Thelma: Addictions Desire Secrets by Dante Vereen - HTML preview

CHAPTER EIGHT  

Wednesdays are always full of activities in the office; it was like everyone was rushing to meet some midweek deadline. It seems most procrastinators suddenly realize it's just two days to the weekend, and they go into a frenzy.

I was rounding off for the day when my phone buzzed, and it was Claudette on the line. She was inviting me over for dinner at her place that evening. I quickly accepted. I felt it was an honor though it wasn't the right circumstances for your girlfriend's mom to invite you for dinner. I secretly wished we could talk about anything but Connor and his vile ambitions.

I arrived at the Bunchild's just a few minutes after 8 pm. Claudette was already at the front door. I guess she must have heard me drive-in. She shook my hands warmly and gave me a smile that made me think of Thelma. Claudette was very good looking and must have been a sensation in her youth.

"This way, please," she said, leading the way to the dining room.

Mr. Bunchild was already seated. He stood up to shake my hands. I politely pulled out a chair for Claudette and sat beside her.

"I think I might start investing in the stock market," Mr. Bunchild said.

"That would be a very wise decision, and I will be glad to offer you financial advice," I responded.

The meal was delicious. Claudette was a great cook, something that her daughter didn't inherit, and over lunch, we discussed various culinary skills, and she has been saying something about opening an Italian restaurant in Manhattan. Mr. Bunchild made some witty jokes, and I could sense the deep affection between the couple from the way Claudette laughed, and the way they looked at each other.

After dinner, I helped Claudette clear the dishes and cleaned up while Mr. Bunchild smoked his cigar.

We were in the sitting room, watching a movie when he excused himself.

"I think I'll retire to my study and leave you at the mercy of Thelma's mom. She would like to know why you think you're better than that fox. You've already scored points with me, but you need a bit of luck with the lady." He patted my shoulder and winked at me, then kissed his wife on her cheek.

Claudette went to the bar to pour us some wine, then came to sit by my side. She offered me a glass and made a toast.

"To freedom," she yelled, laughing at how it sounded.

"To freedom," I responded, smiling.

 "Thank you so much for saving my life. I never thought I could get those tapes without having to kill Connor first. He made himself invincible, so that's not a possibility. I didn't even know there were more tapes," Claudette said.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Bunchild," I said.

"You can call me Claudette. I have been wondering how you got through Connor's securities to get all those tapes. It beats my imagination how anyone could get into that impregnable château and steal a pin."

I contemplated that it would not be wise to tell Claudette how it all happened. I have to watch my back. So I just gave her a knowing smile and patted her hand.

We stared at each other for a while. Part of me assumed she must be wondering about my thoughts on the content of the tapes.

"Look, Claudette," I started. "I don't really-"

"I know," she interjected. "I've had a terrible past. The contents in that video were parts of the sacrifices I had to make. Some people may not understand it, but I'm glad all that is in the past now."

"Me, too."

"You must love Thelma so much to go this far." Her tone sounded like an observation.

"Yes, ma'am. I love Thelma, and I want to cherish her for the rest of my life." I replied.

She smiled and said, "Now that Connor has nothing on me anymore, I think it's time to tell him to go to hell."

"We can't let Connor know that we destroyed the sex tape and other evidence against you. I've thought it through, and I think you should keep playing along pretentiously, but be careful not to get into any more trouble than you already did." I advised.

"Does Thelma know about these tapes?"

"No, Claudette, I couldn't possibly show her or tell her he contents of it. She has been through so much already. I can't afford the kind of emotional and psychological trauma this might have on her. It would hurt her so much."

"I am indebted to you," she murmured. "And yes, I agree. If Thelma had seen them, it would have shattered the already strained relationship we have. I ache every time I have to make her tag along with that parasite. And please let this stay between us."

I finished my drink and got up to leave when we heard a movement behind us. We both turned around at the same time to see Thelma standing at the doorway.

"Mom, I can't believe you stooped so low to have sex with that bastard. You're so disgusting," Thelma said.

Wait, how long has she been in the house to hear everything?

"Thelma, I can explain.” Claudette pleaded. “I am not as horrible as you think. It was all in your best interest. It was for the family!"

I opened my mouth to say something but changed my mind as Thelma gave me a withering glare, then turned around and stomped away, taking the stairs.

