#Napolitana Kitchen

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The Napolitana Kitchen on West 4th St., 1947.

Photo: Berenice Abbott via issuu.com

[bruhnze]

Apple tarts and tiramisu - Part 10

Summary ''Apple tarts and tiramisu'': Lucy just moved to Barcelona, you offer to teach her Spanish. Reader gets into a relationship with Lucy Bronze who she met while she served her an apple tart.

Other parts: masterlist

SMUT - MINORS DNI

Wordcount: about 10k, for the final part or maybe this won´t be the final part idk, i feel like it has died off a little and i have a lot of other fun wips/asks :)

Apple tarts and tiramisu - Part 10

You groaned as the alarm on Lucy's phone went off.

When you noticed she wasn’t waking up, you quickly reached over her to silence the phone.

She stirred and let out a quiet groan.

"Good morning, baby," you whispered excitedly, kissing along her naked back.

You would never understand how she could sleep practically naked in the middle of winter, but you would be the last one to ever complain about it.

"Ready for our trip?" you asked quietly. "Or do you want to stay in bed for a couple more minutes while I make you breakfast?"

"Hmmm," she murmured, turning around with her eyes still closed. "You know I love you so, so much, right?" she said in a sleepy voice.

"I'll make breakfast," you chuckled, giving her a peck on the cheek before heading to the kitchen.

After about 20 minutes, you returned to the bedroom with a tray of food and drinks.

You saw that she had fallen back asleep and took a moment to admire her. She looked so peaceful, with Narla lying next to her in bed, having taken over your spot since you had left the bedroom door open.

"Why are you staring?" she chuckled, her eyes still closed.

"You can't even see me," you chuckled, surprised. You walked over to the nightstand to put the tray down. "I was just appreciating the view."

She grinned and finally opened her eyes. "Thank you for letting me sleep a bit longer." She looked next to her and pulled Narla into her arms.

"Of course," you said, taking your place on your side of the bed again.

You reached out to scratch Narla. "You don’t get many days where you can do that."

"You're perfect," Lucy said, tucking a few strands of hair behind your ear.

You smiled and leaned toward her for a kiss, "goodmorning".

"Hmmm, goodmorning" she said with a smile as she kissed you. "Napolitana de chocolate?"

You grinned. "Yeah, I was a bit hungry, so I took a few bites in the kitchen."

"Mm, tasty," she said, cupping the back of your neck to capture you for another kiss.

..

The Narla drop-off went smoothly; it only took a few minutes. After that, the two of you hit the road. A trip that was supposed to take three hours eventually took four due to heavy traffic. Lucy insisted on driving the last two hours, and although she had a bit of difficulty getting used to driving a manual again, she managed just fine.

She pulled up into the gravel parking space on the side of the big house.

"This is it," she said. "Excited?"

"Yes, I always love the New Year’s trip," you smiled and looked over at Lucy. "But this year it’s even more exciting, bringing you along."

"A kiss before we go in?" Lucy asked, smiling at you.

You chuckled. "Sure."

"Hey, a little more excitement wouldn’t hurt," she pouted. "It’s been two hours."

"Are you keeping track?"

"Of course," Lucy grinned. "When my family was over, I didn’t have much of a chance. Now, we’ll be surrounded by your friends for three days, and before that, there was the Christmas dinner with the club. You know these holiday times are filled with gatherings."

"But social gatherings are fun, right?" you smiled. "I love Christmas and New Year’s."

"Yeah," Lucy sighed. "But social gatherings rob me of kisses," she sulked.

"So, you're making sure to get enough of them during our free time?"

Lucy smiled. "Yes. See, you're so smart. Maybe we can make it a joint mission then."

You facepalmed. "You're silly."

"So, you're in?"

"For what?"

"Searching for opportunities for a quick kiss in between our activities."

You smiled as you realized what this was about. "Is this about that day we went to Andorra?"

"No," Lucy said unconvincingly as a smile tugged at her lips. "Maybe."

"I’ve apologized for that already, but I'm sorry again," you chuckled, thinking back to the day your friend group traveled to Andorra for a day trip. You had just been so excited to talk with your friends. One of them had been telling you about the new house she bought and showed you dozens of pictures while the girls helped fantasize about how she could renovate it. Another friend had a new job that was quite interesting. Naturally, the group split into 'the guys' and 'the girls,' and Lucy was talking to Marc at the time. It resulted in Lucy spending the whole day without you until dinner.

You looked at her. "I bet people would be surprised to learn you're the needy one."

She raised an eyebrow at you.

"Oh please, Luce, if I let go of your hand, you ask me what's wrong."

"Okay, true."

"Backrubs," you stated. "Massages. Kisses."

"You make it sound like you do it because you have to, like it’s a job," Lucy pouted. "I just love when you're touching me or I'm touching you."

You grinned with a playful frown. "What now?"

"Yeah, that sounded wrong," Lucy shook her head as she chuckled. "That's also true," she grinned, "but no, I meant I love our little kisses and touches. I just ache for you when we're not."

"So needy," you mocked, but seeing her pout, you took her hand. "No, I actually love it, Luce. It makes me feel loved."

"Good, because I do," she smiled and leaned in to kiss you.

"KNOCK KNOCK!" yfs/n called as she almost broke the window pounding on it.

You and Lucy jumped at the sound.

"Maldita sea, yfs/n," (damn it, yfs/n) you yelped as you saw her peeking through your window.

She opened your door. "Do you two not dare to come in, or am I interrupting something?" she chuckled.

You rolled your eyes. "Hola yfs/n, I've missed you sooo much," you said sarcastically.

"Hey, Luce, I hope you brought a good mood compared to grumpy over here," your friend joked.

"Hola, yfs/n," Lucy said cheerfully as she undid her seatbelt. "How are you?"

..

After greeting all your friends, yfs/n guided you and Lucy to your assigned room.

The room was cozy, though a bit small. Lucy surveyed the space, figuring out where to drop the suitcases, while your best friend headed to the kitchen to help with lunch.

"Cozy," Lucy remarked with a smile, flopping onto the bed. "Hmm, the bed’s comfortable. That’s a plus."

You joined her, sinking into the mattress with a satisfied "Hmm."

After a few moments of silence, Lucy broke it. "We should probably go mingle downstairs, shouldn’t we? Maybe someone can give us a quick tour, or we could look around on our own?"

"Yeah, we probably should," you groaned, then turned to her with a grin. "Still want that kiss from earlier?"

"Yes," Lucy smiled back. "I thought you’d never ask."

..

Pascal led you and Lucy on a tour of the house. It was pretty big, with lots of rooms and nooks, but the layout was a bit unusual. There were several staircases leading to the first floor and multiple hallways with rooms branching off in different directions.

The hallway where your room was located also had yfs/n's room. Between the two rooms was a shared bathroom with doors to each room, but none to the hallway.

Only one couple, Pascal and Ale, didn’t sleep on the first floor. Instead, the two of them stayed in a large room on the ground floor. You didn’t mind at all because you figured if there was music or laughter in the common area, anyone in that room wouldn’t get a wink of sleep. But Pascal and Ale were usually the last ones up, so it made sense that they had this setup.

For the last part of the tour, the three of you stepped outside despite the chilly weather. There was a patio that could be used, covered by an overhang with glass-panel walls. Inside this sheltered space were two jacuzzis—one quite large, while the other was just big enough to fit two people, maybe three if they got cozy.

After taking in the outdoor space, you quickly headed back inside, climbing the steps toward the back door. From the kitchen, which bordered the patio, you couldn’t see the jacuzzis. The patio was slightly lower since the house was built on a hillside.

All in all, it was an interesting house, and you were sure the group was going to enjoy the days ahead.

..

Now that everyone had arrived, the common area and kitchen were bustling with activity. Lucy joined a few others in arranging the tables, pushing them together to create one long dining space. A couch was moved over to join the others, forming a large circle of seating.

You noticed yfs/n gathering cutlery and plates, so you stepped in to help her. Once the table was set, everyone took their seats. It was a lively lunch, full of conversation and delicious food. If there was one thing your group of friends excelled at, it was making sure gatherings were well-fed. Every time you all got together, cooking and eating were central to the experience.

You glanced over at Lucy, realizing you’d forgotten to ask her to sit next to you. She was seated with a few other girls, chatting away. When she caught your eye, she smiled, sitting beside your best friend, who was engrossed in conversation with her. Lucy winked at you, and you couldn’t help but smile back, happy she wasn’t annoyed.

..

During dinner, it was decided that a walk would be a great way to end the afternoon. The area was beautiful, with a nature park nearby. With the snow where you were, about two hours north of Barcelona, the surroundings were pretty picturesque, perfect for a hike.

You offered to help with the dishes since you hadn’t done much to help prepare the meal. Lucy also offered to help. Marc and your best friend agreed, while the rest went to get ready for the walk, putting on thicker socks and sweaters.

Sadly, there was no dishwasher, but the four of you worked like a well-oiled machine. You and your bestie collected all the dirty dishes while Lucy and Marc washed them. Once you two had cleaned the whole table, you went on to drying. After all the dishes were done, Lucy and Marc helped dry the last few items.

Your friends came back down one by one, all dressed in warmer clothes, and the four of you headed up to put on similar outfits.

"Sorry I forgot about you at lunch," you said as Lucy closed the door behind the two of you.

"Hmm," Lucy smiled at you. "If you word it like that, it almost sounds like you have some making up to do," she said cheekily.

You rolled your eyes as she pulled you in. "And it’s been like three hours," she confided in you.

"Three hours?" you asked, confused. "Since we were here?"

"No-ho," Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "Ugh, I really like that you have such a great bond with all of your friends, but I can’t believe you forgot our mission already."

"Mission?" you chuckled, now remembering her kiss-plan. "Ohhh," you cupped her cheeks. "Just give me a kiss then, silly."

And that she did. Lucy hungrily pulled you impossibly closer, kissing you like she was chasing something.

You chuckled, pulling back as you ran out of air. "Luce."

"What?" she grinned, now moving to kiss your neck. "I love you," she murmured.

"I know. I love you too," you tried to push her head away from your neck. "But you’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in a month," you chuckled as you looked at her pouty face.

You kissed her softly. "We can kiss tonight, hm? We have our own room, and I’m not hearing yfs/n’s loud ass, so the isolation is probably pretty good," you added, wiggling your eyebrows.

"Can we at least hold hands during the walk?" Lucy asked, still a bit pouty.

Shaking your head, you chuckled. "Of course."

"Great," a beaming smile took over Lucy’s face. She walked to the suitcases and unzipped hers. "Want a jumper of mine to wear?"

..

The walk had been a success, ending perfectly at a restaurant where everyone enjoyed dinner together. Afterward, you all headed back to the house in little groups, Lucy holding your hand the whole way back.

The plan for the rest of the evening was to play games and have some drinks.

The room was filled with laughter as the group settled down to play a game. You, Lucy, Pascal, Ale, Yfs/n, Marc, and Ana were gathered around the table, ready for a lighthearted competition. The game was simple but strategic, each move could either help or hinder your chances of winning.

Lucy was sitting close to you, her knee brushing against yours under the table. You exchanged a quick smile, feeling comfortable and content. The game progressed with everyone getting more competitive as the stakes got higher.

As it was your turn, you found yourself in a tricky spot. You could make a move that would benefit Lucy, but at the cost of your own position, or you could choose a path that might hurt her chances but would keep you in the game, even though you had no actual chance of winning anymore. Without thinking too much, you made a quick decision that ended up putting Lucy at a disadvantage. She let out a playful groan, nudging you with her elbow.

"Traitor," she whispered, though there was a smile on her face.

You chuckled, leaning in to kiss her cheek in apology. "Sorry, babe. I got caught up in the game."

Pascal, who had been quietly playing until now, took advantage of the situation. He made a move that earned him advantage, and eventually after a few more rounds, he won the game. The group cheered, though there were a few groans of playful frustration.

"Well played, Pascal," Ale said, raising his glass in a toast to his partner. "I’ll let you win this time."

Pascal grinned, happy with his victory. "You’re all just jealous of me, I won honestly."

As the game from the other group wrapped up too, the energy in the room shifted. People were starting to feel a bit worn out from the competition, so someone suggested moving to the living room to relax. The group migrated to the couches, after pushing them together this afternoon to form a large circle, there was enough room for the twelve people of your friend group. Drinks were passed around and the conversation flowed easily as everyone settled in.

You noticed Lucy giving you a soft smile as she leaned back against the cushions, clearly enjoying the relaxed vibe. Yfs/n, always the instigator of fun, suddenly perked up with an idea.

"Hey, since we’ve got some new faces in the group," she began, glancing at Lucy and Marc, "why don’t we play a game to get to know each other better? You know, to celebrate our newest members."

There were murmurs of agreement and some intrigued looks. Marc chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"Only if you’ve got something to hide," Ana teased, nudging him playfully.

Pascal, leaned forward with a grin. "We are just celebrating our two newest members we never expected to get anymore."

The comment sparked laughter, and you caught Yfs/n’s eye, both of you sharing a knowing smile and shaking your heads. The history between you two was well-known among the group and as usual the teasing had begun right the second someone took a sip of alcohol, apparently the fact you two were both dating someone now wasn’t going to stop them from their jokes.

"So, what’s the game?" Lucy asked, looking around the circle with curiosity.

Yfs/n grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "It’s like truth or dare, but mostly truth. We take turns asking a question, and everyone has to answer. It can be as deep or as light as you want. No pressure, just fun."

The idea was met with enthusiasm, and soon, the group was brainstorming questions, ready to dive into a night of fun and maybe a few secrets shared over drinks. You settled in closer to Lucy, putting your hand on her thigh as she slipped her arm around you.

The game started off lightheartedly, with everyone chuckling over questions that seemed designed to elicit harmless laughs. One guy asked a ridiculous question about relationships within Barça, which led to a spirited debate. The group quickly rallied around Lucy, insisting she only had to reveal her own secrets and that they completely understood if she couldn’t spill any work-related gossip.

As the game went on, the atmosphere grew more relaxed, something that probably had to do with the glasses of alcohol everyone tipped back, and the questions took on a more personal edge. After about half an hour, where Lucy also learned that you had a surprisingly embarrassing high school phase where you attempted to become a breakdancer, the mood shifted to more heated topics.

Someone, emboldened by the earlier questions, threw out a query about everyone’s body counts. The question was met with a mixture of laughter and playful evasions. Everyone dodged or deflected with humorous stories about close calls and near-misses, some answered truthfully, you and Lucy just laughed, kept quiet and tactically decided to refill your drinks.

Marc, however, wasn’t so lucky. He as a ���newbie’ was pressed to reveal his favorite sex position, which had the group erupting in a mix of laughter and shock. Marc blushed furiously but played along with good humor as your best friend didn’t seem to mind it one bit that this information was made public.

Then, the group turned to Lucy with expectant smiles.

With a playful grin, Lucy said, “Alright, hit me with your best shot.” She took a sip of her drink and leaned back, clearly bracing herself.

Someone from the group threw out a question with a mischievous grin. “Okay Lucía, what’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you during a hookup?”

The room fell silent as everyone waited for her answer, hoping Lucy would join the fun.

Lucy’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she glanced to you, clearly contemplating how much to reveal. You could see the wheels turning in her head as she prepared to share a story. You nodded encouraging, you were curious yourself.

“Alright, here goes,” Lucy said with a wry smile. “So, there was this one time I was seeing someone new, we were at mine and things were heating up.”

The room was completely engaged, eyes fixed on Lucy as she continued. “We were having a pretty intense moment, but then, right in the middle of things, my dog, Narla, decides to make a surprise appearance.”

