CRAVINGS

CRAVINGS

“Are you aroused?” Abigael’s chair produced a squeaking noise as she moved towards her subject, watching for intricate changes in his facial expression.

“Huh?” Alec rolled the square of dark chocolate on his tongue and looked tentatively towards the research student before him. The sterile white university lab was deserted with clean benches and flickering fluorescent lights.

“On a scale of one to five, where five is seriously aroused.” Abigael adjusted her notebook, pen ready, and peered intensely looking for any reaction. It had been a long week of testing and she dearly hoped that upon analysis, results would reflect some interesting significant statistics for her project.

“I guess a two,” Alec responded, stretching his neck. The twenty dollars he received for being part of an experiment was not so sweet if he had to eat random chocolates shoved his way. He never was a ‘chocolate person’, in fact he’d signed up believing it was a nutritional experiment. Being a personal trainer and rather proud of his abdominals, every sample tasted like ash in his mouth, however he kept that from the entirely enthusiastic woman who fed him.

“Only a two?” Abigael raised her full brows, “That’s fascinating.”Since his arrival Abigael had secretly been smelling the air, due to Alec having coated himself in the most scrumptious of colognes, one that smelt of black liquorish. She was hyper-sensitive to smell, which drew her to study the secret of chocolate’s ability to arouse humans. His visual appeal was not lost on her either. This subject’s sandy coloured hair was slicked back, and he looked as if he’d been pulled from a sports magazine in his shorts and breathable shirt. He had a strong jaw, high cheekbones and oceanic eyes that resembled storm clouds and a rough sea.

This exchange with Alec was the first conversation with a male around her same age she’d had in a while. She secretly hoped he would enjoy the experiment, like her other subjects. Although they had been women and men over fifty. However, her hypothesis was quickly proven false when he openly displayed a hatred for chocolate and further surprised her when he gladly made his opinion known. In an effort not to be distracted, Abigael looked to her tray of treats to choose the next one.

“Here,” Abigael extended her hand, a pair of tweezers holding a light brown small cube of the next chocolate sample. “Try this one,” Abigael nudged it further forward, the chocolate tickling his upper lip.

The sweet smell of chocolate caused Alec to scowl as it wafted around his face. It was another thirty-degree day in Perth and the chocolate wasn’t the only thing melting. He was sweating having come from the university gym straight to the lab, a gym towel over his neck. Alec was clearly more desiring of a refreshing beverage than the honey like dripping of gooey chocolate across his surrendering lips which gave in to the tweezers. Forced to open his mouth, Alec grumbled under his breath, like a toddler made to eat his greens.

“Aroused?” Abigael’s lips rose to a side smile and she placed the empty tweezers back on the tray.

“Actually,” Alec nodded, “I quite like this one.” He went on milking it a little, knowing the student would want as much description of the flavour he tasted in his mouth and how it was evoking a response. Instead of describing the chocolate, he studied her pale skin.

“Smooth, silky, creamy.” He swallowed feeling the warm sample melt down his throat. “Quite arousing,” he said through a smirk.

“Now that is really fascinating,” Abigael threw herself back into her seat having come rather close to her subject’s face and clicked her pen to write notes. The noise was slightly startling as the only other sound was a dull buzzing coming from the overhead fan.

“Why?” Alec played along, unable to help feeling like he was a deer in the spotlight.

“Your reaction is interesting since a recent study uncovered that a possible reason behind a love of milk chocolate is due to the fact that it has a similar fat to sugar ratio as breast milk.”

Alec spat out the remainder of milk chocolate circulating in his mouth.

Abigael dodged the flying specs which sprinkled on the white floor and asked inquisitively, “How’s your relationship with your mother?” lifting her clipboard once more.Alec wiped his mouth with his hand to regain his composure, having lost his cool for a moment and muttered, “She wanted me to be a Doctor, I like football.”

Apparently that answer was more than satisfying and resulted in just over a minute of Abigael feverishly note taking, before she peered over her clipboard to faintly mutter, “Perhaps Freud was right.”

“Ok!” Alec spread his legs and placed his hands on his thighs, preparing to rise from the wobbly plastic seat. “Are we done Doc?”

“I’m not a Doctor, yet.” Abigael shook her head, unable to understand people’s lack of interest in scientific studies, as she had been completely riveted ever since she’d first used a bunsen burner.

“What?” Alec was rather captured by the slightly odd beauty, although intense and blatantly truthful. As she moved, her perfume was carried by the overhead fan towards Alec and was a fruity surprise, far more alluring than any of the chocolate she had fed him that afternoon. She wore her light brown hair up in a messy ponytail and comfortable shoes that gave off the loud message of ‘I’m here for business,’ but Alec could imagine what lie beneath the lab coat.“I’m more of the one-time trial type of guy,” Alec waved his hand. Being fed chocolate would be any guy’s dream, but the exploration of breast milk and her intense psychological examination discombobulated him.

