"He gave me a sandwich."
🥪

"Class, can I get your attention please?" Roshan calls as he claps his hands together and indeed getting everyone to stop what they were doing and face the front. "This is the perfect way to end our time together. I would just like to congratulate Ben and Tully here as they have just gotten engaged!"

The congratulatory sounds filled the space, with Tully holding up his left finger up to showcase a slender silver band. "How did it happen?" Clark asks from the table behind, hoping that Tully had used the power of poetic words along the way.

"He gave me a sandwich... Italian rustic white, filled with warm chicken, bacon and salad. The ring was inside it all. I nearly swallowed it!" Tully looks again at Ben with that look of you could have killed me, but I will forgive you anyways. "He knew what I liked."

"And I got a beautiful poem." Ben adds. Plus a key to his home."

"Our home." Tully corrects, making Ben smile so wide.

Clark glances over at Roshan. He remembers when he first saw Tully and Ben sat in front of him. Wanting what they seemed to have and this time, maybe he does have it for himself. Roshan was the man who released those feelings of giddiness inside of him. Roshan got him flustered, made him brave, beautiful. Roshan was possibly the one.

The chef catches the gaze from the man who made him think that maybe fate wasn't such a bad thing. Roshan had always led such a controlled and orderly life, but here was Clark, challenging those beliefs. Making him be daring, spontaneous. Clark was the chaos to his order and he loved it.

He manages to pull his stare away long enough to address the class once again. "In light of this fabulous news, I thought I would base our class this week on celebrations and what better way to celebrate than with a cake right?"

The news goes down pretty well as everyone, including Clark begin to gaze down the list of ingredients needed from the stores situated at the back of the room. "This is a perfect day to celebrate the start of a new chapter don't you think?" Roshan continues. "You never know what you will gain, unless you seize the day, capture the moment..."

Everyone slowly stops what they are doing as they see the chef unbuttoned the shirt of his whites. "There was a time not long ago that I lived for this. To teach, to share my passion for food with others, but recently I have discovered a new passion in my life."

The air now was so quiet as everyone watched the usually ordered and organised chef discarding his whites on the work bench. He was now walking towards Clark. "Chef..what are you doing?" Clark asks with a nervous laugh as he held on to the wooden spoon he had just gotten out of the utensil pot.

He now stands right in front of Clark, taking the spoon from his grasp. He places it on the table, then takes Clark's hands in his. "Clark, I don't want food to be the only love in my life. I want to do more, see more, experience more, taste more...and I want to do all those things with you."

Clark just looks at Roshan opened mouthed. "I...don't know what to say?" He stutters, all too aware that Roshan was breaking all the rules, as he looks around to see everyone watching.

"Say yes God damn it!" Tully shouts holding tight to Ben's arm as they watched on.

"But your job..." Clark begins, but he is silenced by two lips pressing against his. The warm kiss lasting but a few seconds.

"You have no choice now, That kiss just got me fired." Roshan says grinning widly. "Will you seize this moment with me?"

"Yes!" Clark says, for once not being able to find any other words, until the obvious enters his mind. "I love you Roshan."

"I love you too." Roshan replies again as their lips once again connect, with the sounds around them paling into significance.

"We still get to make a cake right?" Ben says a little concerned that he won't get to make a cake and eat it.

***

"What did the principal say?" Clark asks as they enter Jojo's tent, later that evening, taking a seat. "He accepted my resignation gracefully." Roshan replies. "A scandal is the last thing he wants."

"Yeah, I guess. Clark replies, taking Roshan's hand again in his. "That was a brave thing you did. But I need to know, because I don't think I can handle the guilt..."

"Did I do it all because of you?" Roshan says, smiling warmly. "What if I said you were the catalyst?" Roshan looks down at their hands connected. "From that first moment we met, it felt like I suddenly couldn't predict anything. Like I wasn't in control of my own actions, my behaviours. I'm not going to lie, it scared me. Like surrendering to a higher power. I wouldn't admit it to myself at first, but maybe I quite liked my reckless behaviour. It was exciting. Even yesterday, I didn't take off my shoes when I walked on my new carpet."

"You idiot!" Clark laughs.

"Anyway to answer your question, with regards to my professional conduct, I needed ownership of that. I needed to hold up my hands and own my actions. You make me want to do more with my life, taste pasta in Italy, eat kimchi fried rice in Seoul and who better to do that with?"

"Speaking of Kimchi fried rice..." Clark suddenly gets up from his seat. He walks over to Jojo, heading around the back of her workspace. Roshan watches on in confusion as he sees Clark adorn an apron and wash his hands.

"What are you doing?" Roshan asks with surprise.

"I am gonna prove to you that I can cook chef, just watch!" Clark says over the gas rings.

"Jojo, you have a fire blanket right?" Roshan shouts across to the lady.

"Ready and waiting Mr. Heath!"