There was a collective chuckle as Lucy went on, clearly enjoying the chance to recount her mishap. “Narla jumped right onto the bed, right in the middle of everything. Apparently the girl was afraid of dogs and she didn’t tell me.’’ Lucy grimaced as she thought back and palmed her head with a chuckle, ‘’she started screaming and Narla started barking’’.

The group erupted in laughter, with some people almost falling off their seats. “And it doesn’t end there,” Lucy continued, clearly getting into the story. “In the chaos, Narla managed to knock over a lamp, which fell right onto the bed. We ended up tangled up in the sheets, she was yowling, and we were trying to untangle ourselves from the mess. It was probably the least sexy situation I’ve ever found myself in.” ‘’she left and I haven’t seen her after that ever again’’. She added.

“You win,” Pascal declared with a grin, raising his glass. “That’s one for the books.”

Lucy removed her arm from around you and gave a playful bow, clearly enjoying the way everyone was laughing. “Glad I could provide some entertainment with my horrible date.”

Ana laughed, ‘’did she go like right after that?’’.

‘’Mhm’’ Lucy laughed back, ‘’she got dressed and ran off, outside she texted me she didn’t see things working because she was scared of dogs’’.

You smiled as you listen to the whole ordeal, you were glad Narla slept great in the living room. Lucy had probably set that boundary after this event, you were curious about her past partners now, curious if she had more story’s like this.

‘’Y/n?’’ your best friend chuckled.

From the group sounded different people trying to rile you up.

‘’Ay, someone is sleeping on the couch tonight’’.

‘’Oooh, she’s maddd’’.

You looked up to see Lucy’s apologetic eyes, ‘’hm?’’.

Lucy put her arm back around you, ‘’yfs/n asked if Narla ever bothered you’’ she said timidly, afraid you hadn’t liked her story.

You chuckled, ‘’no I love Narla, she’s never been in our way’’ you looked back at the group, ‘’and luckily I’m not afraid of her either’’. ‘’it was a funny story though, I didn’t know it yet’’.

You sended a question back to yfs/n to steer the groups attention back to her and turned to Lucy, ‘’I wasn’t mad by the way, just lost in thoughts’’ you whispered.

‘’Thoughts about what?’’ She asked back quietly.

You kissed her cheek, ‘’I’ll tell you later’’ you chuckled.

..

It was after midnight now. ‘’Shall we go to bed?’’ Lucy asked you as the night quieted down.

A few people had gone to the kitchen for some refills and some others had turned to the tv, figuring out how to connect it to someone’s phone, as Ale wanted to show a funny video.

Everyone had agreed to eat breakfast around 10 the next morning, wanting to give everyone the chance to also get some rest these days off.

Only one of your friends had gone to sleep already, but she hadn’t felt to good today.

‘’already?’’ you whispered back, you were sitting on her lap, having been pulled on there after you had gotten Lucy and yourself another drink.

Ana cleared her throat, ‘’allright we’re going to bed, goodnight everyone’’.

Everyone grumbled some non-coherent answers.

You debated, you were enjoying the night, but this was a great opportunity to go to bed too, it might get way later if you didn’t go now.

You sat up, ‘’yup, we’re tired too’’ you declared, taking Lucy’s hand to stand up, ‘’goodnight guys’’.

‘’Goodnight’’ Lucy wished everyone a good night too as she followed you to the staircase close to the kitchen.

..

You were laying in bed in your long pyjama’s, even having put a shirt below your top.

Lucy walked out the bathroom in her briefs and sports bra, your eyes widened ‘’babe, you can’t be serious, it’s minus 10 in this room’’.

She chuckled, ‘’no it’s fine because I get hot from cuddling’’.

‘’if I were you I’d put on a shirt at least’’ you say, shaking your head as you see her hardened nipples, ‘’see you’re cold’’ you say pointing at her chest.

‘’warm me up then’’ she says, pulling up the covers to slip under.

‘’Luce’’ you say sternly, ‘’at least get a shirt near, if you’re still cold you can put it on without getting out of bed’’.

She rolled her eyes but obliged, quickly taking her sports bra off and putting it on. ‘’allright, happy now’’.

You smiled, ‘’mhm, come here, you deserve a kiss’’.

Quickly Lucy got in to bed too.

You laughed softly as Lucy slipped under the covers, immediately climbing on top of you with a playful ambush of kisses.

“I love you so, so much,” she murmured between each kiss, her lips brushing against your skin with an infectious warmth. Your laughter grew as you half-heartedly tried to push her away, only to have her respond with even more enthusiasm, her kisses becoming more determined.

After a particularly loud squeal from you when she graced her teeth along a sensitive spot in your neck, she paused, hovering above you with a bright, affectionate smile. The sudden quiet caught your attention.

“What?” you asked, a curious smile playing on your lips as you looked up at her.

Lucy traced her thumb gently over your bottom lip before leaning in to press a soft, tender kiss there. “I just can’t put into words how I feel,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion as she pulled back slightly to meet your eyes. “I’m so in love with you. Every day I get to fall asleep with you in my arms is the best day of my life. And every morning I wake up beside you, I know nothing could ruin it.”

“Okay, romantica,” you teased, a playful grin spreading across your face as you traced your fingers along the sides of hers. “I love you too.”

Lucy bit her lip, her eyes flickering with something playful before she gently slid off you and settled beside you.

“What?” you asked again, her sudden change in behavior catching you off guard.

“Sorry,” she pouted dramatically, lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling with an exaggerated sigh.

You frowned, not buying her act for a second. “Sorry for what?”

She sighed again, even more theatrically. “I guess you don’t love me anymore,” she pouted, her voice dripping with mock sorrow as she tried to keep a straight face.

You shook your head, noticing the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to suppress a smile.

“Oh, really?” you said, a mischievous glint in your eyes as you quickly climbed on top of her, straddling her hips. Without warning, you started tickling her sides, causing her to burst into laughter as she squirmed beneath you. “I’m sorry, Miss Needy,” you chuckled, leaning down close to her ear, “I guess you need some more kisses then.”

With a playful growl, you dove for her neck, peppering her skin with kisses, just as she had done to you moments before. Her silent laughter echoed through the room, a sound that made your heart swell with affection as you playfully continued your assault, enjoying every moment of her writhing beneath you.

Eventually, she caught your wrists, holding you still. "What were you thinking about earlier, by the way? You were going to tell me."

You paused, thinking back to the conversation downstairs. "Oh, right. I was just thinking about how we’ve never really talked about our previous partners, or, you know, hookups. I guess I got curious after the Narla story."

Lucy sat up, releasing her grip on you. She scooted back against the wall, pulling you into her lap.

Her hands found their way under your shirt, resting warmly on your sides. "Alright," she said, her voice soft but with a hint of intrigue. "What do you want to know?"

..

The next morning at breakfast, the group gathered around the table, talking over the plans for the day. The energy was high, with everyone buzzing about the fact that tonight was 'cap d'any,' New Year's Eve, and the big party was only hours away.

Yfs/n was practically bouncing in her seat, excitement evident in her voice as she suggested going sledding, after she had read about a 5km slope close by that rented out inflatable rubber tires to go down on. The idea caught on quickly, with several people nodding enthusiastically. You found yourself smiling at the thought, imagining the fun of speeding down snowy slopes with your friends, it could be like a race. But then you glanced at Lucy, remembering the restrictions that came with her contract - no risky activities, and sledding was definitely off the table.

You turned to her, a pang of disappointment creeping in. "I think I won’t go with them either," you said, offering to keep her company instead. "We can hang out here."

Lucy shook her head, giving you a reassuring smile. "No, it’s okay. Pascal was saying he was going to do some last-minute grocery shopping. I can go with him, or just stay here. Ana and her girlfriend are staying back too."

"Yeah, but Ana has some work to do, making calls and stuff," you replied, your concern evident as you fully turned your attention completely to her.

Lucy reached out, squeezing your hand. "It’s fine, babe. Really. I’ll be okay. Besides," she added with a playful glint in her eye, "I’ll just ask Yfs/n to send me a video of you eating shit - well, snow."

You chuckled at her teasing, but before you could protest further, Lucy leaned forward, addressing Pascal, who was seated across from you both. "Pascal? Can I help you with those errands?"

Pascal looked up from his plate, giving her an easy smile. "Of course, Lucy. I would be nice to have some company, Ale probably wants to go to that sledding thing."

Lucy shot you a quick, reassuring look before turning back to Pascal. "Perfect. I’ll tag along with you then."

You smiled, feeling a mix of relief and affection. "Alright, if you’re sure."

"I’m sure," she said, leaning in to give you a quick kiss. "Go have fun. I’ll be here when you get back."

With that, the group’s plans solidified, most of you heading out for some sledding.

...

Pascal had been pretty annoyed to find the village shop almost empty, his frustration evident as he muttered to himself about not bringing enough supplies. He had planned everything so carefully, yet somehow this detail slipped through. Lucy, however, remained calm and unbothered. She quickly pulled up her phone and found a larger store nearby, assuring Pascal they’d likely find everything they needed there.

During the drive to the bigger store, the atmosphere in the car lightened as they got to know each other better. Pascal mentioned how the group had quickly warmed up to Lucy, and how everyone thought she really suited you. "You two make a cute couple," he added with a smile.

Lucy’s heart swelled with happiness at his words, grateful for how welcoming your friends had been. It meant the world to her that she was not only accepted but embraced by the people closest to you.

As they were standing in the booze aisle, both of their phones buzzed simultaneously. They exchanged a glance before pulling out their devices to check the group chat. Different videos were pouring in—people bumping into each other, rolling over in the snow, and some that were simply snapshots of everyone having fun. Lucy laughed when she saw a clip of you and Yfs/n in a blue "8"-shaped sled, tipping over in a bend of the slope.

@Ale: We’ve gone down the slope twice, but everyone’s cold and wet from falling xd, so we’re heading back home.

“All right,” Pascal sighed, pocketing his phone with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Looks like they’ll be home even quicker than us.”

Lucy smiled, gently patting his shoulder. “It’s okay, amic, you’re fine. At least our shopping trip has been successful, right?” She gestured toward their cart, which was filled with everything they needed.

“Yeah, it was a good idea of yours to find a bigger shop,” Pascal admitted, visibly relaxing a bit. “Let’s grab the last few things and head back. And sorry for being so stressed... I just wanted everything to be perfect.” He shook his head, then looked at her gratefully. “Thanks for joining me and being patient.”

Lucy chuckled softly. “Of course. And you’re fine, really. I think I needed to give y/n a breather anyway, so me not being allowed to sled worked out fine, I guess.”

Pascal’s eyes widened in realization, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Ohhhh, that’s right, you’re a footballer” He playfully palmed his forehead. “Of course! I was wondering why you’d choose to come with grumpy me to the shops instead of sledding. I figured you were the adventurous type, so I couldn’t place it.”

Lucy laughed along with him. “Yeah, it’s part of the job, unfortunately. But honestly, I’m glad I came with you. It was nice to spend some time together and get to know each other better. Plus,” she added with a grin, “I got to avoid face-planting in the snow, so it’s a win-win.”

Pascal chuckled, the tension in his shoulders finally easing. “Well, I’m glad you’re here too. Let’s finish up and get back before they beat us to it.”

..

The hallway was cluttered with a dozen wet boots, strewn about haphazardly as a sign everyone had returned from sledding. Lucy carefully stepped around them, carrying the groceries inside. After setting the bags down in the kitchen, she headed back outside to retrieve the last few items from Pascal’s car.

Once the two of them were done with unpacking everything, Lucy began to wonder where you were.

Curious, she walked into the living room and, seeing that you weren’t there, asked the few people lounging on the couch, “Has anyone seen Y/N?”

Without looking up from their phone, someone casually replied, “Hm, maybe the jacuzzi?”

Lucy smiled in thanks and made her way to the kitchen, where she noticed steam rising from the patio just below the window. She headed outside, calling your name as she opened the glass panel door.

You were sitting in the smaller jacuzzi with Yfs/n, a contented smile spreading across your face when you saw her. “Hey, Luce,” you greeted warmly. “Did you have a good time with Paz? Was he not too grumpy?” You chuckled, knowing that Pascal could get a bit stressed from organizing such trips. Despite the occasional tension, you were grateful he took on the responsibility. It was just a shame that it seemed to come with so much stress for him.

Lucy chuckled, walking closer. “Mhm,” she nodded, smiling at Yfs/n and greeting her before leaning down to kiss you.

“We wanted to warm up,” you explained as the kiss broke. “We put both tubs on. A few others are coming too, but the big one’s taking a bit of time to heat up,” you added, gesturing to the larger jacuzzi nearby.

Your best friend, teased jokingly, “Nah, you just wanted to cuddle with me.” She pulled you closer in a playful hug.

You chuckled awkwardly, aware that Lucy had been craving affection so the joke felt a bit off, but yfs/n didn’t need to know about that as it would just make things bigger as it was not really a problem.

Before anyone could say more, the door behind Lucy opened again, and Marc came bounding in, already in his swim trunks. “I found it, babe!” he announced triumphantly. “You were right, we did pack it.” Without much thought, he climbed into the already-crowded jacuzzi, making the water slosh around uncomfortably.

Seeing the crowded situation, you could tell Lucy wouldn’t be too thrilled. You gave her a reassuring smile. “You packed your bikini too, right? Want to join? The big one will be warm in a sec.”

Lucy nodded, her eyes lingering on the small tub before she sighed and agreed. “Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.”

As she turned to leave, you caught her hand, pulling her back for a moment. “I love you,” you said softly.

She smiled, leaning in to give you one more kiss before heading inside. “I love you too.”

‘’Don’t forget a towel’’ you said after her, as she walked away.

..

The other jacuzzi was now bubbling with steam as well, and those already sitting in it claimed it was quite pleasantly temperatured. You considered moving over, as you were packed in the smaller tub with Yfs/n and Marc, and there was no way Lucy would fit in here too.

Lucy returned faster than the last group of the sledders. You stood up and smiled at her as she entered, but her expression turned to concern as her gaze dropped to your lower half.

You followed her line of sight to a bruise on your hip and the side of your thigh. You hadn’t even noticed it until now, your fingers instinctively tracing the dark mark.

“You didn’t tell me you got hurt,” she said, discarding her towel on one of the chairs beside your slides.

You glanced back at Yfs/n. “Hey, do you have a bruise too?”

She stood up, revealing a similar bruise, slightly smaller.

“Yeah, had you not seen it? I noticed yours when you first got in,” your best friend chuckled.

“Oh, I didn’t feel it,” you shrugged, not too concerned.

Lucy took your hand and guided you towards the larger jacuzzi. It already had a few people in it, but there was ample space, easily able to accommodate ten or more.

As Lucy stepped into the water in front of you, you couldn’t help but admire her in her bikini. She looked hot as fuck stunning. You followed her into the tub and, with a playful smile, settled yourself on her lap.

“Missing me a bit after all, huh?” she teased, her arms wrapping around you as she pulled you closer.

You grinned, relishing the warmth of the water and the closeness of her embrace. ‘’Maybe’’ you murmured against her skin.

After a few minutes, the last of the group joined, and someone brought a tray of drinks. Marc and your best friend, feeling a bit left out, also decided to slip into the larger tub.

One of the guys jokingly pointed out, "It’s fine, Y/n, you can just grab a seat. There are three left, you know."

You laughed, intertwining your fingers with Lucy’s and gently pulling her arms around you above the water. “Oh, sorry that I’m in love,” you teasingly mocked. “Don’t be jealous of me just because Maria's been distant lately.”

The group burst into laughter, and the banter continued, but your attention was mostly focused on Lucy. She was kissing your shoulders with a tenderness that made you shiver. You turned towards her, a playful warning in your voice. “Luce.”

She chuckled softly, her lips brushing against your neck. “Sorry, you just look so good in this,” she murmured, her finger tracing lightly under the band of your bikini top.