“Yes, I deduced that,” Abigael sent him a cold smile, making Alec’s hand drop, “But you are also an anomaly and I need to study you further,” she stood, hugging the clipboard to her chest.

Alec opened his mouth, about to say something when she cut him off. He towered over Abigael, with a posture telling of his own self-assured confidence, but there was no way he would be permitted to derail her experiment.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be paid,” she shook her head, before closing the door of the laboratory shutting him inside.

Alec laughed to himself, wondering what just happened with the mad scientist version of Willy Wonka. He had no other choice but to take a seat and continue the taste testing.The remaining samples lay on the silver tray in front of them. They’d been placed mathematically an inch apart from one another and labelled with numbers from one to twenty as if an assortment box under analysis. Although colours differed, they were all uniformly square in shape. Abigael reached down in front of him and shoved a strawberry flavoured chocolate cube into his mouth with her tweezers extended. The chocolate moulded around the metal, melting upon touch, making Alec gag slightly.

Alec had no other choice but to eat it, since it had softened in his mouth quicker than usual due to still being hot from his earlier work out. His face dropped with the taste of the artificial tart berry flavour encased in crisp chocolate. The flavoured ones were often sickly sweet, and this was no exception, making Alec want to peg his nose.

“Aroused?” Abigael laughed and then quickly grasped the clipboard, dropping her professional demeanour for a moment. Her lip accidently hit the page and left a pink sheen to the otherwise perfectly unscathed paper. She cursed to herself, looking at the lipstick mark, disliking untidy notes.

Alec opened his mouth, rolling his eyes, the strawberry pink cream filling and oak coloured chocolate disintegrated in his mouth, “Oh yeah, so hot,” he had a sarcastic tone, the creamy food making him start to feel a little queasy.

“Serious response please,” Abigael picked up the film camera and hit record.

Alec grinned, the strawberry creamy and artificial in taste, but that’s not what he was thinking about when he responded, staring at the inquisitive woman before him, “Sweet but a little intense and relentless.”

“You fascinate me,” Abigael held a film camera in Alec’s face, never grasping the concept of personal space and social norms. One of her hazel eyes was hidden by the lens, the other shut tightly.

“Would you stop saying ‘fascinating’ and following up with furious scribbles.” Alec ruffled his floppy, short hair feeling as if every one of his movements meant something. His whole body ached from exercising, and he was sure that some of the things she may have been noticing were merely uncontrollable muscle twitches, not to mention he had one hell of a calf cramp to keep his mind preoccupied.

“Scribbles?” Abigael found his suggestion insulting. “The craving of chocolate is as scientific as any other food induced euphoria. Through neurotransmission dopamine is released as a reward system when you eat it.” Abigael seemed annoyed by his need of explanation, caught up in the experiment. In frustration she rather forcefully sent the next square his way before he’d fully finished the strawberry one.

He swallowed the next coconut flavoured chocolate sample begrudgingly. It was revoltingly rich, crumblier than the others before it and slightly dry. Truth be known she fascinated him as well. It was the oddest of experiences to combine the dislike of chocolate with his growing attraction towards the scientist. No wonder his reactions were confused. He was not an overly deep guy, but his emerging fight or flight response was raising his heartrate.“Your expressions suggest you are aroused, but you don’t like the chocolate?” Abagail concluded perplexed.

“Really?” Alec sat up, moving forward towards Abigael. This was not the day for flight. His eyes widened as his eyebrows raised and the corners of his mouth turned up into a smirk, testosterone heightened from the morning run and workout.

Abigael nodded pulling away, not appearing affected by Alec’s attempted flirt, turning the recording off.

“So, if it’s already been scientifically proven what are we doing here?” Alec tried to stretch his calf casually up one of the seats legs. It was becoming abundantly clear that the only thing he craved was tasting the fruity scent which emanated from her elongated neck.

“Let me explain, since you clearly didn’t read the brief,” Abigael straightened her pen on the table, making sure everything was in line, before she took a seat, crossing her legs.

A little of her upper thigh peaked through, and Alec’s eye wandered without computing.

She tucked the fly away hairs that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear, awaiting his approval to begin the lecture.

“Please,” Alec sat back, crossing his arms, his biceps pressed against his pectorals which showed through his tight grey shirt.

“Dopamine is released when you enjoy something,” she waved her hand thinking of suggestions, “be it laughter, sex…”

Alec nodded with heightened interest, casting his mind to removing her lab coat and taking her in his arms.

“According to a pioneering study, chocolate is ‘the perfect orosensory experience to seduce the palate,’” As Abigael spoke, her cherry plum lip gloss captured all of Alec’s attention as she became enthusiastic, believing it was her scientific jargon which gained his interest, “This is the specific food craving I am researching, as dopamine gives you a surge of anticipation as you smell, pass or imagine chocolate.”

Alec let out a snore noise and rolled his head, mockingly as if he had fallen asleep sarcastically smiling, “Sorry.”