I turned to Claudette and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Claudette. I'll talk to her."

Claudette didn't look so convinced. I could tell she was deeply hurt. We walked to the front door, and I thanked her for a beautiful evening and took my leave.

Somehow, I was apprehensive about talking to Thelma about her mother's involvement in the sex tape. Thelma would see me as the bad guy, and all I wanted was just to help the Bunchilds break the yoke of Connor's shackles.   

******

My new surrounding was a bit unfamiliar. A man in cowboy boots, shorts, and cowboy hat was motioning with his hands, but no word was coming out of him. He didn't have a shirt on. There was a stain of blood on the left side of his shorts. I looked on to know if he was hurt, but he wasn't injured. He was pointing towards the uphill.

I followed the cowboy's direction up the hill to where I discovered a cottage. Inside was empty when I entered, but after a close look, I noticed that there was something odd about the floor. It was a wooden floor. At the center of the floor was square shape wooden board indicating that there was room underground. A massive log rested on the edge, and I pushed it off with some effort. When I eventually opened raised the wooden board, I discovered an underground passage. I jumped in, but not before waging the board.

I heard footsteps above me, and someone closed the board over me. I tried to push it, but the person must have rested the massive log back on it. I feared it must have been a trap.

I tried to dial 911, but it was an out-of-service area. A female dress was on the floor, and when I picked it up, it looked like the one Thelma had won the day she met me at their family house. My heart began to race, not for my safety, but for the possibility of Thelma being in danger.

I walked up to the east side of the passage, where there was more light. The walls had various graffiti on them. The language used was in French, and the image of an overlord stood over other drawings like a

giant. The overlord held a chain that leashed several naked women that were on their knees. His dick plugged into the mouth of one of the nude women. The only thing I could think of was Connor.

Perhaps he had succeeded in having me drugged and brought to such a place. It's also possible that he kills his victims there, so I thought. Then, I remembered Thelma's blue dress and hastened my pace.

I got to a two-way path and hesitated, trying to figure which way they must have taken Thelma to. After a quick guess, I took the left turn. I had barely walked ten paces when I heard shrieking sounds all rushing in my direction. The sounds were coming from several miles ahead. I tried to run back, but the sound caught up with me. They were bats in their thousands. I fell flat on the floor as they scattered all over, some taking the path I neglected and the one where I was coming from.

When I got back on my feet, I decided against continuing with the same path I was taking. I walked the way I had neglected earlier until I walked into this beautiful room where insects glowed in bright colors. Some waterfalls flowed into a pool. My latest discovery shocked me, even to my inner child that loved Disney stories.

While I was absorbing the beauty of the place, two soft hands wrapped my face like a blindfold. I tried to force it until Thelma's voice came reassuring.

"Relax, Tony. I've forgiven you."

I turned to look at her. She was completely nude, and her eyes gleamed like a ray of light. She had some form of power.

"What has Connor done to you?"

She ignored the question, but whenever she looked at me directly, I felt she could see my very soul.

"Thelma, please talk to me, how did you get here?"

She smiled, waved her hands against the wave, and the water froze."Take off your clothes!" she commanded

I obeyed her, stripping my clothes and trembling as I did. When every piece of clothes was on the floor, she walked into the pool. She caused the water to unfreeze with a wave of the hand.

She turned in my direction, beckoned me to come with her two fingers. When I got to the pool, it was surprisingly warm. Her breasts were round and bigger than how I'd known them to be. Each tit pointed on edge as she floated in the side of the pool that is four feet deep. She was holding the sides of the pool for support until she let go and began to slide into the deep as if she was drowning. I dived in to fetch her, but she grappled me and pinned me to the bottom of the pool. I tried aimlessly to shake myself free, but she was stronger. I began to gulp some water, but she held me still until I had had a fill of the water.

She raised me higher, my head above the water level as I began to spew the water that I had swallowed. When she was sure I was relieved, she pushed my head back into the water.

"Suck that pussy!" she commanded.

I put my tongue inside her, licking and sucking as I pressed my mouth on her pussy lips. When I was pressed for air, I brought my head up, took a deep breath, and went in again. She moaned and shouted instructions.

"Put it in there, baby! Eat me up!"

I dutifully obliged her, gliding my tongue inside her as she engulfed herself in the pleasure. She held my head, pressing me to her pussy to her delightful pleasure.

