chef's kiss

“If you say the steak is good, I trust you. We don’t need to bring someone else in to taste it.” Theo had planned meals for her family events before and everyone always raved about it. She trusted his taste and if he said that would work for the party she believed that it would. “And I’m sure the guys on his team would love steak and wings so I see no problem putting it on the menu for the party.” She wouldn’t be having any of it, but she wasn’t the only guest at the party after all. Plus she knew her brother loved steak. Most men did. So she was willing to concede on that point.  “Are the tarts made with glutenfree flour or are they made with regular flour?” Lorena had been reintroducing bread into her diet slowly and in small quantities, but she still preferred glutenfree alternatives as she felt like it was better for her body. 

“You’re sure?” Theodore asked again, but was thankful for her trust to continue through the menu. It would be five courses including cocktail hour before the hor d'oeuvres and before desserts. The specific cocktails would be able to be ordered upon request while other drinks could be found through the terrace bar. “Sounds casual but we’ve been able to escalate it to a modern and more sophisticated delicate.” It was an American food and one that was established in most restaurants. Already it had been popular as it was paired with other foods. “We could do whichever you would prefer. It doesn’t make a huge difference.”

“There are a quite a few people here that I don’t know, but I think Lor’s had a hand in this since she was in charge of the guest list.” His teammates and all of his friends were there and that’s what he cared about. There were quite a few models here that he didn’t know the name off but he guessed they were friends of his sister since he didn’t know them. A few of them did come and congratulate him and introduce themselves. “Everything’s great man. Thank you for putting all of this together.” He grinned, motioning over the party. He was a fan of a good party just like his sister was, so he really did appreciate the effort that was put into this, it was clear that the food and drink choices were well thought out and he spotted the cake him and Reign had chosen a couple of days ago as well. 

“Nice place you’ve got here. I like it. Different cuisine than usual, what brought this on?” He was curious and he wanted to talk about something else than himself, at least for a while. 

“I wouldn’t be too surprised by that. There is enough space to accommodate her guests,” Theodore assured, not knowing who it was that Samuel was referring to. Lorena had informed him that that two hundred fifty would be enough room for the party. It was later in the evening where Theodore could stop bouncing back between the terrace and the kitchen. The food was in good hands and ceased his need to direct it out. “Oh, of course. Consider it a birthday gift.” Theodore was modest and humble for his success, knowing very well that many would love a restaurant of his shutdown for a birthday and some had for those who could have it happen. 

Theodore inhaled a careful sigh as it had been a question asked by friends and reporters but not since its opening about three months ago. “Thank you, thank you. That means a lot, really. Thought it would be different. I have a few friends in the industry out here in Los Angeles and it was highly recommended. I’ve thought about doing an American location for a while, but glad I was finally able to push it into reality.”

The terrace had been reserved for the birthday party and Theodore was pleased with how everything had come together. He wasn’t the planner and organized person but over the course of the last couple of weeks, he had been happy to help in whatever way. It was the third time he was at this location and he tried to be at his other locations as much as he could, but it had easily slipped his mind to incorporate Los Angeles into his schedule. The other ones were considerably closer than an American place. There were a few other things that kept him tied down to London that being Seren as well as his other projects. 

It was the evening and there were lights set up as well as fires around other booths to help keep guests warm and provide necessary lighting. Already the cocktails and some foods have come out and served and Theodore was making a few rounds to greet the guests as he was going back and forth between the kitchens and the terrace. Downstairs had already closed which made orders easier for the select guests upstairs. Theodore found the man in question and gave a warm smile, “I guess I should offer congratulations and a happy birthday though I’m sure you’ve heard that from everyone here,” Theodore said. “So how is it? Everything nice and well?”

It had been a quick but necessary trip to Los Angeles for a food engagement with Lorena. Theodore had already agreed to host the birthday party at his restaurant on the following weekend and was looking forward to see all the guests. There was a kitchen full of incredible cooks but he had wanted to get his own hands on this to make sure it ran smoothly on the actual day. Already they had tried the hors d'oeuvres that would be served along with cocktail hour. Theodore had already articulated that the man of the hour enjoyed whiskey and other liquors so the rest of the food would pair well with whatever drinks were being served. For the next delicacies lined up were the entrees which was a mix of proteins and salads. All of which were small in portions for people to stand and eat or be able to sit if they would rather. It was part of organizing a party atmosphere as well as a sophisticated dinner. 

