FICTION
*Featured Recipe: Cornflakes & Parmesan Crusted Chicken
*Mira and Beth have been friends for years since they started working in the customer service office of a waterpark resort in Chicago. Their friendship hit off the ground almost instantaneously. Both have bubbly and fun personalities perfectly suited for such an exciting and adventure-packed work environment.
They were simply work friends though. They didn’t hang out outside of work. Yet, they were very comfortable talking about their lives, relationships, and personal problems. They worked in the same schedule and they were good at making sure guests were comfortable with their accommodations and all other aspects of customer service.
They were in their late 30s, and both were married and with children. Mira has one son in college and Beth has 2 girls, a freshman and a senior in high school. They would always plan to hang out after work or on the days they were off. But most often, one or both would cancel for one reason or another.
On their break time, they would always go for a 30-minute walk. However, the walk wasn’t merely a workout, it was their moment to talk about the kids, relationships, work, customers, and just about anything about their lives. Most often, the entire walk was more of a venting about many things.
One day, Mira submitted her two-week notice. She and her husband were moving to a southern state. Her husband was offered a better and higher-paying job. This was sad news for Beth as this would mean she might not see Mira anymore.
And because of Mira’s forthcoming resignation, they finally arranged a day to hang out on their next dayoff. No excuses this time. They promised to clear their schedules as this might be the last time they could hang out together.
They agreed to meet at Beth’s house. Mira committed to making lunch with any available food in Beth’s kitchen. Part of the plan was to go for a walk in the woods behind Beth’s house after the meal. Beth’s kids would be at school and her husband at work until evening.
Mira arrived just in time for their lunch date. She brought a bottle of sparkling wine, Pinot Grigio, for them to share. Beth toured Mari around her 2500-square-foot house.
Mari couldn’t help but admire Beth’s house with its modern farmhouse design, vaulted ceiling, real oak wood flooring, wrap-around deck, and a French door leading to a huge patio in the back. The backyard was also of considerable size, with 10 acres of wooded land covered with pine and maple trees and a few acres of neatly landscaped lawn.
Beth pulled six pieces of frozen chicken breast and immediately placed them in the sink under running water for a quick thaw.
Mira thought of the easiest chicken recipe she had done many times at her own home, the Cornflakes and Parmesan-crusted chicken. She only needed cornflakes and grated parmesan cheese for the crust. Of course, Beth had those items in her kitchen. For the side dish to pair with the chicken, Beth would be making pan-roasted potatoes and carrots.
Mira popped the bottle of Pinot and poured it into two wine glasses, filling only halfway. She raised her glass to Beth, “To the lunch date we’ve been planning for ages.” Beth also raised her glass and laughed.
Mira butterfly (cut) the chicken into thinner and more even pieces. She prepped the chicken for baking. While Charlene prepared the vegetables for sauteing.
Their conversations jumped from one topic to another with every sip of the Pinot.
Finally, the food was cooked and it was time to eat. Beth took a bite of the chicken and her eyes gradually widened in surprise.
“Wow, Mira this is delicious! I like it, can you write down the recipe for me, please, please,” Beth teasingly insisted.
“You watched me cook it, Beth,” Mira replied in amusement.
“I can’t remember details after half a glass of wine. Ha-ha-ha!”
More laughter surrounded the kitchen.
Lunch went very well. They cleaned up the kitchen afterward and prepared for the walk in the woods behind Beth’s house.
In the woods, they didn’t have to pave a path. Beth had been walking on this trail obviously. After a couple of miles, Mira couldn’t keep her pace with Beth. She was unfamiliar with the trail as it was also very uneven. There were a few steps downhill, a few steps uphill, and more curvy paths.
Beth extended her hand back to Mira to help her catch up. Mira held Beth’s hand and pressed it firmly as she stepped forward closer to Beth. Beth then pulled Mira even closer to her and gave her a tight hug. She then slightly turned her head toward Mira’s cheek and gently launched a soft kiss on her cheek.
Mira was motionless and a bit perplexed. She didn’t know how to react to that kiss. But then she thought it could just be a friendly affection since Beth was a little bit tipsy.
Mira was in the midst of such thought when she felt Beth’s lips on hers. Beth’s lips were much softer compared to her husband’s lips, Mira compared. But she couldn’t remember the last time they kissed or had sex. Mira came to her senses and very gently pushed Beth away. Beth then tried to catch Mira’s eyes but Mira looked down and took a step back.
“We should go back to your house. Your kids’ school bus must be coming anytime soon,” Mira uttered while still trying to avoid Beth’s eyes. Mira had never kissed a woman before.
The walk back to the house felt much longer and the silence was almost deafening. They were only a few steps away from the back door when Beth saw her kids’ school bus in the driveway.
“The kids are here,” Beth broke the silence.
“Okay, I’ll just say hi to them then I’m heading home,” Mira responded.
“Okay,” Beth replied quickly.
Beth opened the back door that led to the kitchen while Mira followed behind. They walked through the kitchen and into the living room. Beth opened the door for the kids. She introduced Mira as a friend and co-worker.
“We hung out and made lunch today girls! She made a really good parmesan chicken. There are some pieces left in the fridge if you girls are hungry. Otherwise, we can make pizza for dinner.”
The girls said hello to Mira. Mira did the same.
“I’ll walk you to your car Mira.”
“Okay, thanks.”
The short walk from the living room to the driveway was rather awkward between Mira and Beth. Mira hit the key fob to remotely start her vehicle. As she was about to open the side door of her vehicle, Beth gently held her by the arm, “Thank you Mira for hanging out with me today.”
Mira, still not knowing how to react to what had just happened between them, gave Beth a quick smile, “Thank you too for having me at your home. See you at work.”
Beth watched Mira drift away from her sight as her vehicle drove off.
Mira was still processing everything in her head. How is she going to deal with Beth at work after today? Should they talk about it or simply ignore what happened. Besides she would be leaving work soon.
Seemingly, Beth was confident and sure about what she wanted for herself. She didn’t just come out, she already knew herself. But she couldn’t be certain about Mira.
Mira was confused not because of the forwardness of Beth’s action; not because she found out that Beth liked women, maybe as much as she liked her husband. Mira was confused because she couldn’t ignore the fact that a door that was deeply locked inside of her had sprung open and so many questions popped up and she started to doubt herself.
Mira was at a crossroads in her identity, but she felt a sense of freedom. She knew she was not out of the woods yet and she needed to figure out how to navigate this path.
The above story is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and circumstances depicted in the story are based on the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, places, and events is merely coincidental.
>>> See CORNFLAKES & PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN RECIPE
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