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Title:
The Kitchen Witch --------------------------------------------------------------- [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7] [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] -------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3-Call and a Kiss In the morning Viggo woke to the sound of rain pattering against the windows. "Lovely." He thought grimacing as he crawled into the shower to wake up. Once he dressed and walked into the kitchen he saw that indeed the kitchen witch had paid him a visit this morning. On the counter sat a jar of honey and two fresh biscuits that were still warm. He looked around and noticed there were a few water droplets on the kitchen door and wet footprints on the back steps. She had been here probably while he was in the shower the little sneak. He thought smiling to himself. He settled down and ate breakfast and then went into the room he decided to use as a studio and started laying down his drop cloths. He gathered up a few canvasses he had prepared before he left on his trip and chose the size he wanted. Viggo couldn't get the colors yellow and green out of his head...he knew why and so he began to paint. He couldn't say how long he had been standing before the canvas just staring into it when he realized that his cell phone was ringing. Damn thought I had turned that off. He picked up the phone and punched send. "Hello." "Hey Vig, how's it going?" A cheerful voice said from London. "Hey Sean...pretty well." Viggo said flopping down in the overstuffed blue chair in the living room. "You going to tell me where you are now?" Sean asked. "Nope." Viggo replied smiling knowing that it was killing Sean. "You can be such an arse sometimes you know that don't you?" Sean responded laughing. "Yep." Viggo said laughing with his friend. "Seriously are you still in the Northern Hemisphere at least?" Sean asked. "Yep." Viggo said trying not to laugh. "Are you going to give me more than one word answers ya' wanker?" Sean asked laughing again. "Maybe." Viggo said barely able to contain his laughter. "Wanker!" Sean shouted laughing harder. "Yes, I am in the Northern Hemisphere, no I am NOT going to tell you where, I was enjoying my solitude and painting until my cell phone so rudely disturbed me." Viggo explained. "Rudely? Well that's not very nice to say about a dear old friend who is worried about you." Sean said in his most innocent voice. "Worried? Why are you worried about me?" Viggo asked sitting up more in the chair. "Because you have been acting strange ever since the last premier...we have all noticed it. I just, well I don't want you to just disappear off the radar ya' know?" Sean said with concern tingeing his voice. "I am fine really, just wanted some down time alone where no one knows me, or if they do they don't care that's all. Don't you ever just want to be anonymous sometimes?" Viggo asked knowing what Sean's answer would be. "Yes...I do know that feeling. So you found a place like that?" Sean asked. "Sure did." Viggo said smiling. "Good...when you are ready to leave can you give me the address?" Sean asked sighing. "It's getting to you too huh? Well don't worry my self imposed hermitage won't last too long, first Return of the King opens in December so I have a ton of commitments then, and once spring time rolls around Disney owns my ass." Viggo said bitterly. "I figured as much." Sean said softly. "You know what Sean, if you are free and can get away without anyone, not your agent or anyone knowing where you are going I will have you come visit me here...sounds like you could use some downtime too." Viggo said with obvious concern for his friend. "Really? But wouldn't I be imposing on your no other people I just want to be alone time, your self imposed hermitage?" Sean asked in such a way Viggo could hear his smile. "Nah, I don't consider you a person." Viggo said sarcastically. "You really are an arse." Sean said laughing again. "I will probably need a few weeks to get away from here though, Henry knows where you are right or can I not even tell my girls?" "No the girls can know. They know how to keep a secret." Viggo responded then he heard his back door rattling and he stood up to see golden curls in the cottage window. "Look Sean I gotta go I have a kitchen witch coming in my back door." "What? Good God you have gone daft!" Sean exclaimed. Viggo started to laugh. "I will explain it later." "You bloody well better, bye...go tend your witch." Sean said laughing. "Bye, Sean." Viggo said as he hung up the phone. Viggo dropped the cell phone in the chair and headed for the kitchen. He opened the door for Sarah who had a rather large box. "Oh thank you Viggo...Maria asked me to bring these things by, I couldn't see any lights on so I thought you weren't home...was just gona let myself in with my key." Sarah said breathily barely able to heft the big box. Viggo frowned and took the box from her. "Damn what's in here bricks?" Sarah giggled and Viggo had to smile at that. "No, but I need to put them in your attic...it's where we keep the canning supplies during the fall season. Don't know why she had me bring them over, Darren offered but she insisted it was on my way, and that she had plans for Darren this evening." Viggo smiled at that. "Uh huh...well uh I didn't even know this place had an attic so just point me in the right direction." She smiled and headed down the hallway toward Viggo's bedroom then opened the hall closet. Inside was a pull chain to a drop down stairwell. Viggo looked at it and thought man I must have been asleep not noticing that this morning when I was in here. She couldn't reach the chain but managed to jump up to reach it. She pulled the chain down and the staircase unfolded. She pulled another chain, which caused