“Perhaps we can have someone else try the steak and wings but the kitchen has mushroom risotto and three different salads coming out soon. I know there is also a cake being made at a second location but you are welcome to try the tarts and sorbets.”

“i had a request actually.” he paused for a moment. “milo and i have just started to sit down and seriously plan the wedding. and i wanted to ask you if you’d be my best man…”  étienne was unused to asking personal things of people, preferring to always keep himself at a level of emotional distance even from his best friends, and found himself shy in the wake of the question. logically he couldn’t think of any reason theo would say no, but it still felt like a lot to ask. 

“it would mean the world to me, and i know you’re busy so i would never presume to ask too much of you. but there is nobody else i’d rather have standing with me on that day.” a day he was already largely more nervous about than anything. his friendship with theo had stood the test of time, as he was sure it would for many years to come. “alors, qu'est-ce que tu penses?” he added with a smile as he crossed his arms and leaned on the edge of the table.

“A request?” Theodore answered, now feeling more intrigued than before. Earlier, he had met Etienne when invited to meet with him to discuss something. Theodore had come under the impression it was pertaining to perhaps cake taste testing or the show with Zev but he stilled when he heard the question. For many years, Etienne and him had been close friends and their careers had been fulfilling but they always made time for each other. 

When he had heard about him and Milo, many things came to mind. On one hand, he didn’t think the two had much in common other than fashion and Theodore was hesitant about them balancing each other out. The second and probably most pressing was it was his best friend and ex-boyfriend not only dating but getting married. He didn’t know his friend had been seeing someone and that being someone like Milo. Theodore could only smile at the question and raised a hand. “-it is not too much to ask, mon amie. I would love to be there for your important day and being beside you is the best place.”

where:  lorenzo in paris, france  when: september 4th who: theo @theodoreblair​

“so, what would you suggest?” olympe smiled brightly as she spoked, for once feeling as cheery as she sounded. there was something about catching up with an old friend (was that the right term for him? she wasn’t quite sure but she’d go with that for now). or maybe it was because the day itself had gone well for her with few memory incidents. whatever it was, she was happy and there could not be a better time for it. she took another sip of her wine. “what have you been up to lately? you’ve been commuting a lot you mentioned? that is always a struggle and a half.” that was one thing she liked about spending most of her time either at the nunnery she grew up or at home, there wasn’t much commuting time. 

It was hard leaving London after only being back for one day. After a few weeks of being stateside, he was looking forward to the taste of a break. Though he had only been back for one day in London, it was long enough to have a conversation with Seren about what was happening between them after a couple of weeks of stepping around the discussion. With a few business matters in Paris and two meetings, he was happy to arrange a lunch with Olympe. “Unfortunately my opinion will most likely be personally biased considering,” Theodore commented delightfully. “Oh, it is not much of a problem. I’ve been in the states busy opening the newest place and next week begins my yearly hiatus. Etienne is partial to the croque monsieur if you need a recommendation.”

“It turned out very nicely. And you know I’d tell you if it didn’t.” He wanted this place to be successful after all and she definitely believed that it would be. Theo was a very skilled chef and someone she could consider a friend after hiring him a few times and being on an episode of his Netflix show. It gave her the opportunity to do something non modelling related which had been fun.  “The amuse bouche was great. Can’t wait to see what you have planned for the rest of the night.”

“Any feedback would be nice. I think some people are being far too nice and not honest enough,” Theodore commented, thinking that surely someone had something negative to say about the food and restaurant. Or perhaps he was his worst critique like always but he knew there were a few kinks that needed to be worked out still. “Oh, thank you so much! I can’t say that I’ve done American food before and the closest thing is English food which I think they would expel me from the home country if they caught me saying that. I’m sure you will love the rest coming out shortly.”

