Nell's Kitchen
Chapter 9
Romance Sex Story: Chapter 9 - Paul spent years running the restaurant his parents left behind. Nell’s is his work, his family and most of his life. But lately, the people closest to him have been making life a lot more complicated. With Halloween approaching, Paul discovers that some things are a lot harder to manage than a kitchen.
Caution: This Romance Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Fa/Fa Consensual
Maya couldn’t believe what she was seeing from the back seat of her Uber. It was only seven-thirty and yet the line outside Nell’s had already reached the corner.
She looked at her livestream and exclaimed, “Guys! This is insane. Check out the line outside Nell’s. Look at those costumes. People have come dressed to impress tonight!”
She pointed out the usual firemen, angels, pirates, witches, nurses and police costumes. But there were some that were unique as well. There were some characters from some well known movies, some professional cosplay level costumes and a few others that neither Maya nor her livestream audience could recognize.
As Maya walked closer to the restaurant she noticed that there was a large cordoned area outside.
“Look! They’ve expanded the service outside as well. Oh my god! Look at those decorations! I love the spooky pumpkin tower. Can you guys see? They’ve even put lights inside to make them look even more spooky.”
She laughed reading some of the replies. “Yeah! It looks like a great party already. Let’s get closer.”
The comments blew up on her screen.
Check out the servers. I love their costumes!
Check out that smoking drink
Are they dressed as Zombies 😨
Hell Yeah! Check out that guy dressed as Frankenstein’s monster
SPOOOKYYYY ☠️
Maya turned the camera toward herself. “Guys. I knew that this event was going to be special. I didn’t know it was going to be this big!”
“Before we head in, I thought you’d like to know a little about Nell’s.”
The comments on her screen were moving too quickly for her to read. “Yeah. I know it was fun looking up a little bit about the restaurant.”
“Nell’s was started twenty years back by the current head-chef’s parents Ajay and Nell Gupta.”
She laughed when she read one comment. “Yes. That’s Paul Gupta. And yes ... he’s Chef dreamy. He’s inside folks. We’re going to meet everyone.”
She chuckled when the comments exploded. “Hey! No, I didn’t steal that from Grey’s Anatomy. I said Chef Dreamy. Very different from Dr. McDreamy. And yes. We’re going to see Leah and your favorite Rae as well. Now let me finish. I swear I’ll be quick.”
“So Nell’s quickly became one of the city’s favorite high-end dining spots. However, it really took off when Paul became its head chef. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star a few years back. Ever since then they’ve been rated one of the best restaurants in the city. But ever since Leah Smith joined their team, Nell’s has gone into the stratosphere.”
Maya read the comments. “Thanks dearies. No, I haven’t been to Nell’s before. I have not been able to get a reservation ... until now! We’re going to make the most of it, right?”
A man dressed as the Joker waiting in the line overheard her. “Trust me. You’re going to love the food there.”
Maya swung her phone around. “So Mr. Joker, you like the food at Nell’s, huh?”
“Best in the city!”
“Why do you like it so much?”
“What I love best about Nell’s is that they don’t have one specific cuisine. They take traditional foods from across the world and put their own spin on it. Chef Paul is especially good at adding an Indian twist to Italian, Mexican ... even Japanese cuisine!”
“Wow! What’s your favorite been so far?”
His girlfriend, dressed like Harley Quinn cut in, “Girl! This man is obsessed with the duck curry risotto. I swear he talks about it more than me!”
The couple laughed with Maya. Maya read the comments raining across her screen. “Yeah! That sounds weird, doesn’t it!”
The Joker spoke up, “Trust me! You gotta eat it to believe it. I’ve heard they have a whole new menu for tonight. I can’t wait!”
Maya cheered. “Me either! Thank you, good people. I’ll see you on the inside.”
She continued to the entrance. “Let’s go folks. If the outside looks this good, I can’t wait to see what they’ve done inside the restaurant.”
As she approached the restaurant a wave of comments flooded the screen.
“Oh my god! Ye! That’s Leah standing at the door. She said she’d be waiting for me at the entrance. And there she is!”
I love Leah
OMG! She’s so hot!
