The candlelight cast a warm glow on Cherie’s face. She stared at the cake and said, “I don’t have any wishes to make.”
Boyle rested his arm on the chair Cherie’s was seated. Their lips were only inches away and his intimate gesture made her seem like she was lying in his embrace.
“How could you have nothing you want to wish for at all?” he asked while staring intently at her.
Cherie turned her head toward him. “I wish that you’d stay further away from me. Will you fulfill my wish?”
Boyle’s eyes darkened for an instant. “I’ll fulfill any wish other than this.”
Cherie blew the candles.
Boyle turned on the lights. “I’ll serve the dishes now. I cooked your favorite spicy chicken lasagna.”
Boyle passed her the cutleries after that.
Cherie looked at the strawberry cake and said, “This cake is ugly.”
Boyle was not irritated. Instead, he smiled. “You have to be considerate. This is my first time baking a cake. I spent the whole afternoon at a bakery and failed several times. The pastry chef even told me to give up.”
Boyle considered this decent-looking cake a success.
He did admit that there was plenty of room for improvement. He could not even pipe a rose with whipped cream.
While she stayed silent, Boyle continued, “Although it doesn’t look appealing, it shouldn’t taste as bad as it looks. Do you want to try?”
Since Cherie did not refuse him, Boyle out took a plastic cake knife and cut a piece of cake for her.
Cherie took a bite. It tasted rather delicious.
“Does it taste nice?” Boyle asked.
“It’s far worse than the strawberry ice-cream cake I had in the afternoon,” Cherie uttered.
“I’ll learn to bake ice-cream cake next time then.”
Boyle was incredibly patient with her. He treated her much better than he did seven years ago.
Boyle passed her a plate of spicy chicken lasagna.
Cherie refused to eat. “I don’t eat this anymore.”
Boyle was surprised. He clearly remembered that she loved to eat spicy chicken lasagna seven years ago.
“Why?”
“It’s disgusting.”
Boyle was puzzled at first. However, he did not deliberate about it as he figured eating lasagna might bring up their past, which was probably why she was reluctant to eat it.
It was her birthday today and he did not want to evoke any unpleasant memories within her.
“Okay, let’s eat something else other than this,” Boyle said.
The dishes Boyle prepared were simple yet appetizing.
On the table, there was stir-fried potatoes with green peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried broccoli, steamed pork ribs, braised prawns, and a bowl of vegetable soup.
Boyle took a few braised prawns and placed them on a plate. He removed the shells and handed the plate of deshelled prawns to her.
“I’m not hungry,” Cherie said.
“You have to eat a little regardless.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I’ve prepared herbal soup too. Let me get it for you from the kitchen.”
Boyle headed to the kitchen.
Cherie stared at the plate of deshelled prawns and bit her lips. The prawn looked juicy, fresh, and tender.
She stuffed one prawn into her mouth.
And another one.
When Boyle walked toward the dining table with a bowl of herbal soup, she was holding a fork with a prawn on it.
She felt guilty as if she had been caught red-handed in an exam.
However, she acted as if nothing happened and ate with confidence.
Since she was caught finishing almost all the deshelled prawns, that one prawn would not make a difference anyway.
Boyle stared at her with a fond smile on his face.
After that, Boyle scooped out another plate of prawns and deshelled it for her.
Cherie finished it all again.
She finished the entire plate of braised prawns by herself.
Boyle cleaned up the table and washed the dishes after dinner.
After he was done with clean-up, he said, “Sit here and wait for me. I have something for you.”
Boyle then headed upstairs.
She looked at the leftover strawberry cake and took a few bites of it.
She ate in a rush and accidentally choked, so she quickly drank a few sips of water.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Passionate Devotion: Master Fudd's Beloved Wife