Kelly stared at the burnt egg on his plate, frowning. Ever since he became a professional chef, this was the first time he had ruined his own breakfast. He sighed, deciding to eat it anyway. He made his coffee and sat on the breakfast stool, taking a slow sip.
Ever since Saturday, his mind had been stuck on Mrs. Decker—Emily.
She intrigued him. She was the exact copy of Ayla, just older, with a different skin tone. The way she spoke, the way she looked, the way she loved her daughter—it all fascinated him. She had occupied his thoughts the entire weekend. He even dreamt about her.
His phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. Without checking the caller ID, he answered.
"Hello?"
"Morning, Chef K," the caller said. Kelly instantly recognized Eric's voice.
"Morning, Eric."
"You have an interview today with Laura and Lauren on The Laura and Lauren Show."
"I thought that interview was canceled."
"Who told you that?"
"No one. I just assumed."
"Weird."
Kelly rolled his eyes. "What time's the interview?"
"It's at twelve. I sent you the list of questions they'll ask—go through them while having breakfast."
"How'd you know I'm having breakfast?"
"I can smell coffee from here."
"Weirdo."
Eric laughed. "Get ready. I'll pick you up at eleven."
"Whatever," Kelly muttered before hanging up. He checked his email and sighed when he saw the list of questions. Taking another sip of coffee, he started reading through them.
***
"So, are you in a relationship?" Laura, one of the hosts of The Laura and Lauren Show, asked. She and her twin sister, Lauren, had been running the show for years.
"Nah, I'm not," Kelly answered.
"Are you serious?" Laura asked.
"Yeah."
"So, you've never been in a serious relationship?" Lauren pressed.
"I have. A very serious one," he admitted, his mind flashing to Jane.
"With who?" both sisters asked in unison.
"I'm not telling," he said with a smirk.
"Okay, so when was your last relationship?" Laura pushed.
"That's not part of the questions, Laura," he countered, still smirking.
"Come on, Chef K."
"I'm not telling, Laura."
"So it's gonna be like that?" she asked, feigning hurt, making him chuckle.
"Yep."
The audience laughed.
"I have a secret, and I won't tell you," Laura teased.
"I don't listen to secrets," Kelly said, his smirk deepening.
"You're lying," Lauren accused.
"Are you calling me a liar, Laurent?"
"I told you to stop calling me that, Kelendria," Lauren shot back, making Kelly and the audience burst into laughter.
"Kelendria sounds sexier than Laurent," he teased.
"I take it back," Lauren groaned.
"Too late, Lorenzo," Kelly quipped, making everyone laugh harder.
"You're funny, Kelly," Laura said, still laughing.
"Why not take up stand-up comedy and leave the kitchen for us?" Lauren joked.
"If I leave the kitchen for you, Lawrence, it's gonna burn," Kelly fired back, earning another round of laughter. "And besides, I'm not even that funny."
"So, you think you're funny?" Lauren challenged.
"I know I'm funny."
"How do you know?"
"Ask the ladies. They'll tell you."
Lauren turned to the audience. "Ladies in the house, is Chef K funny?"
"Yes!" the women in the crowd chorused.
Kelly leaned back, smirking. "See? Told you."
"Alright, last question," Laura announced.
"Shoot."
"If you were to date, would it be a fellow celebrity or a non-celebrity?"
"I don't know. I'll go with whoever has a nice vibe."
"So… do I have a nice vibe?" Lauren asked flirtatiously.
Kelly smirked, letting his eyes scan her playfully. "You have a very nice vibe."
Lauren bit her lip. "So does that mean you'd date me?"
He licked his lips subconsciously, rubbing his palms together. "Do you have what it takes?"
"What does it take?" she asked, leaning in slightly.
He laughed. "Just call me after you're done with this show."
"I'll call you, so you better pick up."
"I will, Laurent," Kelly teased, making the audience erupt in laughter.
"And that's it for today's show, guys! Thank you for coming, Chef K. It was fun having you here," Laura said.
"It was fun being here too. Thanks for having me," Kelly replied with a grin.
***
"And that's how you draw a fish," Kelly said to Ayla. After the interview, he went to the daycare and spent time with the kids there, especially Ayla and his nephew, Raymond. Parents came and picked up their kids, and Ayla was the only one left. He was supposed to take Raymond home, but he decided to stay with Ayla and Mary. They were waiting outside, sitting on a bench as requested by Ayla.