“i forgot how good your french was.” étienne joked, remembering the early days of their friendship as roommates in paris. “that is no coincidence, theodore.” he added wryly. “you are among the number of people i could count on one hand that i would cancel things for to see you.” the fashion council dinner he had bailed on to come to la lorenzo was a much less tempting offer than a rare amount of time with his best friend, especially when there was a very important question on the tip of his tongue. 

“well, in that case i’m happy to break up the bureaucratic monotony.” ét came here often enough that he knew what he liked without having to look at the menu - whether it was date night with milo or dinner with work contacts, he came here often even when theo was back in london. “i’m glad you could meet me though, there’s some stuff i wanted to talk to you about that i think is important enough that it happened in person.”

“Only learned from the best, you know,” Theodore commented, thinking that his French was mediocre and mostly learned from translator books before going to school in France. The thought alone only made him think how long it had been and how far they had both come in their careers since their school days. “I feel quite honored then. It seems your schedule is just as busy as mine these days. It is almost fate to be seeing you here, but thank you for joining me here.”

There were so many things on his agenda these days, but he was glad he was able to meet his friend while in Paris. He was comfortable knowing that Pepper and Olive were in the hands of Seren while he was away. After the press interviews and opening, he knew that he would need a rest. “You are a wonderful distraction. In person? Well, now you’ve me curious.”

18. Kent Donovan: How does your muse speak ie. accent, tone, style, vocabulary etc.?

theo has probably a deep but sweet tone. he’s already a little modest usually so he has that vibe about him when he’s talking with people. he’s not reserved but he’s more happy to place his confidence in others than himself. he doesn’t talk fast but articulates himself well. when he’s passionate about something, he uses a lot of hand gestures or talks faster and becomes more animated. for work, he’s mostly just yelling out orders and helping people in short words. 

21. Lara Kelso: Of all their achievements, which is your muse most proud of?

Even if his mind was hazy and he was slowly coming to the realization that he definitely drank more than he had anticipated, Garci felt the impulse to linger close to the other. “Salty…” He repeated, his voice softening the farther he walked in search of something unique on the shelves. After a few minutes, the Spaniard returned to Theo’s side with a new selection in his arms.

“Okay! So, there are these,” he handed the other a box of Cheezels, “Which look like cheesy crunchy goodness so if you like cheese, you might like these. Umm…Burger Rings? I’m sort of curious how they can infuse a snack with the taste of an entire burger, but maybe it just tastes very BBQ-y? There’s a lot of salt and vinegar chip types so I got a little one in case you love them, and…” he excitedly offered another bag up to Theo, “Ta DA! Mountain Dew flavored Doritos! Have you ever had Mountain Dew before? I think it’s an American drink; it’s quite a pretty color so maybe the chip version would be great! You can veto any of these, of course, but it’ll just cost you a kiss or something.” Garci gave a shrug and blinked up at him, his expression remaining just as casual given his suggestive comment. 

It was late and Theodore didn’t need to turn to his watch to know that. He could feel the ease of exhaustion as well as the slight buzz that filled his head from the bottle of wine. This felt surreal but he kept his attention solely on Garci. He was in a shop with the Spanish noble and he didn’t know much about him before, but now was hanging onto most of Garci’s words. 

while seren was a woman who enjoyed a good time, it had been ages since she’d come down so much from the high of the night before. now, as she padded barefoot into her kitchen, she was acutely aware that the entire world – for her, anyway – had changed. her hair was a bit of a mess and she ran her hands through it, carefully, so as not to make theo think that she was worried about what she looked like in front of him, after what had already happened the night before. the dogs, at least, seemed pleased to see her, and didn’t give her any judgmental stares.

she nodded in thanks as she reached for the tea, hoping that the caffeine would wake her up more. it was the universal panacea, after all. “i slept fine,” she responded, her throat still addled from sleep, as the words came out deeper and not nearly as refined as they might have otherwise. the brunette reached into her refrigerator for some water as well, to quell the pounding between her temples. she drank a large bottle of it in nearly one gulp before turning back to her tea, her fingers moving to card through titan’s fur. “how about you?”

it was quiet for a moment, the silence between them awkward in a way seren was unused to around him. she bit the inside of her cheek before speaking once more, her head still throbbing. “i take it the dogs have been out?” she asked.

