Home Cookin

"Mmmmmmmmm, Smells good, what's cooking?" asked Cherry as she walked in my kitchen and peeked at me preparing the aluminum trays and pans that would constitute our meal.

"Well, There's Turkey in that one....Ham with Pineapples in the middle, Macaroni & Cheese here,

Candied Sweet Potatoes here, Cornbread Stuffing in this tray and some Mustard Greens over there..." I said.

"Reed, YOU cooked all of this food?" she laughed, giving me the side eye.

"Yes....I'm a traveling musician and I'm a bachelor....Gots to know how to burn in the kitchen...I told you that I grew up in Patterson,New Jersey..but I was born in Portsmouth,Virginia....I come from cookin folks... My mama taught me and my brother how to cook...She said that just in case we didn't get married, we'd at least know to prepare ourselves a meal." I laughed.

"It was nice of you to invite me over to your place for an after Thanksgiving dinner." said Cherry.

"Yeah ,well, I thought you might be a little depressed and all and it bein Thanksgiving and all, I didn't think you should be by yourself." I replied as I placed each tray along the table with a ladle or tong as needed so that everyone could serve themselves.

"Is you new lady friend coming?" Cherry coyly asked.

"Debbie? , Yes she is...and she's bringing a friend along." I said.

"A friend? Male or female?" she asked.

" It's a guy..His name is Pete....He's a cook and he has his own catering business.." I said.

"What is this...the matchmakers game?" Cherry snarled.

"Relax...He didn't have a date and I told Debbie that you would be here and suggested that she bring Pete along." I said.

"I'm not a charity case Reed."she said.

"I know...but it would be odd for me to be sitting here with you and Debbie wouldn't it?" I said.

"Odd for you to be sitting with the woman you used to screw, as in just screwed two weeks ago and the woman you are screwing now ...isn't that more like it Reed?" she said, half joking and half serious.

I changed the subject. "Hey did you go down to Mabel's spot and put in a resume and a job application? I told her about you and she said she'd like to see you." I said.

"No,I didn't....but first thing Monday morning...I'll be dropping by." she said.

"How are you set for living, right now I mean?" I said.

"Chess gave me "88's "old apartment. Now that he's living with Mabel, it doesn't look like he'll need it." she said.

"Good...Heres a couple of dollars to hold you until you start working and get on your feet." I said as I peeled off a couple of twenties from my wallet and passed to her.

'Damn Reed, you've been like my guardian angel ever since I came back to Philly...If you wasn't such a square...I'd give you some right about now." she laughed.

"Well......Nobody's here yet." I said quietly.

"Hmmmmmm..." she cooed as she pondered the idea of slipping off into my bedroom...I pondered it myself....but just then. the doorbell rang. It was Debbie and Pete....

I went to the door and let them in...

"Hey, what's going on everybody?" I said as Debbie and her friend Pete came in. Debbie gave me a big long and juicy kiss....She knew Cherry was here as my guest and she knew our history..she was marking her territory.....I found the whole thing amusing.

"Pete...This is Reed Nelson, the band leader and trumpet player extroidinare down at Josies." said Debbie as I shook Pete's hand. He was about my height, a little stockier than I, with brown skin and a nice white perfect tooth smile...He seemed like a nice enough fella.

"Heard a lot about you Reed...I'll have to come down to Josie's and check you out." he said.

"Where are my manners? Debbie, this is my friend Cherry, Cherry, this is Debbie." I said sheepishly.

They both said hello in that catty way that women do when one realizes she's looking at the present and the other realizes they are looking at the past...They were cordial, but kind of stand offish.

"Cherry, this is Pete, Pete, this is Cherry." I said, feeling like a pimp. Cherry was right..this move was kind of undignified...She certainly had the looks to attract a guy had she of chosen to bring one to my little shindig.

Pete was definitely interested...He couldn't keep his eyes off of her and to my ease...Pete made himself at home... The two of them engaged in small talk the entire afternoon. We sat at the table and devoured the good hot food I had prepared. Pete had brought a bottle of champaigne.

"That's for the ladies....I hope you like Corona brother..I brought a six pack for us." he laughed and nudged me... I liked Pete already.

Cherry at first appeared to only tolerate him, but eventually she began to warm to him and laugh at his jokes..Debbie had brought Ice Cream and cherries and we drank Champaigne and Beer and ate Ice cream and bing cherries after dinner and listened to my latest CD....

I really felt at ease....I kept running my hands down Debbie's back...She smiled and gave me a little peck on the cheek...I squeezed her hips a little...Ran my hands over that firm butt of hers.. She winced....

"Reed..stop it..ouuuu..." she whispered. I just laughed. She rubbed my crotch

and then looked at me and smiled....I kissed her and rubbed her breast a little.

"Ooou, stop it Reed...before something happens." she whispered softly....

"I want something to happen " I said.

"We can't....not now....there are other people in the apartment." she said.

"Yeah?, Where are they?" I asked.

Cherry had asked to be excused to go to the ladies room a few minutes ago and Pete had been in the kitchen... I had been fooling around with Debbie on the couch and hadn't noticed that neither one of them had been seen for close to thirty minutes...I took my left index finger and put it to my mouth,motioning for Debbie to be quiet...I tiptoed down the corrider to where my room was..The door was slightly cracked....

There on my bed was Pete and Cherry...His pants were down and she was stroking his penis softly...Her panties were down around her ankles and Pete had his hand up her dress...I didn't need to see much more...I tip toed back down the hall way to the living room laughing to myself..

"Reed, where they at?" asked Debbie. I didn't answer..I straddled her and began french kissing her...slowly, hungrily....then I came up for air -

"Don't worry about them..they are..uh..getting to know each other."I said.

"What? They just met...She don't waste much time do she." said Debbie.

"And neither does your friend." I laughed as I put my hand up Debbie's dress and eased her panties down around her ankles and began kissing her some more on the couch...

"Ouuuu,Ohhhhh..ahhhhh Reed,you are so nasty....ohhhhhhh..." she moaned.

"Ohhhhh...ouuuuuuuu...and neither..ohhhhhh...do you,ouuuuuuu...." she moaned...as I mounted her...

"Ohhhhhh Reed.....Ohhhhhh.." she moaned as I entered her, moving her dress

up and commenced to the equivalent of a high school sexual encounter...We moved in a determined and slow rhythem that was nothing like high school....

with the excitement of getting caught making us that much more excited...

I grabbed Debbie's hips and really began to stroke her...I had to take my other

hand and put it over her mouth to quiet her....

We both came in an explosion of passion....From my bedroom ,I could hear Pete

moaning -"Oh my god...oh my godd...ohhhhhh..ahhhhhhhhh..." Debbie and I

both looked at each other and smiled.

Two days later, I was sitting in Mabel's spot having a tumbler of coffee when Cherry walked in.

'Hey Reed..I came with the resume and the application...Is Miz Mabel around?" she said.

I pointed to the corner office... "She's in there." I said.

"Hey Reed...I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me..I really enjoyed myself at your place the other night." she said.

"I know you did." I laughed.

"What? What do you mean by that?" she said ,laughing while she said it.

"Nothing...Nothing at all." I said ,also laughing...