Chef Charming (13 page)

“Rori, Marcus is here!” H
er sister called over her shoulder as she opened the
door to her tall handsome soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Marcus was nervous
. He had spent the two-hour trip from campus to the
Sinclair hometown with prayers and mental planning. Although he had spent
several hours just last weekend discussing his feelings and plans with Rori’s
dad, now that they
were officially engaged
, things
were different. Plus, Marcus had forgotten what life before Aurora Sinclair was
like and the last four days had been miserable.

“Marcus!” Rori practically
launched herself into his arms from the stairs that were just to his right
. She had been on her way downstairs already when her
sister called. Her exuberance was both intoxicating and embarrassing to the normally
reticent Scottish man.

“
You’re embarrassing him, Rori,” he heard her mother
call from the kitchen. “Let him at least get in the door.”

“
Sorry,” she giggled against his neck. “You can put me
down now.” Marcus dropped her quickly. He had caught her mid-jump and had her
dangling inches off the floor. He flushed bright red.

"You scamp,” he
whispered good-naturedly in her ear.
“I’m
trying to make a good impression.”

“
Welcome son,” Professor Sinclair shook his hand after
Rori pulled him into the dining room. “I hope you’re ready for a crazy couple
of days. You mention wedding to a household of women and you might as well go
and hide because madness will ensue.”

“I’m ready, sir,” Marcus
replied and
added, “If I could get away
with eloping tonight I would.” The knowing look from the older man gave him the
impression that Rori’s father understood and completely agreed. As Dr. Sinclair
motioned for them to retreat to the back deck, Marcus could tell there was
something else the older man wanted to say.

“I need to tell you about
Jason,” her father’s tone indicated the seriousness of the upcoming
conversation.

“Jason?”

“There was a boy in high
school that had a devastating
effect on
my daughter. It was over six years ago, but I sometimes have to remind myself
that I’ve forgiven him.”

Marcus braced himself for
what sounded like a troubling story but knew from Dr. Sinclair’s tone that it
must be important.

“Jason was a popular
football player and Rori, despite how she looks now, was actually a gawky,
skinny teenager with untamed hair and glasses. She never seemed concerned about
her looks, although she wasn’t sloppy or unkempt, just didn’t fit into the
popular group. Apparently, Jason and some friends concocted a scheme to see who
could get Rori to agree to go out with them, with the ultimate plan of standing
her up and making her disgrace known throughout school.”

Marcus’s anger was searing
at this point
. Her dad continued.

“
For some reason, Rori had developed a schoolgirl crush
on Jason and he knew it. She was so excited when he asked her out that the
happiness actually transformed her. She came down the morning of her date,
having borrowed a stylish outfit from a friend and even venturing to try the
contacts we had ordered for her several months before. She looked like a
different girl. She was still floating on a cloud after school and was ready
for her date almost an hour early.”

Dr. Sinclair hesitated
noticeably. “
Jason never came. I remember
holding her that night while she cried herself to sleep.”

The pain was evident in the
father’s voice and Marcus was battling the urge to hunt the young man down and
inflict physical pain for the emotional pain he caused Rori.

“What she didn’t know until
later is that I called the young man the next morning. I also spoke to his
father. Jason seemed distraught but his father was furious. Jason dropped off
the football team, supposedly for health reasons, and within a few weeks had
transferred to the local private Christian school.”

Marcus was again in awe of
Rori’s father
. His wisdom, both in
handling the situation through Jason’s father, and in not telling Rori what he
had done, was inspiring.

“
Rori recovered quicker than I expected, at least
outwardly. The new look she wore to school that day had actually helped soften
the blow of the humiliation. Jason’s dad, with Jason’s help, made sure that
rumors swirled implying that she was the one who had rejected his son. I’m
still amazed at the integrity of that boy’s father. We didn’t hear from Jason
again until almost two years later. He called and asked if he could talk to
Rori when she was home from college one weekend. I made sure Rori was okay with
the idea. It was then that we found out that her recovery was just outward. She
panicked at the thought of seeing him as the feelings of humiliation
resurfaced. She hadn’t dated or even been interested in anyone since then. It
took some convincing and prayer, but she finally agreed to see him.”