You smiled, leaning into her touch. “Hmm, you don’t look too bad yourself.”

..

After a while in the water, people began trickling back inside, one by one. The temperature had dropped slightly, and most of the group wanted to move on to something else. As the jacuzzi started to empty, Lucy repositioned herself so she could lay out comfortably, resting her head on one of the tub's edges.

Yfs/n and Marc had just left, after asking if they could use the bathroom first. You and Lucy had agreed without hesitation. The jacuzzi was still a pleasure, the water temperature having been turned up a notch, and the bubbles were a soothing massage for your muscles.

“All right,” the last person still in the tub said, shivering slightly as he got out. “See you two inside later. I’m getting cold too.”

When he had gone, you turned to Lucy. “Everyone keeps saying it’s cold. I don’t think it’s cold. What about you?”

Lucy, now stretching out and opening her eyes, smiled at you. “Maybe it’s because you were on my lap,” she said, her voice warm and playful. “We only turned up the temperature a few minutes ago. They probably felt cold before the water had a chance to warm up.”

You nodded, grinning, and made your way back to her, climbing onto her lap again. “So now that they’re gone…”

“Mhm,” Lucy smiled, pulling you closer. “I’m listening.”

You started to sing softly, the lyrics of “Darte un Beso” by Prince Royce spilling from your lips. “Pensar como te pienso es un pecado, mirar como te miro está prohibido, yo solo quiero darte un beso…” You laughed at your own antics.

Lucy raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What?”

You chuckled harder. “It’s a silly song,” you said, laughing. “The singer is even more ridiculous. But the lyrics just spoke to me.”

Lucy tilted her head. “What does it mean?”

You leaned closer, cupping her face with one hand and tracing her shoulders with the other. “Thinking about you the way I do is a sin,” you sang again, softly, now the translation of what you were singing. “Looking at you the way I do is unethical. But I just want to give you a kiss,” you chuckled, before leaning in and delivering the kiss you’d promised.

Lucy hummed into the kiss, her lips responding to yours with equal affection. “Hmm,” she murmured against your lips. “And I thought I was supposed to be the ‘down bad’ one. You’re the one serenading me.”

You smiled, resting your hands against her toned stomach and pulling back. “Mhm,” you said. “I won’t deny it.”

She chuckled and pulled you closer again, capturing your lips in another kiss.

..

“Okay, maybe I do understand them,” you pouted as you pulled back, your breath visible in the cool air. You and Lucy had been making out for a good ten minutes, but now, the chill was starting to seep in, making you shiver slightly.

Lucy chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Cold?”

“Mhm,” you nodded, trying to suppress another shiver. “Shower?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, glancing toward the house. “If we’ve put everything back here, I’m sure yfs/n and Marc will be done by now.”

You stepped out of the tub, wrapping your towel around yourself quickly to fend off the cold. Lucy stayed behind for a moment, her focus shifting to the buttons on the jacuzzi, figuring out how to turn it off. The smaller tub had already been switched off by one of your friends earlier, so all that was left was to cover them.

Lucy moved to the covers that were propped against the wall, lifting the one from the smaller tub with ease and setting it in place. You walked over to help with the larger one, knowing how heavy the halves could be, but Lucy stopped you with a gentle hand on your arm. “I can do it, baby. Don’t worry about it.”

You chuckled, recalling the struggle you and yfs/n had gone through to get those covers off in the first place. But maybe you shouldn’t have been surprised as Lucy, with effortless strength, slipped the covers onto the tub, securing them perfectly in to place.

“Wow, so strong,” you complimented her, your voice carrying a light chuckle, though the praise was genuine.

Lucy grinned and flexed her biceps, clearly pleased with your words.

She walked over to you and in one swift motion, she wrapped her arms around your waist, lifting you off the ground and carrying you to the chair where her towel was draped over.

“Aye” you squealed, laughter bubbling up as Lucy effortlessly lifted you.

She chuckled in response, setting you down gently in front of the chair before wrapping her towel around the both of you, cocooning you in her warmth. You leaned into her, feeling the comforting heat radiating from her body. “How are you not cold?” you asked, marveling at her ability to always stay warm.

“Ice baths,” she said smugly, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “You know that I take those, right? I’ve conditioned myself to handle it.”

“You’re crazy,” you chuckled, shaking your head at her as you snuggled closer.

Lucy shrugged, her arms tightening around you. “You love it,” she teased, her voice soft.

You smiled up at her. “I love it,” you admitted, ‘’but now I want a warm shower’’.

..

“Yfs/n!” you knocked on the locked shower door, your frustration growing with every second. “How long does it take? Ugh.”

“Almost done,” your friend called back, her voice muffled. “Give us ten minutes or something.”

You pulled a face, walking to Lucy, who was casually going through your suitcases, searching underwear for the both of you. “They’re not seriously going to... you know, in our shower, right?” you asked, your expression a mix of disbelief and disgust.

Lucy chuckled, glancing up at you with a grin. “I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t want to know,” she replied, shaking her head as she sifted through the clothes.

“Uhm,” she said, pulling out a stack of clothes you’d picked for her to bring along. “You wanted me to wear this tonight, right?”

“Mhm,” you nodded, reaching for your own suitcase, your fingers trembling slightly as the cold started to get to you. Standing there in a wet bikini wrapped in a damp towel, you couldn’t help but shiver.

“Ugh, I’m freezing,” you muttered, hurriedly grabbing your outfit and rubbing your hands to generate some warmth.

Lucy noticed and closed the distance between you, wrapping her arms around you from behind. “We’ll get warm soon,” she whispered into your ear, her breath hot against your skin, “and if they take too long, maybe we’ll find another way to heat up,” she added, gently starting to kiss your neck.

You lean back against her, humming in content as she warms you, ‘’we can’t’’ you groan, as she started nipping at your skin ‘’what if she opens that door to let us know they’re done?’’.

‘’Ten minutes right’’ Lucy grinned against you as she made some space between the two of you to pull away your towel, ‘’and they probably won’t even open that door’’.

You sighed as you knew your body had already agreed a minute ago, so you turned your head and answered her with a kiss.

Lucy’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as she felt you give in. She deepened the kiss, her hands expertly working to peel away the cold, damp bikini that still clung to your skin. The warmth of her touch was a stark contrast to the chill that had settled into your bones, and you couldn’t help but shiver but not only from the cold this time, also from the anticipation building between you.

As she turned you around, her fingers traced a line down your spine, sending sparks of heat through your body. “I’ll get you nice and warm again,” she whispered against your lips.

Lucy discarded her own wet bikini, letting it fall to the floor before scooping you into her arms and carrying you to the bed. The covers enveloped you both, and you sighed in relief, glad your hair had stayed dry, otherwise you’d be freezing now.

The space beneath the covers quickly grew warm, a cocoon where the world outside no longer mattered.

Lucy’s lips began a slow descent down your body, leaving trails of electricity in their path. When she spread your legs and pressed a kiss to the inside of your thigh, a moan of anticipation escaped your lips.

Quickly she rose back up, leaving you frustrated and aching for more.

She hovered over you, her smile both teasing and affectionate. "Shh, baby," she murmured, her tone gentle yet commanding. Her fingers traced a path along your center, gathering your wetness as she brought them to her lips, tasting you with a satisfied hum.

Leaning down, she kissed your neck, her breath hot against your skin as you tilted your head back into the pillow. "I know you can be quiet for me, hm?" she coaxed, her voice a low purr.

You nodded, your breath catching as she teased your entrance with her fingers. "Y-yeah, quiet," you managed, your voice barely more than a whisper.

Lucy chuckled softly, her lips capturing yours in a kiss that swallowed your moans as she slid her fingers inside. "So pretty," she breathed, her gaze locked on your face, admiring the way you responded to her touch.

Your brows knitted together as you tried to focus, but it was impossible with the way her fingers curled inside you, each movement unraveling you further. She shifted again, her mouth finding your chest, her tongue and lips lavishing attention on your sensitive nipples as your hips bucked involuntarily beneath her.

You couldn’t help but marvel at how easily your body yielded to her, how quickly you fell apart under her touch. In mere minutes, you were a trembling mess, lost in the pleasure she so expertly provided.

"el teu torn!" (Your turn) Your best friends shouts through the door.

Lucy's movements stop for a second, making your almost-orgasm dissappear.

You whine, she presses her hand on your mouth, "thanks yfs/n!" She called in her most normal voice.

Lucy leaned back down to kiss your neck, "i'm so sorry baby, i will make it up to you".

She kisses down as she released her hand, you can't even think of a reply because she is already working her way down your body.

She kissed your tummy looking up at you, "try to keep quiet pretty girl" she said slopely kissing your soft skin.

You squirm as she dives lower and lower, your already so sensitive from her previous build-up.

She groanes as she finally connects her mouth with your slick pussy, she eagerly lapt up your wetness before focussing on your bundel of nerves.

You bit your lip as she sucked on your swollen bud, arching from the bed as she let her tongue circle it.

You feel your walls convulsing, as your almost tipping over the edge.

When she brings her fingers back up, easing them inside, you pull her pillow on top of your head to muffle your moans, afraid she'll stop again.

She brings her other hand up around your leg, gently putting a little pressure below your belly button and with that you're a goner.

The muscles in your legs thighten as the tension that had build up behind your center snaps.

A wave of plessure washes over you.

Lucy hungrily nestled herself deeper between your legs as she lapt at the wetness dripping out of you.

She whipes her chin on your leg, placing a couple more kisses before climbing back, hovering over you.

You frown at her, chuckling in disbelieve "did you just use my leg as a towel?".

She grinned leaning in, "yep, i don't know why either" she kissed you, "sometimes i'm just so random".

You shake your head and accept the kiss. Lucy did have some quirks, but you could only love her more for it, if she wouldn't you would've suspected that she was an allen.

...

After showering you and Lucy got dressed in your nice, but casual, outfits and got back downstairs to help everyone.

You were preparing a dish as your best friend came up behind you.

She pinched your sides, making your jump and yelp.

She chuckled as she stepped closer, "hipòcrita, no se'ns permet tenir relacions sexuals a la dutxa i després escolto el teu joc previ per la porta" she whispered laughing, "but i hope it was good".

You blushed furiously as she stepped away chuckling.

Lucy looked at you curiously from where she was setting the table, lifting her chin as to ask what yfs/n wanted.

You bit your lip, smiling akwardly at her. She returned an akward knowing smile, before glancing over at yfs/n.

You nodded, making her make an 'eek' face.

You chuckled, well, there would probably be worst persons to overhear you and Lucy being intimate, you hoped Marc didn't hear any of it.

..

After the nice dinner everyone helped to set the room up for a party.

Tables were shoved to the sides.

Someone brought lights that got hung up.

Golden balloons were blown up.

The music got tested and after that it just stayed on, on a low volume, creating a happy setting.

You chuckled as you spotted Lucy helping Pascal create a dance floor, she got pressed to show some moves. Your friends were lively partygoers, everyone in your group danced. But you smiled as you saw Lucy doing some moves without hesitation, you already knew the girl loved to dance but you were happy to see her do it infront of others too.

You chuckled as you saw her getting cocky, signalling people to step aside. You guessed she was going to do the worm, it was her party trick, but you were surprised to see her do the reversed worm. A move she had just started practicing at home.

You smiled as your friends clapped to cheer her on, another friend, who you knew was really skillfull at dancing came closer to see what the fuss was about.

"Ay Lucia, ballarina, la teva sang portuguesa no ho és" he called excitedly.

She stood up with a chuckle, and beat her clothes free of dust from the floor, "allright, dance floor is in great condition, who's next then".

The guys chuckled at her joke and pushed the guy that could dance forward.

...

It was 3 minutes before midnight, everyone had put on a coat and was standing outside now.

One person had a count down pulled up on their phone.

A few others where bended over some fireworks, ready to set fire to the fuses.

You took Lucy's hand as you leaned your head on her shoulder, watching some other fireworks going off in the distance.

With 20 seconds on the clock, the fuses were lit.

The guys stood up and quickly walked back to the group.

10.

9.

8.

7. Lucy put her arm around you as you put your fingers in your ears.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2. BANG BANG, all the loud fireworks exploded in the sky, making the group lit up in different beautiful shades of colours.

"Happy New Year!!!!" Lucy turned to you with a big smile, leaning in to kiss you.

You smiled as you took her face and stood on your tiptoes to reach her.

"Happy 2024 y/n" she whispered as she pulled back, "i hope i'll enter every year after this with your lips on mine".

You didn't know why, but her words made you a little emotional. Or maybe it also had to do with the alcohol in your blood. But the promise of the two of you spending the rest of your lives together sounded like a dream come true.

[mutterboard]

hello argentinian voice here 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️‼️‼️ here's my top argentinian dishes that I would eat daily if food poisoning wasn't a thing (is a myth trust me)

Empanadas

are you telling me san martin crossed the fucking andes with these in his horse pocket he was eating GOOD not only they're one of the most practical meals you'll ever eat but you can also stuff them with the most unpredictable shit someone will still eat them. something about doing el repulgue heals my soul, and being called from the kitchen because you're the only one that mastered the four types of empanashit-zu is the best feeling ever

GUISO

as a low middle class (are these terms real??) girl this is my go to everything: potatos, pumpkins, tomato juice, beef (or lentejas), carrots and some pasta and is ready. it's always slightly different depending on whoever does it, instead of tarot readings we should do guiso readings. stew walked so latino guisos could jetpack

Milanesas con literalmente cualquier cosa

"but the germans-" shh... it's ours since it touched this land. No explanation, either meat or chicken, entirely worth it. eggplant? sure. napolitana? a caballo? slap some ham on it? sandwich? with smashed potatoes? why not?

Flan

Fuck it we reached the desserts, if I ever had a last meal it would be a flan with 1/4 of dulce de leche on the side, 1/4 of cream on the other. I made it a few times by myself (too many eggs and too much milk lmao), joy of my life tbh

EL ALFAJOR Y LOS CONITOS

when I found out people don't eat these all over the world I was baffled... why why do deny yourself the most delicious treat ever. home made are definitely better, most alfajores made are really different from eachother (vegan, with rice, with fruits, with nuts) and only argentinians have that secret code inside their brains to difference each one (JORGITO IS GOOD BUT GUAYMALLÉN SWEEPS MFSZ)

You! Non-white tumblr user!

I want to learn about your culture! Tell me as much as you'd like!

[luckystorein22]

Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix Elevate Your Seafood Pasta Game

Are you tired of the same old seafood pasta dishes? Do you crave something new and exciting to tantalize your taste buds? Look no further than Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix, the secret ingredient that will transform your ordinary pasta into an irresistible culinary masterpiece. Get ready to discover a game-changing addition that will take your seafood pasta to new heights.

1. Unleash the Flavor Bomb:

Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix is a savory blend of premium quality tuna, aromatic herbs, and a rich tomato-based sauce. This delectable combination delivers a flavor explosion that will have you coming back for seconds, thirds, and maybe even fourths! The mix is carefully crafted to complement the delicate flavors of seafood, creating a harmonious marriage of taste sensations.

2. Quick and Easy Preparation:

Preparing a gourmet seafood pasta dish has never been easier. Simply cook your favorite pasta according to the package instructions and set it aside. In a separate pan, heat up the Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix until it's hot and bubbling. Then, combine the sauce with the pasta, ensuring each strand is coated in mouthwatering flavors. In a matter of minutes, you'll have a restaurant-quality dish ready to impress your family and friends.

3. Versatility at Its Finest:

The versatility of Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix knows no bounds. While it shines in seafood pasta recipes, it can also be used to elevate other dishes. Add a spoonful of creamy risottos, stuff it into savory pastries, or use it as a topping for bruschetta. The options are endless, and your culinary creativity is the only limit.

