There are 3 rounds in total and the winners from each heat will be announced in April. I'm not holding my breath! But here it is:
Prime Fillet Steak
Kate leant
forward on the plastic surface. Her face resting in her hands, “Ooooh, that
right there…” licking her lips, she nodded towards a powerfully built man with floppy ebony hair and carved features, ”…. is
prime fillet steak.”.
Lisa hit her elbow on the corner of the
table. “Bloody hell, Kate, shut up! You’re so crass!” she puffed, rubbing the
effected area.
“Ahh, come on Lisa.” Kate chuckled, “You
used to laugh at the grading system! I don’t understand what’s wrong with you?”
Lisa threw herself back in the chair, frowning
at her sister.
“I think we’re getting a bit old for it. We’re
in our thirties now, time to grow up?” Lisa sighed, unwilling to admit the
real reason for her newly found disgust. Kate shrugged half-heartedly in
response.
“How’re you doing with the dating website?”
Kate probed, then didn’t bother waiting for a reply. “I’ve got a date with a juicy piece of rump
steak on Saturday.” she said in a singsong voice, eyes sparkling.
“Can’t say I’ve bothered with that
lately.” Lisa coughed, her cheeks flushed under her sister’s scrutiny, ignoring
another reference to meat.
“You like someone, don’t you?” Kate
flashed all of her pearly white teeth.
Lisa leant away from Kate crossing her arms.
She didn’t want to admit her crush on a man. Kate would rate him as a hamburger in her debasing scoring method
of physical appeal.
“Ask him out. Double date on Saturday? I
dare you.” Kate giggled widening her eyes. She slapped the surface in front of
her. “I knew it!
Lisa knotted up her sandwich in the paper
wrapper, flinging herself off the chair, tossing her lunch into the bin.
“We’ll see.” She hissed through gritted
teeth, her body stiff. Kate gasped and leapt up to follow her sister out the
café.
“Bloomin’ heck. Sorry Lisa. What’s wrong?”
grabbing Lisa’s arm.
Lisa shrugged Kate’s hand off her with a
violent jerk.
Glaring at her she let rip on her only
sister. “Your stupid grading system. I’ve had enough of it! Looks aren’t
everything! He’s intelligent, he’s kind, but you…”, she pointed a finger into
Kate’s face, “….you, put me off asking him out. I hate you!”
Kate bit her lip, turning away from her
sisters glare “I’m….I’m so sorry, Lisa. I’d like to meet him. Please, just ask
him to come?”
Lisa stayed silent, her veins standing out
on the side of her neck, staring at her sister, still turned away, Kate’s eyes
widening with fear. Lisa swung away slamming her shoes into the pavement with
each step.
Lisa charged through the door of the large
glass fronted building. Still fuming from the altercation with her sister
during her lunch break, taking deep calming breaths, trying to regain composure
before getting to her office.
She was not used to losing her temper,
Kate always managed to enrage her. Lisa had started concentrating on her future,
leaving Kate behind her. In a way Lisa pitied her, but she’d given up on trying
to develop, Kate, as much as she loved her.
She worked as a secretary and receptionist
for an architecture firm. Lisa was surprised when a lanky, bespectacled guy
with curly dark hair had taken her affections. He wasn’t her usual type.
On his first day, he’d paced the firms
reception area, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, clutching his portfolio
in the other, waiting to be introduced to his new colleagues.
She’d smiled at him, in an attempt to
break the tension filling the atmosphere of the room.
Lisa noticed his suit straight away, too
big on him, she’d learnt since then that all of his suits were, ‘Must be difficult to get clothes to fit
when you’re that tall and skinny?’ she’d pondered several times.
Lisa saw him every day for three months, apart
from at weekends. She delivered notes to him or shared a break with him in the
staff room.
He’d eased into the office way of life, his
nerves, apparently gone. Hers, however, were increasing daily, she realised she
was falling for his sharp wit, intelligence and lovely lop-sided smile. A man
she could finally have an engaging conversation with.
Lisa
just didn’t possess the confidence to do anything about it; her feelings were
so strong. She couldn’t handle the rejection, envisaged him laughing at her,
despite knowing he wouldn’t, he was too kind for that. She couldn’t handle pity
either, though.
Across the expansive marble foyer, she
spotted him coming through another entrance, heading towards the bank of lifts.
She picked up her pace, getting there first, hitting the call button with the
desperation of a child needing the toilet.
