Page 21 of Her Juicy Cherry (Sweet Treats 2)

After all, the curvy girl has completely upended our food intake. Before she came to Cherrywood, we were fending for ourselves. We could have hired a private chef, but there are very few who want to come out to Lodi. We only hired full-time kitchen staff when our headcount began to grow.

As a result, Huck and I were eating healthy, but very basic. Skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, boiled beans, and rice made up our diet. They’re easy to cook, and nutritious too.

But when Courtney looked in our private fridge, she was shocked.

“This is all you have?” she asked, squinting a bit at the bare shelves. “No snacks?”

“Yeah honey,” I said, peering over her shoulder. There was some leftover chicken breast, as well as a head of cabbage for the next day’s meal. “We like to eat healthy. With the way Huck and I work out, there’s no sense in being unhealthy because what’s the point? We’d be undoing all our efforts in the gym.”

Courtney turned to us with sparkling eyes.

“You guys look amazing, and I appreciate those washboard abs,” she said. “But you’ve completely lost sight of eating for enjoyment. Eating is one of the best things about being human because you can get nutrition while also savoring a variety of flavors and textures. Have you ever heard of umami?” she asked.

“Oooh-what?” echoed Huck.

“Umami,” she said with a smile. “It’s a Japanese term that a lot of people refer to as the fifth taste, in addition to sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness. It’s been described as savory and is characteristic of broths and cooked meats.”

“That sounds amazing,” I said, my mouth already watering. “I love cooked meats.”

Courtney shot me a cheeky grin.

“I know you do, but you’re definitely not getting the taste of umami with the way you’re eating. You guys are basically consuming food to survive. You’re getting calories and nutrition, but there’s no enjoyment. You’re missing out on the best part of eating! Trust me, I’m a curvy girl, so I know.”

My friend and I stared at her lush, ripe figure with the wide hips.

“You’re right, honey. Can you help us? What do we need to do?”

Courtney grinned.

“I can indeed. I’m going to cook a few meals for you so that you’re not just consuming chicken and vegetables. That’s boring. There’s a world to explore, and I’m going to blow open your senses.”

Since that day, Courtney’s been coming to our private quarters to prepare dinner for us. It’s amazing. She’s an incredible cook, and she’s right: Huck and I had no idea what we were missing. We might as well have been consuming meal replacement shakes like Soylent.

“Meal replacement shakes!” she said in mock horror. “Who actually drinks those? Ugh. They taste like nothing and are the color of dust.”

I smiled wryly.

“A lot of engineers in Silicon Valley like them, to be honest. They’re like us: goal-oriented and process-driven. It means that they want to save time when it comes to eating, and if they can drink a bottle of Soylent instead of eating a square meal, then they’ll do it. They used to have that stuff shipped to our company in cases each week.”

Courtney cringed again.

“But it tastes like chalk!”

I laughed.

“It does, but engineers don’t care. Again, they’re aiming for efficiency, not enjoyment. It’s a philosophy that’s guided their entire lives.”

Our girl merely shuddered again.

“How awful,” she said. “I definitely have a lot of work to do.”

I laughed, but Courtney’s set upon changing our lives with a vengeance, and it’s worked. She’s overhauled our meal plan, and introduced all sorts of home-cooked savory stews and roast meats into our diet. I never thought I liked lamb with carrots, but our girl prepares it in a way so that the meat falls off the bone, mixing with the flavorful taste of root vegetable.

But it’s not just eating. Courtney’s changed our lives in a number of ways. She has such appreciation for the outdoors, always telling us how much she enjoys the sunshine; how much she enjoys the breeze on her face as she picks cherries; and how much she enjoys the feel of the Earth in her hands, and the sight of dew decorating the leaves in the early morning.

“Sweetheart, I almost get the feeling that you’d prefer to be picking cherries full-time,” Huck said wryly after she’d rhapsodized about another morning at Cherrywood. “Are you sure this office job isn’t boring you?”

Of course it wasn’t boring her, given that we hardly even spend any time in the office. Courtney giggled, looking at my friend slyly.

“Oh I wouldn’t give up my time with you for anything,” she cooed. “Being with you and Hank is too much fun.”

I fully agree, which is part of the reason why Courtney’s cooking for us wearing nothing but a frilly apron, giving us peeks of her lush assets. She sits down in her chair, but then changes her mind, and gets up and plops herself in my lap instead. I can feel her sweetness rubbing against my hard shaft, and I moan.

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