"Wow." Ayla and Raymond were amazed at the drawing.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Can I have it?" Ayla asked with a pout that Kelly couldn't say no to, making him nod with a smile.
"Yes."
"Thank you, Angel!" Ayla squealed, making Mary laugh.
"Lala, my name isn't angel."
"What is your name?"
"My name is Kelly."
"Kelly." She pronounced it carefully, and Kelly nodded.
"Do you like it?" Kelly asked.
"Yes, it's pweety," Ayla said, focusing on the drawing. Kelly smiled at her innocence.
"She's so adorable," Mary said to Kelly, who only nodded, his heart warming at the sight.
"Is my mommy coming?" Ayla asked the grown-ups.
"Yes, she's coming, Lala," Kelly said softly.
"There she is," Mary said, pointing at Emily, who had just gotten out of a cab and was walking toward them. She was dressed in a peach chiffon top, a black pencil skirt that clung to her figure, and black stilettos. Her blonde hair was pinned up in a neat bun, but Kelly noticed a subtle tension in her posture.
"Mommy!" Ayla shouted, running to meet her mother, who hugged her tight. She knelt to her daughter's level and spoke to her softly. Kelly and Mary got up from the bench and walked over to the mother and daughter.
"You're late, Mrs. Decker," Kelly said as they reached the mother and daughter, his voice calm but firm. His eyes briefly lingered on Emily's undone top buttons, her cleavage visible. He quickly averted his gaze, feeling a strange pull in his chest.
Emily stood up and met Kelly's gaze. A small smile graced her beautiful face, and for a moment, Kelly froze. His pulse quickened, but he couldn't figure out why. He felt exposed, his emotions tangled.
"I know, traffic was a nightmare," Emily said, shrugging with a sheepish smile. "But hey, we made it, right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Kelly muttered, his thoughts still on that unexpected flutter.
"Hey Ray-Ray!" Emily greeted her friend's son with a playful shuffle of his hair.
"You would've let your husband know. Ayla waited a long time for you," Kelly said sternly, his words hanging in the air.
"Daddy's in heaven," Ayla said sadly, and Mary's expression shifted to one of pity. Kelly's expression remained unchanged, but inside, a pang of sympathy hit him. He knew what it was like to grow up without a father, and though he didn't want to show it, the weight of Ayla's words tugged at his heart.
"Oh," Kelly said, his voice flat. He swallowed, trying to push back the emotions that were threatening to surface.
"I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Decker," Mary said, her voice soft.
"It's okay. Thank you for waiting with Ayla. I won't be late next time," Emily said with a small, apologetic smile, but Kelly noticed the way she seemed to pull inward, as if she were retreating behind a mask of calm.
"Say bye to Ms. Sanderson and Raymond," Emily said to Ayla, making Kelly frown. He wanted her to call his name, not just 'Ms. Sanderson.'
"Bye, Ms. Sanders, bye Rayman, bye Kelly," Ayla said with a bright smile.
"Bye, Ayla," Mary and Raymond said in unison with a smile and a small wave.
"Bye, Lala," Kelly said, his smile genuine. He watched as the mother and daughter walked away, his eyes lingering on Emily's figure, the sway of her hips drawing his attention. She looks so good, he thought to himself. A strange mix of admiration and desire bubbled up within him, but he quickly pushed it aside.
He bade Mary goodbye and took Raymond out for some ice cream before heading home.
***
Emily sat in her study, trying to focus on preparing for her next class, but her mind kept drifting back to Kelly. The way his expression had remained stoic when Ayla mentioned her husband was in heaven had left her unsettled. She couldn't help but feel that Kelly disapproved of her, or at least, her pain.
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. At least he liked Ayla, she thought. But something about the way Kelly had looked at her—almost coldly—made her second-guess that too. She thought maybe it was just the weight of the situation, but the feeling lingered.
Her phone buzzed with a notification, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was from Lavelle's Crib, a YouTube channel she loved. She clicked on the video, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the caption:
Chef K is such a flirt.
She hesitated for a moment, a mix of curiosity and unease swirling within her. She set her work aside, deciding to watch the video.