She didn’t want to face him following the
revelation to her sister. It was one thing mulling her attraction over in her
mind, but she’d admitted it now. Out loud.
“Hello Lisa, you ok?” he squished his
eyebrows together above the round wire rimmed specs.
“Oh, hi Rob.”
“You look…well,
annoyed?” He spoke softly, raising a hand to her shoulder. She flinched, a
surge of heat rising to the contact point. She failed to meet his chocolate
coloured irises. Lisa shut her eyes briefly, clearing her throat, his fingers
were still resting on her, burning an imaginary hole through her black suit
jacket.
“I had an argument with my sister,” she
kept her gaze on the creamy marble floor. “she’s got a date on Saturday. With
some idiot she met online.”. She paused, Her quick thinking made a little smile
creep across her lips. “She wants me to go with her, but um, I’d feel silly on
my own.”
“Well, Lisa, we
simply can’t have that. Would you like me to come with you?”.
“I couldn’t put
you out, Robert. Not if you’ve already got plans?” Lisa rushed, tilting her
head to the side.
“No, not at all
busy, let me know on Friday. I’d be happy to accompany you.”.
“Thanks,
Robert.” She smiled, ‘I’m so clever’ raced
around her mind. “You’ve rescued me.”
Lisa sat on the tube on Friday, her mobile
phone was burning like a hot potato in her hand.
She kept glancing down at Rob’s number.
He’d insisted she take it, in case any arrangements for Saturdays ‘pretend’
date changed.
‘Bugger,
what if I message him when I’ve had a few glasses of wine? How could I face him
at work if he knew? I will have to delete this number as soon as possible’.
The panicky train of thought halted when
a picture message from Kate arrived…a dry, shrivelled up burger placed next to
a fat mouth watering steak, preceded by sarcastic text.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow night…lol.
K xx
‘Not that bloody sorry, then.’ Lisa
huffed.
The flicker of candles on each table made
the place appear intimate and cosy. The terracotta tiles and dark wooden
furniture created an appealing taverna impression, though it was in fact a
steak house.
“Ha ha, bloody
funny.” She muttered under her breath at the irony as she eased the door open.
She was anxious about spending an entire
evening with Rob in the romantic setting.
She saw one person in the reception area
of the restaurant. He was leaning on the bar with a hand in his jeans pocket.
The definition of his muscular body was evident through a thin cotton shirt,
her usual type of date. She crossed to order a drink whilst she waited.
“Oh, Hi.”
Lisa jumped when the man spoke to her in
an American accent.
“Are you Kate’s sister?” The family resemblance
probably gave her away.
“Um, yeah, I’m Lisa.” She told him
straightening up.
“Cool, I’m Chad,
great to meet you.” he replied nodding slowly, his blue eyes ogling, without
care, over her large breasts and small waist.
Lisa felt naked as a sly grin crept across
his face.
Lisa
took a side step, Chad followed her moving closer than he had been before.
“Your dress is
just lovely, um…”
“Lisa.” She
offered her name once again narrowing her eyes at him before turning her
attention to the bottles lined up behind the bar.
“I like the fabric.” He admired running
his grubby mitt down her silky blue dress, leaning sideways to get a better
view of her backside as his hand ran over it. She flinched and stepped away
again.
“Listen, mate…” she began, screwing up her
face. Lisa allowed her head fall back with relief whilst observing Kate coming
through the door.
Kate’s gaze was focussed on Chad, her lips
were parted, eyes glossy. She embraced him once she reached him after her
exaggerated sashay across the bar.
‘Tomorrow,
I’ll tell her.’ Lisa thought, ‘I
don’t want to spoil anyone’s night.’
Rob arrived. Lisa sighed, relieved. He
flashed her a smile before his eyes fell on Chad, his lips turned into a white
slash. ‘Oh no! Is he angry?’ Her teeth grasped her bottom lip. ‘It’s
only appearances! A bit of beefcake! The guy is an idiot!’ she had the sudden
urge to shout at him.
“Um, everything ok, Rob?” She asked
instead, her voice coming out in a high-pitch. He didn’t even glance at Lisa,
he was still glaring at Chad.
“Roberto! Hi, pal, what’re you doing
here?” Chad asked amused at Rob’s expression whilst clapping him on the
shoulder.
Lisa looked from
Rob to Chad. “Um, hate to break this up. But, you two know each other?” Clutching
her hands together, her tone incredulous.
