Page 81 of Blush
Okay, not too awkward…
It tastes…like the ocean. Kind of briny, a little salty. Maybe even a touch of sweetness. Maybe a little metallic?”
“You like it, then?”
Do I? It’s different, for sure. Creamy on my tongue. Creamier even than raw salmon, which is my favorite after unagi.
I look down at the mess on my plate. “I’m not sure how to eat the rest of this. My chopsticks certainly won’t work.”
Jackson laughs.
“What’s so funny? You’ve never dropped a piece of sushi before?”
“Oh, it’s not that.”
“What is it, then?”
“You just ate gonads, Mandy. Sea urchin sex organs.”
I drop my jaw but then shut my mouth quickly, trying to ignore the gag reflex at the back of my throat. So I just ate sea urchin ovaries. Or testicles. Or both. “Oh?”
“That’s right. The only edible part of the sea urchin is its gonads.”
I refuse to let him get to me. “Well, it was good. I might even order another.”
He guffaws. “Be my guest.”
“If I’m still hungry after I finish everything else, I’m absolutely going to order another.”
“Please.”
“Have you ever even tried it?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
He laughs. “Because I found out it’s gonads.”
“How can you be so close-minded, Jackson? I’ve seen you eat sweetbreads. I’ve seen you eat chicken livers.”
“But you haven’t seen me eat Rocky Mountain oysters.”
“Can you even get them here in New York?”
“If you look hard enough. I don’t have any desire for bull testicles.”
He’s being an ass again. What is wrong with him? Just for this, I’m going to finish the sea urchin. Yes, I’m going to eat sex organs. I gesture to Haru, who’s walking back from another table.
“Yes?” he says.
“I’ve had a little faux pas with my sea urchin. Could I please have a fork so I can finish it?”
Haru smiles.
A great big smile, and he’s quite good-looking with a marble jaw line. “Absolutely. I’ll be right back.”
I’ll show Jackson Paris. I can eat gonads, I can wear a corset, I can flirt with a hot waiter, and I can go to Black Rose Underground. I am so done being sweet and virginal little Mandy Cake who always takes the safe route.