4. High-Quality Ingredients:

At Schwartz, quality is of utmost importance. The Tuna Napolitana Mix is made from sustainably sourced tuna and carefully selected herbs and spices. Each ingredient is meticulously chosen to ensure a harmonious balance of flavors and a superior dining experience. With Schwartz, you can trust that you're using the finest ingredients available.

5. A Delight for Seafood Lovers:

If you're a seafood enthusiast, Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix is a must-have in your pantry. It brings out the natural flavors of seafood, enhancing them with a delicious tomato base and aromatic herbs. From succulent shrimp to tender scallops, this mix will make your seafood pasta sing with delight.

Conclusion:

Say goodbye to mundane seafood pasta dishes and embrace the game-changing ingredient that is Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix. With its explosive flavors, ease of preparation, and versatility, it's a surefire way to impress your taste buds and those of your loved ones. Elevate your culinary skills and create unforgettable seafood pasta dishes that will have everyone asking for seconds. Don't miss out on this secret weapon in your kitchen arsenal - try Schwartz Tuna Napolitana Mix today and prepare to be amazed!

[molaplume]

Flor de Milanga de Pollo a la Napolitana con dos huevos fritos

Flor de Milanga de Pollo a la Napolitana con dos huevos fritos

Queridos lectores y colegas blogeros: Buenas tardes. Hoy decidimos castigarnos con una flor de Milanga de Pollo con todos los fierros. Encargamos la milanesa de pollo a la Bariloche Bakery y le agregamos todos los petates adicionales en nuestra humilde cocina. Por supuesto cocinamos una baguette en nuestro horno Nuwave para sacarla bien crocante y calentita. Acá está! Para poder disfrutarla un…

[oldnewyorklandia]

Berenice Abbott.  The Napolitana Kitchen, Greenwich Village, N. Y., 1948-1949.

[strongsassysexysloane]

You and Me -  V - The End

Because I hate the wait as much as you do...Oh and rating upped ;) . . . . 

The rest of the afternoon is quiet, McGee asks every now and then if a recipe would be alright to get his kids to help with but no one other than Gibbs knows if that's safe for kids. It soon hits 1725 and you start to pack up your desk. No one else makes a ove to leave probably because Gibbs hasn't said anything put you close up your folder and place it on Gibbs desk. He just nods his thanks.

"See you all in hopefully two days." Everyone says their goodbyes and you head out.

You saw Jack walk out only a few minute ago, she was in a deep conversation with someone, so you know she isn't in her office.

You had no idea what to expect when you walked up to her car but this definitely wasn't it.

"Jack?" You looked at her with complete surprise.

"You mentioned you loved riding bikes with your dad growing up and regretted never getting your motorbike license so.." She flung her leg, gracefully, over the bike and stood in front of you, bringing her hand up to fiddle with your jacket collar. "It's not weird is it?"

You laugh, still in a bit of a shock that she went to all this effort and then alarm bells go off. "Wait, you didn't buy this did you?"

"What would you say if I had?" You heard the teasing in her tone and relaxed slightly.

"Big gesture, that's how I'd react." You snake one arm around her waist and tug her to the side so you can get a good look at the bike. "She's beautiful." You step closer, you hand falling away from Jack's waste.

"Making it hard not to say something cheesy right about now." Jack teases, standing beside you.

You laugh, running your hand over the bike from handlebars to the seat. "Since when have you held your tongue?" You turn, now wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her close. She drapes her arms on your shoulders, one of her hands cupping your cheek and tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear while the other plays with the short strands of hair at the bottom of your neck.

"You like?" You can tell she's slightly nervous and the shocks you, you tilt your head slightly to the side and watch her features try and keep their composure. "Don't analyse me."

"Sorry, why are you so nervous?" You tug at her hip slightly, she steps closer, your noses almost touching, you close the gap and brush her nose with yours. "Of course I like it, I'd like anything you'd give me."

"I'm glad." She breathes and kisses you, gentle and not near long enough. "It's a friends, he said we can borrow it for the next two days."

"We going somewhere, Sloane?"

All you get for a reply is a peck on the lips and she steps back and onto the bike. "Lucky for you, I can actually drive one of these things."

You watch her straddle the bike, you can see her muscles move under her tight jeans.

"We haven't got all day, you can take these off when we get to our accommodation."

You smirk and shake your head at her sass and take her outstretched hand and not so gracefully hop on the bike behind her. She passes you a helmet and you fasten it. Jack starts the old beast and you wrap your arms around her tightly. You could easily sit back more but having Jack pressed snuggly between your legs for a long bike ride, who wouldn't want to be close?

She heads out of DC, towards the coast and it takes all of 20 minutes for you to figure out where she's taking you. Chesapeake Beach, you went there with her a few weekends ago and absolutely loved it. The sun sets when you are half way there and you relax into Jack. You feel her hand come around and give your thigh a gentle squeeze. She may have ruined your plans for tomorrow but the care melts away when she pulls down the road heading towards Brownies beach. You pulls the bike into the parking lot and you hop off. It's dark, there's only the headlights of the bike and a near by street lamp illuminating the area.

Jack pulls her helmet off and you watch her shake out her hair. You mind running, wanting to run your hands through it and tug her down to you. You shake your thoughts and pull off your own helmet.

"That was fun." She smiles at you, resting the helmet on the handle bars and sliding off the bike.

"What you got planned, baby?" She takes your helmet from you, securing it to the handle bars before turning back to you.

"Patience." She smirks, the sparkle in her eyes evident as she undoes the straps on the side bags and pulls out what looks to be an insulated food container and a small picnic rug and your face brightens, a smile stretching from ear to ear. "Thought you'd like a picnic. Here hold this." She passes you the wrapped picnic rug, while she digs into the side bag again and pulls out a small cooler bag.

"You got the kitchen sink in there too?" You side step to avoid her quick jab with her free hand trying to hit your hip.

"You want chocolate covered strawberries or not?"

"Such the romantic!" You drop a kiss to her cheek and walk hand in hand down the path to the beach. You find a spot away from other people who had the same idea and set up.

"Our favourite." You look down to see Jack pull out takeout containers from your favourite Italian restaurant.

"Wasn't sure how warm this would be so I just got Spaghetti Napolitana." She did a small shrug and you leant over and kissed her cheek again, noticing the slight nerves in her voice. She seemed to be quite nervous tonight.

"It's perfect babe." You lean back on to your elbows, watching the tide slowly inch further out, the candle she brought flickered in the slight breeze and you couldn't think of a better way to spend your Valentines Eve dinner. "You know I don't need all this but it's absolutely perfect."

Jack smiles down at you. You can see the desire in her eyes to roll over and take you but she portions out the pasta into small cardboard bowls and hands you one with a wooden fork. You sit back up and enjoy your meal together. Small talk about the day is had while you both enjoy your surroundings. Once you both are finished Jack puts the bowls away and moves closer to you. Dessert is clearly happening later.

She leans over and crushes your lips with hers in a mind blowing kiss which makes your balance falter slightly and you drop down onto your back. The kiss is broken from both your smiles and you run your hand, finally, through her long blonde hair and she kisses you again, this time exploring, there's no tongue war happening, you let her take it all. You moan as she brings her hand up under your shirt, running her fingers up your ribs and cupping your breast over your bra.

You break this kiss for air. "Pretty sure having sex on the beach is still illegal, hun." You can feel her smile against your neck, her mouth hasn't left your skin. Running a hot path from your mouth to the base of your neck.

"You implying we are going to get caught?"

You breath hitches as she brings your shirt up over your breasts and sucks your nipple through the thin material of your bra. "Don't stop." You moan and all fucks about being arrested have left. Plus it would definitely be worth it. You feel her smile and her fingers fold down your bra and you almost scream when her teeth tug at your nipple. You giggle when you feel Jack's hand come up to cover you mouth and you kiss it instead, open mouthed, wet and you groan when Jack's mouth leaves your breast but your groans are for naught because she's just changing breats and her hand clamps down over your mouth again when you gives just as much attention to your other one. Her other hand however has slowly been moving south and it isn't until you feel her side her fingers between your legs that you almost jolt upright. She's got your nerves on edge, not to mention you two haven't had sex in almost a week. You buck into her hand and she trails kisses back up to your mouth. Removing her hand to replace it with her lips.

"You going to be quiet or shall I stop right now?" She whispers into your ear, her hand slowing its pace and you groan.

"You may have to swallow my screams." You see her wicked grin light up her face and she drops her lips to yours again and she does as you suggested. Her fingers pick up their pace and you moan into her.

"I definitely won't be able to hold back my screams." Jack collapsed beside you, her fingers tickling across your stomach. "How about we eat these strawberries and we can pick up where I left off back at the room."

You sit back up and kiss her cheek while she reaches and brings back a small container with the chocolate coated strawberries as she promised. She hands you the box while she shifts around so you're both sitting face to face. You don't see the sheer panic cross her face as you rip off the lid and almost drop the box when you see whats sitting on top of the strawberries.

"Woops, how did that get in there?" She grabs the bright, gold band before you can pick it up. Your eyes snap to hers and you see the sly smile planted on her face but the slight pink tinge to her cheeks and the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Jack?" You can't find the words. Luckily she can.

"The last 18 months of my life have been the most amazing and it's all because of you. You're the most-"

"Yes." You cant help but cut her off, you see the tears forming in the corner of her eyes and lean forward and crush your mouth with hers. "God, yes." She moans into your kiss but you can't help but smile when she struggles to find your hand without breaking the kiss.

"You ruined my speech. I'd been over thinking it for weeks." She leans back and slips the ring onto your finger. You look down at the simple rose gold band with three small diamonds set in. It's very simple, not flashy and very you.

"We have a lifetime for you to tell it to me." Jack cups your cheek with her palm and pulls you in for another mind altering kiss and you hope, pray that you never get use to the way she kisses you. The way your skin shivers under her touch and the way when she smiles at you causes your heart to skip a beat every dam time.

. . . . 

:D Hope you liked this story as much as I enjoyed writing it all. Also shout out to @regal-roni who got me into this type of writing. It’s all your fault. ;)

[uberstip]

Short escape kita belakangan adalah ke indomaret. Shopping snack lalu nonton Netflix, buka-tutup kulkas lalu selonjoran, home vacation ��� tua di ranjang. 

Namun, hanya soal waktu kita bakal packing dan boarding lagi. Sebelum masa itu tiba, berfantasilah dan renungkan tips liburan berkualitas dari oppa:

1. Mendokumentasikan momen secukupnya

Jangan terlalu banyak selfie. Ga perlu take berulang-ulang hingga 50 kali dalam semenit. Tampak depan, tampak samping, mata genit, melet-melet, semua angle dicoba. Ya, oppa tahu, kamu selfie 50 kali, yang jelek 100. Tapi ga perlu segitunya. Pasrah dan filterlah kemudian.

Ga perlu take video lama-lama seakan kamu sedang syuting drakor. Percayalah, videomu tak akan menang piala Oscar. Keep it short but artistic, don’t spend your entire trip behind a screen.

Take the time to put camera away and gaze in wonder what’s there in front of you

– Erick Widman

2. Hamburkan uang dengan elegan

Karena sudah berhemat dirumah, traveling merupakan saat yang tepat untuk mereward diri sendiri. Jangan melewatkan makan sushi di Tokyo, Wiener Schnitzel di Vienna, ataupun Carbonara di Rome. Kadang kamu gak tahu kapan bisa kesana lagi.

Irit boleh, kikir jangan. Kualitas kehidupanmu lebih penting dari neraca keuanganmu.

Sesekali hiduplah dengan glamour layaknya personil BlackPink.

‘Bada bing, bada boom, boom, boom!’

Posisikanlah dirimu sebagai Billionaire eksentrik yang bosan duit

Berfoya-foyalah untuk sesuatu yang mungkin cuma bisa kamu lakukan sekali seumur hidup. Once in a lifetime moment. Jangan malah ngabisin duit buat gantungan kunci yang tak berguna. Kalo g-string yang lagi sale, OK lah.

3. Tidur awal, bangun pagi

Kamu pun bisa menikmati tiap sudut kota dengan eksklusif. Disaat manusia lain masih ngorok, kamu bisa foto-foto, lompat-lompat dan bikin tik-tok. Sebelum berangkat, sisakan waktu buat ngumpulin nyawa dan melakukan ritual toilet.

Selagi menikmati sepinya pagi, gunakan seluruh indramu untuk meresapinya. Melihat indahnya matahari terbit, mereguk kopi hangat, mencium harum roti yang baru selesai dipanggang,  menyentuh daun yang berguguran, mendengar suara burung yang berkicau dan lonceng gereja yang berdentang. Mellow-lah sambil mesem-mesem.

4. Play like a kid, Act like a King

Saat menjelajah dunia, jadilah seperti anak kecil yang kegirangan. Gak mikir kerjaan, hanya bermain tanpa aturan. Berlarian telanjang sesuka hati dan makan tidur dengan riang. Bumi adalah taman bermainmu.

We are in such a hurry to grow up, and then we long for our lost childhood

– Paulo Coelho

Namun bukan berarti jadi bego. Tetap waspada pada spesies jahat. Playful yet strong layaknya raja Korea Pheaaaa ‘The King of Eternal Jomblo’ – ‘You can have fun with me, but don’t you dare to mess with me.’

5. Nyobain sesuatu yang belum pernah

Mulai dari makanan baru, budaya baru, hingga gebetan baru. Nyicipin sashimi gurita yang masih goyang-goyang, masuk ke onsen telanjang bulat, hingga ajep-ajep dengan bad girl.

Dari sini pasti ada pandanganmu yang berubah. Misal, bad girl tidak selalu identik dengan hal negatif.

Selain pintar menjaga penampilan, mereka cenderung lebih pede, suka tantangan dan gak takut patah hati

Pokoknya semua pengalaman baru yang bikin kamu deg-degan dan berteriak ‘Mayday, mayday! Will you marry me?’ 

Menyelam kebawah laut, naik roller coaster ekstrem, melayang dengan paralayang, breakdance battle dengan barongsai hingga merusak hubungan orang.

Mungkin ada kalanya sesuatu yang baru itu mengecewakan. At least you gave it a shot. Tetaplah penasaran, kamu akan menemukan sesuatu yang bikin kamu excited!

Hasrat ingin mengalami ini akan memperkaya hidupmu dan menjadikannya kenangan terunik. Do things that you will laugh about ten years from now.

We live in a strange world.

Explore it, feel it, enjoy it!

Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena. Baroque Catholic cathedral known for its colorful chapels

Sebelum membaca tulisan ini, ada baiknya kamu membaca tulisan tentang Madrid sebelumnya Things to do in Madrid, Kota Metropolis nan eksotis. Semoga tulisan oppa kali ini, bisa menjelma menjadi gambar bergerak di imajinasimu.

Berikut tempat-tempat asyik yang oppa kunjungi di ibu kota Spanyol ini:

1. La Mallorquina

La Mallorquina was founded in 1894 and ever since has been one of Madrileños’ favourite places to enjoy delicious pastries

Kedai roti melegenda yang telah berdiri sejak tahun 1894. Tempat pelarian Madrileños’ untuk meredakan stres. Chocolatey pastry dan cake yang creamy, menjadi penyembuh jiwa yang alami.

My morning caffeine hit. Sip, chew and on

Mirip dengan coffee bar di Roma, saya berdiri di samping bar, menikmati lumernya chocolate croissant bersama cappuccino di mulut. Di tengah keramaian, sel kebahagiaan saya memekar bagai bunga musim semi.

‘Kafein dan Serotonin yang menyatu memang Mipan zuzuzu’

La Mallorquina

Madrid’s most famous bakery. Incredible variety of pastries, cakes and chocolates!