“
You let him see her again?” Marcus interrupted, glad
the scoundrel was not within reach,
sure
he would do
Jason bodily harm.

“It worked out well,
trust me,” Professor Sinclair said, glad to see Marcus
ready to defend his daughter. “Jason had experienced a huge crisis of faith and
had completely turned his life around. He apologized to Rori and begged
forgiveness. He even admitted that he had tried to get out of the bet because
he really did like Rori even before her outward transformation. ‘I shouldn’t
have been so concerned with my so-called friends,’ Jason told her, 'I was a
stupid, ignorant, wicked,
fool
.’ She agreed with his
self-assessment, but did eventually forgive him. I know now how deeply the
incident had hurt her because it wasn’t until after that meeting that we
recovered the Rori we know now. It was like a weight had been lifted.”

“Thank you, Dr. Sinclair,”
Marcus said quietly. “I am feeling overwhelmed, but I know that is an important
piece of the
intricate puzzle that is
Aurora. I’ll admit that it frightens me a little when I realize how much I
don’t know about my future wife.”

“But Marcus,” Rori’s dad
comforted him
with a laugh. “That’s part
of the fun of being married!”

As the two men came back
inside, they discussed the plans for the weekend, knowing they were both at the
mercy of the ladies.

“Rori’s mom has started a
list of decisions that only you two need to make and I think Rori wants you to
go look at flowers and wedding rings,” her father said. “You guys are free this
evening, too, since Mrs. Sinclair and I will be taking Rori’s sister out for
her graduation dinner.”

“That w
ill be nice,” Marcus admitted. “I have a little
surprise planned that I hope will work out. I have a friend from culinary
school that has a restaurant downtown. I’m hoping to get in between lunch and
dinner service and introduce him to Aurora.”

“You two are going over to
your parent’s house on Saturday evening, correct?” the
professor asked. Marcus’s family lived about an hour
away. They were anxious to meet their future daughter-in-law.

“Yes,” Marcus said. “T
hey’re anxious to meet Aurora and we need to get my
grandmother’s engagement ring on her finger!” Rori’s dad understood completely.

“W
e’re also scheduled to meet with our family pastor for
pre-marital counseling,” Marcus added. “He’s a friend of the pastor back home
and they’re going to tag-team our counseling sessions.”

“I’m glad you two are
working that in even though time is short. It’s always good to be aware of the
possible pitfalls early in a marriage and starting with a good foundation is
very important.”

After their quick coffee and
breakfast, Marcus and Rori headed out to tackle their list. She was simply
looking forward to spending time with him and was finding it hard to care much
about the details. She was looking forward to finding her dress, which she had
grand plans to do early next week.

Sitting next to him in his
car,
Rori wished he would hold her hand,
but he needed both to drive the manual transmission car. She resisted the urge
to run her fingers along his forearms, almost embarrassing herself with the
direction of her thoughts. Who would have thought strong, masculine arms could
be so sexy? She knew her experience on the first night of class when Marcus had
held her hands to demonstrate the cutting technique he wanted her to perfect
was responsible for her fascination.

“You’re awfully quiet,
Princess,” Marcus squeezed her hand as they sat at a red light. “What are you
thinking about?”

She blushed. “You wouldn’t
believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“Nope.
It’s embarrassing.”

He raised his eyebrows
inquiringly.

“Really,” she insisted.
“I’ll tell you when we’re married.”

“That bad,
huh?”

The rest of the morning was
productive. They found matching trinity knot rings that paid homage to his
Scottish heritage and her English-Irish roots. Trying them on made the seriousness
of what they were doing a reality. Rori caught Marcus watching her intently in
the mirror behind the counter. She smiled as he mouthed, ‘I love you.'

As he held the door to his
car for her after they left the jeweler’s, Marcus pulled her close and kissed
her quickly but effectively
. She rewarded
him with a contented sigh.

