Colette and Lloyd: On Hot Chocolate

Boiled water sang from the stove. Alerted, Colette hopped to her feet and knocked elbow on the heavy wooden table. “Ow!”

“I can do it, sit back down,” Lloyd hurried past her, tapping her on the shoulder. Colette hesitated, waiting to see him retrieve the glass jar full of dark powder. He seemed to know what he was doing. Resigned, Colette pulled her chair out a little further and settled down again, addressing her wounded arm.

“Thanks for making hot chocolate for me Lloyd. It’s too bad Genis didn’t come.”

“Hey, it’s the only thing that makes the dead of winter bearable. I’m doing it because I want to! And Genis just likes work too much.”

Colette laughed under her breath. She liked work too, but she also liked well-deserved breaks. And hot chocolate.

“Alright… here.” Two mugs were cradled in Lloyd’s hands. A spoon protruded from them both. He put them down on the table and settled into a seat across from her. “Finished!”

Colette received her drink and settled the warm cup between her hands. Steam spiralled up to her nose and Colette took a deep breath of the scent. Then she broke down coughing.

“Lloyd…” he stared across at her as she stifled her cough into her sleeve. Her throat and nose burned. “Your hot chocolate…” she wasn’t sure quite what to make of it, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings either. “It’s so different.”

His eyebrows arched as if she had said something blasphemous. “Haven’t I made it for you before?”

“Yes, but this seems…” she bowed her head and fixed her gaze on the mug. Maybe if she tasted it she would be able to place what was wrong. But if the smell alone had been enough to bother her throat… it didn’t matter, she wouldn’t act rude after the work he had gone through for her. Colette held her breath and brought the mug to her mouth, offering Lloyd a smile as she did. Then, she took her first mouthful. It shot back out.

Colette tried to cup her mouth as she coughed. Then she tried to clamp her hands across her lips to seal the liquid in. This didn’t help, but simply made a spout which forced the drink to spray further across the table.

Then she began to choke, unable to take a breath.

Lloyd had catapulted from his chair the moment Colette’s coughing began. He was behind her, standing, hesitant about what he should do. Finally Colette’s throat allowed her to croak out a word.

“…water...?”

Lloyd did as he was told, passing off the glass when he returned. It was gone in an instant.

“Lloyd,” Colette turned to him when her cough was quieted. A raw, dry taste remained in her mouth. “I don’t think you made the hot chocolate with the powder you usually do.” Again, she wiped her sleeve across her burning mouth. Her eyes were damp and stinging. “It tasted more like… pepper.”