The evening before had been exciting and there had been a lot of positive energy. He was appreciative to the people who showed up and everyone he had worked with. There was a lot of work leading up to the season and he knew that it would get positive reviews by the sheer amount of people who already complimented him last night. Along with the praise of his show, there was also Seren. It wasn’t uncommon for him to go home with someone after a good night, or go home with someone at all. He wasn’t thinking of doing anything like that while at the party, but one thing had led to another and flashes of the night before were in his mind. 

They had known each other for a few years and had worked with each other. Theodore didn’t know how it had happened or where his feelings for her had surfaced and why, but he knew that it was something that he liked. It had been a good night, but now being tangled in the sheets and near the warmth of her body, he wondered if this was going to complicate things enough to the regretful territory. Theodore had busied himself in her kitchen as a distraction and heard her step out. It felt tense but he tried to ignore that fact. “uh, yeah, fine. Good. You have a very comfortable bed and the dogs only add to that.” Theodore was happy his back was turn as he rolled his eyes at himself, the comment being odd. 

The crepes were almost done and he began to plate them. Theodore settled himself in the chair, feeling awkward at the table and facing her. “Oh, yeah. Let them out once I got up.” He set their plates down on the table and took a bite as a distraction, still focused on Seren instead of the food he was confident was good. “What you’ve got going on later?”

There was an exclusive opening for Theo’s new restaurant, which she was excited about since she heard about him finally opening a Los Angeles location. It would mostly be models and influencers and upon walking in she saw many familiar faces, going over to Theo when she spotted him, giving him a quick hug in greeting. “Everything looks great! Congratulations!” 

@theodoreblair​

For the past two weeks, Theodore had been in Los Angeles to train the kitchen at his new restaurant. The first few days had been rough but they all seemed to get the process now. This also followed his Netflix release party. It had been a long few weeks, mostly because he was in a new place and away from Seren which had not been a problem. Tonight was about critiques coming as well as influencers. Depending on their remarks, there was no need to open next weekend. When he saw Lorena, he gave her a hug. It was a chaotic evening with greeting people and working the kitchen for the orders. “Thank you so much! I appreciate that. It all turned out nicely didn’t it?”

What could someone possibly do back at someone else’s suite? Normally, a million things would come to mind even if Garci was ridiculously naive to the concept of anything remotely sexual but, in this occasion, the soft lore of additional wine was a siren call for a boy who wanted nothing more than a distraction. The Spanish prince perked up and gave him a happy nod. “Only if we stop by a gas station and get some snacks to try out too,” he insisted, holding his pinky up seriously to emphasize on the seriousness of the promise.

After stuffing his books and his laptop into his leather bag and successfully finishing the last of his glass, he grabbed the table for balance as he slowly eased himself off of the stool he was balancing himself on. “Oh..kay… the floor is a lot farther than I thought,” Garci murmured, pressing the heel of his shoe against the floorboards with a soft chuckle and turning back towards Theo, as if bidding him to follow. They found a small convenience store rather easily, Garci determined to track it down with Apple maps while simultaneously hoping they didn’t wander far enough for the possibility of bringing back snacks a difficult task. “Do you like salty or sweet?” He hummed, plucking a few choice chips from the shelves and trailing over to where the candies were. Garci’s green eyes flickered over to Theo and smiled, handing him a pack of peach rings. “You said today’s a cheat day. Might as well go hard, right?”

The offer had been one that came out candidly that he felt comfortable extending given the well conversation and needed wine. The bottle was nearly an inch finished and Theodore was slowly recovering from the day he had along with some new company. His lips twitched into a smile at Garci’s agreement and counteroffer. “Of course. I think we can make that happen,” Theodore promised with a small chuckle, connecting his pinky to Garci’s. “As long as you pay for the ride there.”

