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“You’re going to have a heart attack before you turn fifty and I won’t have you dragging my clients down to calorie hell with you, Crowley.”
“I’m just offering samples. I have a business that just so happens to be located next door to your—whatever exercise this is. Or have you forgotten?”
“You don’t let me forget, Crowley,” Sam mumbled.
“Well, then it’s settled. Try one at least?”
Sam scowled down at the small pastry square Crowley held out. “What is it?”
“An after dinner mint – in cake form.”
Sam’s frown deepened. “With how many extra calories?”
“Not enough for one bite to destroy your gargantuan, splendid physique.”
Sam’s face warmed at Crowley’s backhanded compliment. The chef was arrogant and frustrating but despite their rivalry, Sam found himself attached to the man. Part of it may have had to do with Dean’s boyfriend. Benny was the assistant chef at The Throne Room - Crowley’s upscale restaurant, and the two became fast friends.
Sam and Crowley hadn’t meant to form their love hate relationship but the proximity of – and sheer difference between – their businesses made a fun rivalry.
“Moose? You still in there?” Crowley asked, pulling Sam out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, sorry. Just tired.”
Crowley pushed the tray of cakes toward him again. “Have one. It’ll wake you right up.”
Sam narrowed his eyes, a thousand thoughts running through his brain. But Crowley stood his ground, holding up the pastel colored cakes that gave Sam a toothache just looking at them.
He relented, picking one up that looked smaller than the others: a deep chocolate cake with a drizzling of pale green icing and a delicate pink candy pentagram resting on it. After a final glare at the wide grin Crowley was wearing, he popped the bite size concoction into his mouth.
Fuck. It was delicious.
He picked his thumb, hoping Crowley wouldn't notice. But then, Sam had never had luck with Crowley.
"Good, isn't it?"
"It's okay," Sam mumbled, but Crowley grinned wider.
"Glad you like it. Now, I have to go, meal to plan and all that. Come by this evening for dinner if you'd like."
Sam smirked and shook his head. Crowley always offered him a table - despite the restaurant being filled to capacity weeks in advance. And Sam always turned him down. The food was good, but it was heavy and Sam dreaded the calorie count. He watched Crowley walk out before turning and heading back into the yoga studio; he'd have to work his ass off to burn off the calories from that cake.
Sam entered his yoga studio the next morning to hear quiet giggles from the front desk.
"You got Billie hiding under there again, Charlie?" He teased.
His receptionist and best friend laughed again. "Pervert."
"I'm right here," Billie said, coming around the corner. She was licking a pale purple frosting from her thumb, a half eaten cupcake in her other hand.
"We're laughing because you had a visitor this morning."
"I did?" Sam asked. He glanced at the cupcake and sighed, spotting the candy pentagram that was Crowley's dessert trademark.
"Crowley."
"Circle gets the square. Stopped by with a big basket of goodies specifically for his favorite Moose-- his words, not mine," Billie added when Sam threw her a bitchface.
"And he brought us cupcakes that I honestly would sell my soul to learn the recipe for," Charlie said.
Sam sighed. “I don’t know why he’s doing this – he knows I hate junk food.”
“It’s not junk food.” Billie pushed the last bit of cupcake into her mouth and disappeared back into the back room, which served as Sam’s office. She returned with a beautiful basket covered with cheesecloth. On the top of it was a small index card. Sam snagged it, spotting the pentagram at the upper corner. Crowley’s neat handwriting filled the white space.
‘I know you aren’t a fan of empty calories, Moose – so I spent last evening trying to come up with something that you would be able to enjoy guilt free. Let me know what you think. – C’
Sam frowned deeper, pocketing the card before taking the basket and peeling back the cloth. Inside was a variety of cookies, brittles, and other things Sam couldn’t even name. Each was separated with another index card outlining the ingredients and raw calories. Sam’s heart jumped into his throat.
“He did this—Why?”
Charlie cocked her head to the side. “You’re smart, Sam.”
“What?”
Her grin widened when Sam stared at her.
“You’re smart. You’re telling me in the months that you and Crowley have known each other – you haven’t noticed?”
“Noticed wh—“ Sam’s voice faded as he began to think about the past few months.
More and more, Crowley had been coming by. He’d claimed it was to promote The Throne Room – but that place didn’t need promotion. Ever. Nightly it was booked up, and Benny told Sam one evening that often they were booked weeks in advance – months around the holiday season. It was one of the most successful restaurants in the area, there was no logical reason that Crowley spent so much time at Sam’s small yoga studio – especially not passing out food that probably cost five to ten dollars a piece in his restaurant.