Puerta del Sol, 8, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Senin – Minggu 8:30AM–2PM, 5:30–9PM

Best Seller Menu: Chocolate Croissant 2.30 Euro. Cafe Cappuccino and Cafe Bombon (Espresso with Condensed Milk) 2.50 Euro | Rp. 44,000. Napolitana 1.70 Euro | Rp. 30,000

Direction: Google Maps Location

Wide selections of pastries, tarts and cakes are available within this cafe

2. Plaza de España

A popular square at the heart of Madrid

Taman publik yang dihiasi bunga, pepohonan dan kolam air mancur yang indah. Tempat asyik buat bersantai dan people-watching. Monumen sastrawan terbesar Spanyol – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra,  menjadi sentral dari taman ini.

Penulis yang terkenal berkat karya novelnya yang berjudul ‘Don Quixote’. Pencetus novel modern pertama di dunia. Sebagai sesama filsuf, walaupun beda kasta, oppa ikut merasa menjadi bagian dari sejarah. #siapaelo

There are plenty of shops close by and there is a kiosk selling drinks and snacks etc in the corner of the park

Plaza de España

Leafy square surrounded by imposing buildings, with stone & bronze statue of Cervantes on horseback

Plaza de España, 28008 Madrid, Spain

Open 24 hours

Direction: Google Maps Location

3. Temple of Debod

This ancient temple was a gift from the Egyptian as a sign of gratitude for helping preserve their historical treasure during a crisis. It was brought to Madrid stone by stone

Kuil yang membawamu kembali ke masa Sphinx ribuan tahun yang lalu. Bangunannya merupakan hadiah dari pemerintah Mesir karena Spanyol telah menjaga dan melestarikan peninggalan bersejarah mereka. Bayangin, bebatuannya didatangkan langsung satu persatu langsung dari Mesir.

Temple of Debod

Ancient Egyptian temple & museum moved from Aswan & rebuilt in lush parkland, with sunset views

Calle de Ferraz, 1, 28008 Madrid, Spain

Free Entrance but capacity is limited to 30 persons

Hours: Selasa – Minggu 10AM–7PM

Direction: Google Maps Location

4. Casa Dani

Tempat terbaik untuk nyobain Tortilla de patatas aka Spanish Omelette ada di resto keluarga Casa Dani. Fresh from the kitchen! Telur dadar isi irisan kentang yang dimasak dengan sempurna.

Kentang di dalam telurnya menyatu dengan sekilas rasa bawang dan karamel. Cheewy, creamy, and just the right amount of runny. Exquisito! Tampilannya memang sederhana, tapi rasanya luar biasa. Ditambah ramahnya sang waiter yang mirip bintang telenovela, membuat segalanya menjadi lebih indah.

Casa Dani

The best tortilla in in the whole country, more than a little omelette bar. You can’t miss this place!

Cl. de Ayala, 28, 28001 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Senin – Minggu 9AM–5PM

Best seller menu: Pincho de tortilla – Spanish Omelette 2.80 Euro | Rp. 49,000

This place is really popular so be prepared to wait in line, but once you are seated and place your order, the food comes out quickly and the service is efficient

Direction: Google Maps Location

Coffee is always a good partner

They use all the ingredients from this market. So fresh!

This Spanish bar is located inside the beautiful food market

Saya sempet bingung  bingung nyari lokasinya, sempat bertanya pada warga setempat dan ternyata spanish bar ini ada di dalam pasar. Pasar modern yang tidak terlihat seperti pasar.

5. Santiago Barnebeu – Real Madrid Stadium

Being pitch side during the tour is in incredible as you really see how high the stands are!

Santiago Berdebu. Stadion dari klub terbaik di dunia. Tim yang memecahkan rekor juara Liga Champions terbanyak, sampai 13 kali! Saya mengawali tur dengan pameran foto, video, dan trofi-trofi pencapaian Real Madrid.

Mulai dari trofi liga Champions, liga Spanyol, Copa Del Rey, sampai Golden Boots dan Ballon d’Or milik Cristiano Ronaldo. Ahh, sang mantan terindah.

I felt so delighted and privileged to see this legendary stadium inside out. Everything is amazing, the changing rooms, the feel…, and the perfectly green straight grass on their pitch

Pemain baru Real Madrid yang siap merumput di rumput tetangga. A new transfer from Nankatsu. Posisi: Gelandangan Menyerang.

His motto: ‘Real man is not a woman, Real Madrid is a football club’ Kemampuan Utama ➕: Menyerang dalam gelap Melewati lawan dan menikung teman Mencetak Goal dari sudut sulit, termasuk dari luar lapangan

Kekurangan ➖: Suka lupa kalo sudah makan Lemah dalam bertahan apalagi kepada mantan Sering terkena jebakan offside, karena duduk dibangku penonton sambil ngemil popcorn

This is Ronaldo’s third Golden Boot, the second with Real Madrid

The changing rooms. The Tour is spectacular even for me as a neutral

Setelah itu saya memasuki memasuki tempat duduk stadion di bagian atas, melihat hijaunya rumput yang menyegarkan mata. Kemudian melewati lorong menuju lapangan layaknya pemain beneran, duduk di kursi pemain cadangan, masuk ke ruang konferensi pers, sampai memasuki ruang ganti pemain.

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

81,000-capacity ground for Real Madrid, with regular matches plus tours of stadium and trophy room

Av. de Concha Espina, 1, 28036 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Senin – Sabtu 9:30 AM – 7 PM. Minggu 10 AM – 6:30 PM

Entrance Fee: Buy Online 14 Euro | Rp. 243,000. Buy at the ticket office 17 Euro | Rp. 295,000. Reserve your visit here realmadrid.com

Direction: Exit from Santiago Bernabeu Metro Station Google Maps Location

Terakhir ada Mega Store yang menjual berbagai macam pernak-pernik official Real Madrid. Mulai dari jersey, jaket, syal, topi, gantungan kunci, botol minum, komplit plit plit plit. Stadion ini memang gereja bagi pecinta Madrid.

A Disneyland for Real Madrid fans. Football cathedral. An imposing sight from the outside but it is much more amazing once you step inside. I can see how it’s one of the Europe’s most famous venues

6. El Retiro Park

The perfect place to relax on a beautiful day. There’s a large lake for those interested in hiring a boat and a lot of walking paths and lawns to lie out on.

Taman raksasa yang dihiasi patung, monumen dan danau yang anggun. Saya berjalan melewati jalur setapak diantara pepohonan yang rindang. Memperhatikan sepasang kekasih bermesraan di bawah The Monument of Alfonso XII.

Mereka duduk berpelukan sambil sesekali berciuman. Pacaran tidak pernah sehistorik ini. Ingin rasanya saya berteriak ‘Mister, butuh peran pengganti?’

Diantara semilir angin, saya berjalan kaki mengagumi keindahan suasana taman. Banyak orang bersantai dengan berbaring di rerumputan, duduk di kursi taman dan mendayung di kolam. Tempat terbaik untuk melarikan diri dari dunia nyata.

Such a beautiful and romantic park, filled with beautiful sculptures, monuments and a peaceful lake

Parque de El Retiro

The largest parks of the city, 19th-century park with boating lake & rose garden, plus numerous fountains & statues

Plaza de la Independencia, 7, 28001 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Senin – Minggu 6–9PM

Direction: Google Maps Location

I enjoy having a walk, taking pictures and unplug from the world

The green heart of the city. Sprawling over 350 acres park that full of lovely gardens, fountains, statues and beautiful architecture!

7. Vait Cafe

Inayati Nurul, nama dari gadis berkacamata yang bekerja di cafe ini. Kami berkenalan setelah dia bertanya

‘Kayaknya logatnya ga asing?’

‘Eh, orang Indonesia’. Ternyata logat English Jowo saya begitu kental baginya.

Bertemu dengan warga Indonesia dinegara lain memang menyenangkan. Saat saya memesan Latte Macchiato double shot, dia menjawab dengan sinar mata yang ramah,

‘Udah bayar single shot aja.’

‘Serius? You’re too kind.’ Balas saya dengan mata berbinar.

Ternyata toleransi antar warga sebangsa dan setanah air itu masih ada.

Selagi menunggu Napolitana dan pesanan kopi dibuat, kami sempat bercakap-cakap. Yang paling saya ingat adalah saat dia bercerita kalo sudah lama di Madrid, dan kemungkinan besar, gak bakal balik lagi ke Indonesia.

‘Gak kangen?’ ujar saya.

‘Kangen si, tapi udah nyaman disini.’

Dalam hati saya bergumam ‘Apakah memang lebih baik hujan emas di negeri orang, daripada hujan batu di negeri sendiri?’

Vait Cafe

Calle de Alcalá, 54, 28014 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Senin – Minggu 9AM–10PM

Direction: Google Maps Location

8. Gran Via

Champs-Élysées versi Madrid. Surga belanja di jalan raya lurus nan panjang. Trotoarnya berjejer rapi dengan pertokoan berarsitektur kekaisaran Hapsburg. Sepanjang mata memandang terlihat outlet-outlet bermerek, ada H&M, Zara, Adidas, Bershka dan Prada.

Konon memakai barang branded membuat gengsi dan pede kita akan meningkat.

Just like what Aladdin said, ‘If you don’t have anything, you have to act like you own everything’

Gran Via

One of the best shopping streets in central Madrid

C/ Gran Vía, 46, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Open 24 Hours

Direction: Google Maps Location

9. Mercado de San Miguel

Pasar dengan stand-stand makanan spanyol yang menggiurkan. Disini saya nyobain Tapas, nasi goreng seafood – Paella, irisan paha babi – Jamon Iberico dan Wine cocktail – Sangria. Selain itu ada kaviar, cheese, lobster dan berbagai jenis cake. Bener-bener surga makanan yang gak boleh dilewatkan.

Mercado de San Miguel

Circa-1916 covered market offering local food in an elegant ambiance. Gourmet market, with over 30 vendors selling a wide variety of freshly prepared tapas, hams, olives, seafood, cakes and cheeses. Beer, wine and champagne are also available.

Plaza de San Miguel, S/N, 28005 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Senin – Minggu 12PM–12AM

Direction: Exit from Sol Metro Station Google Maps Location

10. Plaza Mayor

Hiruk pikuk suasana malam memberikan sensasi keceriaan. Alunan lagu musisi jalanan berderu dengan suara manusia. Alun-alun yang dulunya tempat adu banteng ini, sekarang menjadi lapangan yang dikelilingi pertokoan, kafe dan restoran.

Plaza Mayor

Cafes & restaurants line the arches of this stately square with Philip III’s statue in the center

Plaza Mayor, 28012 Madrid, Spain

Direction: Google Maps Location

Hari itu merupakan malam terakhir saya di Eropa. Setelah 20 hari mengitari benua biru, saya masih merasa kurang. Mengapa saat kita bersenang-senang, waktu terasa begitu cepat?

Liburan memang seperti bintang jatuh, dia meluncur cepat dengan keindahan yang mengagumkan. Seperti kata Dee Lestari: ‘penuh kesan, tapi dengan cepat melesat hilang.’

Ternyata liburan, gak beda jauh dengan pujaan hatimu.

COVID makes us learn that travel is a privilege. So don’t take it for granted.

Because tomorrow is not even promised. We can suddenly go and leave everything behind

Hala Madrid! Top 10 Things to do Short escape kita belakangan adalah ke indomaret. Shopping snack lalu nonton Netflix, buka-tutup kulkas lalu selonjoran, …

[bagofbonesmp3]

you haven't talked about argie Matt in a while.... can I persuade you to share thots?

i think about him all day....:

- probably lives in el conurbano because its like. bs. as equivalent of hell’s kitchen. this man has never traveled by car mre than 5 times in his life. perdió la sube cuando cruzaba el puente de la mujer rip.

- im positive hes that dude thats like: yes i listen to real rock only soda los piojos los redondos but actually has been to a bandana concert at least 3 times.

- es del rojo campeón papá.

- frank es de racing se cagan a palos x eso nada más

- there are pictures de su comunión in the living room and when elektra first saw them she started laughing and has it as phone background

- he met elektra en la uba

- favorite food are las milanesas napolitanas a man with taste

- he made fun of elektra and instead of calling her olive oil he called her chetita she lived in palermo

[fortheheavenssake]

MM Anon 4

MM Anon 4

Nov. 1

MM ANON … She Telegraphed it !!…… mechanically damaged 🤣🤣🤣……… rugby widow😭😭😭……alone on the Balcolonial …… “ Turn around re-play”…… wading through the Slush…… an American Psycho…… PR-int error ………🎼”God only knows “🎼…… 🧣🐓👯‍♀️🤔😭🤥……🎼”Wake up ,little ……… wake up“🎼…… “ I may wear purple Philip “…… “epic old thing ‘ that’ll p!$$ her orf “…… “hair of the DOG Harry”🤣🤣🤣”lets PARTY”……… 15-9 ……… “OK , give me £500”. …… $h!t, I’ve lost my phone!!……” OMG’ all those photos on it!!”

——————-

Nov. 1

MM ANON …… NUTMEG not sanctioned by the BRF on visit to the bakery,all a SS stunt to get an interview with the Tele- laugh. Her woke ramblings ‘ a tossed salad of word salad … me ,me ,me me look at me , “because we’re all women right!! and I’m going to empower you all to become inspired by your own emotional strength,we’re cool sisters of the oppressed forces that the monarchy controls …… yeahhh ‘ right on and solid.”

——————

Nov. 1

MM ANON, Why is Trampmeg trapped in a bakery with the sisters of Perpetual retribution spreading her bacteria all over the sweeties…… simple!!! She’s $h!t scared of being Booooooood !! If she had a public outing with the great unwashed there’d be booing and a knashing of teeth. That’s why the the colonial carpetbagger stays hidden from the public. If its appearance on the balcony at RD. is anything, I bet someone gives her the old verbal finger

—————

Nov. 2

MM ANON , DEAR SWEET JESUS, The Sus-sex saga is really,REALLY dragging on , the anticipation of a drama at RD, the escape to LA, the archificial debacle, the suspect charity slush funds, it just piles on day after day of PR lies and nutmeg hand wringing, whinging and virtuous lectures to the great unwashed. Hiding in Bakery’s and WC kitchens isn’t facing the public ( boooooooo!!! ) this colonial carpetbagger is on the run from the Brits who see through her bull$h!t and mendacity. 🤥🤥🤥

—————-

Nov. 2

MM ANON … “ You are part of this monarchy, you WILL adhere to its traditions”…… “ her past, so embarrassing!!”…… Rogue PR…… “we’ve “cleaned” her phone ma’am”…… “ I fear it’s still out there”…… promoting the impossible …… “ give this one to William” “ thank goodness we have one classic beauty,old thing “ …… “ is Charles thinking of leap-frogging to William ,Philip?”……” my teams made arrangements “…… “shut up!! It’s my Duty!!”…… 🎼” to dream the impossible dream “🎼……”total meltdown sweetie”

——————

Nov 3

MM ANON … ‘ and in the morning, we shall Booo!!!……… Mall-content. …… camera click ‘ I’m OK!!…… “ sit Harry with Melania??”………… a reduced detachment …… “ it’s in the Fine print M’lud”…… “ what!! a night of fruity duty” …… “6 of the 13 are solid!! “…… “ leapfrogging, not a chance old thing” …… “ the right order of things Philip” ……… “ my apologies for the interruption Ma’am”…… “ One should act post-haste”…… “ and keep Harry out of this”. ……… O’ Kate, I hear she got quite scwiffy Philip”.

——————

Nov 3

MM ANON … occasionally one exposes an anomaly within the mainstream collective , I’m not talking about the proud hard working women of America, I’m describing the grifting harsluts who screw their way up the social dung heap that is the domain of institutions of suspect provenance. This specific specimen grift, escort , yacht, sexually ingratiate blow , and manipulate their way into positions of kept high maintenance. Who the hell could that be?… O’her!!!