Theodore was ready to leave and didn’t know what the night had in mind for him and Garci but was enjoying the company and would prefer it to continue. He sparred a glance and a few French words to the kitchen about leaving and work in the morning. Theodore trailed behind Garci, his hand naturally coming to Garci’s aid and holding his hand near the small of his back. The ride there was short as it was around the corner and Theodore browsed the aisles in search of anything. “Salty, but we all have a sweet tooth, don’t we?” Theodore hummed in delight. “I think killing a bottle of wine already did as much but why stop?”

location: seren’s london townhouse featuring: @theodoreblair​

seren fleming bit her lip as she twisted in the bedsheets, reaching for a robe to put on after reading the last text from rosie. a quick shimmy and it was wrapped around her neatly, belt carefully tied at her waist. her hair fell against the silken material and when she looked in the mirror before leaving her bedroom, she saw the glimpse of purple, mottled skin on her neck, the first outward sign that the night before had happened. she sighed before leaving the room, already hearing theo moving around in the kitchen.

to be quite honest, she wasn’t sure which of them had reached for the other in the uber back to her townhouse the night before, wasn’t certain if his hand or hers had first slipped against the other, but before she knew what had happened, the two of them had been inside, grabbing at clothes as if not doing so would cause them to stumble further into the throes of lust.

she hummed briefly as she patted titan, her eyes flicking to the man in her kitchen. “morning,” she mumbled.”

It had been an incredible evening and was appreciative for his team for making it all happen, his friends for coming to the party, and everyone else who helped in some form of fashion. It had been late when he left with Seren with the intentions of going to collect his dogs from her apartment. The ride there had been a spontaneous collection of frenzied touches that Theodore couldn’t even remember how it started, just the feeling of her lips on his as well as the bitter sigh emitted from the impassive Uber driver. It hadn’t stopped when they reached her place or opened the door or fell into her bed. 

The first thing he felt when he woke up was the crash of a hangover and his bare body pressed against sheets that wasn’t his. In a montage of blurred memories of the night before, he processed what had happened. Seren was his friend and had been for nearly five years. They had always been close and Theodore was stunned that any of this happened. He didn’t know he had these feelings or even that she had these feelings. 

He grabbed a few clothes from the trail on the ground and pulled them on as he made his way for the kitchen. It wasn’t the first time that he had been there and he didn’t know what he was thinking. The need to collect his thoughts while not being in the bedroom by Seren had prompted him out of bed but now that he was by himself and able to breathe that it all hit him. He was at least going to make her tea before he left, but finding the tea packets had led to seeing flour on the counter and to needing a cure for his hangover that he thought she might be having as well. It had been a few minutes as he worked over the skillet and made crepes when he heard her. 

“Oh, morning,” Theodore greeted over his shoulder, surprised she was out of bed. He was essentially making her breakfast and didn’t know if he was overextending his welcome. “Made your tea. Right there.” He gestured to the counter where the steaming mug sat. “How’re you? How’d you sleep?”

@theodoreblair​, at la lorenzo, paris

la lorenzo was, in étienne’s opinion, the best restaurant in paris. perhaps that opinion came with some bias, but he had seen first hand how much work had gone into theo’s career to get him where he was now. he had come a long way from tirelessly honing his skills in the kitchen of their shared paris apartment, to ét still remembered coming home from his first job out of university to the smell of something incredible brewing. it was the same smell that confronted him now, as he entered the restaurant’s dining room, and requested the maître d’ find theodore, though he didn’t get halfway through his sentence before the man himself appeared through the kitchen door. 

“quelle coïncidence de te retrouver ici.” he greeted, with a rare reserved smile saved mostly for the company of his best friend. “paris is still treating you well this time, i hope?”

When Theodore had come to Paris, he was excited to hear that Etienne might have some free time. He knew their schedules rarely matched up and being in two different countries often made their friendship mostly virtual. Through the last few months of being told about him and Milo, he had adjusted to the relationship. He didn’t want to ask too many questions as he already found it strange but was happy for them nonetheless. Offering to do their cake had been a nod to that and was hoping that would be enough. 