“I’m very impressed, Chef
MacRae,” Rori complimented him as they sat among a
rainbow of flowers at their next stop. “You actually seem to be enjoying this.”

“It’s an act,” he tried to
deny he was thoroughly enjoying watching his
fiancée surrounded by her flower choices. “I really don’t know the
difference between a carnation and a peony. I do like the irises, though,” he
said, pointing to the deep purple stems that Rori had placed on her favorites
list.

“Good,” Rori said. “Because
that’s what we’re using.
I think
everything else just doesn’t look like us.”

“So, we’re done
?” Marcus asked, trying to hide his hopeful tone.

“Yes, Mr. Impatient,” she
laughed
. “What would you like to do now?
The only other thing we absolutely have to
get
done
this weekend is the invitation list. With the culinary department doing the
light supper after the ceremony, we are in great shape. The only thing easier
would have been eloping.”

Marcus groaned inwardly
. The thought of eloping and making her his wife
quicker than the already hasty four weeks was more tempting than she should
know.

“My mother, and yours, would
never speak to us again if we eloped,” he reminded her, trying to hide his true
feelings.

“I know,” she laughed again.
“At least it’s going to be a small family affair. I don’t think I would like a
big wedding.” Plus I don’t want to wait that long she added mentally, but
didn’t want to admit such a provocative thought to him.

“Are you hungry?” Marcus had
called his friend while Rori was looking at flowers in the back room with the
florist
. Jose was thrilled to hear from
his old friend and was more than pleased to share his kitchen this afternoon.
Their lunch service was over in a half hour and dinner prep wouldn’t start for
another couple of hours.

“Umm, yes,” Rori said. “What
did you have in mind?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Their afternoon turned out
to be one of the most enjoyable times Rori had ever had
. Chef Jose Ramirez regaled her with tales of Jake and
Marcus in school. The two chefs even let her participate in the preparation of
their meal. While she wasn’t chopping vegetables, she sat on a stool out of
their way and sketched.

“Wow, you’re good!”
Jose said as he looked over her shoulder. She had
sketched the two chefs intensely bent over a sumptuous plate of food. “Can you
sign it and let me put it up on the wall?”

She laughed and complied
. Rori was always amazed that people liked her art,
especially the pieces that took such little time.

T
he three enjoyed their meal as the couple described
their unconventional courtship to the chef.

“Way to go, big guy,”
Jose thumped Marcus on the back.
“Didn’t
know you had it in you!”

“Thanks for the vote of
confidence, buddy,”
Marcus
laughed.

“Hey, Rori,”
Jose said as they left the restaurant, “if you change
your mind, call me.”

“Not likely, but thanks for
the offer
.” She gave him a quick kiss on
the cheek.

“You are one lucky guy,
Marcus,”
Jose told his friend. “Take care
of that lovely lady.”

“I will.” Marcus thought
that the next three weeks were going to be the longest of his life.
His love for this fascinating woman deepened with
each new experience they shared.

-------------------------

Later that evening, sitting
in the family den, Marcus knew Rori was working on her resume online, so he
opened his email program and quickly typed.

Dearest Aurora, Y
ou are gorgeous and I love you.

He knew immediately when she
got the message even though no one else in the room would have known
. Her slightly raised eyebrow gave it away.

Really?
You’re sending me a message from across the
room?
Rori
answered in the message box.

Yes, couldn’t resist the
urge and didn’t want to disturb the family
. Rori’s dad was dutifully, but reluctantly looking at wedding announcement
examples with his enthusiastic wife. Gwen was working through the classroom
requirements for the new charter school.

You are
silly,
Aurora responded.

You’ve rubbed off on me
. Not
sure
anyone would’ve
called me ‘silly’ three weeks ago.

It’s just because they
didn’t know you very well.

I’ve found some Bible
verses we could use in the ceremony
. I’m
going to forward them to you, okay?

Or, I could just come
over there
,
Rori offered, really looking for an excuse to sit next
to him.

