"Richard, your dad and I were hoping that we could join you tonight at your apartment for dinner," Adelle began after a pause in the conversation. "We thought we'd bring you over a gourmet meal from the hotel restaurant. We know how much you love their food, and besides, darling, you look like you're going to be much too tired to want to cook anything when you get home." Rick stopped in mid-chew at his mother's suggestion. The hotel, which was one his family owned, had an outstanding restaurant called of all things, Flemmings House of Flames. But now he was going to have to come up with an excuse why he couldn't let his parents come over to the apartment he no longer lived at.
Rick finished swallowing, not taking his eyes off of his mother as his nimble mind worked on a believable excuse. "Heaven knows, I love you and Daddy being here and wanting a nice meal with me, but unfortunately... the landlord picked this time to totally paint my apartment- the smell and the work; well, I knew it would just be unbearable, so... you'll never believe who offered to take me into their own abode in such a pinch; Lieutenant Horatio Caine and I accepted. It wasn't... it's not a hardship, we learned to work together and be quite... civil during our assignment together," Rick put his sandwich down, giving his mother his complete attention. "So...he's no longer the *nemesis* that seldom comes up in conversation with your father or me...I gather..." Adelle said not only listening, but equally looking for clues from her son's body language. However, the clever young man knew his mother all too well... he kept a platonic look on his face as she watched him.
"No...he's not," Rick finished, hoping that would be enough of an explanation for his mother for now at least. "Well, I'm glad, Richard," the older woman said. "You know..." Rick said, getting an idea. "I'm sure Horatio wouldn't mind if you both came over tomorrow night with the dinner...let me talk to him about it, OK?" "Why that's a great idea," Adelle Stetler said. "We'd be happy to bring him whatever he would like to eat."
" I think...that he would enjoy some of the Argentine grilled style of meats from Flemmings...he enjoys his meats cooked rare..." although the words were said innocently, the brunet could feel the blood rushing inwardly throughout his veins. "You have a penchant for rare meats too so... did he adopt that taste from you, or is that his own preference?" Adelle raised an inquisitive eyebrow as if to test her offspring.
"Um--" Rick coughed into his fist, his eyes widening. "It's his own preference...Mama, would you like a fritter?" "Yes, dear, I wouldn't mind having one." Rick reached over and started to remove the cellophane from the wonderful cinnamon dessert, and as he did so, he noticed his Mama was smiling to herself.
"I'll just take a very small portion," Adelle requested. "After all, these would make a nice treat for uhhh... Lieutenant Caine, don't you think? As a native Northerner, he's probably never eaten any fritters...at least some truly great homemade ones. I hope I didn't use too much cinnamon though; I was lavish with it, since I originally made these for you and you're just like me...you love cinnamon." Rick willed his fingers to open the package and complied with his mother's request, doling out a very small portion of the tasty fritters.
"Yes, I really do love my cinnamon," the brunet said as he handed his mother a small portion of the treat. "And I have a feeling the Lieutenant likes it, too." Rick had to cough again to keep from grinning. "I uh, think he'll enjoy the fritters." "Are you OK, Richard?" "Why?--Oh you mean the coughing? It's just from the allergies, Mama."
"Be sure to get something that will relieve you of those symptoms, son..." she responded quietly as her fingers played briefly with the lone fritter. After enjoying the tiny treat, Adelle decided that it was time to depart. As she went towards the door, her son was grateful that she had her back turned away from him for a moment, a very brief moment- one he used to cool his growing ardor when thinking of how the seemingly innocent spice affected Horatio. I'll really use something strong, before I come home; to wash my hands with something I know will remove the scent, he mused. After discovering that thinking about decomp in a dark glacier helped him to "cool down," he was ready to see his mother out the door. "I hope that you will give your father and me a telephone call later on, we certainly are eager to have that meal- I'll be sure to ask for rare meats." Adelle smiled enigmatically as Rick took her arm, deciding after securing his office, that a long walk to outside of the building would be best for both of them. "Please, let me get a taxi for you Mama; instead of waiting out in the heat, I'll sit with you in the lobby until the cab arrives," the brunet shook his head in a way that indicated that he was vexed with himself slightly for forgetting his manners. "Such a gentleman I raised...so much like your father..." she responded by smiling and giving him a quick peck on the cheek, which brought a soft look to his beautiful eyes. As he began to reach for his cell phone to make the call, he could see that it indicated that a text message was coming in. Without thinking, he pressed the button that showed the message. "I'm looking forward to a special treat tonight, my colt"... It would take all that Rick had to suppress a heartfelt sigh of longing, one that he had been holding in all day. "Is that cell thing of yours acting up or did you get it fixed?" Adelle asked as she looked at her son's countenance.
Rick chuckled nervously. "No, it's behaving itself for now." "Well, I'm glad...What do those flickering little lights mean?" the older woman asked, leaning towards her son and his phone. "Oh, actually, they mean that the phone should be turned off for awhile so it doesn't overheat...it's just a precaution." Rick quickly pressed his phone off and pocketed it. "Oh, fiddlesticks and barnyard droppings, Richard. I know you're hiding something from me, and I know it's something big," Rick's mother exclaimed with excitement.