a light to come on in the attic. He carried the box up the steps and then asked, "Anywhere in particular I should put this...gezz this place is huge." Sarah laughed. "I always say a small family could live up there, just put it by the wall on the left." She called. Viggo set the box down and then headed back down the stairs. "Well now that's taken care of...would you like some coffee?" Sarah blushed. "Um sure...but I have to leave soon...I have to bake a cake for Debbie Mason's wedding shower tomorrow." Viggo looked at her. "Don't you ever do anything but work? Since I have met you all you do is cook and work at the café...you really must love cooking but still...you have to get tired of it don't you?" "Oh I do love cooking so much, it doesn't bother me to cook all day and then go home and cook." She said softly. "I didn't ask if it bothered you I asked if you ever get tired." Viggo said closing the fold down stairs and pulling the light chain. She stared at him for a moment and then said, "I guess once in a while I would enjoy being waited on and cooked for, but I think it would get old for me very quickly. I lived that life once before and I have no desire to go back to it." "Was it the being waited on and cooked for that bothered you or something else?" Viggo asked with a pretty good sense of what she was leaving out. She looked startled for a moment and then changed the subject, "So where's that coffee you mentioned?" He considered pressing the issue but when he saw the look in her eyes...the fear he saw there stopped him cold. There was definitely someone in this woman's past who did some horrible things to her. He was guessing an ex husband. They went back to the kitchen and his cell phone began to ring again. "Damn, I keep meaning to turn that thing off, hang on a second." He ran to the living room and grabbed the phone. "Hello." "So what is a kitchen witch and why do you have one at your backdoor?" Sean asked. "It's killing you isn't it?" Viggo asked laughing. "Yes, it is!" Sean said excitedly. Viggo walked into the kitchen and said, "A kitchen witch is a beautiful woman with long golden curls and pretty green eyes that right now are looking at me with quite a shocked expression in them." Sarah was startled by the conversation Viggo was having with someone else...he was talking about her. He had called her beautiful. "Umm Viggo perhaps I better go." She said setting her still empty cup on the counter. "No, no don't go please Sarah." Viggo pleaded pulling the phone down from his ear slightly. "Sarah eh, so much for hermitage?" Sean asked with laughter in his voice. Viggo grinned. "Damn Sean you pick the most in opportune times to call you know that don't you?" Sarah grinned back at Viggo. "Is that one of your friends?" She asked. Viggo nodded his head as Sean was saying something he didn't quite catch in his ear. She smiled and held out her hand. Viggo was surprised because she is so shy but he figured that since she can't see a person on the phone she doesn't feel as shy. She took the phone and said, "Hello?" Sean paused for a second and said, "Hello love, you must be Sarah." "Yes, and I take it you are Sean?" She asked. "Yes...so why does Viggo call you the kitchen witch?" Sean asked. She laughed. "That isn't a nickname he gave me. Viggo and I were about to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee before I have to go bake a cake for a wedding shower tomorrow. I am a cook. I work at a café here, and also run a small catering service out of my home." She explained. "And my boss calls me the kitchen witch...I guess I need to get business cards that say that shouldn't I?" Sean began to laugh. "You sound absolutely adorable love, well then I should expect to taste some of your magic myself in a few weeks when I come to visit Viggo." "You are coming to visit Viggo? Oh good, between you and me he seems a bit lonely." She said smiling as Viggo's mouth dropped open. "Well you know you can solve that for him love." Sean said wickedly. She laughed and said, "Goodbye Sean, it was nice talking to you." She handed the phone back to Viggo as she blushed. "What did you say to her?" Viggo asked rudely. "Nothing at all...your kitchen witch is delightful Viggo...talk to you later." Sean said hanging up before Viggo could respond. Viggo sighed and punched end, "Wanker!" Then he punched the off button. That will fix him. Sarah giggled and said, "Your friend is nice...lovely accent is he from Sheffield?" "Uh yeah actually he is...you gathered that from one phone conversation?" Viggo asked surprised. "I studied at Oxford for a short time years ago." She explained sitting down at the bar, which made Viggo very happy. He set about making a fresh pot of coffee. "It won't be as good as yours but it's drinkable." Viggo said leaning against the counter waiting for the coffee to brew. "So the nickname doesn't bother you?" He asked. "No I think it's funny...I mean look at me I am the farthest thing from a witch as one could get." She said holding her hands out as if on display. Viggo chuckled. "So would you care to join me for dinner again, I enjoyed our conversation last night." "Sure...which one were you planning for tonight?" She asked pointing at the freezer. "Actually my treat...I make a mean omelet." Viggo said smiling. "As long as I can help a bit." She offered. "Certainly, but first coffee, I been wanting a cup for over an hour but Sean kept calling." Viggo said frowning. She laughed. "You're cute when you frown." "Cute?" Viggo asked startled. He hadn't been called cute in a long, long time. She blushed red again and looked at him wide eyed. Viggo realized what her shocked look meant. "Yes, you said that out loud." Viggo said laughing. "Oh." She squeaked turning redder than he had seen her yet...it was a wonder the woman had enough blood going to other