I’m certainly no expert, but one of the things I enjoy most about Korean culture is the food, and the joy Koreans exhibit while eating. I even taught myself how to use chopsticks in preparation for a trip to Seoul sometime in the near future. I could be leaning on the sexy thang because of all the K-dramas I’ve been absorbing lately, but eating with chopsticks is kinda hot. My heroine thinks so too…
Please enjoy this unedited snippet from my next book Saints and Sinnas. It picks up where last week’s excerpt leaves off. Tell me what you think, and thank you for reading!
XOXO,
SS
She watched as they laid out meat and vegetables, mixed sauces into noodles and began to eat. She’d already noticed from videos that Koreans liked to stuff themselves at mealtimes so she wasn’t shocked by bulging cheeks and overflowing mouthfuls. She also knew they liked to feed each other. It was part of their communal dining culture. But she was surprised when Bik held his chopsticks to her lips. With no alternative that wouldn’t appear rude, Sinna opened her mouth and accepted whatever it was. Spice exploded on her tongue, and her eyes began to water.
“Hot?” Bik.
The little shit. He knew it was too spicy and was hoping for a reaction.
“I like it hot,” she told him dryly, turning to Tan who was holding out a long string of ramen noodles over a steaming cup. She sucked up the ramen the way she’d seen them do online, and looked up to see approval on several faces.
Fuck. Even the ramen was spicy. She could feel sweat beads forming on her forehead, but she opened her mouth for the next offering.
“Saint say you like veggie.” Tan “This veggie dumpling.”
“It’s very good,” she said, chewing.
He appeared satisfied, turning to prepare her next bite. One of his members beat him and leaned over to offer a large spoonful of, “Kimchi Chigae,” said Hua. “Kimchi and tofu pork stew.”
Eyes watering, Sinna nodded. “Delicious.”
“Save room for dessert,” said Saint.
She looked up as her team came in. Thank God, she thought.
“We brought cheesecake!” Cressida.
“Sit, sit!” Bik. “Eat with us.”
“We just had dinner, remember?” Jon laughed.
“Ah, yes!” Bik said, disappointed as he recalled their earlier conversation.
“I’ll get this on plates.” Cressida took the cakebox to the kitchen.
“I gotta make a few calls.” Jon caught Sinna’s eye.
“Canada?” She was after a brilliant indie designer whose cuts and fabrics would be perfect for high intensity, on stage dance routines.
He nodded happily.
“Good.” She opened her mouth again as Tan offered, “Yookgae Jang, boiled beef, vegetable and onion soap.”
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the delicious spoonful. “Please, eat. I’m fine.”
“Nonsense.” Bik said, offering Korean rice cake soup with dumplings next. “You work hard, Sinna, you must eat to regain your strength.”
“Were you educated in England?” He had a pronounced English accent.
He nodded. “I was born there. We lived in London until I was 10. Then we moved to Seoul. My father works for an English company here.”
That shed some light on his rather dandy-ish style. It was an early childhood influence, probably from his father.
“Tan born in Greece,” Cong offered.
“Yes?”
“Father Greek, mother Korean.”
That explained the straight Roman nose and natural double eyelids.
“Speak four language,” Hyuk offered, nodding at Tan as he slurped Ramen noodles.
“Really?”
Tan gave her an elegant seated bow. “Greek, Korean, some English and Japanese.”
“Impressive. Why you so quiet?” she asked her cousin, who was currently holding Cong’s stare as he held out a spoonful of something to his lips.
Saint accepted the morsel, never breaking his stare. “Just listening.”
Sinna rolled her eyes. “Cressida!”
“Here!” her assistant answered, appearing with a tray.
“I was assured that is New York style cheesecake, made the American way, with American sugar and imported raspberries,” said Saint, tongue firmly in cheek as he winked at Cong.
Sinna cleared her throat, and her tight lips had her cousin backing down. She would have stood to help Cressida, but Tan waved her back in her seat.When shereached for one of the cheesecake slices, he put his hand over hers.
“Please eat a little more?”
Sherrod Story - Here lies your book boyfriend...naked. 