——————

Nov 4

MM ANON,…… THE ACTUAL REALITY!! The evidence appertaining to nutmegs missing years, The exodus to Madrid for a “ procedure” after leaving the American embassy in BA “ she apparently had an affair with a junior attaché. Then it vanished into the very private and murky world of yachting escorting, often mentioned in her SM posts as auditions for film appearances. 🤣🤣🤣 a clandestine history of sordid consequences that led to an embarrassing entrapment of himself, an archificial birth and lies.

—————-

Nov 4

MM ANON …… RD,will she ‘won’t she?…… a Congressional offer…… The foundations support …… 🎼” don’t stop thinking about tomorrow”🎼………a bit LAX of her…… W&Ks PR assault …“ the popularity of the children your Highness”……” Popular!! we call it “Charlottes Web 🤣🤣”……” it’s the future direction ma’am”…… “she imploded ma’am ,end of!! “…… “ Christmas!! A family portrait ma’am , only the family “…… “ it’s exciting Philip ‘ a new chapter “…… “any cream caramel left old thing”. … tut tut,dyspepsia Philip”

—————

Nov 5

MM ANON …… A prospective congressional candidate ……caLiforniA voting …… bankrolled by Bubba…… 🎼” ain’t nobody Straight in LA”🎼…… Nov.14th , liftoff !! …… “ don’t come back, general consensus ma’am”. //… “ William’ you’ll love the break darling “…… “ 🦄can I come daddy, pleeeeeez!!”…… “bring me back a 🦎”…… “ Well, rather you than me squidgy” …… “ I’m reading these balcony jokes old thing” ……” 🤣🤣 Philip, look at this one ‘ wicked!!”… “make it there problem, it’s her decision “ … “Ad Nauseam.

——————

Nov 5

#FREECAMILLA……… the hashtag is emblematic of the impossible situation that the DOC has to endure on the 7th. Camilla is scheduled to pay her respects at the field of remembrance at Westminster Abbey following the D&DOS. nutmeg is an appendage regarding TBRF , she turns up all PR and no knickers, poster 42 year old for middle age yachters. How long is it going to soil the institutions of dignity. If you’re not OK and WOUNDED, go back into hiding. #FREECAMILLA. allegedly, speculation of course.

—————

Nov 6

MM ANON, KATES TAGLIATELLE NAPOLITANA. … cook tagliatelle till al dente, Toss in a little truffle olive oil. Napolitana sauce, … cook ground beef( 300grams) in pan with finely sliced garlic and shallots. Season. Add superior tomato sauce ( Italian). Cook for 10 minutes. Pour over tagliatelle that’s in a oval oven dish. Cover with parmigiana reggiano , medium heat for 12 minutes in oven,Serve hot with a glass of good Chianti. Happy Harry guaranteed. NB. This is Kate’s own recipe.

——————

Nov 6

MM ANON, As soon as the last notes of the RD parade fade nutmeg will hot foot it to Northolt to catch her private jet to LA. She’s all packed and ready to flee the country she hates , the “Wounded” snowflake who’s not “OK” won’t stay a second longer in soho house. Harry can start his re-hab from the insidious co-dependency he’s fallen into, and W&K can visit him and coach his return to royal normality, having eaten to many chicken dinners he can relish Kate’s Tagliatelle Napolitana, GSTQAOBC.

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Nov 6

MM ANON ………” the pest is fleeing the rented nest” SO-HO HO HO !!!………”🎼” don’t give me that do goody good bullshit”🎼…… I’ll catch him , you talk him round” …… “ don’t be naive, it’ll be longer than 6weeks.”……… “I’ve got a cunning plan”………… Mmmm’ money but NOT title!!…… “ the Privy Purse won’t finance that”. …… “ I’ll have a chat with the LCJ, ol’ Netty will fix it.”…… “ done and dusted darling”. …… 🎼” we’ve already said “ so long”🎼………🎼” With a Little help from my friends”🎼. Amen!!

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Nov 7

MM ANON, THE D&DOC , met family’s and school children today at St. Martin in the Fields. The epitome of royal class. Kate stunning in royal blue dress. Equate this with the sloppy belted afterthought nutmeg wore? A poodle weave, ill fitting navy blue ( not a respectable black) couch throw. Harry dignified in regimental frock coat. Once again she denigrates a solemn occasion with her smug indifference to protocol and traditions. People were laughing contemptuously at her. GET RID !!!

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Nov 7

MM ANON …… Royal blue class…… navy blue @ss……… royal winning ……… smug grinning …… “ a quiet word in your shell-like Harry, she embarrassed you”…… “Sunday night ma’am, alone!!”…… Royal Trinity …… 🎼” leaving on a jet plane , don’t know “🎼……… “Exeter airport, not far from Babington ma’am”……”What!! a brotherly tour LG?”…… SANDRINGHAM sand pit…”one disaster at a time,old thing”……” Melania has royal discretion Philip”…… “ God knows Philip, money?”…… “whatever’ but not in bloody black and white “

——————

Nov 7

MM ANON , WELL WHAT’I,TELL YA, congressional representative for a district of L.A. , if my little birdies are chirping the same song ,the appointed one is going to run , and it won’t be South Central, some nice residential upmarket suburb , 60% coloured. The Gang of Four will offer their endorsement and Nancy with the laughing face will put the cherry on top. 2020 cometh. She won’t come back. And Harry will become mr. Megan Markle, unless of course’…………………

—————-

Nov 9

MM ANON … beyond the bathrobe… hit the spot(not)…… never on a Sunday …… 🎼Sun-day my Prince will come🎼…LA Confidential …… morning TV. …… The Late shows …… “And now a surprise guest ‘Princess Megan and Prince Archie”…… “And now a word from her sponsor”…… A Meg-a endorsement … “you can have my jet”…… please!! a little decorum”…… Who’me!!

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Nov 9

—————-

Nov 10

MM ANON, SO …… “ Don’t stand with us, Don’t sit with us , we don’t require your company or conversation , just f***off back to California and re-connect with your vacuous valley girls who can only talk of their therapists,and being f**** by their personal trainers”. “ What say you Camilla”… “ I totally agree ma’am”. Alleged royal drawing room conversation between HMTQ,DOC,D&DOS. 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤣🤣🤣🤣

—————-

Nov 10

MM ANON, So , megherp wears an inverted piss-pot on her head , another FU protocol, while outcasted to the Siberian balcony, I wonder what the conversation was inside the rooms of the foreign Office while she was waiting with Harry. M.” Look at that stuck up bitch Kate,talking to the Queen” K. “ well’ Megan looks very average again, naked legs I see, Mmm,ever-ready Rachel suits her”. H. “What time is your plane leaving “. M. “ as soon as I can f*** off from you lot”. Allegedly, speculation only.

—————

Nov 10

MM ANON …… game,set and lies…… “ that royal DR conversation actually took place “……… game, set And Siberia …… William isn’t enamoured …… “Bare legs, ever ready Rachel “🤣🤣🤣🤣………”So-Ho hook-up?? really”……… “the RPO HAS to keep quiet!!! …… “ a scandal to far old thing “…… “ pray it stays!!”…… “extra protection , NO , let her pay!!”……… “ her little friends ‘ it’s a called a sleepover William “ …… “Yes,Edward and Sophie “…… “wheels up ma’am ,… thank god LG”

Thank you MM Anon…😊❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This is not written by Skippy!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

——————-

Nov 10

MM ANON ……… “ for the attention of the intellectually challenged trolls, I write my own riddles and submit them to skippy. “ but then again, that’s the reason you’re all intellectually challenged. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 one thing trolls have in spades, contempt prior to investigation ……… many thanks skippy.

—————-

Nov 11

MM ANON …… “H’ phone Oprah , NOW!!…… “ we’ll stay with SW for a while”…… “ my mother’s already here”. ……… “ Lottie’ tell your little friends to stop jumping on the bed.” …… BREAKFAST!!…… “ OK’ who’s for sticky maple syrup and waffles?”…… Charlotte!!!! behave. …… “ We’re outnumbered George!!”……”NANNY HELP!, …… “Wait and see,ma’am, wait and see!!”…… “yes, my friends in the service!!”… The banquet would be a good time. ……Embroil him in duties to his regiment ……’seven for a secret never to be told.

—————-

Nov 11: MM anon?

Dear skippy, I do believe I’m being logged and monitoring by TPTB. Also my dear friend ALLEGEDLY ANON. every word I write, they’ll be watching me. ……… MM ANON. They’ve already got to me very surreptitiously. Please post this ,the more anons know the better. Kind regards.

————-

Nov 11

MM ANON… … Delayed flight 14th Nov.

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Nov 13

MM ANON ……… 🎼” let the Sunshine”🎼…… who pulled the short straw?……… palm trees at Sandringham …… “ pass the Dorito’s darling “……… Sophie’s surprise ……“ I love the belt sweetie”. … Preg-nont…… “ I love the belt sweetie” ……… “yes , smile and serve them gru-el”…… Christmas?” Musical chairs old thing” ……… more of a 12 by 6 ……… small expectations …… Kate’s red carpet …… “ bet she goes for the lovers knot.” …… Hobson choice.

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Nov 14

MM ANON …… MAD-ISON AV. Re-Sunshine Sucks…… a tabloid too far…… LA thanksgiving? …… homeless shelter thanksgiving?……Royal Family thanksgiving?…… professional lie juggler …… $h!t scared of loosing tax millions …… HMTQ drops in 🤣🤣🤣🤣…… MM drops out…… “ it’s not rocket science Harry dear boy, she’s a s****!!…… “ but I love her” … “Really!!, sit down and watch this” …… “ now!! convinced!!”…… “ ones judgment is sometimes compromised Harry” …… “ But, But ,But …… “No ifs, no Butts. … just act royal

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Nov 14

MM ANON ………… surreptitiously, “lift off”. …… who dares,bins…… 🎄it’s a wonderful strife🎄…… failure is not a-doption……Interstellar McCartney………me invito tactiost…… an act of con-passion…… “ therapy, the humanitarian solution Harry”. …… “serious emotional and mental disorders” …… it’s not her fault, she seems to have been born that way” ……… “ yes!! Section 8. … “ it’s your call!! “

—————

Nov 15

MM ANON, WTF !!! there’s a record of conversations and confidences A DIARY!! really,REALLY !! This is a potential IED … regarding a tome of disastrous consequences for HMTQ and the Royal Family. Whispers about said Tome have been fluttering around royal circles for over a year. If ‘ IF , someone had a resentment or grievance against the RF and one had recorded all in a “Diary” the publication would be of universal interest. ( $20 million advance) at least. Her future secured!! just sayin !!

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Nov 15

MM ANON, coercion is a crime. Blackmail is a crime, so why is nutmeg bleeting on about empowerment and mindfulness 🤮🤮🤮 while the biggest criminal manipulation against a monarch and her family was undertaken with her at the Center. This grifter used and abused a naive recipient into a marriage and turned him into a co-dependent with emotional and character changing traits. BLACKMAIL IS A CRIME!! Tick TOCK.

—————-

Nov 15

MM ANON, EXPLOITATION!!! Stella(money) McCartney pays East Hungarian women £2.6 an hour ……… and say it takes a worker 5 hours to complete a coat / say materials cost £50.00 + labour £15.00 … so £65.00 for a coat retailing at £1.545.00……… quite a mark up a Stella’ old woke , humanitarian nutmeg buys your extortionate rag without any bleeting of exploitation of Hungarian women ……… Mmmm not to Woke nutmeg. HYPOCRISY!!

—————

Nov 15

MM anon .......... “wash spin repeat”......... no hole barred🤣🤣🤣......... reflect,deflect,infect...... DM is armed and dangerous...... court jester 🎭......... the light is Fading...... nice hypocrisy you’re wearing...... hunger-Ian...... GCHQ on the QT......... I’m not a row boat...... “they will unleash the dossier from hell”...... complete disclosure......... in case of emergency, pull handle. ...... sorry you’re out of time......... 🎼 …”rescue me”…🎼.

—————

Nov 15

MM ANON ……Ventura Highway …… “ yes, let’s go!!”…… GCHQ, on the QT…… W knows EVERYTHING!!…… PR pops in”🤣🤣……… “ one pops in , Philip”…… archificial pops out, when?……… “ bit of a soft interview “…… tighten security, NOW!!…… “ this ones out the bag , old thing”…… “ I’m looking forward to it Philip, all the little ones”…… “yes , one is a tad hurt”…… A good appointment.…… “ right up Her street”. …… 🎼give yourself a very🎄merry Christmas🎼…… “ Little ones?the service is too long,Philip”.

This is the one I thought I deleted….I deleted the copy not the original…..forward we go….😊❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Nov 16

MM ANON/ ALLEGEDLY ANON/NANNY ANON/0 YEA,O YEA ANON/ HOLD UP, HOLD UP ANON/ LIFT OFF ANON ……………………………BYE BYE.

Because I won’t post tirades against PA….they have chosen to leave. I thought keeping PA separate from riddles was the right thing to do. It seems that was not what they expected from me. I am on the side of truth, I’m not burying PA stuff, I just don’t believe there is enough info for me to support their thoughts. I’m not here to expose PA…I am here to expose MM…and PA is a distraction. Sorry.

————

Nov 18

MM ANON ……”too many eyes, it has to be privejet “…… SS , travel agent ……” NO more interviews “ ……” I’ll, give her away!!” …… 🎼”they had style,and well read,MM gave good head,vogue “🎼……… Aotearoa…… DM litigate big guns…… Subpoena demeanour ……… “ocean view,or the hills princess?”…… “ ones posterior is sore” …… “ I warned you old thing”…… “ Bugger them, tomorrow’s chip paper!!”……… “ I want a monkeeeeey!!🦄🐒

————

Big 18

MM ANON , MANY BLESSINGS AND SALUTATIONS FOR THE SKIPPY GANG ……… (my bad!! ) …… ONWARDS TOWARDS THE JUDICIAL INCARCERATION OF MADAM. Please dear sweet Jesus let the righteous triumph over the darkness that she’s bestowed on TBRF. 

————-

Nov 19

MM ANON … Sharon concern about Forth Bridge …… operation updates …… charitable uncoupling …… LG takes a grip?…… GM on the QT with Harley St. ……

————-

Nov 19

MM ANON ………GM consults Chobanian…… Sharon,concerns about Forth Bridge. …… Charitable uncoupling ……… a worried sausage …… LG ‘quite confidence …… cogs oiled and ready …… Dark clouds over ninety mile beach …… “it’s a runaway train old boy”…… “PRUNING , autumn or Spring?”……” I’m only the messenger!!”……… W&K ,royalty personified …… “weathering the shower, it’s not a storm old boy”……

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Nov 19

MM ANON , Re-lesser anon, There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance … that principle is contempt prior to investigation. Just sayin’ 🤣🤣🤣

—————

Nov 20

MM ANON ……… LVH, she’s vanished” ……… BC , Arkan-SIDED……… 🎼” another one bites the dust “ 🎼………”the notebooks are no longer available”……”ones concerned and caring”…… Sandringham sanctuary …… Amazingly stoic “bloody fuss, piss off”……… W&Ks Support is continuous ……… C&C on recall?……” He had a multitude of secrets” …… warden patsy’s……All the ex-Presidents woM.E.N.…… “OMG,not another lift off?”

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Nov 20

VERY HAPPY 72nd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 🍸🍸👑👑🍮🍮🎊🎉💞💞

Yes…A Very Happy Anniversary!🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

————

Nov 20

MM ANON, ……… NOW EVERYONE CAN RETURN TO WHAT REALLY MATTERS ………… THE INCARNATION AND JUDICIAL CONCLUSION TO THE HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS OF THE COLONIAL CARPETBAGGER. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Nov 20

MM ANON … THIS BLOG IS NOT PRO-PEDOPHILIA. PERIOD.