No. I’m also sending
you an email with the preliminary menu from the
culinary guys.
He didn’t want to tell
her that the real reason he didn’t want her to sit next to him was that the
temptation was too great. He knew it was reasonable to be attracted to his
future wife, but had spent a lot of time in prayer making sure he didn’t act on
those desires. He was not going to spoil the precious gift God had dropped
unexpectedly into his life.

Thankfully, her mom chose
that moment to call them up to the dining room to look at the wedding
invitation examples, interrupting their secret message session.

Late Saturday afternoon,
Marcus and Rori arrived at his parent’s house. His mom and dad were thrilled
with Rori, realizing immediately this vivacious, merry soul was a perfect match
for their son. Mrs. MacRae had already spent time on the phone with Rori’s mom,
and her plans were in full swing. Marcus and his dad left the ladies to the
wedding details and headed out to the deck to talk.

“Have you told her about
Carissa yet?” His dad asked
. Carissa was
Marcus’s college girlfriend. They had dated exclusively for several months, but
thankfully, Marcus had realized she was not as serious about her faith as he
was. Their breakup was not pleasant and he had only been on very casual dates
since then, almost four years ago.

“No,” Marcus realized he had
forgotten about Carissa. “I really haven’t thought about her in months, and
definitely not in the last three weeks.”

“You might want to bring it
up,” his dad advised, “Maybe in your session with Pastor Jay tomorrow after
church.”

In the living room, Marcus’s
sister had pulled out the family photo albums and Rori was enjoying seeing
Marcus as a child and young man
. As she
turned the page, she heard his mom whisper to her daughter.

“Here, Rori,” Kat
ie said, reaching for the album. “Let’s look at these
later. I know Mother is anxious to get these lists done.” Her obvious
interruption was too late. Rori was staring at a formal picture of Marcus and a
gorgeous petite brunette.

“Who’s this?”
Rori forgot her resolve to be dainty and ladylike when
she was with Marcus’s family. The distressed curiosity was evident in her voice.

“Just an old girlfriend,”
Mrs.
MacRae explained. “Carissa and
Marcus dated in college. It didn’t end well.”

“We didn’t really like her,”
Katie interjected. “She was snooty and I think she just went to church with us
to keep her hooks in him.”

“Kathryn Lynn MacRae!” her
mother scolded.

“Well, it’s true,” the young
woman tried to look apologetic
. Their
banter had given Rori time to recover. The woman in the picture was gorgeous
and so completely her opposite that she was immediately distraught. She wanted
to run and hide but instead used humor to cover her feelings.

“Well, we’ll have to cross
that name off the baby names list, won’t we?”
Rori quipped, forcing herself to grin as she closed the photo album and
handed it to Katie.

Mrs.
MacRae and Katie joined in her laughter, relieved that
their soon to be family member was not easily upset. They had no idea that Rori
was in fact dying inside. She knew she would never be able to compete with the
beauty in the photograph.

Marcus assumed her quietness
that evening was just due to the pace of
the wedding planning. She was sharing a room with Katie and he pulled his
sister aside and instructed her to make sure they didn’t stay up late talking.
Rori needed her rest.

“She found out about Carissa
this afternoon,” Katie informed him.

“What
?!
”
Marcus almost growled. “What were you thinking
?!
”

“Don’t yell at me!” Katie
stood her ground. “Rori took it all in stride
. She said something about making sure Carissa was marked off the
potential baby names list. She is really special, big brother.”

“Yes she is,” Marcus
said, mentally trying to decide how to bring up the subject
with Rori. “Do you think I should say something to her?”

“I don’t know,” Katie said
with her wise nineteen years of experience
.
“Maybe you should. It probably would have been better coming from you.”

“Thanks, baby sister,”
Marcus hugged her and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Wow,” Katie said quietly,
unused to outward displays of affection from either older brother. Must be
Rori’s influence, she thought. I like it!

