A to Z done. And, I feel a little sad. I’ve enjoyed writing about this restaurant and these characters. I guess there’s no law against me writing about them in the future. This has been by far my favorite A to Z challenge yet!

Thanks to all of you who’ve followed these stories and commented on them. If you do try any of the recipes, let me know. I’d love to hear how they come out.

And now, the last of Cilantro and Sage Restaurant…for a bit.

Just Dessert, or Something More?

Laura slides onto the barstool, holding a double portion of zabaglione. “Look at what I scored,” she says, grinning.

Alex nods. “Good for you. Are you going to eat all that?”

She holds up two spoons before offering him one. She takes a bite of the dessert, closes her eyes. “I love creamy desserts.”

“Zabaglione doesn’t have any cream in it,” he says scooping up a dark cherry and custard.

Rolling her eyes, she says, “You know what I mean.”

He grabs two small snifters, pours Drambuie into each. He lifts his glass to her. “Cheers.”

She grins, sips her liqueur. “Ooh, what’s that? I’ve never had that before.”

“Drambuie. Scotch and honey with herbs and spices. Nectar of the gods.”

For several moments they are content to eat the zabaglione and sip the nectar of the gods. She looks up at him, his honey brown eyes. “This was the craziest night I’ve ever worked. Anywhere.”

He nods. “Me too. All’s well that ends well, though.”

“You wanna go out with me sometime?” she asks, her blue-eyed gaze meeting his brown one before drifting back to her dessert.

“Are you kidding? I thought you were into the boss.”

She shrugs, her lips slanting up at one side. “He’s married and so in love with that freaking Amazon and she scares the freaking hell out of me so totally off the table. Anyway, I have a thing for Texas accents.”

“I’m from Savannah, Georgia.”

Laughing she looks up at the ceiling. “Okay, maybe I can make do with a Georgia accent.”

“Make do?”

“You do not make this easy,” she says, her smile falling away.

He grips her hand. “Sorry. My mother would have smacked me upside the head. I’d love to go out with you. It would be my pleasure.”

She nods, grins at him, her eyes sparkling like sapphires.

As she walks into the dark evening, Laura feels happy, really happy, for the first time since moving to the area. Just as she’s about to turn the corner to catch the bus, a hand grips her wrist. She’s about to fling her purse and fist with all of her strength, when she sees it’s Alex.

“What the hell?” she asks.

He leans down and kisses her, his lips warm, tasting of the Drambuie they’d just shared. He pulls her in for a hug. “You’re the most special person I’ve met since moving here and I never thought I’d have a chance with a girl like you. I apologize for being this bold, but just wanted you to know.”

He retreats into the restaurant. She shakes her head, wanting to be mad for the burst of fear that had leapt through her, but she can’t find it. Yeah, the kiss was presumptuous but nice. She still feels it tingling on her lips. Maybe she has a lot of something to look forward to.

end

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Zabaglione with Strawberries

Zabaglione with Cherries