She raised my head out of the water and made me suck one of her nipples as I caressed the other one. I stopped stroking and brought the hand down to her pussy. She parted her legs to allow me.

I inserted my fingers inside her and began to rub her clit. She let out a loud moan.

When I had pleasured her enough, she asked me to get out of the pool.

She also came out of the pool, ordering me to lie on the floor. She jumped on me, inserted my dick inside her pussy, and began to ride me. The pleasure almost drove me insane. We chorused our sounds of pleasure as the walls of her pussy massaged my dick, her butt slapped on my thighs.

I was nearing orgasm when I heard a familiar ringtone that reverberated in the room, forcing me into reality.

I had been dreaming all along.

Anelida was calling me at 2 am. She sounded so excited on the phone. Her boyfriend had popped the question, and she had said yes.   

*******

Who would have thought? Anelida's relationship didn't just get serious, but they were beginning to make marriage plans too. I wanted that for myself too. I wanted it so much that I began to seek counsel from Anelida. All she said was, 'go for it bro, if you like it, put a ring on it.' It sounded like a cliché. I needed something to propel me into making such a life-changing decision. I needed more boost, and I knew just the person to talk to.

My therapy sessions were almost up. I just had two or three more to go. According to Ms. Dowling, since I started being more open about my private life in my recent sessions, I'd been able to find a release and discover the stability of some sort.

Discovering stability…

The moment she mentioned that, I quickly remembered the question I wanted to ask.

"Ms. Dowling, I'm sorry I'm about to ask a huge favor from you. This might go against your professional standards. Please, there is no other means or a better person to ask this of, and…"

"It's okay, Tony. You can ask me about Thelma."

It wasn't the first time Ms. Dowling would look me in the eye and know exactly what I was going to say next.

"How often does she talk about me in her session?"

"I can't tell you that I'm sorry."

"Oh, yes… I know about the non-disclosure stuff; I'm just trying to see if she's okay."

"Yes, she's okay. But that's not what you want to know. Now listen, Thelma needs time. Thelma is a work in progress. She may have been fighting her demons in her own way, but if I could reach her the way I've been able to, maybe things would be a bit different right now. She seems to have found her own way of release."

"And how does she do that?"

"Sexual activity."

Her response made sense. Otherwise, why would anyone want to be with Connor?

Ms. Dowling looked at me sternly, the way she did when she was about to assume my thoughts.

"Look, Tony, whatever you're about to do, do it."

That was all I needed. That was the cliffhanger that got me motivated to drive straight into a jewelry store after leaving Ms. Dowling’s office. The salesperson I met was an elderly fellow who understood perfectly what I needed. It didn't need to be overly expensive, or cheap too. I just wanted something that would drive in my message, so I ended up leaving the store with a 6-carat diamond ring.

I tried reaching Thelma on the phone, but it went straight to her voicemail. I felt the need to do what I intended to do as fast as possible before the stimulus that engulfed my whole system dissipated. I didn't want to think about it anymore.

The traffic was unusually tight that evening of Friday. I did run the red lights a few times. I was all about my quest, speed tickets, and other issues that would be sorted later.

Thelma's door was locked. I had checked her office earlier, but she wasn't there. I called Claudette to know if Thelma was in Newark, but she responded in the negative. I figured there was only one place left to check, a place where she could take her penance.

Going to Connor's for the quest I had in mind didn't seem romantic. But I shunned all warnings. Thelma may have taken the fight to Connor all alone. The thought of her being in danger made me turn my Sedan Maruti Suzuki to a Formula One machine.

 The security at the gate of Connor's estate didn't let me in at first. I could have taken the aggression out on them, but they were only doing their job. Ten minutes after the delay at the gate, one of the security guys handed me a phone. Connor was on the other line.

"Oh, you idiot, I'm thrilled you came. I…"

I was in no mood for a chat, "Listen, Connor, I'm here for Thelma, and if you even as much as snapped one thread of her hairs, I'll make one call, and this beautiful estate will look like the Taklamakan."

Connor laughed hysterically and ordered his men to open the gate.

I got into the building after pulling up inside the compound. I considered the danger of confronting Connor and his men, unarmed. He may not let go of Thelma easily, I thought.

The opposite was the case.

