Page 38 of Tasty Tentacles

“No problem, boss. We have it under control. Focus on your new chocolate creation.”

As the shells are baking, I get to work on the chocolate crémeux. This will be my secret weapon. Deep, dark chocolate blended with smooth crème Anglaise, poised right at the edge of melting. With luck, it will coat his tentacles with pure decadence, getting absolutely everywhere and making a tasty mess. He’ll be licking it out of his whiskers for the rest of the day.

As a final touch, I temper some white chocolate to make some small leaves for the top. It’s fussy and probably won’t make it to the ones we ultimately put into production, but this is an extra-special occasion. I’m going for culinary enticement here, so I can afford the time for a fancy frill.

I’m assembling the last one when Camila calls, “Bertie, your friend is outside with his dog.”

“Be right there!” I yell, choosing the three that look best. Keep it light, I scold myself. Don’t put him on the spot. Fun and easy, as always.

“Hi, handsome!” I say, breezing out of the kitchen with my little pink box. And there he is, looking as tall and sexy as ever, but now I understand. I know he’s working hard to hide his tentacles, taking this extra effort to be here with me without his mask. He’s been doing it all along, for years, just for me. This realization threatens to undo me, but I hold strong.

“I have something new for you to try!” I say, showing him the box.

Camila adds, sotto voce, “He’s been glued to the ovens all morning.”

I give her a bossy glare, and continue, “Let me know what you think! I packed you a fougasse today, the one with olives and rosemary, and some treats for Jake. Is that okay?”

“Sounds perfect, Bertie. Thanks, from me and Jake. Can I bring anything tonight?”

“Hideo is putting together his favorite pasta and a salad, so maybe some red wine?”

16

ORION

When I walk in their door, Bertie has a bubbling pink glass in his hand, but says, “Pay toll first.”

I slip off my mask and give him his kiss, which seems to be the extent of my debt because he hands me the glass.

“Kir royale!” he says with a big smile. “Looks fancy, I know, but it’s super easy to make. Champagne and a splash of crème de cassis. That will put some tingle in your tentacles!”

He’s just as bubbly as the champagne I tasted on his lips, even more so than usual. He hooks a hand through my arm and drags me off toward the kitchen.

“Hideo! Jake is here!” he calls, then says to me, with that same smile, “He’s been looking forward to seeing Jake all evening…even stopped and got him a peanut butter bone.”

“He’ll have a friend for life with that,” I say. “We won’t see hide nor hair of Jake for the rest of the evening.”

“There’s the cute pup,” Hideo says, walking in and giving Jake a thorough scritching. Then he says, standing and moving in for his kiss, “And here’s our handsome guest.”

He also has the taste of champagne on his lips, mixed with a tasty collection of Italian spices. He must have been working on his pasta.

“Spaghetti tonight,” he confirms. “I stole this recipe from Bob years ago, and I’ve never found anything better. Have a taste!”

I hand him the bottle of wine I brought, and he trades it for a spoon lightly covered with tomato sauce. I let my tentacles go. Basil and oregano dominate, with garlic and onion. Red wine, maybe cabernet, and a dash of sugar. And something unexpected. “Sage?” I ask.

“Exactly!” he says. “Glad you caught that. You brought a Malbec! That will be a perfect complement to the meal. Let me start the noodles and I’ll give Jake his treat. Dinner should be ready soon.”

“Let’s make the salad,” Bertie says, gathering some lettuce from the fridge, but he fumbles with the crisper drawer and drops everything on the floor. “Damn it all. Fortunately, it’s in a bag. Five-second rule!”

He hands me a tomato to slice, and continues, “Soooo, what did you think of the eclair?”

“I think you’ve outdone yourself. You overloaded my tentacles and drove them into a chocolate coma. I’ve never tasted anything so quintessentially chocolate.”

Bertie gets a seriously satisfied look at this.

“That was the intention! What did you taste?” he asks, smiling, but with an odd tinge of sadness. That’s not good.

“Chocolate! And more chocolate…everywhere.”