“Chad is in
construction. I’m an architect. We’ve worked together on a few projects.” Rob
snapped not meeting Chad’s eyes or returning his greeting.
Soon, they were all seated at a table with
a menu in hand.
“I fancy a thick, juicy fillet steak tonight. How about you, Lisa? Bet you’d
rather go to McDonalds?” It was obvious Kate was unconcerned about the
atmosphere being created by Rob’s frostiness.
Lisa frowned at her sister, remaining
silent and peering back down at the menu. Un-fazed by Lisa’s lack of response
Kate concentrated on Rob.
“So Rob, you’re an architect. Sorry, mate,
but line drawings don’t turn me on.” She giggled making a sideways glance at
Lisa and turned to Chad, grinning. “I much prefer a beefier, hands on type of man.”
Kate told them. Chad chuckled.
Rob’s face was puce, Lisa’s wasn’t far off
though she realised it was for different reasons.
“I’m not taking this anymore.” Rob
shouted. He slid his glasses back up his nose.
“This arrogant little twit…” stabbing an
accusatory finger towards Chad, “…stole my girlfriend.”
Rob’s eyes darted around the room before
landing on Lisa. “I’m sorry….I…I have to leave.”
Twenty or so diners had stopped to stare,
intently listening to Rob’s raised voice.
Chad still had a smug look on his gorgeous
face. He leant forward whispering into Kate’s ear, she started giggling again.
Rob smashed his chair back, glowering
over Chad. His teeth bared. “Right! That’s it. Outside. Now!”
Chad smirked. “Don’t be stupid, Rob. I
wouldn’t want to hurt you.”
Lisa and Kate sat back, their mouths
hanging open.
“Do I have to drag you?” Rob hissed
lowering his face to Chad’s.
“Go ahead.” Chad
shrugged.
Rob grabbed Chad’s shirt, pulling him off
his seat and causing several white buttons to ping off across the restaurant in
different directions.
Chad’s muscular arms and legs flailing
like a squirming child being dragged out of a sweetie shop.
Chad
managed to grasp Rob around the waist and lift him off the ground.
Rob immediately started kicking the empty
space in front of him.
Chad became unbalanced, colliding into a
table for two, knocking it flying.
The sound of crashing plates, glasses
and cutlery hitting the tiled floor drowned out the relaxing panpipe music that
was coming through the restaurants stereo system.
“Sorry, sorry” Rob said, looking up at the
pair of diners in turn, as if he’d merely brushed against them in a crowded
room.
Rob rolled over, arriving on all fours,
gently trying to shake off the glass.
Chad leapt up and kicked Rob’s butt cheek.
Rob winced. “Owww.” escaped his mouth as a late reaction.
Chad took an exaggerated bow to a sea of
shocked faces.
Lisa glanced at Kate and was surprised to
find her expression appeared as horrified as Lisa felt, she half expected a
triumphant look.
Everyone’s eyes remained on Chad’s smug
grin, failing to notice Rob had rose to his feet. He pushed Chad like a small
girl in a playground might.
Chad stumbled and slid the length
restaurant on a piece of sirloin that had fallen from the table they had just
knocked over.
His face went through a myriad of
expressions, resembling those of a nervous swimmer on a surfboard, having unexpectedly
found himself deep in the ocean with a huge wave in front of him.
Kate slapped a hand over her mouth in horror.
Lisa couldn’t stop herself roaring with
laughter.
Chad hit the far wall of the restaurant,
violently, he rebounded off it, dropping to the floor, unconscious.
Kate stumbled to her feet shakily.
Lisa got up her spine straight, her
shoulders back with a smile. ‘The bigger
they are, the harder they fall’ sprung to mind.
She sauntered over to Rob, still standing
in the centre of a deathly quiet restaurant and rubbed his back.
“I do apologise for my sister’s and her
date’s behaviour.” She kept her hand there as she guided herself to face him.
“Do you fancy starting again? Somewhere else?” her eyes glimmered.
“Why ever not,
Lisa.” Rob bent and kissed her cheek, as if she had simply taken him to a bad
movie.
“Wonderful, one
moment.” She said holding up her index finger.
Kate was hunched down over a confused
looking Chad.
“Ok?” Lisa cocked her head to one side
directing her question towards Chad, an amused grin on her face. Without
waiting for a response she turned to her sister.
“We’re heading off now, Kate.” She said
whilst leaning into Kate’s ear “Steak is great…but, sometimes you just fancy a
burger.” Lisa winked at Kate and strolled away.
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