Capture The Moment (boyxboy)

Chapter 16: Bite

"Ben, I think that steak was meant for someone else."

🥩

Although the question was  seemingly an open invitation to anyone in the classroom, Roshan had only one person in mind who he really wanted to give his tender steak to. But unfortunately it didn't work out as planned as Ben heads to the front, armed with a fork and a steak knife from somewhere. "I would be honoured Chef." He declares and before Roshan could object, Ben was tucking in.

"Mmmmm....Chef! So juicy!" Ben praises as within moments, the steak is a distant memory. He returns to his table with a satisfied look as Tully shakes his head at him.

"Ben, I think that steak was meant for someone else." Tully speaks low in Ben's ear, with Ben looking at him with confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ben looks back at Tully, with Tully nodding his head a little to the left at the table behind. There sat Clark as if he had missed the party. Face all pouty. Ben looks back at Tully. "It's just a steak."

"No baby, it's not just a steak. It was Chef's steak." Tully nods slowly at Ben, hoping he was getting the idea.

"I don't get it." Ben says, furrowing his brow.

Tully sighs. "Remember our conversation about what you thought you saw in the medical room...are we getting there?"

It's now that Ben's eyes widen. "Ohhh! Ohhh." The penny drops. He leans across his table to grab one of his many steaks, turns and hands it to Clark. "Sorry I ate your steak. Call this a peace offering. You can make one for Chef, plus you know now how he likes it." Ben says with a smile and a wink.

Clark looks at the much healthier cut of steak being presented to him. "Thanks? I guess?" Clark says, adding. "Why do you assume it was intended for me?"

"Because Tully said..."

Tully places a hand over Ben's mouth. "Let's just say I used my third eye." Tully says with a smile as he slowly lowers his hand.

Clark tries to think of a response, but gets distracted by the Chef, who was holding something up. "These are two coupons to the best steakhouse in town. Whoever cooks the best steak in my opinion, will earn these."

Ben now looks very smug
"See, I knew I should have brought all this meat. The coupons are ours."

Tully couldn't deny that the probability of them winning was actually quite good. "You must have special powers of foresight." He deduces.

"No baby, I just love steak."

Clark now felt the pressure to do well. Not only because he now had a decent piece of meat he didn't want to ruin, but Ben had now planted the thought in his head that he was cooking this steak just for Roshan. Plus, he wanted the coupons so he could woo Roshan over dinner. Not that he needed any encouragement, but Clark was desperately trying to do the dating thing by the book.

So it began. After the handwash, Clark started to season his steak. "Not too much..." Roshan was suddenly there by his side.

"Ok...but don't watch me." Clark pleads as the eyes of Roshan seem to take in every action Roshan is making.

He chuckles lightly as he moves on to the next table and Clark can actually breathe.

The room soon fills with sizzles from every angle and a myriad of smells as the pleasant waft of cooking meat quickly turns to the smell of burning, with a couple of steaks already biting the dust. Clark does his best to not let anything distract him from the task in hand. If he wanted to get something right in his life, it was this, right here right now.

Two minutes up, Clark flips over the meat, so far, so good. He pushes the beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The finish line was in sight. Finally it was ready to slide onto the plate. There. He did it! Clark looks at the steak still sizzling a little before glancing up to see everyone else in the process of doing the same. Now it was all about the taste.

He approaches Clark's table first. Of course he would! Roshan is armed with his steak knife and fork. "Let's see what you've got for me." He smiles at Clark, who felt like a bag of nerves, like everything depended on this moment.

The knife goes in, making an easy cut. Clark is relieved of the better steak he had been provided with. Things were going well. The meat inside was still a little pink. "My favourite colour." Roshan declares, his smile widening. Now the final bit. The tasting...

The small cut of meat goes into Roshan's mouth, with the fork withdrawing. Clark notices his lips pout around the mouthful. Such a beautiful sight! Then the lips suddenly still. Roshan's eyes widen, he drops the knife as one hand goes to grab the ledge of the table, the other pointing to his throat. Apart from all of these actions, Roshan is silent.

Clark looks at Roshan, momentarily stuck in the moment as to what the hell was happening, with Roshan's eyes getting wider, his face now turning red. He is yet to utter a sound.

It's Tully who is first to respond. He shouts out in a panic. "CHEF....CHEF IS CHOKING!"