“La coïncidence est que vous avez du temps libre,” Theodore retorted, sliding into the chair opposite of his friend. “Oh, fairly well. I’m mostly doing paperwork here and not a lot of kitchen work. It’s only a weekend trip before going back to London.” Theodore wasn’t used to being served but thanked the server for bringing a pitcher of water.

she laughed, wondering just what was being said for the cameras and what was truly for her benefit. either way, maverick hearst was well aware they were being documented and she shook her head in amusement. “please do,” she responded, lips quirking at the corners at the thought of being sent recipes by an absolute professional. “it’s always nice to have something different to add to my repertoire.” she shrugged a shoulder as she began to cut the vegetables, careful with her knife work to at least keep them all moderately the same size. while she was not a professional, maverick had taken enough classes ( and seen enough videos on youtube ) to know that even cuts were important.

her eyes widened as he spoke of pasta. “to be fair, we don’t eat a lot of pasta,” she admitted with a sheepish shrug. “i think it’s the angeleno in me; it’s tough making anything that’s so carb-heavy. but it’s probably something i should at least try once or twice.” a grin flitted across her face as she chopped another vegetable. “that’s true,” she agreed. “but corn tortillas have this awful habit of ripping like halfway into eating the taco.” her eyebrow lifted at the next question and she hummed thoughtfully as she considered her answer. “dark chocolate, of course. it’s moderately healthier and has a lot more health benefits. plus i find it’s more complex when eating, you know? milk chocolate can get a little boring after you enough it long enough.”

It was still nice having another season and another group of people come cook with him. He was also having a good time with those that came on like with Maverick. Every conversation and guest meant a lot to him and he genuinely had good talks with them on and off camera. Cooking was so innate to him that it was easier to focus on what he was doing and saying, ignoring the cameras had since passed. “It is, though there is nothing wrong with having sandwiches in the evening. I actually really love having something simple at the end of the day. Take out is always simple and effortless.”

Theodore’s brows rose as he listened to Maverick while his eyes were on the skillet and seasoning it. “You definitely should. There’s always substitutions like cauliflower or lentil pasta. It’s not the same and anyone who says it is doesn’t know the difference, but...it’s good for what it’s worth.” Theodore nodded, flipping the fish over and adding another one into the pan. “Might have to add less then and add another taco.” Theodore took the fish off the skillet and started to plate it. “Dark chocolate definitely has more flavor, I agree. I could eat that all day and not get bored, you’re right.”

Milo followed the other happily, mulling over the different ingredients and trying his hardest to decipher between all the different spices but–  truthfully, they all sort of blended together to him. Oregano, parsley, they all just seem like the same little green leaf at the end of the day. Maybe he should be taking notes; Milo reached into his pocket for his phone again and jotted down what Theo just said hurriedly.

“You add it on top to make it pretty?” He repeated curiously, looking down at his own notes before back up at the chef, “I thought that was what the cheese was for?” Speaking of cheese, they were approaching a cart full of different chunks and Milo couldn’t help but eye them all with a feverish grin. “Maybe I should make a cheese plate too, you know, for appetizers. That’s easy, right? All I have to do is cut them and put them on a board! I should really invite you over since you’re here, too; do you want to come to dinner with me and my new squeeze?” he winked overdramatically at the other, “Size him up for me and all that?”

Any feelings he had for Milo had since passed, but seeing him happy and actually passionate about cooking for someone left Theodore in a daze. He had of course tried teaching Milo a few things but never seemed to stick. It was unexpected to see Milo in a French market on a weekday morning, but stranger things could happen. He should have known he would run into Milo eventually through his various trips to Paris. 

“For presentation and for the taste, yes,” Theodore added with a growing smile. “The cheese...? Not exactly. But it does make it taste all the better, doesn’t it?” Theodore was used to being in the market, it being a few weeks since he was there last but gave a friendly smile and wave to those he passed while walking beside Milo. “That would be a good idea, nothing wrong with a cheese or chateau board.” At the mention of coming over, Theodore sparred a glance to Milo and gave a polite smile. “No, this seems like a special dinner for you and your partner. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”