Thelma was not in the building. I had searched everywhere, the CCTVs all pointed at me as I stepped into every corner of the building. I couldn't find Connor too until one of his guards came in and asked that I follow him.

Sensing that it might be a trap, I slowed my pace, leaving a reasonable distance between the guard and me. I quickly dialed 911 and continued to follow him. He eventually led me to a room like a dungeon. The guard took a step back, and the door locked automatically.

The room was very dark, but I could hear noises coming from a room nearby.

I walked into the entrance and found Connor, naked except for the chains that restrained him. His right hand was cuffed to a long chain that was hooked to the wall, and his left hand was handcuffed in the same manner. There was a leash on his neck and Thelma – my Thelma – stood naked in front of him, holding on to the leash with her right hand. She also had a whip in her left as Connor devoured her pussy with his tongue. She was so engrossed in the pleasure. She moaned loudly, indicating that she was nearing orgasm.

Everything happened very fast. I lost my consciousness. I lost my conscience too.

I only regained my senses when I heard sirens, but they were some seconds too late. My hands were already bloody. A baseball bat was still rolling on the floor and blood – lots of it – gushed from Connor's head, while Thelma screamed in horror.

CHAPTER ONE Connor's bodyguard immediately went to ascertain just how much damage I had committed. "What have you done?" The bodyguard asked me. I shrugged while Thelma looked like she had just seen a ghost. I looked down at Connor's body on the floor just as the door burst open, and cops shattered the silence. "Freeze," One of the cops shouted.

I immediately went still. Thelma was still in shocked. "What in the heck happened in here?" Another cop asked. He took a look at Thelma, her eyes fill with terror before letting his gaze fall on me and the bloodstains in my hands, and then finally, the cop drifted his gaze towards the bodyguard who stood by his master like a watchdog. At that moment, the consequences of what I had just done hit me hard. I had attacked Connor in his own house with a baseball bat. I may go to jail for attempted murder. I looked at Thelma, the love of my life, and realized that I might lose her. Thelma held my gaze only for a second before she burst into tears. "He did it!" She exclaimed, pointing her middle finger towards the bodyguard. "What? I..." The bodyguard began to defend himself, but the door burst open, and the medics arrived. One of the policemen checked Connor's pulse.

"He's still alive. We need to take him to the hospital as soon as possible." A cop said. He was tall, about six feet tall with sandy brown hair and a pair of blue eyes. The medics took Connor away to the ambulance waiting outside. "I'm Jared Thompson. I think you two will have to come with us for..." The man began, but Thelma cut him off. "Are you kidding me? This man here attacked him." She was crying hysterically. Her body was shaking with each sob. I desperately wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her, but I knew I couldn't do that. "How dare you try to blame this on me?" The bodyguard shouted, but the cops silenced him. At this point, I realized the importance of influence and power in society. Thelma came from a rich and influential family. It was her words against his. "Arrest him." Thompson declared. The guard's protests went in vain as he was taken out of the room in cuffs. I managed to get a sheet and tossed it at her. Thelma immediately covered her body. "Who's this, and what is he doing here?" Thompson asked Thelma. It was apparent that he knew Thelma and Connor very well and knew that they were in a relationship. "That's Tony. He's my friend and came to see me." She declared. "Can you explain what he's doing here?"

"He came looking for me, and this guard here led him to us. Connor and I were...we were...having..." She left her sentence unfinished. "I understand what you two were doing. What I don't understand is why your friend's hands are covered in blood." The cop looked at me again like a hawk. Thelma sobbed more. "The guard brought him to us. We were supposed to have a threesome with Connor. As soon as he brought Connor here, the guard went mad with rage. He took that baseball bat and attacked him. What happened is horrible." She covered her face and sobbed more. Thelma was an actress because she made every of her lie look real. "Why's there blood on your hands?" He asked me when Thelma's sobs wouldn't let her answer him. "I...I... went to check his pulse when the guard attacked him." my voice sounded foreign in my ears. The cop looked from me to a crying Thelma. "Is there a security camera in this room?" He was already looking around. Thelma looked up; her face full of terror. She sniffed before replying.

"This is one of the rooms in this house without a security camera." She revealed. "We...we usually use this room for our romps, you know." The cop nodded. He looked uncomfortable for a moment or two.

