After waiting for almost two hours in the living room,Anne decided to go to the kitchen to see what Charles’s up to.The whole kitchen was a great mess,she gasped,
“Why didn’t you call for my help?” She said to him as she strode to the sink,she helped him was the used dishes and utensils then she cleaned the kitchen table,
“One rule of cooking,you wash away dirty dishes as you cook and as it seems now,you’re losing points.” He turned to her and smiled,the apron was soiled with tomato paste and soy oil,
“You’re a bad chef.”
“Wait till you taste my food,I don’t care about washing or keeping anything tidy,the only Hong I care about now is preparing a wonderful meal for us,o I can win the bet,now allow me finish will yah?” He winked at her,she muttered something then left him,
“Make sure you don’t burn down my kitchen.” She yelled to his hearing as she went back to the living room.
Awhile later,he came out of the kitchen,
“Are you done?” She asked not turning to him as he set the dining table,
“Just a minute.” He did the table setting and went back to the kitchen and brought their lunch,
“Lunch’s served.”He announced,she stood up and went to the table,
” It smells good,I hope it taste as good as that.”she opened the China bowl,
“Spaghetti sauce?” He nodded and she opened the other one,
“Meatballs?” He nodded with a smiling face,
“That’s the least I can come up with,hope you enjoy it.”
“I don’t think I will,she replied smiling as he served the food into her plate and then to his.
She took a taste of the noodles and dug into the meatballs, after chewing it,she waited for awhile,
” Well,the meatballs are good but your spaghetti……… uhm..what should I say?”She tried to think of something but she can’t, his food was very tasty,
“Just tell me I am a good cook and I might just have mercy on you.” He said,she smiled and nodded,
“You really surprised me,I never for once thought you could cook but you really did,you won.”
“Really?” He asked beaming with joy,she nodded,
“I hate to say it but you did.”
“Yes! So….can I get my kiss now?”
Surely he remembers,she nodded
A kiss can’t hurt a fly,he came closer and was about kissing her when they heard a knock on the door,she pulled from him and went to the door,
“Ace and Cheryl.” She was actually talking to him not them,they came inside,
“Yum,I want meatballs.” Ace said as Anne carried him to the table,
“Wow,lunch?” Cheryl said in tow,she turned to Anne,
“Who prepared it?” Anne smiled,
“Don’t tell me he did.” She said and Anne nodded while Charles went to the kitchen and brought more food,
“Yes he did,isn’t that surprising?” Anne was smiling while Ace continued eating the meatballs on her plate,
“Someone has to teach you some manners.” Cheryl said to Ace as she caught him eating Anne’s meatballs, Charles came with the food while Cheryl stood up and got wine from the refrigerator for all of them,
“I never knew you were a good cook,” she said to Charles,he nodded a thank you,
“Cheers to our business success and your great cooking.” They clinked glasses,
“Cheers” they said in unison and ate amidst discussion and laughter.
Anne took Charles out for dinner during the weekend according to their deal,but he didn’t allow her foot the bill,
“It doesn’t have to be on your account.” He said to her, she sat across him and gave him a frown,
“You don’t have to pity me,I want it on my account.” She said,his eyes widened,
“God strike me dead,no! I’m not pitying you.”
“Then allow me do it.” She said,
“On a condition I get my kiss tonight,remember I didn’t do it that day.” She smiled and nodded,she called the maître due, a woman in her mid thirties, she came with the menu,going Anne one and Charles the other.
“I just want something light but exquisite.” He muttered as he ran through the list of food they serve.The restaurant was nice,it was dimly lit and everything was in order,
“Endive Salad,Shrimps and wine.” She said to the maître,Charles looked up from the menu book,
“Good choice.” The woman left to get their order while Charles set her for a nice conversation,
“So Anne,you ever had a boyfriend?” He asked her,she placed her hand under the table,on her thighs.
Its no use lying,common say it.
“Yes,I had a boyfriend.” She couldn’t look at him but was looking at the dimly lit light on the other side of he restaurant and then to a black man that just walked into the restaurant,
“So what happened?” There was a certain calmness in his voice, she hasn’t heard from anyone in years, she stole a glance,
“Well,we got pretty serious, he proposed and I accepted but something led to something and that something led to breakup.” She said,
“What’s the something? I’m not trying to poke nose but I just wanted to know,she smiled,she understood,
“He cheated.” She wasn’t exactly telling the truth,if he hadn’t cheated she would have cheated because there was Deville and his contract,
“Oops sorry.”
