Familiar Tastes

“Mmm smells good in here,” Misha sniffed as she walked through the front door. “What you cookin’?”

“My personal specialty. I hope you aren’t a vegetarian!!” Rashida shouted as she headed back to the kitchen.

“Nope,” Misha plopped on the living room sofa. “Lifelong carnivore to the bone.”

“Good, good, then you should love this.”

“I can’t wait. I barely ate any breakfast, so I’m starvin’!”

“Hey, well then you’ve come to the right place! Can I get you something in the meantime? Some coffee? A glass of water?”

“Water would be great, thank you,” said Misha. “And by the way, girl, thank you for having me over.”

“Of course, miss lady,” Rashida smiled through the kitchen pass-through as she filled a glass from the filtered sink and handed it to Misha. “You know we sista’s gotta stick together. It isn’t a lot of us around, so when you find us, we gotta hold on to it!’

“Yes! I totally feel you on that. I hardly know anyone here yet, since I’m pretty new to town.”

“I understand. It’s hard when you’re new. That’s why it’s so important for us seasoned folks of the area to help you newbies become more comfortable—welcome you to the neighborhood, ya’ know?”

“Yeah, I really appreciate it. Man, I mean, thank God we ran into each other at the grocery store the other day. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I’d do. The only other person I know around here is this guy I’ve been dating, Ted.”

“Ted?” Rashida said as she stirred one of the pots on the stove.

“Yes! Ted. He’s so amazing.”

“OH yeah? How so?! Tell me all about him!! And you found you a man out here already, girl?! You betta go ‘ahead!!!!”

“Yes!” Misha giggled.

“Well, I wanna hear all about it. You know us married folk don’t get much excitement after a while, so we gotta live vicariously through the rest of you.”

They both chuckled.

“Oh, I didn’t know you’re married!” said Misha.

“Yep,” said Rashida. “Thirty-five years!”

“Oh wow. I’d love for that to be me some day.”

“Hey, you never know. Anything’s possible.”

“Where is your husband? I’d love to meet him.”

“Oh he’s around here somewhere. I’m sure you’ll cross paths soon enough. But enough about my boring life of holy matrimony. Tell me about this ‘amazing Ted’!!”

“Oh yeah. Well, he’s so sweet. So kind. Gentle. So giving and chivalrous.”

“Whaaaattt…” Rashida slapped her own thigh with one hand while she sprinkled some cayenne pepper over a large pot with the other.

“Right?! It’s so hard to find that nowadays. So many men are out for themselves and trying to make the woman do everything.”

“Girl, you ain’t eva lied. From what I’ve heard.”

“Right, so.. I’m just so grateful I found him. I really believe he’s my soulmate.” She sipped on some of her water. “He’s absolutely perfect. He’s literally everything I’ve ever wanted and dreamed of. Everything I’ve prayed for.”

“Wow. He does sound pretty damned amazing. So, what does he look like?”

“Well, he’s tall, rugged, and has this deep, smooth-chocolate complexion.”

“Mmm, sounds tasty.”

“Oh he is,” Misha grinned devilishly.

“You have a picture of him?”

“You know I do.”

“Well?! Let me see!!”

Misha retrieved her phone from her purse and began thumbing through, while Rashida raised the lid of one of the pots and deeply inhaled—visibly satisfied with the scent.

“Here he is,” Misha said as she rose and handed her phone to Rashida.

“Oh wow, yes. Tall, dark, and handsome. Honey, I ain’t mad at it!”

Misha grinned even harder. “Neither am I! Here are a few others of him and of us.”

“Aww look at y’all—looking like the perfect couple…”

“I know, right!! I can’t even believe my luck.”

Rashida let out a low sigh. “I wish I could’ve found someone so great.”

“What are you talking about?!” said Misha. “You’re married!! You have someone! You found your person!”

“Yeah.. You would think so, right?”

“Oh I’m sure he’s wonderful. You seem like someone who wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too. And perhaps he is… Or at least, he was…for a while,” Rashida said as she peered in the distance. “You know, there’s something we feel when we think we’ve found the right one. I see it in you. You have it… It’s something so magnificent, so transformative… Nothing can match it.. I had it once. And looks like you’ve found it...”