parts of her body she blushed so often and so much. Viggo turned and started gathering items from the fridge he knew that she needed a moment to compose herself again. Sarah sat and watched him and then decided that wasn't a good idea...though she couldn't help but note he had quite a nice ass. She went to the sink and washed up, then took out the cutting board and a couple of knives and set them on the bar. Viggo took the vegetables to the sink and began washing them. "So you are baking a cake for someone's wedding shower?" Viggo asked. "Yes, I will be doing the wedding cake in a few weeks as well. That will take me a whole day. Maria said she would let Peggy take my place at the café that day." Sarah explained drying a bell pepper and setting it on the cutting board. Viggo nodded. "I would imagine a wedding cake would take quite a bit of time. So how did you become a cook anyway?" "Well during college I worked in a restaurant and found out I had a knack for it, and loved it. It was such a disappointment really, here I had studied for five years for a Masters in English Lit and I could have saved a lot of money just going to cooking school." She said laughing a bit. Viggo laughed too. "That's understandable. So where are you from originally? I know you aren't from Maine and you said you came here to get away and just never left." "I grew up in Colorado, but lived in Sacramento, California for about six years." She explained. "Sacramento is a nice place." Viggo said smiling. "I suppose so." She answered deftly chopping a bell pepper. "So have you ever been married?" Viggo asked knowing this probably wasn't the best line of questioning. She paused and then looked up at him. "Yes, I was married for six years, got married young...too young." "Six years...and you lived in Sacramento for six years...so that is where you lived when you were married?" Viggo asked. "Yes." She answered quietly and Viggo figured he would change the subject. "So how long have you been here on the island?" Viggo asked. She seemed to relax a bit and said, "Almost two years." Viggo decided talking about her marriage was definitely not something she wanted to do, so they talked about other things while they cooked. After dinner they both cleared the table and washed dishes together just like the night before except tonight she washed and he dried. "Oh...I wanted to thank you for the biscuits this morning." Viggo said handing her a towel to dry her hands. "No thanks needed really." Sarah said folding the towel and setting it on the counter. "Well I just wanted you to know that I do appreciate it, and I appreciate your having dinner with me last night and again tonight. You were right when you were talking to Sean. It seems that I have been surrounded by people lately, and at the same time I was very lonely. I hadn't realized it until now. I came here to get away and be alone, but I don't really want to actually be alone, does that make sense?" Viggo said moving over to the kitchen table and sitting down. Sarah smiled at him. "It's easier for that to happen than most people think, feeling alone in a crowd...so yes wanting to get away but not really be alone does make sense." Viggo watched her lean against the counter and he realized then just how much he wanted to kiss her. She seemed to catch something in his eyes at that moment and then she said, "Well I better go, that cake isn't going to make itself." Viggo laughed even though he was disappointed. "I think I would have to pay to see that." She laughed too and then walked toward the door. Viggo got up and followed her to the door. She turned to say goodnight and they were just inches apart. If he leaned down just a little bit he could press his lips against hers so easily. He decided that probably wasn't the best course of action so he reached for the door handle at the same time she did. His hand covered hers and she turned slightly to look at him. "Sorry..." Viggo began to murmur but before he could she turned a bit more and her lips were sliding across his. He was startled at first...he hadn't expected her to kiss him, but then he took control of the kiss. Her lips were soft and warm under his and when she sighed softly he was lost. His fingers tangled in her golden curls and pulled her soft curves against his body. She was so soft, so warm, and she smelled like roses. Viggo had felt a physical pull toward her since he first met Sarah but now with her soft and inviting under his touch he wanted so much more than just a kiss. After a few moments he pulled back and they stared at each other both breathing heavily. She blushed again and then said, "Um, Goodnight Viggo!" and she nearly hit him with the door when she swung it open to get outside. Luckily Viggo stepped back in time to keep from being clocked with the door but soon he was standing in the doorway watching her scramble into her little Toyota. He watched her drive away and felt even lonelier than before. Damn Debbie Mason and her stupid cake. Viggo was pretty sure things might have gone a bit further if Sarah didn't need to leave. Then again, maybe not, he thought. He sighed heavily and shut the door. On his way back into the living room he grabbed his cell and punched the on button. He called Henry
and wished him a goodnight, and then he went into his studio and grabbed
his journal and then a jacket. He walked out to the front porch into
the cool September air and sat down on the swing. It was still damp
out and the air was chilly but it felt good. The smell of the ocean
was heavy in the air and he sat back against the porch rail. The smell
of roses from the gardens seemed to drift around him and made him
think of Sarah and the kiss they shared. Viggo closed his eyes, and
before he knew it he was asleep. Go to Chapter 4
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