“No,it doesn’t matter anymore, its been six years already.” The maître came with their food,
“Anything else?” She asked them,each shook their head,so she left them.Charles opened the wine and poured some in each to the glasses,
“Thanks,” she took her glass,
“So Anne,do you have a by now.” She had shrimp in her mouth,so he waited for her to chew it,
“No.” That one word gave him a bit of happiness but it still scared him away,
“But I thought you and Alan are a….” She cut him short with a kinda cute and serious look,he backed for defense,
“Don’t get me wrong,everyone was saying it and it was obvious the way he looks at you.” He said,she shook her head,
“Hell no,I and Alan are just friends,we were friend before I care to work for you and he’s the one that really got me the job.” He heaved a breathe of relief at her explanation,
“So am I fighting a lost cause?” He asked,she waited.This question has been asked by countless men on countless dinner date over the space of six years and they got one answer,
“It’s a loss cause,”but the man sitting in front of her is not other men,he’s Charles Zhang,her boss,a nice,caring ,easy going gentleman that has fallen for her unlike the other men who were like Deville, nothing like Charles. They wanted her cause she’s beautiful and has nice body,that’s all but she doesn’t know whether she loves him or not,he’s every girl’s dream but seems not to be hers, so absurd.
” Anne.”He called her back to her senses,
“Why don’t we take it one dinner at a time.” She said,he was slightly disappointed but that isn’t putting him off,he isn’t going to give up on her,never in this life.They ate their dinner, they talked about the project and how it was going and then to the contract,
“I showed the design to the client and he loves it,he said the designer really did a great job,then I told him it was my secretary who did it,so he’s inviting the both of us for his daughter’s birthday which is in two weeks.” She liked the comments on her work but wasn’t comfortable with the invitation,
“Charles, I don’t think I want to…” He took her hands in his,
“Anne,do me this one favor please.” He interrupted her,
“I’ll send you the date when he gives it,don’t worry about the venue,I’m coming to pick you up from your house.” She shyly took her hands from his and after awhile,she gave her approval,
“Thank you Anne.” He said to her.She paid for the meal while he tipped,he tipped generously and the maître was overjoyed when she saw his tip.
Charles insisted on driving her home before going back to the hotel that night.When they got home,he parked then walked her to the porch,
“Okay,I’ll take it from here.” She said smiling,
“Thanks for tonight.” He took her hand with his,she relaxed,
“I should be thanking you not the opposite.” She said but he just kept staring at her,she felt shy and took her hands from his,he leaned closer and kissed her on the lips, she wanted to get off but decided against it on a second thought,
A kiss can’t hurt a fly.She allowed him kiss her and even opened her mouth to him,he kissed her passionately and urgently, his hands on her waist,his kiss was getting deeper and deeper,then she slightly pushed him off herself,
“Uhm……sorry Charles,I gotta go and its getting late for you to be driving out.” She was sleigh embarrassed and he understood perfectly well,
“Okay,good night Anne,she nodded and went inside while he headed to his car and drove away.She came inside and saw Cheryl by the window,
“Welcome girlfriend.” Cheryl said leaving the window side and coming to sit with Anne,
“You kissed him.” Cheryl said,trying her best to stay calm and not burst with excitement,
“Why were you spying?” Anne asked,finding it amusing and irritating that Cheryl saw them kissing,she stood up and headed to her room while Cheryl followed her,
“I couldn’t help but spy but you boss really love you.” She said sitting on the bed,
“Give menthe details, tell me where you guys went to and…….”
“Cheryl,I’ll give you details tomorrow but for now,I want nothing more than to have a nice shower and go to bed,I’m dead tired.” She said from the shower,Cheryl gasped,
“Did you have s£x with him?” She asked jokingly
“Cheryl!” Anne yelled,Cheryl has a way of annoying her,
“Okay,okay.” She stood up and went to the door,
“Just a kiss is getting you tired,I wonder what you’ll feel if he f**ks you.” She said loud enough for Anne to hear,then she ran to her room and closed the door cause she knows what Anne would do if she comes out.
She did right, Anne came out, she went to the door,
“Thank your ass you left,I would have punched your mouth and keep you shut forever.” Cheryl giggled from her room and Anne shut her door,
“Such a nuisance.”