It should be illegal to look that good
She’s a Vampire bride
😍😍😍😍
OMG OMG
“Leah is the mastermind behind the amazing Halloween campaign. She’s been so successful that other famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver have started trying to replicate her methods as well.”
That started a literal war on the livestream comments.
Jamie Oliver suxxx. Uncle Roger is da man
Uncle Roger is a poser. He just knows how to hate on Jamie
Ramsey is overrated
Maya shook her head. “Stop it people. This is not about them.”
Leah rescued her by making an appearance. “Hi Maya! It’s so awesome to see you!”
She kissed Maya on the cheek. The war was instantly over.
I wish I were Maya
Lucky lucky
OMG OMG 🤯
Maya was starstruck for a moment. This was Leah Smith. Social media influencer and apparently marketing genius. Leah laughed when she saw Maya. She took her arm and pulled her toward the restaurant.
“Hello people. Welcome to Halloween at Nell’s. Aw! Thanks so much for the lovely comments. Yes, the vampire bride dress was my idea. Wait till you meet the other one.”
It took a few moments for Maya to find her voice again. “Girl! You look so gorgeous. Right, people?”
Both women looked at the comments rolling in.
Leah gave the livestream a thumbs up. “Aw! You’re so sweet!”
“So, Leah. How do you look so good? That corset paired with that tiny layered skirt. Is that even legal?”
Leah grinned. “You’ll get on well with my brother-in-law Chris. He’s been complaining about my dress all-day!”
“No complaints from me, girl.” Maya said admiringly. “I’m just jealous. Good lord!”
A couple entering behind them laughed as Leah waved them inside.
“You look amazing Mr. Peters. The bar’s on the left. Make sure you get a Witches’ Brew. You’ll love it. You too Samantha.”
Maya noticed Leah personally invited a few more people as well into the restaurant. “So, Leah. You seem to know a lot of people here. Have you been working with Nell’s for long?”
Leah gave her an incredulous look. “I’ve known Nell’s forever. Aunt Nell and Uncle Ajay were like second parents for me and my sister Dana. I literally grew up here.”
“Wow. So the next time I want to come to Nell’s I just need to talk to you.” Maya said shyly.
Leah smirked.
A server rushed past them. “Leah, the press table wants to know if Paul’s doing interviews now.”
“No. The interviews are scheduled for nine-thirty. If they need to talk to someone, catch Rae.”
The server nodded and disappeared.
Leah slipped an arm through Maya’s and pulled her. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
The crowd noise intensified as they approached. Music and laughter spilled through the doors over the clatter of glasses and the constant roar of conversation.
Leah had to raise her voice a little. “We cleared out a part of the dining room for dancing. We have DJ Sammy playing.”
Maya was stunned. “You got DJ Sammy to DJ for you? How the hell did you manage that?”
Leah winked at Maya. “ He’s a regular at Nell’s. We bribed him with our specials.”
Maya shook her head. “I can’t wait to get inside and taste your food now.”
When Maya stepped inside Nell’s, whatever she had expected from the Halloween party of the year disappeared immediately.
OMG OMG OMG
🤯🤯🤯🤯
😍😍😍😍
Maya laughed as the comments on her livestream stopped making sense. She couldn’t find the words either. Leah laughed when she saw Maya’s face.
“Holy shit. What the hell is this place?” Maya exclaimed. “Guys. Trust me, I feel so sorry for you guys. You have to be here to experience this. Leah. This is amazing. Who did your decorations for you?”
Leah smiled proudly. “That would be my wonderful sister, Dana. She’s the one that planned out the settings. That autumn foliage with the black roses, the smoky glass and the candles are all her ideas.”
“I just can’t even tell you how amazing this looks, people. A few people are asking about the pumpkins. Why so many? I noticed you had a bunch of pumpkin towers outside as well.”
Leah burst out laughing. “That part’s genius. Last week we got way more pumpkins than we had ordered. Priya, one of our chefs, had the brilliant idea to use the extra crates of pumpkins and make them our decorations. Pretty ingenious, isn’t it?”
“Gorgeous. And the amber lighting really sets the mood. It’s not all candles is it?”
“No. That’s thanks to Chris. He’s the one that took care of that.”
