Chapter 24
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The problem began when Carl began multitasking. Since he didn't know how to tell if the pasta has been cooked al dente, he let it boil and focused on heating oil in the pan to sauté the garlic. He did not wait much as he immediately put the shredded chicken in the pan.
He remembered to reduce the heat before he continued stirring the chicken. He stopped for a while to check on the pasta, it was not as soft as he wanted, he wasn't sure if this was what the al dente meant as he didn't bother to look up the word in a dictionary. Nonetheless, he left the pasta and continued with the chicken.
A few minutes later, he added a few spices and pepper. Two minutes later, he set it aside. He began to sauté garlic and onions again. As usual, he did not let the onions brown or produce aroma before he added the puréed tomatoes. When it began to thicken, he added the chicken. All this while, the pasta was still being cooked. The water had dried up and it was overly cooked. Seeing this he immediately turned off the stove.
Even though it was over cooked, he decided to finish things. He added the pasta to the chicken sauce. It took less than thirty minutes. Since this was his first attempt, he felt he did a pretty good job, after all, nothing burnt. The only casualty was the overcooked pasta. Without so much as tasting it through out the whole process, he took out two plates and served the food. He took out two glasses and waited for Kim to show up.
Not quite five minutes later, the door clicked and she entered. She was surprised at the smell. She did not remember cooking anything. And Carl did not cook, not to her knowledge anyway.
"Welcome home." He said in a cheery voice, smiling brightly. She was surprised he was home before her. More importantly his smile was too bright.
"What's up?" She asked, raising a brow at him.
He went to her, pulling her to the kitchen area. "I.. I cooked dinner." He said, massaging the back of his head.
She was rather surprised. She looked at the table. It looked good and it smelled good too so of course she would assume it tasted good.
"You cooked?" She questioned in disbelief. "When did you learn to?"
Grinning, he replied, "Today."
Looking up at him, she began, "You're kidding, right? You can't possibly perfect it in a day..."
Pulling out a chair, he gestured for her to sit. He went to the fridge, got a bottle of water and a pack of orange juice. He poured her a glass a water, raising the glass, he said, "You must be thirsty, here."
She took huge gulps and dropped the glass with a thud, she wanted to dig in, after all, he cooked for her.
"Slow down." He reprimanded.
"Try it." She said softly, with shinning eyes, awaiting approval.
She picked up a fork, twirled the pasta and put it in her mouth. She was repulsed. It was overcooked, there was no salt and it was spicy.. too spicy for her taste.. for anybody's taste. Like it wasn't cooked enough. Still she swallowed it.
With expectation, he questioned, "How is it?"
She smiled at him. 'I guess he didn't try it yet.' she drank a full glass of water before saying try it. He did as he was instructed. Immediately, the excitement in his eyes disappeared as they dimmed. The smile on his face vanished, he couldn't hide the repulsion as his face twisted in disgust. Seeing she managed to swallow hers without spitting it out, he did the same. After that, he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"I'll order." He said sadly.
Seeing his dimmed eyes, she felt a little guilty. He had never cooked before, so it was expected. 'It's the thought that counts.' she thought. So she smiled at him warmly, "Thank you."
Looking at her, he felt better. He made a mental note to learn so he could impress her. Getting up, he picked up his phone to place an order, however she stopped him.
"I'll cook, you can assist and also learn."
"You should be hungry, that would take too long.. besides there's not much. We can do that later."
Taking her hands, he asked politely, "May be, we could eat out?"
She liked the gesture, but then it was confusing. Why was he treating her this way? Isn't this the same as a date? She pushed her thoughts aside and decided to go with the flow.
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The problem began when Carl began multitasking. Since he didn't know how to tell if the pasta has been cooked al dente, he let it boil and focused on heating oil in the pan to sauté the garlic. He did not wait much as he immediately put the shredded chicken in the pan.
He remembered to reduce the heat before he continued stirring the chicken. He stopped for a while to check on the pasta, it was not as soft as he wanted, he wasn't sure if this was what the al dente meant as he didn't bother to look up the word in a dictionary. Nonetheless, he left the pasta and continued with the chicken.
A few minutes later, he added a few spices and pepper. Two minutes later, he set it aside. He began to sauté garlic and onions again. As usual, he did not let the onions brown or produce aroma before he added the puréed tomatoes. When it began to thicken, he added the chicken. All this while, the pasta was still being cooked. The water had dried up and it was overly cooked. Seeing this he immediately turned off the stove.
Even though it was over cooked, he decided to finish things. He added the pasta to the chicken sauce. It took less than thirty minutes. Since this was his first attempt, he felt he did a pretty good job, after all, nothing burnt. The only casualty was the overcooked pasta. Without so much as tasting it through out the whole process, he took out two plates and served the food. He took out two glasses and waited for Kim to show up.
Not quite five minutes later, the door clicked and she entered. She was surprised at the smell. She did not remember cooking anything. And Carl did not cook, not to her knowledge anyway.
"Welcome home." He said in a cheery voice, smiling brightly. She was surprised he was home before her. More importantly his smile was too bright.
"What's up?" She asked, raising a brow at him.
He went to her, pulling her to the kitchen area. "I.. I cooked dinner." He said, massaging the back of his head.
She was rather surprised. She looked at the table. It looked good and it smelled good too so of course she would assume it tasted good.