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Nov 21

MM ANON …… Hey’ RF!! I’m still not OK…… Daughters dilemma …… FBI delivers legal documents …… canary’s calling …… wittiness projection …… Max-well-on-Her-way-farer…… southern district documents verified …… Kuwaiti waity …… Lottie lustre camera caper…… DOC photo exhibition imminent …… “ I have a request”…… request denied !!…… USA demands archificial …… Northern flights.

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Nov 21

MM ANON ……💜💜💜💜💜. To all anons. I appreciate all submissions on the riddles, all are brilliant interpretations of words and meanings. BRAVA TO ALL !! …… PG is one of our much loved deciphering anons , so on a spiritual level we pray for dear PG. prayers and positive energy for our dear much loved friend. 💜💜💜💜💜💜 prayers for Mr skippy and PG. 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜❤️❤️❤️❤️💜💜💜💜

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Nov 22

For PG

MM ANON 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜WELCOME BACK PG💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜it’s good to have you back. 💜💜

——————

Nov 22

MM ANON, O’SKIPPY, the angel who opened a dog hospice, ……… I CRIED , I REALLY CRIED 😢😢 how wonderful, what thoughtfulness and humility a real HUMANITARIAN!!! Hey nutmeg, how about donating a dress price to this canine saint. GOD BLESS YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

It really is something…earth angels are with us to restore faith in humanity, we are seeing more earth angels now as the world is dark we are learning. Thank you God for giving us these amazing stories and anons who bring them.🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

—————

Nov 22

MM ANON, Dear skippy i posted riddle earlier today 🤣💜💜💜. 🎼🎼🎼🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🎼🎼🎼

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Nov 22

MM ANON …a cuppa and a trot…… “ no damage darling”…… “W&K will pick up the slack”…… “ let’s go visit the old bugger”…… A Christmas PR push…… “ she has to show archificial “……… Harry and Sandringham??……… “ for goodness sake,nanny had the night off” ……… “it’s a wonderful Christmas card darling”………… will boss baby go viral??………Mmm , Little punk Prince!

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Nov 23

MM ANON …… “ it’s not Andrew it’s Meeeee!!”…… “suits is a positive act”🤣🤣……… “ life is like a box of chocolates”…… “Doritos here”……… “I’ll cook a turkey dinner”…… Charles Champion……… “ we’ll have to, in the speech??”…… media vita in Monte sumus…… “something borrowed ,someone’s blue”…… “Christmas’Blue Water,Lottie,”…… “Unicorrrrrns”🦄🦄……… “strictly Party Nanny 🥳”……… “ bit of week old thing, hugs!!”…… “ and a large sherry”……… “ a large malt”

——————

Nov 24

ALLEGEDLY/ MM / NANNY/…… ALL THE GANG. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎼🎼🎼🎼❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💜💜🙏🏻HAPPY BIRTHDAY SKIPPY HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.

—————

Nov 24

MM ANON …… a homecoming hiatus …… Top of the Pops👑👑…… “ And when they were only half way up”……… “ it’s going to be a PA tabloid tsunami”…… 🎼”potato,patarto, lets call the whole thing off”🎼……… “just take the bloody photo”……… “a horrified positive Pratt”…… 🎼” iiiiim’putin on my top hat”🎼……… Kate’ “I do everything he dose, only backwards and in six inch heels, and with three children”…… “ I trust in William old thing”…… “Sir!! focus,a century is demanded!”…………… 🎼”pictures of Lily”🎼

—————

Nov 25

MM ANON ………lay a place for Vlad?…… lovers knot hiding …… Kate ,Melania & Ivanka shine …… nutmeg crashes posh-nosh?…… “ it’s just impeachy’Donald” ……… “ no chance Ma’am”……… “Hows the Dook?”…… “a special Yuletide for a million reasons ,ma’am”…… legalities,Banalities,Calamities …… “2020, I’m an optimist Christopher”…… “less is more, ma’am”

—————

Nov 26

MM ANON … “ it’s a Mozzi bite …… wed-ding-a-ling …… “my advice ‘ have it in Italy”’…… “ She’s crippled with shame”……… “I saw her with archificial yesterday in Waitrose,“ …… “from Windsor to Winnipeg”. ……… Andy, Charles and Clarence ,……”thanksgiving ‘ darling she went back to LA”…… “ but ,but, but the SOOOOOOPKITCHEN!!! “…… spin ,grin and a bottle of gin…… 🎼”I’m dreaming of a ( WOC) Christmas “🎼……… “Sandringham old thing, fuck the election”. …… “ ones duty first Philip”……… “ don’t mention him”

——————

*** Nov 27. Answer

MM ANON, DEAR ANONS, TO BE HONEST, I didn’t even know where Winnipeg was!! I was speculating where nutmeg was going to end up at Christmas? I now know that I’ve upset the whole pop. of Winnipeg……… SO SORRY ! Sorry PG. 💜💜💜💜💜

——————

Nov 27

MM ANON … Archificial carves the Turkey …… Megan BURNS the gravy……Frogmore or LESS… ” Harry PULLS a CRACKER”… Dorito’ where is Dorito??…… An-drew the short straw… Con-sort it out Charles … swimmingly!!🦄🦎 …… “ the general public would lap it up your Highness” …… “ little stars”……… 🎼four and twenty Black-Birds🎼…… “Frozen film party at KP”…… “Darling I’ll cook, how many?”…… “14, no problem!!”…… “a ten pounder”…… “Kate’s cooking old thing”…… “another drink Philip?”… “wait till Christmas Eve !!”

—————-

Nov 28

MM ANON ……… pencil thin 👀…… 👧👦🏼👶🎡🎢🎠……… maple, leaf it alone ……… 🛩who knows?……… “one has responsibilities Charles”……… “ six weeks’ and they can’t show the bloody baby.”…… “flown out , bloody good job!!”……… send up the menu!! …… very secure ma’am!! ……… all those SS chappies…… “ I hear she’s quiet the English Rose” ……… “ if only!!”……… “good stock, don’t cha’ know”…… DEEP and CRISP and IVAN…… He’ll stop their extravagant travel. ……… “ charades ,old thing”. …” pass the parcel,Philip!!”

——————

Nov 29

MM ANON …… 🎼 build it up with wood and clay🎼 ……… a crown script …… Harry’s rapid response …… the wrong side of the tunnel ……… “give time,time old boy”……… “ if it was Good enough for HM”……… tagged ,bad, and dangerous to know ……… look ,listen and learn ……… black fry-day……”nowhere as secluded as Sandringham”……… “she’s a beauty mate, breath of fresh air”

—————

Nov 30

MM ANON ……… “Darling’ please pass the Wrinkle cream” ………”she’s on this blog I read”💜……… “ we’ve been invited to the Boxing Day shoot” …… WoW ‘ that’s a beautiful photo Kate …… “he’s to young ‘ good grief William!!”…… ‘This cobra has no fangs ……… “The service, maybe bring C&G.” ……… “ The spring diary ma’am’ was thinking they could do The America’s and Canada” ……… “ the Children too”…… “what say you Philip?” …… “indubitable , old thing” …… “ Settled!!”……” Sidney’ more refreshments”

——————-

——————-/

Dec 1

MM ANON, I’m watching series 1 of the crown, BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN AND EDITED. The filming is so accurate and attention to detail. I remember Norman Hartnell designing the Queens wardrobe for the commonwealth tour. My mother was a dress-maker so I watched everything she watched. Methinks the Queen had something to do with this because it’s so accurate. Reason, she’s 92 ‘ what a visual legacy. I can imagine her throwing a ashtray at Philip, and HIS secret dalliances. EPIC!!

—————

[mallsandbrands02]

5 items that make the perfect gift

Have an occasion coming up that you need to attend but don't know what to take as a host gift? Trust me; I think we have all been through that. If you face this dilemma, you have come to the right Electronics Gadget Store UAE because we have a solution for your problem! Be it a birthday, an anniversary party, a baby shower, or literally any other occasion, the five electronic gadgets gave below will be like your holy grail for affordable gifting options.

Fitbit:

If you have a fitness-obsessed brother or a pal who wants to improve his physique, the Fitbit will make an excellent gift you can buy from Electronics Gadget Store UAE. Fitbit allows you to have a deeper and more comprehensive view of your body, fitness, and everyday improvement. Through a wide range of Fitbit models, you can conveniently monitor calories burned, resting heart rate, and more with 24-hour heart rate monitoring and enjoy the benefits of a battery that lasts up to a year. As a gesture of gratitude and to prove that you care for their health and fitness, gift it to your family members.

Ferrari Delizia Pizza Maker:

Food is something that we all like, and who can resist a mouthwatering cheesy pizza. With the Delizia Pizza Maker, you'll be able to get authentic Napolitana pizza to your kitchen in just 5 minutes. You can season it with whatever ingredients you choose, and it'll be fun to try out new recipes every day. Making a delicious pizza has never been so easy and affordable.

Smart Wi-Fi Pocket Projector:

This is one such device that you didn't know you needed, but you can't get enough of it once you have it from Shopping Sites UAE. You can now browse the entertainment with precise accuracy thanks to Seamless Touch Controls. The translucent touch panel allows you to access menus and other features right from the screen easily. You can now see every aspect of your favorite movies, series, sports, and more with crystal-clear image quality.

Professional Gelato and Ice Cream Maker:

Who would want to pass up an opportunity to have unlimited ice cream without leaving their house? If you buy this smart electronic gadget for your friends and family, they would be eternally grateful. With separate paddles for gelato and ice cream and a fully automated process with a 60-minute countdown timer, you'll get a professional-grade taste. The commercial-grade compressor-freezer ensures that it makes delicious ready-to-go ice cream and gelato!

 Complete Electric Hair Curler:

You will achieve the ideal wavy or curly hairstyle every day with the complete Electric Hair Curler bought from ones of the Shopping Sites UAE. It has 30-mm and 40-mm clockwise and anticlockwise barrels, allowing you to create sleek and symmetrical curls. Get this perfect gift for your girlfriend or your sister to see a huge smile on their face.

[froggey007]

Pizza pizza! #pizza #pizzalover #pizzeria #foodporn #foodphotography #foodgasm #napoli #napolitana #hautecousines (at Froggies Kitchen)

[cocinaconcarlosj]

🟩 𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐗®️ INGREDIENTES.- Masa madre.- 100 g de leche entera 30 g de levadura prensada fresca 170 g de harina de fuerza Masa.- 340 g de harina de fuerza (y algo más para espolvorear) 80 g de agua 1 huevo 75 g de azúcar 1 cucharadita rasa de sal 100 g de mantequilla en trozos (a temperatura ambiente) Napolitanas.- 250 g de mantequilla fría (en un bloque) 600 g de chocolate fondant para postres (50% cacao) en barritaso O crema de cacao, Nutella, Nocilla, 1 huevo batido 40 g de almendras laminadas 2 cucharadas de azúcar glas para espolvorear 2 cucharadas de jalea de manzana para dar brillo ELABORACIÓN.- Masa madre Ponga en el vaso la leche y la levadura y mezcle 1 min/37°C/vel 2. Añada la harina y mezcle 30 seg/vel 4. Retire la masa, forme una bola y póngala en un bol cubierta con agua templada hasta que flote (aprox. 15 minutos). Masa.- Ponga en el vaso la harina, el agua, el huevo, el azúcar, la sal y la mantequilla y mezcle 30 seg/vel 6. Incorpore la masa madre y amase 3 min/espiga (amasar). Deje reposar en el vaso durante 45 minutos, hasta que la masa doble su volumen. Retire la masa del vaso y dele forma de bola. Para seguir la receta escríbeme en privado ya que no cabe todo su desarrollo 😜 📨 #cocina #food #comida #a #chef #gastronomia #dise #o #hogar #recetas #n #foodie #foodporn #instafood #quedateencasa #kitchen #gourmet #restaurante #cooking #os #cocinar #casa #delivery #ba #receta #foodlover #saludable #thermomixtm6 #carlosjimenezchef #thermomixbadajoz (en Extremadura, Spain) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIDHkSwFBUK/?igshid=51rlzr840s1u

[katbal2]

1947. West 4th St. Napolitana Kitchen outside menu board.

Baby Doll in carriage parked outside.

I’ll have one of each on the menu!

Berenice Abbott, photog.

MCNY

[spooningaustralia]

Continuing the love from the truly wonderful @stellablukitchen at @glenrosevillage - check out yesterday’s post for dessert but here is all the dishes that made me and @e_spraggon so full I had trouble walking back to the car. Total pants-off drive home hahaha⁣ ⁣ Delectable dishes in Pic Order: ⁣ 🍝 Spaghetti, QLD King Prawns & Vongole with garlic, chilli, tomato, white wine, grated bottargo. (Bottarga is salted cured fish roe)⁣ 🏠 The lovely venue ⁣ 💦 Signature 🍋💦 ⁣ 🐙 QLD Calamari - flour dusted, rosemary, garlic, mild chilli, nduja aioli & fresh lemon. (Nduja aioli is an Italian spreadable salami mixed with aioli))⁣ 🧀 Insalata Caprese with heirloom tomatoes, smoked burrata cheese, basil, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, black balsamic⁣ 🍆 Melanzane alla Parmigiana - baked eggplant, layered with buffalo mozzarella, basil, parmesan, Napolitana sauce, parmesan crisp & salsa verde⁣ 🎃 Hand made Pumpkin Ravioli burnt butter & sage with grated ricotta secca⁣ 🥗 Salad of Poached Huon River Tasmania Salmon with baby spinach, quinoa, lentils, mint, sesame crusted avocado, baby bocconcini, crispy cannellini beans, mustard vinaigrette⁣ 🍤 More love for the seafood spaghetti⁣ 🐓 Spatchcock Chicken - young chicken oven baked with salame, Sicilian olives, white wine, garlic, chilli, rosemary, twice cooked duck fat potatoes⁣ ⁣ Everything was sublime - modern Italian at its finest in a relaxed and family friendly venue. If I had to pick a favourite dish it would go the pumpkin ravioli because burnt butter sauce is a gift from the gods and I do love the uniqueness of not putting the ricotta in the ravioli and instead sprinkling it all over the top. ⁣ ⁣ And finally thank you again to the venue and @twentiethletter for the invitation to dine. (at Stella Blu Kitchen & Pizzeria Glenrose Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ycBtalX6g/?igshid=kv4pv182z6vb

[fa-nfiction]

The Wolf, chapter 1

“Emily. Emily. Ssssshhhh. Relax. Emily! Look at me. Calm down. Emily. Relax.”

He was crouched down in front of me, while I was sitting on the bed in the hotel room. My body was shaking, and my breath was heaving. Tears were streaming down my face, and I seemingly couldn’t stop them. I hadn’t had time to feel anything while we escaped, and now my emotions came roaring back with a vengeance.

“Emily. Calm. Down.” He took my hands in his own, but I still couldn’t stop.

“Breathe, Emily. Please.” From somewhere behind the tears, my eyes met with his, and finally, his words started to make sense. I tried to breathe in, but hiccoughed with the crying.

“Again. Eeeeasy.” His deep voice reassured me, as he rubbed my hands with his thumbs. The slight touch and the quiet voice helped. Finally, I was able to breathe in and breathe out without crying.

“There we go, darling.” He squeezed my hands as my crying subsided completely. I was still shaking, but now, I felt like I could manage. Even though his calling me “darling” made me feel strange, as always.

“Wh-who did that?”

He let go of my hands while his face hardened. He stood up and looked at me, as I sat on the bed, cried out and shaking from the whole ordeal.

“Get some sleep, Emily.”

“Please, tell me. Please.” I begged him, the despair still present in my voice. Running through the hallways below ground level had made me sweat through my clothes. Now, I was freezing.