“That’s your overprotective brother-in-law?”
Leah chuckled. “That’s him. Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Maya slowly turned around with her phone to capture the entire setting. By the time she finished, Leah was holding something dark and smoking in her hands.”
“Behold. The Witches’ Brew.”
“Oh wow! People check out this drink. It looks gorgeous.”
Maya took pictures of the drink from different angles. The ambient amber light made it look even more special.
“Cheers. I’m going in for a taste, people. Wish me luck!”
Leah took the phone to record Maya drinking it.
Oh wow! That looks amazing
Wish I could taste that 😞
Tell me how it tastes! I need an answer! Now!
When Maya took a sip her eyebrows shot upward. She went in for another sip. Then another. Finally she leaned back and moaned. “Oh, fuck me!”
Leah burst out laughing.
Maya looked up. “No seriously. Guys, that drink is insane! What was that warm spice in it? That really makes it special.”
“That was black cardamom. Trust me. That is what makes the drink so special. Paul and Bert (our head bartender) had to test multiple batches to make it so good. Shoutout to Sophie’s Choice’s Sophie Devereau. Babe, you’re a rockstar. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Where’s this Sophie? Is she here. I personally want to thank her for making this drink happen.”
Leah looked sad for an instant. “Unfortunately she isn’t coming today. Trust me. You think I’m good looking? She makes me look like Raggedy-Anne.”
Maya laughed disbelievingly. The comments on the livestream agreed.
“Anyways. There’s Bert. Bert! Everyone loves the Witches’ Brew.”
“Bert! You’re a genius.” Maya waved to Bert who gave her a thumbs-up.
Maya gasped when a smoking dish with three crisp black spheres resting in a creamy golden sauce was kept in front of her. Each ball was crowned with a tiny curl of curry leaf and a scattering of toasted sesame seeds.
Maya’s camera immediately focused on the dish to capture it. “What is that? It looks fantastic.”
“That is our signature dish for today. That’s our tandoori pumpkin arancini with a smoked makhani fondue.”
“What the hell. Those words should not belong to the same dish.”
“That’s Paul’s cooking philosophy. Go ahead. Dig in.”
Maya cut into one of the spheres. The crisp shell made a satisfying crack as the fork broke through. Underneath was rice wrapped around a center of roasted pumpkin and melting cheese. She dipped a portion of the arancini through the smoky sauce and took a bite. She closed her eyes in delight.
Her livestream went crazy.
Looks like she’s in a trance
OMG OMG OMG
It took her a while to reopen her eyes.
“Oh, you bastards. That was the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in my life! I’m going in again. Guys, I’m sorry but I need to finish this. Leah, can you please do me a favor and show my audience around? I’m sure they don’t want to see the way I’m going to gobble this up.”
Leah laughed and engaged with Maya’s audience for a while. She tried to answer some questions that the chat asked her. Some people wanted her to walk towards some of the decorations and show them the Witches’ Brew. Leah then introduced Maya’s audience to any member of Nell’s staff. She loved watching how happy every member of Nell’s team looked.
Even more astonishing was how smoothly the kitchen ran. She watched ticket after ticket arrive and plate after plate leave. She couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be for everything to run so smoothly. Despite how busy the restaurant was she didn’t see anyone panic.
Leah came back with Maya’s phone and handed it back. Maya looked at the livestream. The comments were scrolling so quickly that she could hardly keep up with them.
Maya saw one sponsored comment that said they wanted to talk to a server. Leah pulled one close by.
“Hi. What’s your name?”
“Hi people! Welcome to Nell’s. I’m Ricardo.”
“Quick question, Ricardo. How are you guys still smiling?”
He laughed. “Because we’re having fun.”
“Tonight? Isn’t it crazy?”
“Especially tonight.”
He glanced toward the kitchen. “We’ve been preparing for this for weeks. Everybody helps everybody here. If the floor gets buried, someone jumps in. If the bar needs help, we help them. If somebody has a bad night, nobody leaves them hanging.”
He shrugged as though this were completely ordinary. “Nell and Ajay always said we were family. Paul and Rae never let that change.”
Someone called his name.
“Sorry, got to go.”
He disappeared with the plates.
