Hot Water Cornbread
Joanna Hynes
- Overview
Amani
- chopped,
- minced,
- diced,
- and
- puréed
- as
- fast
- as
- she
- could,
- all
- the
- while
- sending
- anxious
- glances
- over
- her
- shoulder
- to
- find
- David
- focused
- with
- his
- own
- tasks.
- Despite
- his
- brisk
- movements,
- he
- appeared
- calm,
- with
- nary
- a
- glimmer
- of
- nerves
- or
- sweat
- to
- hint
- at
- his
- thoughts
- and
- emotions.
- Drops
- of
- sweat
- beaded
- on
- Amani's
- forearms,
- not
- merely
- from
- the
- heat
- of
- the
- ovens
- or
- the
- steam
- wafting
- from
- pots
- on
- the
- stove,
- but
- also
- from
- stress
- and
- frustration.
- David
- was
- driving
- her
- crazy,
- well,
- crazier
- than
- she
- had
- expected.
- Standing
- just
- a
- few
- feet
- away,
- he
- was
- busy
- preparing
- the
- sauce
- for
- his
- Peruvian-inspired
- Camarones
- Salteados,
- a
- bowl
- of
- shrimp
- waiting
- near
- his
- elbow
- waiting
- to
- be
- shelled
- and
- deveined
- before
- he
- popped
- them
- in
- the
- oven
- in
- order
- to
- get
- them
- done
- on
- time
- –
- without
- overcooking
- of
- course.
Amani
- glanced
- at
- the
- clock,
- and
- then
- wished
- she
- hadn't.
- Could
- they
- pull
- it
- off?
- She
- glanced
- quickly
- at
- the
- judges,
- but
- saw
- only
- bland
- expressions
- on
- their
- faces,
- dashing
- her
- hopes
- that
- they
- would
- be
- fascinated
- by
- their
- efforts.
Amani
- Jefferson
- was,
- at
- least
- according
- to
- her
- friends,
- a
- beautiful
- second-generation
- Jamaican,
- typically
- filled
- with
- enthusiasm
- and
- joie
- de
- vivre
- that
- many
- of
- her
- friends
- admired.
- At
- the
- moment,
- however,
- her
- mood
- was
- sour,
- and
- one
- look
- at
- David's
- expression
- caused
- her
- to
- glower
- even more....
pro-mbooks3 : libris
