Hell's Smitten (Gordon Ramsay x Reader)

Chapter 106- Up, Down, and Up Again

Friday, July 19, 2013

"(Y/N), would you like to do the honors of cutting into our Wellington?" Gordon offers, holding out the handle of a carving knife.

"Yes, please!" I stand and take the handle carefully from his hand, moving to his side to get a better angle.

The pastry is so flaky and crisp that it crackles under the knife as I push the blade in with a smooth sawing motion. When I reach the bottom, rich juices spill forth, and a heavenly aroma drifts about the table. Taylor places her palms on the table and leans in.

"Wow, that smells even better than the ones we make at Hell's Kitchen," she exclaims, wafting the steam to her nose.

"We had more time to put love into it," Gordon says, his eyes flitting to mine. I smile slightly before dropping my head, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"Welp, I can't wait to stuff my face with it," Taylor says, settling back as I continue cutting into the Wellington, making five portions. Gordon lays out the portions on individual plates and sets the red wine sauce in the center of the table. When he hands Bella her plate from behind her chair, she doesn't look up from the table.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Gordon asks, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"I was able to ride most of the rides but... I shouldn't have," she moans. "I was a bit sick this morning but now I feel like I'm going to throw up if I move."

"Do you want to save your meal for later?" Gordon asks. "We can pack it to go."

Bella nods feebly. "Yeah, I can't even handle smelling any food right now. But I hope if I rest I'll feel better."

Henrietta approaches the table with a troubled look. "You need a Tums, sweetie?"

"Yes, please. And a to-go box." Bella says, holding her stomach.

While Henrietta gets Bella her requested items, Gordon finishes serving the plates. "I'm sorry it took so long to get the food ready, everyone. Are you all ready to treat your palates to our delectable Wellington?"

"Yes, Chef!" All of us respond aside from Bella, who can barely stand to look at her plate. We hold our fork and knife over the succulent meat in anticipation.

"Dig in!" He says cheerfully, cutting into the Wellie. I follow suit, my knife slipping through the meat like it's butter.

I bring the bite to my lips, wanting to taste it without the sauce at first. The umami flavor of the savory meat wrapped in a crepe, mixed with crisp puff pastry, and surrounded by hearty duxelle is impossibly good. Though, I suspect all of my senses are in overdrive due to what Gordon has been doing to me non-stop today.

"What do you think, love? How did we do?" Gordon reaches over the table as he asks, resting his hand on my arm.

I swallow my bite and let out a soft sigh of contentment. "It's amazing, Chef. We did great."

"That we did." He smiles and squeezes my arm before retracting his grip and continuing to dine on his portion.

"You cooked it spectacularly, (Y/N). And of course, Gordon," Abel says with admiration.

"I concur," Taylor says, waving her fork in the air happily.

"How were the rides, guys?" I ask after a few minutes of comfortable eating during which Bella gets her Tums and starts to regain some color.

"We rode all of them," Taylor exclaims through a mouthful of food. "Abel pretty much let Bella and I choose what we wanted to do, so we went on the Big Shot first. Holy crap, it shot us up so high I was worried a plane might hit us!"