He didn’t respond to my begging but instead, went though the room and stood at the table at the far end. He took the cell phone from his pocket and began to make a call. I could barely make out the words he spoke from my distressed state.

“Yes. Yes, it’s me. No, nothing happened. I have the waitress from the Avenue here … Emily. No, she’s not hurt, either. Yes. Yeah. Will you pack a suitcase and have it brought in the morning? Thank you, Eric. Relax, I’m fine. We’ll talk later. Bye.”

He hung up and made another call, which I could understand better. He was ordering room service from the hotel reception. As he was done, he went to me again.

“Put this on. You’re freezing, Emily.” He took off his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders. The sudden proximity as he pulled it close around me made me hold my breath. As always, his presence made me slightly nervous. It had been like that always, ever since I met him. I recalled that day vividly. The other waitresses had been on edge, because he was coming by that day. He had a reputation - he was a harsh boss, never hesitant when it came to firing people, and with a very strict way of running his business. There was no room for mistakes, and everybody knew that. If it hadn’t been for my desperate financial situation, I wouldn’t have applied for the job. But here I was, and I hadn’t been fired yet. As I tried to calm myself, shaking on the hotel bed, I wondered if this was the time to quit. The strange events of tonight had scared the hell out of me.

 ( ... )

“You have to be very thorough with the cleaning. The boss is coming by today, he hates it if things aren’t cleaned properly.” Janine said as she showed me exactly how to polish the glass. It was my first day at “the Avenue” - a café-slash-restaurant-slash-bar just like the thirty others from the chain that was spread across New York  - and I was wondering exactly how I got here. I had a degree from university, god damn it. And here I am, taking instructions in how to clean a fucking glass. Behind a fucking bar. My life is a joke.

“Are you listening? Honestly, Emily, are you taking this seriously at all?” Janine scolded. I nodded and tried to smile, but my daydreaming of some better place was getting the better of me.

“Sorry. I get easily distracted. But I think I got it.”

“I hope so. He will fire you if he isn’t pleased. He’s a great boss-” She paused and feigned a smile although her face was filled with contempt. “- he just likes things a certain way.”

“I’m sure I got it. Thanks.”

“I hope so. Now, as I said before, the café opens at 10 o’clock and the restaurant opens at 4 PM. After 9 PM, it’s the bar. Your shifts will vary, and you’ll get to try all of it. If we’re keeping you, that is-” She babbled on, and I was trying to listen carefully. I don’t belong here, damn it.

She had left The Avenue a couple of hours later. By then, I had accepted that it was some sort of test. I had never been waitressing before or even handled customers at a store, but this was it. I was alone in the bar, except for the chef in the back and a cleaning lady that was cleaning mr. Waltz’ office at the moment. That was his name, apparently. He was of somewhat foreign origin - German? Austrian? I couldn’t remember what Janine had told me, and I didn’t care either. I was going to fail this, I was sure. Janine had been successful in riling me up, and my nerves were on edge. There were no customers at the moment, but I was busying myself cleaning the glasses just like she’d instructed me to. As I polished a margarita glass thoroughly, I squeezed it too hard, and it slipped through my fingers. I had no time to catch it, and it fell to the ground, shattering all over the floor. FUCK. This was it. My one chance of making some money, and I blew it. FUCK. I was angry enough to almost start crying, but I managed to calm myself.

Fuck it. I went through the back of the bar and to the kitchen. If I was going to get fired, at least I needed a free meal.

“Hey. Kane?” Is he really called Kane? What a fucked up name. The blond chef looked out the door and noticed me before smiling hurriedly.

“Hi. Emily, was it Emily? What can I do you for?” He winked cheekily and I suppressed the urge to roll back my eyes.

“Can I have a plate of … uh, whatever you’re doing? There aren’t any guests and-” And I’m about to get fired anyway, so I’m gonna make the most of it.

“Spaghetti napolitana. Sure. Lemme grab a plate, hold on a sec.” Thankfully, he didn’t attempt to flirt again. Not that I had a problem with it, I just had enough on my plate as it was. Being fired and all.

“Thanks. Looks delish.” I smiled at him as I took the plate and sat down in the back area. If there were any customers, I would be able to hear the doorbell from here. Not that it mattered, anyway. I was a goner, and it had to be some very important customers if they were going to interrupt my meal.

As Kane finished up, he went to the table and stood there, relaxing. The meal was delicious, and I paid him my compliments and small talked. The doorbell rang, and he looked at me. “Fuck it”, I mouthed at him and smiled as I took another mouthful. It didn’t take more than a couple of seconds until someone walked in the door behind me and Kane turned a whiter shade than a ghost. His eyes widened, and he straightened up and went back to the kitchen. I turned to see what had made him react like that. For a second, I succumbed to the same instincts that had made Kane scuttle and leave. It was him. The boss. There was not a trace of doubt in my mind. The way he was dressed, the way he held himself, the arrogant way in which he looked at me, as if I was a piece of mess that someone had forgotten at his precious restaurant. I gulped down the mouthful of pasta and wondered if I should stand? Sit? Leave? Until I remembered. I was definitely fired. He didn’t pose a threat. There was nothing that could make this day worse than it already was. As I connected these dots in my mind, I relaxed a lot more, and I went to have another scoop of food.

Apparently, that confused the hell out of the boss. His eyebrows raised and he looked like this was the most peculiar thing that had ever happened to him. He turned to look at his security guy, who in turn just shrugged his shoulders.

“Miss … Emily?” The boss spoke. His voice was deep and smooth, and with a very distinct German accent, even in the shortest of sentences. I nodded and leaned back while I put down my fork and spoon.

“That’s me.” I looked up at him. I could see what people were on about. He had a certain thing about him - somewhat domineering, somewhat arrogant, somewhat … something else that I couldn’t put my finger on. But I was fired, and it didn’t matter.

“I’m just about to leave. It was nice meeting you, Mr. … uh, Waltz.”

He looked even more bewildered than before.

“Excuse me?” “I’m guessing than I’m fired. So, it was nice meeting you. I’ll just grab my stuff and leave.” I arose from the table and brushed my clothes off.

He chuckled, the confusion more present than ever. I sensed that Kane was standing still in the kitchen, and I wondered why.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but why - I’m at a loss here - what do you mean?”

“It’s no problem, really. Janine told me how things are done here. And I dropped a glass.” I put on my coat and zipped it closed.

“You … dropped a glass?” He looked like I was speaking Russian to him. His face was one giant question mark.

“It shattered on the floor out in the bar. Didn’t you notice when you came in?” I flinged my purse on my shoulder. All set and ready to go.

He moved a bit closer, and I could, once again, see why people were so fearful of him. His movements were slow, calculated, and in control. One didn’t see things like that every day. Imagine having a boss that moves like that. I’d be terrified all of the time.

“I’m … I’m not following?” He held out his arms as if to catch an explanation from mid-air.

“It’s nothing. Janine told me you have some very specific standards. And I’m totally cool with that, I really am! It’s cool. Everyone should have standards. But I dropped a glass, and I’m pretty sure that’s reason enough to fire me.”

“Says … who?” He looked to his security guy again, as if he had the answer.

“It’s cool, really. It is! I’ll just be on my way. Have a nice life and all that.”

“Have a nice … life?” He replied. I couldn’t think of a time when I had ever seen someone this confused.

“Yeah. I’ll just - leave, if that’s-” Back to the living off noodles and ketchup. Back to begging food from friends. As I walked past him, my head held high, I was stopped by his touch on my arm.

“Miss Emily. Wait.” I turned to look at him. He wasn’t a whole lot taller than me, and I caught his eyes easily. He had a certain charisma about him. In another world, in another life maybe, he would have been kind of handsome. Kind of attractive. Maybe even someone I would turn my head at. And that’s saying something.

“Why-” He looked like he was choosing his words carefully. “Why on Earth would I fire someone for breaking a glass?”

Now it was my time to be confused.

“Would you … not?”

He burst out laughing. He spread out his arms as if to make his laughter reach wider. The security guy laughed slightly, controlled, as if on cue. I, however, understood nothing.

“Of course I wouldn’t. Did you think I was going to? And on your first day, at that?” The boss kept on chuckling, and I had no idea what to do or how to reply.

“But … Janine, she said-”

His chuckle changed back to the hearty laugh from before.

“Ah, Janine. Janine. She never fails to scare my new employees. I’ve gotta hand it to her. She’s something, she really is.” His chuckle wore off, and his face turned serious all of a sudden.

“Unless - you don’t want to work here, miss?” He questioned me, his grimace cool and serious enough to make the hairs on my neck stand up. My demeanor changed completely.

“Oh! I do. Of course I do. I just - I thought that-”

His smile returned. It was kind of handsome. “Welcome to our family, miss Emily.” He stretched out his hand to greet me. Baffled, I took his hand.

( ... )

Desperately, I tugged at the lapels of his cashmere coat to wrap it closer around me. The shock and the cold had gotten the better of me, and I wanted nothing more than to be home. In my own bed. I never wanted to return to the Avenue. Not that I could, anyway, the place had probably been eradicated by the explosion, and I didn’t have a workplace anymore. I knew that he could arrange something else, and that he wouldn’t hesitate in doing so. After all, I was one of his best employees. But this wasn’t normal. This was something else. This was dangerous. I wanted to call a cab and get the hell away from here, but my phone was in my purse. Which was gone, along with the restaurant.

“C-c-c-can I please call a cab, Sir?” I stuttered as I shook with the cold.

He was sitting in a large arm chair across the room, plotting something into his phone.

“Sorry, what?”

“A c-c-c-cab. I … I want to get home.” Somehow, the words I spoke made me freeze even more. The thought alone of leaving the hotel room was making me cold. Or well, colder.

He put down the phone and went to stand by the bed. Hesitantly, he sat down beside me.

His movements were awkward as he put an arm around my shoulder and rubbed my upper arm slightly. But hey, after all, having to rescue an employee from an exploding restaurant was probably not something one did every day, I thought.

“I would very much like you to stay here, Emily. I don’t think it’s safe out there. Not tonight.”

I felt a lump in my throat and wanted to cry again.

“Why won’t you tell me what happened? Who did this? Why?” My tears and sobs came out along with the words, and he rubbed my arm some more as if to make them disappear.

“I’ll tell you some other time. But you need to relax, and you need to trust me. Can you do that? Emily, look at me.”

My eyes had fallen to my lap, but I looked at him when he asked me to. His eyes were solemn, caring, like the ones of a father trying to comfort his child.

“I don’t know who did this. I really don’t.” He squeezed me slightly.

“But I don’t think it’s safe for you to be alone out there. If you stay with me, you’re safe. Ah-ah-” I had looked away from his eyes, and I promptly looked back at them at his command.

“Do you trust me in this?”

I nodded, although I wasn’t sure. I felt like I could trust him. It was the circumstances surrounding him that I couldn’t trust.

“You’re still shaking.” He said, matter-of-factly.

“I c-c-can’t seem to get w-w-warm again.” I shook and pulled some more at the lapels. My feet felt like stones. I could hardly even wriggle my toes because of the cold.

“Mein Gott, you really are freezing.” He exclaimed. “We’ll have to get you warm. Get under covers.”

Exhausted, I did as he said, and kept the coat around my shoulders. It felt like if I let it go, I was surely going to die of hypothermia. He seemingly didn’t mind and tugged the covers around me. I shook with shock and weariness, and I hated myself for ever having put myself in this situation. For ever having accepted this job.

“Feel better?” He asked. My eyes had already closed, although I was nowhere near warm yet.

“It’s called ‘feeling better’. We say ‘feeling better’ here in the US.”

“So snarky.” He chuckled silently before putting a hand on my shoulder. “Will you be able to sleep like that?”

“Maybe.” I was trying not to shake but my feet and legs felt like chunks of ice. “Still cold. I’m drenched. I should get naked under here. Might help.”

I heard him chuckle slightly while I drifted off in spite of the cold.

( ... )

“Hello? Anyone home?” I heard his characteristic greeting from behind the bar area and went out to greet him back. It was a slow Monday night, and I had been alone at work for a long time now. The last guest had went two hours ago, and although we were closed,  I was now busying myself with cleaning the glasses and rearranging the bottles. Unlike a lot of my coworkers, I was neither afraid of him nor the way that he wanted things to be. And like that, I had already been employed for several months. To say that I was proud would be an understatement. Yet, I still wanted to do things much the same way that he did. I could tell it was appreciated.

“Over here, mr. Waltz.” I waved at him and he raised his head in return, a great smile on his face. As always, he was impeccably dressed. Black button-down shirt, black trousers and a beige woolen coat. Although he was my boss and also a lot older than me, I couldn’t help but appreciate the way he looked. The fact that he was always kind to me - or well, kinder than he was toward my colleagues - also made it easy to work here.

“Evening, darling. How are you?” He asked as he put his briefcase on the counter and sat on one of the stools. His eyes were fixated on the iPhone in his hand, as always. He never seemed to relax, but that’s business life for you, I guess.

“I’m well, thanks. And you, Sir?”

He didn’t reply at first, but furrowed his brows at something on the phone. After a couple of seconds, he looked up and smiled, hurriedly.

“Very well, thank you, miss Emily. Oh-” The phone rang silently in his hand and he made a gesture to excuse himself. “-have to take this. Moment.” He spoke the last word in German. Thankfully, I had worked enough time here to understand him.

With a wave of his hand, he excused himself and went past me to the kitchen. It didn’t take more than half a minute before I heard him come back to the counter.

“We need to leave. Now. Follow me.” He said. The urgency in his eyes told me I had no choice.

( ... )

“Emily. Emily! Wake up! Emily, darling, open your eyes. Wake up!”

I felt him grabbing my upper arms and pulling me out of the roaring inferno that I was caught in. I could see nothing but fire, feel nothing but fire, as the flames licked along my limbs, searing my flesh and burning me up as they consumed me. I screamed long and hard as the pain subsided, because I knew that death has come. I didn’t want to die. I hated my life, yes, but I didn’t want to die. Not yet. The thing that confused me the most was that I heard his voice from the darkness that had already replaced the fire. Had he died too?

“Emily. Sssscchhh.” His voice was deep and soothing, and his arms rocked me back and forth in the darkness. I felt coolness creeping up my limbs and I welcomed it, even though I feared this … heaven or hell or whatever death was.

“Open your eyes.” My eyes already are open?

“Open your eyes, Emily.” Oh. They aren’t.

Slowly, steadily, I began to watch contours forming in the dark. There was a desk and a chair, a bedside table, a lamp, my covers thrown on the floor, and … him. I was in his arms. He was rocking me back and forth, like a baby.

“You had a bad dream. You screamed so loud, I think the entire hotel heard you.” He said as he subsided the rocking motion. The hotel. The sleeping. I’m not dead.

“Oh my God …” The relief washed over me, and I began to cry. He wrapped his arms closer and began comforting me again.

“I thought I had died.” I sniffled in between sobs. My head was pressed against his chest as he stroked my cheek with one hand and held me steady with the other.

“You didn’t. We got out. … we got out.” I sensed that the final sentence was mostly spoken to himself. I remembered tonight’s events and what had made me have nightmares in the first place. Why shouldn’t he feel the same way?

“We got out.” I sat up in the bed and discarded the coat I had fallen asleep in. Moving back from him, I could see the contours of his face. He had that same small smile as always, and yet, something about him had changed. He looked saddened, and it felt as though the explosion wasn’t the reason.

“Thank you, mr. Waltz. For waking me up. For … saving me. And all that.”

He laid his hand on top of my own while he smiled. It was a strange, sweet gesture, and yet, I didn’t mind.

He didn’t reply until a moment later when I had gotten under covers again. My eyes had already closed shut as I heard him speak.

“Christoph. You can call me Christoph.”