There was something to be said about trust.  Anton trusted Stella with Licorice, just as he knew she trusted him with Tesla.  Still, for all she knew, the sausage she was eating coulda been hotter than the sun beating down on a Hawaiian beach.  In the middle of July.  But nope, she took him at his word that although spicy, the Linguica was definitely manageable, unlike the intense prawns from their surf ~n~ turf dinner.<br/><br/>One trait he had learned about her was that if she liked the taste of something, her face always betrayed her.  Always.  Anton usually knew she enjoyed whatever it was she happened to be eating long before she said so.  This breakfast was no different, as her wide eyes gave up the ghost yet again.  Stella<i>then </i>informed him verbally at how delicious it was.  He didn’t think she’d be all that good at poker, but then, neither was he.<br/><br/>"Do you make this often?" Stella asked.<br/><br/>Thinking about it, he answered with a shrug, “Nah, not that often.  Usually, the keys are what kinda veggies and cheeses I may have laying around.  So the next time I make the fried rice and scramble probably won’t be exactly like what you’re eating now.  Oh, and I like to change up the meats.  Besides this, I also enjoy sliced ham steak, link sausage and patties, and bacon.  I mean, who doesn’t love bacon, right?”  Anton laughed while sipping his cranberry juice.<br/><br/>Geez, even Licorice loved bacon.  You know you’re this side of awesome when actual pet food manufacturers announce whether in their foods or treats,<i>Made with real bacon!  </i>To his knowledge, he couldn’t remember ever seeing any treats bragging,<i>Made with real tofu! </i>or even worse,<i>Made with real broccoli!  </i>Licorice would undoubtedly bop him upside the head if he dared bring something like that home, let alone attempt to feed it to her.<br/><br/>“Avocado?” Anton repeated, “Oh yeah, I love that stuff.  Whether sliced and in sandwiches or thrown into salads, totally yummy.  And let’s not forget guacamole.”  That reminded him of something.  “There’s this sandwich shop near our agency that serves up a wicked BLT, and if you’re a fan of avocado, you’d order the BLAT. One has the tasty green treat, the other doesn’t.  Both are tremendous though.”<br/><br/>Anton took note of and paid attention to one of her favorite sandwiches to make.  Keeping track of what went in it, he noticed something was indeed missing.  Stella never mentioned any meats.  Ah well, he lamented, can’t be a carnivore ALL the time.  It still sounded good, however, and he told her so, while imagining the distinct taste that each vegetable brought to the sandwich party.<br/><br/>Good thing they were already eating, because when she mentioned breakfast burritos, Anton knew his stomach would be growling in protest.  “My favorite breakfast burritos are chorizo and sausage, in that order, and then I like the salsa to be on the spicy side,” he explained.<br/><br/>Being a good boy all this time, Anton finally surrendered and reached for one of her blueberry scones.  Their coffee was still hot, so the two would go well together.  Initial bite mingling in his mouth, it was now his turn for his eyes to disclose his enjoyment.  “Wow,” was all he could manage.  A food critic he would never be.  Its flakiness, creaminess, butteryness, and blueberryness all complimented each other, kinda like a combo pizza.  Following his second bite, he placed the treat on his plate.<i>That</i>would have to be saved for last.<br/><br/>“Well, if you’re a terrible glutton, your figure sure doesn’t show it,” he said, clearly not planning ahead.  Woof, the cheesiness belonged in the scramble, not in his words.  He hoped she failed to notice.