Abigael flicked the camera off, and got up from her seat, hurriedly walking over to the door of the small lab and opening it for him to leave. With no words, Alec read her expression and she wasn’t sending happy vibes. The whisps of hair which had fallen from her high pony now framed her face, tickling her cheeks. Although she hardly let any skin show, she was intoxicating.

Alec didn’t get out of his seat, only extending his hands in defence, “I’ll take it seriously,” he added, really wanting to wash his mouth out with water instead. His teeth held the overpowering flavour of coconut, tasting bracingly acidic and moderately sour. Alec leant forward and grabbed one of the chocolates off the tray and popped it in his mouth.

“See,” he spoke through his mouthful, “Tastes like a dream,” unoriginal in his description, he tried not to gag, white chocolate being his most hated flavour. “Delightful,” he clenched his teeth, his fingers sticky from the chocolate having melted from his touch. As it dried beneath the fan he could feel his skin tighten around his fingers but there was no way he’d be licking them clean.

Abigael could tell he didn’t like it, but she felt like torturing him, “How does it make you feel? Now don’t leave any details out.” She lifted her clipboard, trying to hide her growing smile.

Alec looked down to the floor, wanting to spit it out, continuing to roll the white chocolate around in his mouth. The tiles were scuffed from armies of undergraduate students passing through. He searched for adjectives as quickly as possible, in hopes that he’d be able to pelican it down his throat before the taste would leave its permanent imprint all day.

Abigael came forward, this time holding the camera at a low angle, shooting up into his face. She was crouched down in front of him, as he leant over in his chair, “Are you aroused?”

Alec would have spat the white chocolate right onto the floor if he hadn’t been so enraptured by her quizzical brow, and heart shaped face. Her lips shone, glittery as she parted them, biting down on the side as she tried to figure out the zoom on the camera lens.Alec answered truthfully, muttering, “Yes.”

“Are you craving more?” Abigael leant up, trying to get a better angle of his face for camera, her creamy skin not unlike the smooth chocolate gliding over his taste buds.

Kneeling, Abigael shuffled closer between Alec’s legs to observe his changing facial expressions.

Alec nodded, having totally forgotten the overly sweet white chocolate still sliding around in his mouth, “I’m definitely craving something.”

Abigael lowered the camera, still only a foot from Alec’s face, looking up at him. Alec swallowed the velvety chocolate, the warm liquid travelling down his throat, leaned forward and moved closer. The clock hanging in the lab ticked as Abigael’s breath shortened.

Just when Alec’s lips parted to embrace hers, inches away she decided to cut the tension, “You know I think you are the only person whose neurotransmitter doesn’t associate chocolate with a reward, rather a punishment.”

“I’m curious,” Alec mused. “Once you have aroused and tempted a subject with your samples, what then?”

“You’re not like anyone else.” Rising, she headed tentatively over to the door, and Alec followed behind, his lips curling up into a smile. “Your reactions are confusing. I’ll have to give it some thought.”

Opening the door of the lab, Abigael removed her lab coat, accidently lifting the bottom of her shirt, showing a hint of her waist. Alec watched as she wrapped the coat up in her arms, her hip slightly dipped, her waist sculpted, her skin soft and pale like the chocolate he had just tasted.“I wondered what was under that lab coat.” Alec stopped in front of her, licking his lips where a little white chocolate dried at the corners of his mouth. “Guess I’ll be seeing you Doc.”

As she hugged her lab coat, she decided to drop another fact not wanting him to leave. “Psychologist Dr. Lewis conducted a study letting chocolate dissolve slowly in his subjects’ mouth. He found statistically speaking, it produced as large of an increase in brain activity and heart rate as a passionate kiss,” she blushed, her cheeks turning a bubble-gum pink, “but the effect of chocolate lasts four times longer.”

This was a challenge that Alec could not shy away from. Taking Abigael’s waist with one hand he pulled her closer and used his other to tilt her chin up to his face. She surrendered into his embrace, her lips as inquisitive as her nature, exploring the warm, chocolate flavoured curves of his mouth until both softened and moulded to each other. Alec could feel the flurry of her heart, as if a small bird fluttered against his chest. She arched her back as Alec ran his fingers down her neck and joined his hands together at the small of her back. Enthusiastically she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and lifted herself up onto her tippy toes. Letting out a small moan the two parted softly, relaxing their shoulders as Alec helped Abigael balance until she was back down on her heels.“Was that better than chocolate?” Alec smirked, tucking a soft whisp of hair behind her ear which had fallen from her ponytail during the daring kiss.Leaning over to her desk she picked up one of the chocolate cubes she had spare and inspected the smooth dark chocolate, licking her fingers.

“Well, what do you conclude?” Alec whispered, tickling her ear while he hesitated at the doorway. Alec searched her face and encountered glazed over eyes peering back at him.

“One test sample is not enough to prove any theory.” Rolling her eyes up to him with a bite of her bottom lip, she grinned. Without another word she placed her hand behind his head and taking a fist full of his curled hair, pulled Alec back to her lips, deciding he was the only sweet treat she craved.