"Well... it's been a long time coming, Mama," the brunet said he took the device out and turned it on again, while at the same time, he saved the text message and proceeded to speed dial the taxi service that he liked to use. As he waited on hold, he gazed once again into her eager and very inquisitive eyes. "But your precious baby boy is going to make you wait to find out what it is," Rick countered her look with one that he used to use when he was very young and in a mood to playfully tease his mother, making her wait until HE was ready to reveal something. "So.... that's how it's done... Okay son, I'll be patient and do you one better... I won't tell your father either ," the graceful lady got up and put her hands on her hips, gladly accepting the challenge. "I hope that your host won't mind us coming over for dinner," she replied as adjusted her purse as she could see the taxi pulling up. "Cool as a cucumber now aren't you?" he replied with a boyish grin as he quickly pulled out his wallet and handed her some money. "Why the surprise? You gave me the fritters, the least I can do is pay for your ride back to the hotel- that's a gentleman's role too... besides..." the brunet shrugged his shoulders as he looked around- he didn't care. "Besides all of that...I'm glad that you and Daddy are here...call me when you get back safely to the hotel. 'Love you, Mama..." Rick put her into his arms, hugging and kissing her cheeks; as he did so, he realized that he HAD missed them so very, very much.
After his mother's taxi drove off, Rick walked back to his office. Before too long it was time to leave for the day, and Rick's thoughts turned to the delicious meal he was going to pick up from Lavalleja's restaurant for himself and Horatio as well as the important conversation he was going to need to have with him about his parents. He walked out to his car and headed for the restaurant. **Horatio's Beach House** Rick walked into the house through the garage door entrance with the packages of food--Carnota Grandotas, leafy green salads, Flan, and some other roasted rare meats that he thought Horatio would like. Horatio wasn't home yet, and he thought he'd set the food on the dining room table, and nibble just a little bit while he waited for his fiance. As he passed part of the kitchen on his left, he heard a scuffling sound and turned just in time to see a white streak of something shoot out of the other side of the kitchen's entrance. "What the--" Rick shook his head as he looked at the overturned bowl of dry cat food. There wasn't much of a mess though, because all but a few bits of food had been eaten.
That wasn't Smokey, the brunet thought as he put his slight snack down in puzzlement. I'd better get this mess cleaned up before Horatio gets home, he sighed and thinking the better of it, went to a drawer in order to get a pair of latex gloves to put on. Rick cleaned the feeding area and a quick inspection allowed him to see that the automated kitty litter box was ready to be changed also. No sign of the "streaker," he mused and smiled as he deftly sealed the plastic container and put in the garbage. Upon coming back into the house he realized that Smokey himself was no where to be found. Another mystery to solve, Rick kept on thinking as in silence he went to get a fresh bowl for cat food, but he pulled out the spare one as well, setting it down a small space away from Smokey's bowl. "Now, that's a sight for sore eyes, or not so sore eyes..." the silence was broken as the brunet heard his lover call out to him; Rick turned, puzzled at the remark at first, but then he realized that he had bent down low in order to put the bowls on the floor, thus inadvertently giving the ginger haired man a eye catching view of his legs and backside. "I just LOVE it when you do that..."Rick grinned in response as Horatio had pulled down his sunglasses in his trademark way giving him a look that never failed to stir his blood. The redhead didn't respond, not in words anyway and Rick got up from the floor. "Dinner and a little mystery to solve...FIRST... then dessert..." the brunet said nonchalantly, as he brushed his hands down his pants legs to the knees, nodding all the while as Horatio noticed how the light caught the amber in his betrothed's eyes, reminding him of precious jewels....
"A little mystery?" the redhead inquired, a gem-like sparkle showing in his own eyes. "Yes," the brunet smiled. "I think Smokey has brought a friend into the household." Horatio chuckled. "Really," he said with a thoughtful smile. "Well, let's eat--I can smell that rare meat from here--and you can tell me more about this little mystery." The redhead paused. "But first..." he leaned forward and took his fiance into his arms, hugging him, and then kissing his tantalizingly parted lips.
One kiss led to another and to another, causing both lovers reluctantly after a while to pause. "Talk about pulse pounding...I DO declare!" the brunet said grinning, using his southern accent in a teasing way as he pointed a telling finger at the ginger haired man, causing him to growl sensually in response. Upon noticing the tempest brewing in those azure eyes, Rick stepped back and relented. "Sorry to be such a tease, H... I'll stick to the plan; food first and then..." "YES indeed, payback comes... when it's time for THEN..." Horatio stopped him in mid-sentence touching his lips with a quick kiss. "I'll let you off the hook, as long as you know that I KNOW that I'm not the only one, whose uhhhh, shall we say- *heart* is throbbing?" such words, spoken along with the flash of a smile by the redhead, one mixed with primal passion and enchantment made the brunet's head spin dizzily with delight...
Horatio put a supportive arm around his beloved. "I think we'd better get some food in you...You can't pass out on me now. Not till later, anyway." Rick let his head fall against the redhead's shoulder as he let himself be led into the dining room. "I've had such a big day, my angel. It was unbelievable." "Yes, you'll have to tell me how your meeting with the Commander went." Rick did a wary sort of laugh that was more like a slight moan, sighed, and said, "That wasn't the only meeting I had today...My mother showed up at my office. My parents are in town."