“Is everyone here like that?”
Leah looked around Nell’s with unmistakable pride.
“We’ve got an amazing team. Paul and Rae would be the first people to tell you that none of this works without them.”
She pointed toward the kitchen.
“Marco is basically Paul’s right hand tonight. Priya owns that pass. Bert and his team are getting murdered at the bar and still somehow keeping up. The prep crew has been coming in at ridiculous hours all week. People volunteered for tonight because everyone wanted to be part of our first big event.”
Maya looked around again. “So Paul runs the kitchen,” Maya said. “Who’s running everything else?”
Maya turned and promptly forgot about the Witches’ Brew.
“Oh ... my ... God.”
The second vampire bride was every bit as devastating as the first.
RAE!!!
THERE SHE IS
OMG LOOK AT HER
MAYA GO GET HER
I’M IN LOVE 💗
Maya laughed. “She knows we’re coming, doesn’t she?”
When Rae watched Maya and Leah approach, she rolled her eyes. Leah ran up to her and talked to her pleadingly. It took a little while for her to get Rae to talk to Maya.
Maya was almost in awe of Rae. She was gorgeous. “Holy cow, Rae. You’re real! Oh my god. You look insane.”
“Glad you approve,” deadpanned Rae.
“Rae. You promised.” Leah said looking at Rae with a pleading face.
Rae sighed heavily. “Fine. But I’ve only got two minutes.”
Maya grinned. “She really is like this huh? It wasn’t an act for the reels.”
Leah smirked. “Trust me. This is Rae being nice. She doesn’t like being disturbed during service.”
“Do you have anything to say to my audience, Rae? They love you!”
“Thank you. Hello, internet. Hope you are enjoying Maya’s coverage. Please come visit us at Nell’s when you can.”
Maya and Leah burst out laughing. “She really is like a strict headmistress, isn’t she.”
“She is. That’s why we love her.” Leah agreed.
Maya gestured around the restaurant. “I’ve been watching this place operate for the last fifteen minutes. Leah tells me you’re the mastermind keeping everything together.”
“The staff are keeping everything together. I just annoy them when they don’t.”
“But you’re happy with tonight?”
Rae looked around Nell’s, and the deadpan expression finally cracked. “I’m incredibly proud.”
Her eyes moved briefly toward the kitchen. “Everyone has worked their asses off for this.”
Then someone across the dining room caught her attention. Rae immediately became businesslike again. “I have to go.”
Leah sighed. “Fine.”
Rae reached for her hand.
It was such a natural movement that Maya nearly missed it. Their fingers intertwined and squeezed. Rae looked at Leah for a lingering second, something warm and private passing between them.
“Later, babe.”
Leah’s smile softened.
Rae released her and hurried away as Maya stared after her and then at Leah. Then she looked at her livestream. The comments confirmed what she thought she had seen.
BABE??? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS!!!
VAMPIRE BRIDES CONFIRMED
Maya slowly raised an eyebrow. Leah merely winked and walked away. Maya hurried after her, laughing.
“Oh, come on! You’re gorgeous too? This is unfair!”
Dana laughed and accepted Maya’s hug. “Like you have anything to complain about, gorgeous.”
“You’re the mastermind that did all of this?” Maya exclaimed, pointing to all the decorations.
“I came up with the concept. I had plenty of help.”
“Well. You absolutely nailed it.”
“Thank you!”
“And if you’re ever looking for another canvas...”
Dana’s gaze traveled over Maya before locking eyes with her. “I’d certainly love to work more closely with you, sweetie.”
Maya was speechless for a second. Her eyes widened as Dana winked at her. She was glad that Leah had her phone for the moment. Her phone would have probably blown up if her livestream had heard that.
Leah walked up with her phone. “Maya. The people on your livestream are the best.” When she handed the phone back, she looked at Maya’s flushed face. Then she looked at Dana and the predatory smile she had on her face.
She whispered to Dana. “You perv. Stop hitting on Maya!”
Dana just winked at her.
A man’s voice spoke up beside them. “Hey! What’s happening here?”
Maya turned and blushed when she saw Chris. She laughed when he gave Leah a pained look. “I’m guessing you’re the famous brother-in-law.”
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