Chapter ３

When he got off work, he made a beeline for the most upscale grocery store in the area. He went straight to the butcher and told him that he was going to be making chateaubriand before ordering a 1-1/2 pound center-cut beef tenderloin. The centre of the tenderloin produced the most delicious slice.

He went to the market and purchased baked potatoes, oyster onions, artichokes, and chicken salad components.

He got in his car and went to the neighborhood liquor store, where he placed an order for whisky and sherry. He went out and purchased more wine for the meal. It was unknown to him whether she preferred r red or white. After negotiating with the employees of the store, he proceeded to put the finishing touches on his surprise. Christine would be really ecstatic.

Michael lit a charcoal fire in the barbecue pit located in the backyard. He brushed the potatoes with butter and seasoned them with salt and pepper before grilling them. In order to produce the necessary smoke, he made use of oak wood chips. He had no doubt in his mind that the smoked potatoes would be tasty.

After bringing the steak inside, he seasoned it with black pepper and placed it on a cast iron skillet. He then wrapped three or four bundles of broccoli with bacon, cut the broccoli, and baked the bundles.

Before placing the beef steak in the oven to finish cooking, Michael seared it on the stovetop first. After a few minutes, he added beans to the dish.

After then, Christine walked in.

She said, "Something is smelling so good!"

"Are you looking for anything nice?"

She responded with a confident "Sure" before walking into the kitchen.

He then lighted the whiskey that had been poured over the mushrooms that had been sautéing. The skillet burst with blue flames as it exploded.

OMG! Chris screamed.

After the fire had been out, he turned to her and said, "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

While Christine was changing, he got to work preparing dinner for her.

Each dish had smoked roasted potatoes and vegetables that had been coated in bacon before being roasted.

OMG! "Wow, it has an incredible aroma!"

He took note of her. The golden hair was long and down. The pullover she wore constrained her breasts. Her "slim" pants were too tight and constricting around her legs and behind. She was seen sporting the trendy footwear . 

As she sat down to dine, she was taken aback by Michael's abilities in the kitchen.

He removed the stopper from the bottle and poured two glasses of white wine. H

"I created it myself," he said.

“Wow! She said that it was an amazing experience.

He brought her entree. In front of her, he laid out beef steak medallions that had been braised in a sauce made with portabella mushrooms, Madeira wine, and cognac. As sides, we had veggies coated in bacon and a baked potato with a smoky flavor.

She said to Michael that "this is fantastic."

He wanted to convey to her how much gratitude he had for both her and Clare's generosity.

She dove in headfirst and said, "This will work."

In the next hour, they both ate and spoke. She had doubts about his ability in the kitchen. She found out that his lifelong interest in cooking was put on the back burner once he got married. He joined his life with a woman whose family routinely consumed the same few dishes, and after their wedding, she refused to try anything novel. After he broke up with her, he was able to go back inside the kitchen.

While she was enjoying his lovely meal, she muttered to herself, "Stupid bitch."

She continued to look at him while they finished their meal.

She said, "Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

“No. Nothing at all "

"I'm going to tune in to the football game. Wanna come?"

He responded, "Sure."

"I will be late, and I will quit the game at halftime. Although the football team is terrible, the drill team is really amazing. These young men are humiliated in front of their peers on a weekly basis, much like a red-headed stepchild with freckles and braces."

Her wordplay made him chuckle.

Before they went to the game, he was satisfied with how he'd done and believed he'd done well. Lunch was quite enjoyable for Christine. They remained seated and conversational until the break. They started another bottle of wine after finishing the first one they had opened.

They drove off in Christine's vehicle. When she gave him the keys and requested him to drive, he was taken aback by the situation. He was familiar with the location of the stadium.

He opened the passenger door of Christine's car using the keys, and then he held it open.

She expressed her gratitude to him as he was closing the door.

He got inside the car and started the motor before moving about inside.

She shared with him, "I can't remember the last time a man opened a door for me," as her response to his question.

In response, Michael said, "Someone's mommy didn't raise 'em right." If my mother had seen me let you to enter the van, she would have severely punished me.

Christine chortled and said, "I really need to meet your mom."

They made rapid progress toward the stadium. He found a parking spot and brought the car to a halt. Christine reached for the doorknob and gripped it.

“Wait! No door handle! In response, he said, "My mother could have spies here."

Christine pulled her hand back as she was about to grab the door doorknob.

Oops! She chortled and then said, "Sorry!"

Michael got out of the car and walked all the way around it in an exaggerated manner. Christine found his behavior in the car to be hilarious and laughed at it. She grabbed his hand as he opened the door for her. He smiled.

He said, "Ma'am." After she had gone, he shut the door behind her. An additional chuckle.

She asked me in a giggling voice, "Are you worried that your mum has spies?"

 Michael said, "She is quite knowledgeable."