September 14, 2008

An Engagement Story
by Tory Temple

“What the hell? That can’t be real.” Brad stared at his computer monitor.

Cameron yawned and grumbled from bed. “Shut up. Also, turn the light off.”

Brad snapped off the desk lamp but kept reading his screen. “Hey, Cam. This article says if you make this chicken for your partner, they’ll ask you to marry them within weeks.”

“Uh huh. And you’ll have good luck if you forward the recipe to nine people. You don’t want to know what happened to my cousin in Poughkeepsie. He only forwarded it to eight.”

There was a wad of paper in the trash can next to the desk that was perfect for throwing, so Brad leaned over and lobbed it at his lover. “Shut up. Non-believer. Listen to this recipe, okay? It sounds really awesome.”

“Oh, sure, why not. I like chicken.” The sarcasm was evident.

Brad ignored Cameron’s bored tone. “Okay, so you take one whole chicken and two medium-sized lemons. Half a cup of lemon juice, some sea salt, and ground black pepper.” He paused there, waiting for a reaction.

“And?” Cameron asked after a moment. “Nothing there sounds too spectacular to me.”

“And nothing else. You take the lemon juice and drench the whole chicken with it, inside and out. Season it with the salt and pepper. Then you put the whole lemons inside it and let it bake for about an hour. Supposedly, it comes out all tender and juicy and amazing. That’s what this says.” Brad peered at the dozens of comments to the recipe, all positive. “And hey! See, four people who tried this said their boyfriends proposed to them after eating it!”

Cameron snorted. “Okay. Sounds like a winner to me.”

“What if I make it and it’s really good?” Brad glanced over at the lump in the bed.

“Bradley.” Cameron sat up and stared at Brad. “Do you want to get married?”

“Um. Some day, yeah. Could go out to California.” In truth, the idea sounded really great.

“I don’t mean some day. I mean, do you want to get married? Do you want to marry me?” Cameron was calm but Brad could see him playing with the edge of the sheet.

“Yes.”

“Good. Me too. Shut off the computer and come to bed.” Cameron lay back down and Brad could see the outline of his erection through the thin sheet.

He powered down his laptop and crawled over Cameron’s prone form, hanging there on hands and knees. “Cam?”

“What?” Cameron reached for him.

“Can I make you the chicken anyway?”

~End

Brad’s Engagement Chicken Recipe (courtesy of Glamour magazine: http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2006/07/engagement-chicken)

    * 1 whole chicken (approx. 3 lb.)
    * 2 medium lemons
    * Fresh lemon juice (1/2 cup)
    * Kosher or sea salt
    * Ground black pepper

Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). Pat dry with paper towels. Pour lemon juice all over the chicken (inside and outside). Season with salt and pepper. Prick the whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the cavity. (Tip: If lemons are hard, roll on countertop with your palm to get juices flowing.) Place the bird breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn it breast-side up (use wooden spoons!); return it to oven for 35 minutes more. Test for doneness—a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees, or juices should run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork. Continue baking if necessary. Let chicken cool for a few minutes before carving. Serve with juices.

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Today's clue: If you like to read Tory's book, you can find her clue..