“Really? You really think so?” said Misha.

“Yes, honey, no doubt,” said Rashida. “It’s kind of similar to when you’ve found that right kind of food you never knew you’d love…until you try it.

When it’s something so—so delicious…so delectable… so decadent...

So FUCKIN’ AMAZIN’!!!!”

Misha howled in laughter. “Girl, you so crazy.”

“I’m for real!” Rashida exclaimed as she carefully tested a taste from the big pot with a spoon.

“Actually! Exactly like what we’re going to be having for lunch today,” she smiled. “The best meal, like the best man—the kind of man you have now. A man I once had.”

“You really don’t think he’s amazing anymore?” Misha’s face turned more somber.

“I’m sure he is. To some people.”

Misha lowered her head as she spoke barely above a whisper. “I really hate to hear that, Rashida.”

“Hey, it ain’t nothin’ to hate, chile. It just… is.

And it was good while it lasted.”

Rashida propped herself against the counter as her gaze again went past the stove, to nowhere in particular.

“I did love him so much…for so long. So many years.

Even bore his kids—”

“You have kids?”

“I do. We do. Three. Hell, I didn’t even want kids. But I gave him some because he wanted them so damned badly.”

“Oh wow—”

“Yeah, ‘Wow’ is right. Went through all of that. And yet… This is where we ended up. Ends up still not being enough. Nothing has ever been enough.”

“Well, surely it wasn’t always like that.”

“Oh yeah, no, you’re right. It wasn’t. In fact. Once upon a time, I was crazy about him. Actually, I still am, if you can believe it. Just in a different way.”

Misha chuckled. “I know I shouldn’t laugh, but—”

“Oh no, you can laugh. It is a…comical…situation. I should probably be in jail somewhere—or, hell, a mental institution—for how crazy I’ve been for that man!”

Misha howled again but tried to contain herself.

“Man,” said Rashida. “And the two things I’ve always loved most about him are the thing in between his ears—and the one in between his legs.”

“Oh, wow,” Misha almost choked on her water.

“Hey, just being honest!”

“Oh yeah, no, you’re good. I just… just wasn’t quite expecting that…level of honesty,” Misha awkwardly chuckled.

“Yeah, well, what can I say? Both of those have always been the best things about him. It certainly wasn’t his heart.”

Misha looked around the room. “How come you don’t have any pictures up of you and him—what’s his name? Or of your kids?”

“Oh, we aren’t big into pictures,” said Rashida. “We like to…live in the moment, ya’ know? Who needs pictures when you have real life?”

“True,” Misha half-nodded.

“Anywho!” said Rashida. “I think lunch is ready!”

“Oh great, because my belly is over here about to go ham!”

Rashida led Misha to the dining room and gestured at the table where two sets of plates and silverware were set.

After disappearing into the kitchen again for a few moments, she soon returned with a big bowl of salad, along with two big wooden salad hands, and set it towards the middle of the table, right beside a bouquet of a fresh lilies sprawled in a purple vase.

“Beautiful flowers!” Misha called out.

Seconds later, Rashida materialized with two medium-sized pots.

“Oh my goodness,” said Misha. “Do you need some help?”

“Oh no, honey, you just sit right there and get ready to enjoy the most mind-blowing meal of your life.”

She spooned onto both of their plates a cooked leafy dish from one pot and seasoned rice from the other.

“Mmm, it all smells and looks so good,” said Misha. “Ain’t nothing better than that.”

Rashida grinned with pride.

After going to the kitchen once more, she then returned with a large, steaming pot.

She sat it between the two of them.

“Mmm, I take it this is the main event?!” Misha asked with bugged eyes.

“It is,” said Rashida.

“Still not gonna tell me what it is?”

“Well, I’d like you to guess,” said Rashida. “Actually, it’ll probably taste familiar.”

“Oh lawd, I’m scared.”

Rashida chuckled. “Don’t be. You trust me, don’t you?”

“I mean… Do I have much of a choice at this point?” Misha chuckled back. “You’re holding me hostage by hunger!”

“Hey, you see I’m gonna be eating it, too, don’t you!”

“Yeah, true,” Misha smiled.

