Egg Whites and Blue

Chapter 1 “I’m not picking up your coffee cups anymore,” said Kiko, wrestling a diaper onto his pet goose, Mother. Dom tipped his mug at Kiko before taking a sip. “Got it,” he said, not looking over. In the months since he had moved in, he had noticed Kiko seemed to struggle with his routine. Dom liked to read news articles in the morning before work and deal with the chores later; Kiko always seemed to be moving around. “Or your socks.” Kiko released Mother, who waddled off into the living area, and stood, crossing his arms as he frowned at Dom where he sat at the breakfast nook. “Yep.” Dom opened an article about the upcoming Fourth of July festival in Mount Angus, Wisconsin. The town really seemed to be planning a lot beyond just the ordinary round of fireworks. But then, Mount Angus did seem to like to go all-out on whatever it did. The Eggstravaganza a few months back where he and Kiko had met had been a huge event. “The hamper is full and it’s your turn to do the laundry.” “I’ll get to it. Today. Really,” said Dom, scanning the page. “Huh. Looks like they’re bringing in some bigshot chef from Madison to be a judge this year. Trying to get a touch of class after the murder at the Eggstravaganza?” Kiko crossed to the sink and began rinsing out the coffee pot, moving to clear up his own mug and toss out the grounds. Dom could hear the Latino man sigh. He was probably remembering how hectic it had been, the fear of the explosives, as everyone had tried desperately to keep the Eggstravaganza from being completely ruined. But Dom liked to look on that time with a mixture of fondness and pride. If not for the chaos at the event, he never would have met Kiko. Or solved a real-life murder mystery, for that matter. It had been a long weekend of adventure, heightened nerves, and s*x, and if he was honest with himself, he was occasionally disgruntled that nothing so interesting had happened since. Maybe this upcoming festival would put a dash of excitement back into everyday life. “Which chef?” “Sander Koch. Looks like the guy owns a four-star restaurant on the far side of the city.” Kiko stiffened and looked up from where he was fixing his tie. When Dom glanced at him, he turned away, smoothing the silk down with a light brown hand. Even after all these months, he seemed to be uneasy wearing ties. Dom had encouraged him to drop the item from his clothing selection, but Kiko hadn’t thought that having been strangled was enough of a reason to let go of the habit. “Koch, huh,” said Kiko, getting himself a glass of water. “Wonder how they snagged him.” “It says he’s working on a cookbook with some locals.” “He’s always working on a cookbook,” said Kiko, a bit harshly. He finished his water and set the glass by the sink. “And they always sell well.” He paused. “I carry his holiday one at the store; it has a huge section of Easter-related recipes. Tends to be popular. Not just in spring.” “But he’s on the panel with Buddy Miller,” said Dom, laughing as he continued to skim the article. “That should be good. Does Buddy Miller even eat?” “Just because he owns the brewery doesn’t mean he solely drinks his calories. Remember to load up the dishwasher and run it, will you? I’m running late.” “No one comes in this early anyway,” said Dom, shutting down the laptop. “I’m the one who’s running late.” “And you haven’t shaved in days,” said Kiko as Dom turned and approached him, closing the distance between them. “I thought you secretly liked me like this.” Dom leaned up against Kiko, setting his coffee mug on the counter. “I secretly do,” said Kiko, leaning forward to kiss him. “But that’s not the point.” Dom smiled, gave Kiko a return kiss. He could imagine undoing Kiko’s pants, having a quickie in the kitchen, the morning light around them. He would claim he had gotten stuck in traffic when he got to work. But when he rested his hands on Kiko’s hips, the man broke the kiss. “I’m serious about the dishwasher. And the laundry.” “You really know how to turn me on, Kiko,” said Dom, releasing him. “You probably want dinner made, too.” “No,” said Kiko, moving to grab Mother and then reach for his keys on the hook by the door. “You’re my test subject tonight for my burger recipe, remember?” “Sounds good,” said Dom. Kiko leaned forward to give him one last quick kiss.