Sam hadn’t thought anything about it – at least no more than it took to yell at Crowley – But he continued to come back. Over and over, he’d come back, hanging around until Sam noticed him, spoke to him.
“I’m a fucking idiot.”
“And the lightbulb goes off!” Charlie teased. Sam glared over at her.
“Shit—I’ve treated him like crap for months and he was just—God, what do I do?”
“Well, your first class is at nine and it’s eight. And I know he’s working on prep for lunch, so… Why don’t you march your tight butt over there and apologize. Maybe he’ll ask you out finally,” Charlie said.
“You staring at his butt, Charlie?”
“It’s kinda big.”
“Guys, come on,” Sam grumbled, taking a delicate flower shaped cookie out of the box. He popped it into his mouth, groaning contentedly. “These are heaven.”
“Well, don’t let Crowley hear that. He’s got that whole hell vibe going – I have no idea why,” Billie said with a shrug.
“His name. Well, the name he picked. It works, I think.”
Charlie smirked. “You like him too.”
“A little, yeah,” Sam admitted, passing the basket back to Billie to put back in the office.
“Go on. If your clients show early we’ll cover for you, okay?”
“You sure?”
“You deserve it, Sam. I know it’s been a while since you’ve dated.”
Sam smiled sheepishly and nodded, fixing his jacket. “Alright, wish me luck.”
“Just don’t say anything stupid, huh?” Billie suggested. Sam rolled his eyes deeply and grinned, heading out of the studio and down the sidewalk to the Throne Room.
“Crowley!” Sam called in the seemingly empty restaurant.
“Who’s there?”
Crowley’s voice was muffled, coming from what looked like the kitchen. Sam rushed in, the smell of savory spices and sweet desserts hitting his nose and immediately making his stomach grumble.
“Just me.”
“Moose! Nice of you to drop in. Finally. What brings you by?”
Sam cleared his throat. “The uh—Basket you brought by this morning.”
“Didn’t you like them? I promise, they are healthy as I could make them – you’ll have no worries about weight gain snacking on them. I wouldn’t lie to you about that, Sam.”
Sam felt a little swell of affection at the honesty in Crowley’s voice. “No, I—I love them, thank you, Crowley. I just—I guess it made me realize… You weren’t just inviting me to your restaurant to be nice, were you? Or to tease me about my healthy diet?”
Crowley snorted, looking back down at the carrots he was chopping.
“No, you foolish man. I was asking you out on a date – in a casual manner so you wouldn’t feel pressured to say yes.”
“Why did you keep asking?”
Crowley shrugged, shoving the slices aside and grabbing another carrot. “Because I realized you may not have understood my intentions. So I thought, maybe if I continued – You’d figure it out. Took you long enough, you mophead.”
“So you actually... Saved me a table for this long. Just in case?”
Crowley nodded.
Sam chewed his lip. “That table still available tonight?”
“Depends.” Crowley looked at Sam, grabbing the remaining bit of unsliced carrot and taking a bite.
Sam shifted; he made the entire action so much more sexually charged than he should have.
“On— On what?” Sam stumbled.
Crowley smirked, taking another slow bite as his eyes roamed Sam’s face.
“On how willing you are to eat my food. I won’t waste a fancy meal on an ungrateful date.”
Sam’s stomach twisted. Adrenaline and nerves mixing to give him a heady, high feeling, he stepped forward.
“I’ll eat your food... I have a great idea on how to burn off the calories afterward.”
He leaned forward and grabbed Crowley’s wrist, plucking the carrot from his fingers with his teeth.
He didn’t miss the subtle widening of Crowley’s pupils, or the quick inhale.
“I think I’ve got a few ideas myself, Moose. Might have to tackle it from a few angles to burn off my food.”
Sam grinned wider. “I’m up for all sorts of angles.”
Crowley smirked. He grabbed Sam’s head, pulling him into a kiss. Sam gave a surprised squeak, but kissed back, relaxing against Crowley after just a few seconds.
Crowley pulled away much too soon for Sam’s satisfaction, and picked up his knife. He began to chop once more, as if he hadn’t just swept Sam off his feet.
“I’ll see you at seven, Moose. Don’t be late. Now get the hell out of my kitchen - I only let staff back here.”