"You cooked?" She questioned in disbelief. "When did you learn to?"
Grinning, he replied, "Today."
Looking up at him, she began, "You're kidding, right? You can't possibly perfect it in a day..."
Pulling out a chair, he gestured for her to sit. He went to the fridge, got a bottle of water and a pack of orange juice. He poured her a glass a water, raising the glass, he said, "You must be thirsty, here."
She took huge gulps and dropped the glass with a thud, she wanted to dig in, after all, he cooked for her.
"Slow down." He reprimanded.
"Try it." She said softly, with shinning eyes, awaiting approval.
She picked up a fork, twirled the pasta and put it in her mouth. She was repulsed. It was overcooked, there was no salt and it was spicy.. too spicy for her taste.. for anybody's taste. Like it wasn't cooked enough. Still she swallowed it.
With expectation, he questioned, "How is it?"
She smiled at him. 'I guess he didn't try it yet.' she drank a full glass of water before saying try it. He did as he was instructed. Immediately, the excitement in his eyes disappeared as they dimmed. The smile on his face vanished, he couldn't hide the repulsion as his face twisted in disgust. Seeing she managed to swallow hers without spitting it out, he did the same. After that, he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"I'll order." He said sadly.
Seeing his dimmed eyes, she felt a little guilty. He had never cooked before, so it was expected. 'It's the thought that counts.' she thought. So she smiled at him warmly, "Thank you."
Looking at her, he felt better. He made a mental note to learn so he could impress her. Getting up, he picked up his phone to place an order, however she stopped him.
"I'll cook, you can assist and also learn."
"You should be hungry, that would take too long.. besides there's not much. We can do that later."
Taking her hands, he asked politely, "May be, we could eat out?"
She liked the gesture, but then it was confusing. Why was he treating her this way? Isn't this the same as a date? She pushed her thoughts aside and decided to go with the flow.
The problem began when Carl began multitasking. Since he didn't know how to tell if the pasta has been cooked al dente, he let it boil and focused on heating oil in the pan to saut the garlic. He did not wait much as he immediately put the shredded chicken in the pan.He remembered to reduce the heat before he continued stirring the chicken. He stopped for a while to check on the pasta, it was not as soft as he wanted, he wasn't sure if this was what the al dente meant as he didn't bother to look up the word in a dictionary. Nonetheless, he left the pasta and continued with the chicken.A few minutes later, he added a few spices and pepper. Two minutes later, he set it aside. He began to saut garlic and onions again. As usual, he did not let the onions brown or produce aroma before he added the pured tomatoes. When it began to thicken, he added the chicken. All this while, the pasta was still being cooked. The water had dried up and it was overly cooked. Seeing this he immediately turned off the stove.Even though it was over cooked, he decided to finish things. He added the pasta to the chicken sauce. It took less than thirty minutes. Since this was his first attempt, he felt he did a pretty good job, after all, nothing burnt. The only casualty was the overcooked pasta. Without so much as tasting it through out the whole process, he took out two plates and served the food. He took out two glasses and waited for Kim to show up.Not quite five minutes later, the door clicked and she entered. She was surprised at the smell. She did not remember cooking anything. And Carl did not cook, not to her knowledge anyway."Welcome home." He said in a cheery voice, smiling brightly. She was surprised he was home before her. More importantly his smile was too bright."What's up?" She asked, raising a brow at him.He went to her, pulling her to the kitchen area. "I.. I cooked dinner." He said, massaging the back of his head.She was rather surprised. She looked at the table. It looked good and it smelled good too so of course she would assume it tasted good."You cooked?" She questioned in disbelief. "When did you learn to?"Grinning, he replied, "Today."Looking up at him, she began, "You're kidding, right? You can't possibly perfect it in a day..."Pulling out a chair, he gestured for her to sit. He went to the fridge, got a bottle of water and a pack of orange juice. He poured her a glass a water, raising the glass, he said, "You must be thirsty, here."She took huge gulps and dropped the glass with a thud, she wanted to dig in, after all, he cooked for her."Slow down." He reprimanded."Try it." She said softly, with shinning eyes, awaiting approval.She picked up a fork, twirled the pasta and put it in her mouth. She was repulsed. It was overcooked, there was no salt and it was spicy.. too spicy for her taste.. for anybody's taste. Like it wasn't cooked enough. Still she swallowed it.With expectation, he questioned, "How is it?"She smiled at him. 'I guess he didn't try it yet.' she drank a full glass of water before saying try it. He did as he was instructed. Immediately, the excitement in his eyes disappeared as they dimmed. The smile on his face vanished, he couldn't hide the repulsion as his face twisted in disgust. Seeing she managed to swallow hers without spitting it out, he did the same. After that, he poured himself a glass of orange juice."I'll order." He said sadly.Seeing his dimmed eyes, she felt a little guilty. He had never cooked before, so it was expected. 'It's the thought that counts.' she thought. So she smiled at him warmly, "Thank you."Looking at her, he felt better. He made a mental note to learn so he could impress her. Getting up, he picked up his phone to place an order, however she stopped him."I'll cook, you can assist and also learn.""You should be hungry, that would take too long.. besides there's not much. We can do that later."Taking her hands, he asked politely, "May be, we could eat out?"She liked the gesture, but then it was confusing. Why was he treating her this way? Isn't this the same as a date? She pushed her thoughts aside and decided to go with the flow.
