The Contestant#17  

Before you start reading this, have you read ‘Grilled Cheese‘?

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Adriana sat at the kitchen island watching as Corey pulled the pots and pans off the burners, followed by the grates, and set them all into the soapy dishwasher. Then, after dipping the rag into the water, Corey wiped down the stove, the countertops, and even the fridge as they polished everything to perfection.

“You know, we have house staff for this kind of thing.” Adriana said from her place at the kitchen island.

“I know, but like my grandmother used to say, you’re not done cooking until the kitchen is spotless.” Corey said as they looked up at her.

Adriana couldn’t help but stare, watching as Corey washed the counter and the stove top before finally making their way over to the sink to tackle the dishes.

“Jesus Smiley, you don’t play about this shit, do ya?” Adriana laughed as she rose up from her seat.

“What cleaning?” Corey asked, as they wiped down the door of the microwave.

“Cleaning, cooking, the whole nine.” Adriana said, gesturing to the space around them.

Corey laughed as they turned around and leaned against the stove.

“Nah, I just like a clear space. When everything’s were it ought to be, you never have to worry.” Corey said.

“Okay wise one.” Adriana laughed, finishing the last of her sandwich.

Grabbing the plate, Corey set it in the sink as they continued cleaning.

“Did you ever have the option not to become a chef?” Adriana asked.

From the handful of brief conversations they’d had, Corey touched on the history of their family’s restaurant and their role within the company, but Adriana had yet to hear how Corey made the decision to become a chef.

“Technically no, I didn’t really have an option. Like no one put a gun to my head and said ‘Corey you’re gonna become a chef, or else’’. But I also never really considered doing anything else. When I was like four my nonna got cancer, and I developed really bad separation anxiety. If I wasn’t with papa or nonna I would basically have a breakdown, and so papa said fuck it, came and got me from New York, and we moved here to Hawaii. And well I was constantly surrounded by food. If I wasn’t in school, I was with papa and nonna in the kitchen. Of course, my grandparents and my parents encouraged me to ‘explore other paths’, but we all knew that this was gonna be my thing.” Corey said, poking the countertop as they spoke that last part.

Adriana tilted her head and looked at Corey for a moment.

She’d always heard stories of people being born to do this or that, but she could never wrap her head around such an idea. There were an infinite number of jobs out there, and more being created every day.

“But doesn’t that kind of freak you out a bit? Like you’re thirty, and your whole life has been about this one thing. Don’t you get curious about other career paths?” She asked.

“Not really. After I graduated culinary school, my parents push me to go on a yearlong exploration of the world. At the time Chloe was doing this bucket list thing, and I took up photography and joined her on the road, but like two months into it, I was just working at different restaurants all over the world, refining my skills as a chef. Even when I try to find something else to do, I always just keep finding myself back in the kitchen.” Corey said, gesturing to the space around them.

Adrianna huffed.

“Alright, now I’m starting to get a little jealous. I can’t think of anything I love that much.” She said.

Corey laughed.

“Trust me, being hyper-focused on one specific thing isn’t all glits and glamour.” Corey said.

Adriana laughed as she picked up her wine glass.

“Oh you’re preaching to the choir Corey.” She said, raising her glass.

“Oh! What’s the story there?” Corey asked, sensing that there was more to Adriana’s statement.

Adriana paused for a moment, did she really want to get into Ronnie and her whole dating history right now?

While Adriana did believe it was healthy to talk about exes, the question of when and how to bring them up had always been a little tricky for her.

“Let’s just say I’m still working on my work-life balance.” She said.

Corey laughed as they continued to wipe down the counter.

“Ahh, if I had a nickel…” Corey trailed off as they looked off into the distance.

Corey’s eyes glazed over for a moment before settling on Adriana.

“The one thing no one ever tells you when you find your passion is how many social sacrifices, you’re gonna have to make. In high school, while I was coming to terms with my gender identity, and falling in love with cooking, I had a girlfriend who was CONVINCED that my mom and papa were trying to brainwash me into being a girl by ‘forcing me to cook all day.’” Corey said.

“Wait what?! Did she not know about the restaurant?” Adriana asked in disbelief.

“Of course she did. But all she seemed to be able to focus on was the fact that because I’m AFAB, and spend all my time in the kitchen, papa and my dad ‘must’ve been trying to force gender roles on to me’.” Corey said.

“Wait, did she not know that you’ve spent your whole childhood wanting to be a chef?” Adriana asked.

“Oh yeah, she knew that too. But according to her, the Smiley-Cambio business runs on sexism. Never mind the fact that the women in my family have run the money side of the company for years, and everyone chooses their jobs.” Corey said.

“So I take it her miss understanding of how your family worked is what led to the downfall of the relationship then?” Adriana said.

Corey laughed as they shook their head.

“Oh no, she dumped me after I came out as non-binary.” Corey said.

Adriana’s head jerked back as if Corey had thrown ice water into her face.

“Wait what?!” She said, unable to wrap her head around the words Corey had just said to her.

“Yep. ‘Being a lesbian means I’m into women, exclusively.’” Corey said.

Adriana stared at Corey dumbfounded; she couldn’t believe that someone could be so rude and idiotic.

Adriana kept a close-knit group of open-minded friends, and many of those friends identified as queer. Throughout the majority of her adult life, she’s been engulfed in a little protective queer bubble. But every once in a while, someone in the group would introduce a new person, typically in the form of a significant other, and that person would fuck up that queer bubble; the most recent fucking up of the bubble being the sudden switch up that Ronnie, Adrianna’s ex-fiancé, had undergone, seemingly overnight.

“I’ll never understand how queer people can be both transphobic and queer at the same time.” Adriana said, shaking her head.

“You and me both.” Corey said with a laugh.

Looking up at the clock on the stove, Adriana saw that it was creeping up on one in the morning.

“Jesus, when did it get so late?” She said, pointing at the clock.

Corey laughed.

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” They said.

“It sure does.” She said with a laugh.

Pushing in their chairs, the pair made their way upstairs.

“This is the part where we go our separate ways.” Corey said, as they turned to look at her.

“I guess so.” Adriana said as she looked back at them.

Corey took a few steps towards Adriana, and her mind went blank.

Looking up into Corey’s warm brown eyes, the air around them stilled.

Why had she suddenly forgotten how to pull air into her lungs?

“Are you gonna walk away?” Corey asked, looking down at her.

“You first.” Adriana said, just above a whisper.

Corey tried to think of something else to say, but their mind went blank. Swimming in the blues of Adriana’s eyes, all they could think about were those red painted lips.

Was it too early to make a move?

Before Corey could ponder that question any longer, Corey felt the pressure of Adriana’s forehead pressing against their’s.

“I really wanna kiss you.” Corey said, the words coming out like a plea.

Adriana said nothing, but the feel of her hands on either side of Corey’s face told them all they needed to know.

Leaning into her, Corey captured her lips with their own.

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