyway so she couldn’t resist dishing with Thiva, her best friend. Jen and Mike had come over to watch and eat and support Max as well. The three of them were chatting about something or other when Sarti crossed the toom and sidled up next to Thiva.

“I love these nights when he does this,” she said in a hushed voice, “the whole house smells so yummy for hours.”

“I know, but forget the smells! It’s them tasty dishes I want daaaaaaang girl!” Thiva responded, laughing silently, the way she often did.

“You know it’s not that I don’t want him to get the job or whatever, but if only there were a way to keep him cooking here every night and not off in some fancy restaurant where we can’t get any…mmm that would be nice. I mean occasionally some take away, but you know how Max is about having anyone come visit his work… ‘its unprofessional ladies, I don’t go to Jen’s office and ask her for food’ as if that’s the same thing.”

Thiva laughed again, “this dude and his cooking, takes it soooo seriously. Hey why are we practically whispering? They aren’t paying us any attention anyway, over there chatting about stocks and whatever.”

They both laughed, out loud this time, and none of the other three so much as turned their heads.

“Told ya,” said Thiva.

Just then there was a break in the conversation across the room and Max turned to Sarti and Thiva. “You two getting hungry?” Max said almost rhetorically, knowing the answer.

Sarti looked at Thiva and said to her “with all these delicious aromas floating around this kitchen who wouldn’t be hungry?”

Max clearly had known their answer would be yes, and he set two bowls in front of them teeming with some sort of turkey and vegetable stew.

“There you go my pretties,” he said playfully. “Bon Appétit!” Feeling like two Grecian goddesses being served before everyone else, Sarti and Thiva tucked in and hardly came up for air until their bowls were cleaned of the savory and delicious stew that they could only assume was a soup course.

“Wow!” Thiva said. “Just wow!”

Sarti didn’t even have words, she just shook her head slowly from sided to side in disbelief and licked her lips. Max smiled back at them, pleased to see them so enjoying their night.

“More goodies later, for now, back to work making dessert.”

Max returned to his little cooking area in front of Jen and Mike who were also finishing up their appetizer, though it looked different from Thiva and Sarti’s. He had spent much of the last half hour or so mixing and whipping and combining. Then he would taste, add a bit of vanilla or a touch of cocoa or coconut oil, and whip and stir some more. Eventually he had moved his confection perfection into some sort of shaped baking dish and placed it in the oven. Sarti and Thiva watched, mouths watering as the scent of baked goods now began to reach them. A soft ding brought everyones attention back to Max, who moved to the oven and removed the dish, the smell of fresh baked chocolate cake blossoming into the little combined kitchen/dining area as the oven door opened. Then as he swept from the oven back to the island Max said playfully, “Voila! Death by chocolate!”

“Daaaaang,” said Thiva, “you think we're gonna get some of that?”

“I don’t know Thiva,” Sarti replied, “But Max is human, and therefore messy as heck, if he doesn’t give us any, we’ll just get some off the floor later! We’re dogs, it’s what we do!” And they both laughed silently, the tags on their collars jingling ever so slightly.

Right then Max’s clumsy side got the better of him and he tripped on his apron which had come loose a few minutes earlier. As he tripped his chocolate creation plummeted to the floor, as if Sarti’s thoughts had made it happen. Death by chocolate smashing to the floor and splattering all over, the molten interior exploding outwards in a cascade of chocolatey goodness.

Sarti and Thiva paused only long enough to watch it all happen in slow motion. Fat, slobbery smiles grew on their faces as it did. Then, before anyone knew what had happened, they both lept from their beds in the corner, kicked their empty bowls aside in their haste and lunged towards the chocolate, mouths open, tongues out.

Death by chocolate.