Vanilla Extract by Louisa Berry
vanilla (adj)
Having no special or extra features; ordinary or standard
Extract (v)
When recently separated Lou decided to embark on a new chapter of her life, she had no idea where this journey of self and sexual discovery would lead.
Her lustful appetite for adventure was re-awakened and with every new, tantalising, naughty meeting Lou’s confidence grew, as did her need for more.
‘Chapter Five - Chicken Dinner
This was one of Lou’s less than great adventures from an online sex site. She took the opportunity to view it as a life lesson for future reference and, also, as the source of much amusement - after the event, of course. Living through it at the time was quite a different experience.
His photos looked great, although she surmised afterwards that they had been edited with some sort of fade filter. Lou found the banter between them quite funny. He had a good sense of humour, and she spent quite a few hours chatting and laughing with him online. They planned a social meet in the next week or so. He was very keen to cook for her, and they discussed what that meal should be. His speciality was a roast dinner, and of the choices he gave her, she opted for chicken. Lou was looking forward to the idea of a roast dinner without having to cook it or have to tidy up after it. What a treat! He would even prepare a dessert too. If she brought the chocolate, he would melt it over the fresh strawberries he would buy that day. It all sounded rather delicious. What could go wrong?
Leaving from work, Lou plugged his address into her satnav. It was 22 miles away and she would be there within the hour - London traffic permitting. As she drew closer to the destination, she noticed the residential area was very lively with children playing in the park and many people returning home from their busy days. This was all very pleasant.
Lou was less than impressed though when the guidance brought her to the final address. The three-storey flats were dilapidated and scaffolding surrounded them entirely. Making her way to number 27, she had to step over the dust sheets, past the decorators with their wet paint, and up the stairs. This did feel like a bit of an obstacle course, not made any easier by her four-inch heels she had worn to work all day. Lou felt quite a sense of achievement when she reached his door, and she hadn’t even rung the bell yet. Wafts of the cooking roast greeted her. It was a moment she should have savoured, given it was probably the highlight of the evening.
Lou managed to conceal her shock as the man who greeted her stood at a grand height of approximately four feet and eight inches tall. This was not quite what she had expected! If she had no conscience at all, she would have left immediately, but she could smell the chicken and knew he had gone to a lot of effort. It would have been mean to have made her excuses at the door there and then and left swiftly, despite her desperately wanting to.
They exchanged a kiss on the cheek as he welcomed her to his man-cave. Inside Lou wondered, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ as he guided her to the lounge area. “I won’t be a moment,” he said, as he went back to the kitchen, allowing her to relax while she waited. This gave her an opportunity to have a look around and it didn’t get any better.
‘Each to their own,’ she thought as she perused the multitude of Star Wars memorabilia. Every shelf had figurines all set in particular positions, as they were no doubt fighting a war in some imaginary sci-fi world. An episode of Star Trek - Next Generation was just coming to an end on his television as he wandered back in the room, looking a little embarrassed. “Oh, let’s turn that off. I’m sure you don’t want to watch that.” Well, that much was true, but what was more apparent to Lou was that she didn’t want to be here at all.
“What would you like to watch?” he asked before he retreated back to the stove. Given she knew exactly how this meeting was going to turn out, she opted for an episode of a mediocre soap opera she often found herself watching at this time of the day. There was no point in getting behind in the story for the sake of this disappointing encounter!
What she also realised, while sitting here in a stranger’s flat, in an area she didn’t know, was that she hadn’t thought this through whatsoever. In fact, she had been very stupid. No one knew she was here. If something were to go horribly wrong, then who would know? Note to self: let someone know who she was meeting and where. It was a matter of personal security and one that should be taken seriously. This could be via a telephone check-in call or messaging a friend the address and contact details. It was always better to be safe than sorry, as the saying goes.
When he returned to the sitting room, he offered Lou a glass of the white wine she had brought. Fortunately, as it transpired on this occasion, she was driving and had the perfect excuse a) not to drink more than one glass and b) get away swiftly, both of which would come into play as soon as possible. She accepted a small glass and offered him a hand in the kitchen. “No, no, no,” he said. It was all under control and just a few minutes later, he brought out the dinner he had so caringly prepared for her.
He handed her the tray with her dinner on. Lou then realised there was no table to sit at. Instead, the two-seater sofa would be where they both ate their food. This was not at all ideal, and she always thought you should eat sitting upright, particularly as this sofa was tiny. Elbows would be clashing, she was sure, and she preferred to have no physical contact whatsoever….’
Author Bio – Louisa lives in Hertfordshire with her four children. While not on ‘Mum-duties’ she works in high finance in London