Sunday morning dawned with a
misty welcome
. Rori followed the aroma of
coffee downstairs to find Marcus was the only one awake. He took advantage of
the opportunity and gave her a long hug.

“Did you sleep well?” he
asked breathing in the lavender scent of her hair. He kissed her lightly, not
trusting himself with any more, and released her.

“Yes,” Rori smiled. He
thought the smile was a little false, but just accredited his doubts with the
newness of their relationship. He was anxious to become familiar with her
ever-changing expressions.

She was looking forward to
the worship service, hoping that the hymns and message would help her troubled
heart. Although their family church was more formal than the church she and
Marcus attended just off campus, the teaching was solid and the songs familiar
. She left the service with a lighter heart. They
grabbed a quick fast food meal before returning to meet with the Pastor.

Having so little time to fit
in pre-marital counseling the couple had arranged for this meeting and two
meetings with Pastor
Sam back home.
Understanding their different personalities was the aim of today's session. A
lot of laughter and teasing ensued, which encouraged Pastor Lawrence.

These two were opposites in
many ways, but surprisingly held strong convictions about child-rearing,
finances, and the importance of their spiritual lives
. Confident that they could work through the
inevitable conflicts that arose from being male and female, the pastor
encouraged them. Although one of them was extremely organized and controlled
and one lived life from moment to moment, he pointed out that if they loved and
respected each other and learned to appreciate the other’s viewpoint, these
differences would actually make for a very complete and stable marriage.

“Major on the major, and
minor on the minor,” the pastor left them with his best piece of advice.

Stories of Marcus as a child
filled the conversation at the family dinner early that evening. Rori couldn’t
help but laugh, despite the shadow that still clung to her when she thought
about his old girlfriend. She tried to shake off the doubts.

On their drive back to
Rori’s home, Marcus mentioned Carissa.

“I hear that you
were unexpectedly informed
about the infamous Carissa,"
he carefully broached the subject. “You do know that she was never, ever as
important to me as you are, right? Even from the first moment I saw you, I
think all thoughts or memories of her faded completely away. Honestly when my
dad suggested that I mention her to you, my first thought was, ‘Who is Carissa?’

“Thank you, Charming,” Rori
sighed, leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek
. She knew that he probably thought he had erased all
her doubts, but Rori could still picture the gorgeous, petite brunette smiling
up at him in the photographs. This is my problem, not his, though, she decided.
Definitely will be a topic of prayer.

Marcus dropped her back at
her parent’s house and after a quick cup of coffee, prepared to head back home
. Rori walked him to the car, her family giving the
couple a few minutes of privacy.

“Princess,” Marcus held her
hands lightly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Marcus,”
Rori wanted Marcus to hold her close and kiss away her questions, but he seemed
content to let the cool evening breeze swirl between them. He finally pulled
her close and kissed her softly.

“I’ve got to go,” he whispered
against her hair. “I’ll call you when I get home.”

“Okay.” She waited in the
driveway until his car turned out of the neighborhood.

-------------------------

Monday night Rori emailed
Marcus timing it just as his evening class should be ending, hoping he would be
online. He was.

Marcus, you should be
very, very thankful.

I am, but remind me
again, why?
His message instantly
popped up.

You are marrying a very
unusual woman.

Again,
I agree, but what specific characteristic are you classifying as unusual?
I can think of several.

I hate shopping
especially trying on clothes – yuck! That will save
you a lot of money in the
long run
.

Marcus wasn’t surprised
. Rori was definitely not an ordinary woman.

That
bad today, huh
?
He was tempted to add,
“We could elope....”
but
resisted the urge.

Actually, I enjoyed
trying on wedding gowns, which was surprising
. I felt very princess-like.

Marcus groaned
.
You are
killing me. Please, Lord, I’m struggling again here. Apparently she has no idea
how she affects me! He tried to make his response as nonchalant as possible.

Did you find one?

Not
'the' one yet.
I kept sending Jess pictures so she could give
input and that helped. I did find a couple that I really liked. Mom and I are
going to one more place tomorrow or Monday.