Rashida lifted the large pot top to reveal a dark, caramelized meat cut into separate pieces.

“Oh! Well, I don’t know what that is,” said Misha. “But it sure looks good!

Rashida scooped out one of the pieces and carefully placed it on Misha’s plate before doing the same for herself.

“Alright!” she said. “Dig in!

Bon appétit.”

A half hour later, Misha forked in her last chunk of the caramelized meat.

“Mmm girl, you weren’t lyin’. If that wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had, it’s definitely up there.”

“I told you,” said Rashida as she rose to began collecting their dishes to take to the kitchen. “Now that you’ve tried it—well, demolished it,” she chuckled, “Was it as good as you remember?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot you said I might have had it before. I don’t think I have…”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it… It was good, but… yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever had it before.”

“Hmmm, that’s funny. I would’ve sworn…”

“Well, all I know is you definitely need to get me that recipe!”

“Well, I have to warn you, it might be hard to replicate, but… Yeah, sure. It’s actually pretty simple—I’ll be sure to text it to you later.”

“Bet. I would love to cook that for Ted.”

Rashida placed the last dish in the sink before turning back to Misha.

“Oh! I almost forgot! Would you like to see a tour of my home?” she asked.

“Oh yes, please, I’d love to,” said Misha.

“Welp. As you already know by now, here are the living and dining rooms.

And here is the kitchen—”

“Oh, so this is where all the good smells and tastes came from.”

“You know it.

Here is our family room,” Rashida continued as Misha followed close behind. “It hasn’t seen much activity in a while.”

“Aww, such a waste. Looks like it has so much potential!”

“I know, right…”

Rashida began heading upstairs next.

“What’s that noise?” asked Misha as they were halfway up.

“What noise?”

“Oh. I thought I heard something.”

“Well, here are the kids’ rooms,” said Rashida as she gestured to a blue-and-green-decorated room with two twin beds and a pink-and-purple one with a single double.

“Aww, two boys and a girl.”

“Yep. The girl came last. He wouldn’t let us stop at the boys. I would’ve probably ended up with 15 of ‘em if that’s what it took for him to get his girl.”

“Awww,” said Misha. “Daddy’s girl.”

“Yeah…”

“Wait, there it is!” shouted Misha as her face jolted away from Rashida. “That sound again.”

“Oh. Must be vermin of some kind,” said Rashida. “I’m working on getting it all exterminated.

Here’s the kids’ bathroom—it’s a jack-and-jill.

And the laundry room.”

“Rashida, your home is so lovely.”

“Thank you. It’s been many, many years in the making.”

“Umm I’m sorry,” said Misha as the two walked towards the master bedroom. “But are you—are you sure that’s—that’s vermin? It’s sounding really loud.”

“I’m sure,” said Rashida as she opened the door.

And here is our room.” She smiled.

Misha’s smile immediately drained and was quickly replaced with unmatched horror.

Rashida looked over her at her and then followed her gaze.

“Oh! I’m so sorry. I’m being so rude. I told you my husband was around here somewhere. Babe, this is Misha.”

Her husband lay on the king-sized bed.

His arms were stretched out, with each hand tied tightly to the bedposts.

A cloth of some kind filled his mouth, with tape sloppily wrapped on top, carefully missing his nostrils.

Beads of sweat saturated his forehead, and his normally deep-chocolate color instead appeared more milky.

Terror filled his eyes as he stared at both women and then over to the big flat TV screen mounted on the wall across from the bed.

Misha also looked over at the TV and instantly recognized a familiar scene.

It was the same bouquet of lilies as earlier, in the purple vase.

Two empty chairs sat around it.

Misha’s eyes soon shifted back over to the bed and mirrored the terror in his as she noticed the only clothing he had on: a pair of briefs.

They appeared unusually tight, but what especially caught her attention was what the tightness revealed: a flatness in the area where she would normally expect to see a bulge.

The flatness was noticeable, despite there also being a giant patch of wet, dark red saturating it.

She gasped, briefy darting her attention over to Rashida who bore the same contentment she’d had when inhaling the seasoned aroma from the stove earlier.

Misha’s eyes widened to capacity, barely able to blink, as they darted back to the man sprawled out on the bed.

“Ted!??”