CHOCOLATE LOVE

"All love is sweet. Given or returned."

Caitlin Murray rummaged through her untidy cupboards. "Where the hell did I put that chocolate powder?" she mumbled to herself as she studied the contents of box after box before stuffing them back into the cupboard. "Got to have the chocolate powder," she hummed to herself with a smile. After another fifteen minutes of ransacking the kitchen, Caitlin leant her hands on the kitchen counter flopping her head forward in despair. She banged her head against the counter. "Can't make chocolate cake without chocolate powder," she groaned.

Caitlin set to work enthusiastically grating the chocolate into powder, cursing as she grated her knuckles by accident. Satisfied, she added the chocolate to her mixture, and stirred fiercely until she thought her arm was going to drop off with the effort.

Balancing her glasses on her nose, Caitlin peered down at her chocolate stained recipe book. "Soft dropping consistency," she murmured as she surveyed her mixture. "Well not exactly soft," she shrugged as her mixture refused to drop off the spoon. "Nothing ventured," she shrugged again as she fought to get her chocolate mixture into her prepared dishes. Once done, she shoved them into the oven with a flourish, slamming the door firmly shut with her foot.

Caitlin looked around the kitchen deciding to tidy up later. Wandering into the living room, a cup of coffee in hand, she turned on her stereo. The sounds of the Eagles filled the room. Placing her cup on the coffee table, Caitlin began to jig around the room, moving her head back and forwards as the music pounded the walls. "Welcome to the Hotel California," she sung at the top of her voice as she spun around the room.

The music track changed, and the tempo softened. With her eyes closed, Caitlin changed her dance to a waltz, one arm across her stomach the other outstretched as though she was dancing with a partner. She hummed to herself as she moved backwards and forwards gliding over the worn carpet. Caitlin started slightly as Daniel stepped into her arms. Missing a step, she opened her eyes smiling up at her husband.

"Hi," he whispered as he began to lead Caitlin around the living room. "Can I have this dance?"

"Hi yourself," Caitlin grinned. "And all my dances belong to you." Daniel smiled at her as swung her around. In perfect step, they pressed their bodies close leaning towards each other as they swayed in time to the music.

The oven timer buzzed interrupting their dance; Caitlin pulled out of the embrace hurrying into the kitchen. "You're early," she said over her shoulder as she pried the oven door open.

"Yeah," Daniel grinned. "Lewis is looking after the restaurant tonight. So I'm all yours tonight."

"I made your favourite," Caitlin said as she bent down to remove her cakes.

"You cooked?" Daniel couldn't help exclaiming.

"I can cook," Caitlin protested with a grin. "I just don't choose to," she slid the cake dishes onto the table. She moved towards Daniel kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Don't need to cook. Not when I am married to a master chef." She carefully turned the cakes out, laying them on a wire tray to cool. Caitlin pulled a face - the cakes didn't look anything like the picture in her recipe book.

"So," Daniel stared at the cakes trying to keep a straight face. "What are these?"

"Your favourite," Caitlin frowned at the cakes - they had sunk in the middle, and one had an uphill slant. Both were a horrible muddy brown colour. Caitlin poked at the cake - it felt solid. "Chocolate cake," she announced turning to Daniel with a smile.

"I see," Daniel stifled a laugh as he moved up behind Caitlin looking down at the cakes. "What exactly did you put in the cakes?" he asked wrapping his arms his wife's waist resting his head on her shoulder.

"Oh you know," Caitlin waved her hand in the air. "Bit of that. Bit of this," she looked down at the cakes. "And a whole bar of chocolate."

"Ahhh I see," Daniel kissed her neck. "That would explain it."

"It hates me," Caitlin pulled out of his embrace. Turning to the oven, she gave it a swift kick. "It's a conspiracy," she waved her hands around the kitchen. "It sees me coming, and starts plotting against me."

"Caitlin," Daniel laughed. "I am sure our kitchen doesn't hate you."

"It does so," Caitlin sulked. "It loves you. It hates me. Just look at the... the freaks of nature I created," she stabbed a finger at her cakes biting at her bottom lip to stem her threatened tears. "And I wanted to make us a chocolate cake for Valentine's Day. As a surprise," she wailed. "I'm such a useless wife."

"Oh Caitlin," Daniel pulled her into a warm embrace kissing her cheek. "You're not useless," he kissed her again. "You are my beautiful clever Caitlin who can programme a computer better than anyone."

"But can't cook for a toffee," Caitlin insisted with a small smile. "And makes a complete mess of something as simple as a chocolate cake."

"Then my darling," Daniel kissed her again. "It's lucky I made us a cake at the restaurant today."

"A chocolate one?" Caitlin asked as she returned the kiss.

"Is there any other kind of cake?" Daniel asked with a smile.

THE END