"You still want to drag me like this to the station? Oh my goodness, the publicity will tell on my mom and..." The cop took another look at Thelma and then back at me. "You made the 911 call?" He asked. "Yes, I did." He turned away from me and went to Thelma. "You have to put yourself together. Considering who your parents are, I wouldn't dare take you to the station in your condition. Take a bath, put yourself together, and come by the station tomorrow morning. You know, you have to make a statement." Thelma sniffed and nodded. "As for you, Mr. Jareau, you'll have to come with me to the station and make your statement." "Okay, I'll be glad to." The last thing I wanted was another publicity. Even though I've been proven innocent in Belinda's death, another case may affect my company and personality. This I knew I couldn't afford. "I'll have to clean my hands," I said. "Sure. Feel free." 'I'll be expecting you." He told Thelma and walked away with me following. ****

By the time I unlocked my apartment door, it was already late. The police had asked me so many questions, and I answered them. I was smart enough to stick to Thelma's story because my ass was on the line. I knew that she had just saved me from going to jail for attempted murder, and I'll forever be grateful to her. I walked to my bedroom and began to peel off my clothes. As soon as I stood naked, I picked up my discarded clothes from the floor, and something fell off. I remembered that I was supposed to propose to Thelma. The beautiful 6-carat diamond ring I had bought stared at me from the floor. I picked it from the floor, stared at it sadly, and immediately put it in my closet. Finally, I walked naked to the bathroom and had a quick shower. When I returned to the room, the event of the day kept coming back to me. I nearly committed murder! I thought to myself as I lay down in bed. My phone buzzed, and my heartbeat skipped. It was almost 11 pm. I retrieved the phone and saw about half a dozen missed calls from Thelma. I pressed the receive button and brought the phone to my ear. "Hello?" I said. "How did the interrogation go at the station?" She sounded anxious. "Oh, I told the truth, just as you've explained to them at Connor's." I smiled inwardly "Good." She sighed. "Thanks a million for helping me out." I managed to say.

"Tony?" She called as if she had not heard me. "Yes?" I retorted. "This is a favor. You owe me one." And just like that, my beautiful Thelma ended the call. I didn't want her to end the call just yet. I wanted to talk to her. I needed to know if she was alright. She had been through a lot lately, and now, I've added to her problems. I tried calling her back, but she wouldn't answer my call, so I just lay back in my bed.

After what seemed like an eternity, I still couldn't sleep. I wanted very much to hold Thelma in my arms and sleep, but I knew that was not possible. I slowly left the bed and went to my closet. I retrieved the box I had just discarded in the closet and opened it. The ring was beautiful. "I'll allow you to rest. On Sunday, I'll propose to you my love." I promised myself. Since I had met Thelma, a lot of things had changed. It's been a little over a month, and I had gone ahead and fallen in love. As if falling in love wasn't enough, I'd succeeded in dragging myself into a mess. What would happen if Connor opens his eyes and tell the cops the truth? I shuddered at the mere thought of that. My mind was so messed up that I had completely forgotten that I missed dinner. I slowly walked to my bed with the ring in my hands. I spent ages staring at it and planning my wedding with Thelma in my mind. I didn't know when I finally slept off. I woke up the following morning at precisely 8 am with a ray of sunshine streaming through my window.

I reached out for my phone and dialed Thelma's number, but she still wouldn't answer. Finally, I decided to send her a voice mail. "Thelma, we need to talk," I said. When she didn't call back, I decided to call her later in the afternoon. She may have already gone to the police station. Since it was a Saturday, I lay back in bed, not in the mood to have my morning exercise. I left the bed at exactly 9 am and fixed myself a breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee. I was halfway through with my breakfast when my phone buzzed. I hastily reached out for it. Thelma's name appeared on my screen. I smiled and pressed the receive button "Hello?" I greeted her with a smile "Tony..." She began, and then, hearing her voice changed my mood. Her voice was soft; it made me immediately come alive. "Good morning." I cheerfully greeted her. "What's the problem?" her voice sounded irritated. "We need to talk." I simply told her. "What's there to talk about?" She asked. "I want us to talk about ourselves." I finally revealed. "Have you seen the news yet?" She asked me. I blinked and then shook my head.

