"You can also grill the stir-fry yourself. Today, assume I''m the chef. You''re the customer. So pick your Ingredients, mydy."


    I couldn''t help the giggle that bubbled up my throat. "You''re insane." But I did pick out the ingredients.


    "...meats," I murmured as I picked out the ingredients. "Lots of them. Veggies, an ample amount...


    "Noted, ma''am."


    I smiled as I continued to pick out my choice, "sauces, I exined how I wanted my sauce. "And seasonings!" I chirped as I selected the seasonings from a buffet-style spread.


    "Your stir-fry will be ready in ten seconds!" He said as he moved the ingredients to the grill area where he would cook them on arge t grill. He got to work and made quite a show of exaggerating every of his


    move to impress and amuse me.


    I gasped loudly, my eyes widened. "I thought the stir-fry will be ready immediately."


    He chuckled. "If I could make that possible just for you, I would."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    1 smiled, my heart warming at his efforts to make me feel better.


    He had always been so good at putting a smile on my face and making meugh. I briefly pondered on who usuallyughed more whenever he was around.


    Amie. Definitely Amie. Often times, I always find myself holding back myughters and smiles and trying


    my


    damndest not to blush at his sweet natural incessantpliments.


    In a few minutes, my stir-fry was ready.


    "Hmm," I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, greedy for the sweet aroma. "This smelles so good. I guess you aren''t so bad, Chef Dennis."


    "I''m not bad at all," he smirked and made to step out from behind the grill.


    I frowned and quickly stopped him. "What are you doing?"


    His facial expression matched mine. He nodded toward the ssic style seats and tables away from the grill area, "I''m taking your stir-fry to a table so you can eat." "What about yours?"


    He smiled, "You should eat first. We''re here for you."


    "No, buddy," I shook my head firmly, "that would not work. I''m not going to eat if you don''t."


    "Ana...I''m not hungry."


    "I don''t care. You have to anyway. You forced me here, remember?"


    He chuckled, "Fine. But you''d have to pick out the ingredients."


    "With all pleasure."


    For the next few minutes, we giggled andughed over the grill as he made his own stir-fry.


    When we were done, he carried the two bowl and refused my help when I offered it.


    "You''re the customer, remember?" He said as he walked ahead of me. "I''m the chef, here to serve you," he finished as he dropped the bowls on the wooden table.


    He pulled out my seat for me. "Ma''am?"


    "Thank you my very good sir," I said and heughed really hard,


    A small smile danced on my lips, d that I could reciprocate his efforts in making mefortable by making himugh. It was the least I could do after how much help he had been in the short time he had


    "You can have some of mine if you want," he said enthusiastically as he took his own seat. "Since you picked out the ingredients, I guess it''s in your taste range, right?" He asked with a sheepish grin.


    I dipped the fork in my mouth as I thought about it. Not really, I had struggled to remember the foods that he often fook and tried to guess what he''d have chosen.


    "I''ll never tell."


    He grasped his chest and said dramatically, "You''re killing me this suspense."


    I giggled and it was like that for a while. I barely ate my stir-fry as he kept making jokes and throwing random hriousments here and there.


    He was so sweet. He was lovely with me and my daughter. Half the time, I found myself wishing that I could openly reciprocate his feelings


    He was a great guy and apart from the fact that I''d hate to ruin our friendship, I would really hate to hurt


    him.


    So the fear kept gnawing at me. What if we don''t fit the way we think we will or the way we do now? What if things don''t work out? What if I can''t bring myself to love him the way he deserved? I couldn''t hurt him. Most importantly, I couldn''t take him away from Amie. That would be cruel. Especially


    not now.


    "Ana, are you alright?"


    "Hmm," I murmured as I toyed with my food.


    At the crucial stage that Amie would be in for the next few months, I needed to make sure our rtionship remained solid.


    "Ana?"


    I looked up from my food. "Sorry what?"


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine," I answered and looked down at my food then I was once again lost in my thoughts.