11/26/12

Love in a Wok
By Devon Ellington


He could see her through the oval window in the kitchen door. The pleasure of her presence flowed through his veins like high-quality brandy. She sat at the burnished wooden bar, her auburn hair caught up in a tortoiseshell clip, dressed in a dark green blouse and camel-colored slacks. She smiled at the waiter and placed her order. She ate at this restaurant at least three times a week, and Mick took the utmost delight in taking special care with her orders.

Would she care that the chef in this Asian restaurant was an Irish guy from Minnesota? The waiter handed him the slip of paper and Mick took a deep breath. Today he would chance it.

He poured his soul into the cutting, seasoning, and preparation of her noodles and vegetables. He waved the waiter aside, bringing it over himself. He placed the plate before her with a flourish. “For you.” He turned before she could respond and returned to the kitchen. At the edge of her plate, he left his card with the words “please call.” He saw her pick up the card, read it, look towards the kitchen. And nod.


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Devon Ellington, a full-time writer, publishes under a half a dozen names in fiction and non-fiction. Her plays are produced in NY, London, Edinburgh, and Australia.