"No, I didn't see the news. I just left my bed." I confessed. "If you've seen the news, then you would have heard already." "Heard? Heard what?" I was confused. "What happened yesterday is already all over the news." She revealed. "Is it?" my heart began to race. "The cops did all they could to protect me, but my name was mention as one of the witnesses. Your name was also mentioned." She revealed. I was silent as I thought of how things would change if Connor finally opens his eyes and tell the truth. "As for Connor, the bastard is alive." She spat out. I could hear the anger and disgust in her voice.

I knew that she didn't love the man. What in the heck does he have over my Thelma to make her continue dating him? I thought to myself. Connor could no longer blackmail Claudette, Thelma's mom because I had given her the videos, he had been using to blackmail her. Thelma's mom no longer insists Thelma marries the man, but then, why is she still sticking by her? What in the hell does the bastard have over Thelma? My mind went wild. "Tony? Are you there?" She called. "Yes...what did you say?" I asked her. I was so deep in my thought that I didn't hear her last statement.

"Connor is awake." She revealed.

Again, my heart went wild. If he speaks to the police, then I'll surely go to jail. Thelma would not even be accused of giving false witness. She came from a prestigious family, and her parents are influential. "Did...Did he...speak to the cops?" I didn't even realize that I was stuttering. "He spoke to the cops." I closed my eyes and wondered why they were not already knocking on my door. "To be honest, when he opened his eyes, I was there. I talked with him, and he agreed to come to a compromise. His story is the same as ours." She revealed. "What did you just say?" I asked her in shock.

CHAPTER TWO I didn't understand what Thelma was saying or why she thinks that Connor's story to the cops is the same as ours. I knew that he hated me and would be glad to see me behind bars. "What did you just say?" I asked her again. "Tony, I talked with Connor, and he agreed to cover up for you. This means that his bodyguard will take the fall for your action." She slowly explained to me. "Why did Connor agree to this? I knew that he wants nothing better than to see me behind bars." I thought out loud. "Connor and I have come to a compromise." Her voice was sharp. I clutched the phone in my hands and tried hard to think of the repercussions of Thelma's statement. "What compromise?" I asked her. "That's not your business." "Come on, baby. Don't allow that man to blackmail you. He's dangerous, evil, and wicked." I didn't even realize that I was already outraged. "What will you have me do, Tony? Do you want to go to jail?" She snapped at me. I immediately went quiet. What had happened at Connor's house had just left my Thelma at his mercy. I knew that he would take advantage of the situation. At that moment, I hated myself. I hated the fact that Thelma would have no choice than to continue doing his bidding. "Thelma..." I began, "There's nothing else to say, Tony." I could tell that she was trying to control her emotions. Before I could say another word, Thelma had ended the call.

I dropped the phone on the table and stared at it. Things weren't working the way I wanted them to, and I blame myself for the predicament Thelma and I were. I spent the rest of the day brooding. I tried calling Thelma, but she wouldn't pick up my calls. Finally, I resorted to chatting her up, but she left my messages unanswered. Is she avoiding me? I thought to myself. By evening, I got a call from Charlotte. "Hi, Mr. handsome." She greeted in her usual carefree voice. 'Hi, beautiful." I forced myself to smile. "How about I come over for dinner?" there was laugher in her voice, and I knew what she wanted. The last thing I wanted was to have dinner with Charlotte, but then, thinking about it, I decided that having sex with her would help take my mind off my problems. "That sounds like a great idea," I replied. I heard her burst into laughter. "I'll be at your apartment by 7."

By the time we ended the call, I hurriedly began making dinner. I made dinner of macaroni, stir- fried vegetables, and grilled chicken breast. I hastily walked to the bathroom for a quick shower, and when I emerged, I heard my doorbell rang. I spared a glance at my bedside clock only to realize that it was already 7 pm. "She's prompt", I said as I wore my clothes. Once I turned the knob, I found Charlotte, dressed in a white cashmere jacket that stopped just below her thighs. On her feet was a pair of red stiletto heels. "Wow..." I exclaimed when she smiled.

"What's the problem?" She asked, swaying past me into the room. "You look beautiful, radiant, and so fucking hot." I shut the door and turned to meet her grins. Seeing her, I felt myself grow hard. I wanted my hard dick in the softness of her pussy, but then, I knew that I had to wait for us to have dinner. We were both picking on our food, and it was apparent that food was the last thing on our minds. I decided to make t