Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Chapter 15 – Lesson One To One Hundred
(Anj‘s POV) This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
I am not here to cook for Sky.
I am not excited to do this for him.
I am not learning chores for my husband.
I am not... I sighed and shook my head as I looked at the apron Elenita gave me. Before coming here to the kitchen, I checked the recipe on how to cook it, but as she told me, Sky is very particular with the food he eats, not that he is picky, but perhaps his taste bud is different from ordinary people like me. “This is easy to prepare, but Sky will know if the crab meat is fresh or not,” she said as if the details were crucial for me to remember. “Wash your hands... and your face.” She added as she moved quickly around the kitchen, preparing the ingredients.
As I wash my face, I hear Elenita talking to three maids in the kitchen, just asking them to prepare everything but leaving after that. When I was done, I was like a child that she tended to, fixing my hair into a ponytail and putting on the apron she gave me. The corners of my mouth almost lifted, touched by the feeling that no one had ever done this to me until I reached the age of five. Sister Grace had always been awed at me for being able to do things independently after learning from her and Aunt Rose. When she was done, and the others had left, I swallowed hard as my round eyes grew, my heart pounding as I stared at the boiled crabs sitting on the plate. Since I had allergies to crabs, it has never been on the menu in the nursing home and at home, except when somebody gives us cooked meat or food, just like the case of Mrs. Antonetta. It was her grandchild who brought the cooked meal and generously shared it with me
“Do you know how to get the meat from the crab?” She asked as she took another plate and crab.
I swallowed hard, feeling bad for the crab. “No,” I said truthfully, shaking my head as I picked up the innocent crab.
Elenita took one, flipping it and pointing her finger at the white underside of the crab. “You have to remember that the male has a smaller, more pointed, and narrower apron, but the female has a bigger, more rounded flap,” she explained before giving me the female crab. “Is it necessary to know them?” I bit my lower lip, holding the crab in its claw. She gave me a sullen look. “Yes, because Sky always wants female crabs.” “Figures,” I whispered, nodding and watching her as she removed the apron. “Do it,” She sounded like a strict teacher in a lab class. I grabbed the point toward the front of the crab and pulled the apron off, doing it perfectly as if I had done it before. From my peripheral view, I caught her raising her eyebrows but smiling for a brief second before turning into a strict–teacher mode.
After her step–by–step guide, when we finally had thoroughly cleaned the crabs, she taught me to pick the crab meat. I was tempted to taste it, but I feared the result that it would make
my face swollen.
I breathed out and smiled at my achievement that I cupped my face, tapping my cheeks for doing a good job and forgetting that my hands had crab butter after holding the body of one crab the wrong way.
These crabs must have something against me even if I did not taste the meat because I could feel tiny stings on my face, and my hands started to get itchy. I ignored the slight prickling sensation on my skin and focused on cooking the pasta, a task I was familiar with. When I was done, I turned to Elenita to tell her, but she gasped, looking at me with shock on her face. “My goodness, Angela! Why didn‘t you tell me? Are you allergic to seafood?” She asked worriedly, opening the cabinet and looking for medicine. “Do you have a medi. “She sighed, shaking her head, remembering she could not even find my clothes and shoes. “Do you have any allergies to medicine?”
I nodded, watching her as she took her cell phone, and I could see her hands trembling as she dialed a number.
“I‘m fine, Elenita. Don‘t worry,” I looked at my reflection in the mirror and chuckled amusingly at the red spots on my face. “Hmph! While you find it entertaining, I‘m sure Sky will kill me for letting this happen,” She scoffed at me, looking at the number she was pressing. “This will wear off, Elenita. Give it a day or two,” I put on the oven mitt to get the baked potato from the oven. “As long as I won‘t eat it, I‘m okay, so please, stop worrying about me.” “Dear, no one messes with the Mars family,” she uttered in a low voice. “I‘m not a Mars,” I sighed sadly. It would be nice to be part of a family that no one wanted to mess with, but I got here because of our one night of insanity and wanted to tell her I am like time, just passing through.
She hissed, rolling her eyes at me. “Are you sure you‘re okay?”
I nodded, thankful I had a day or two with my identity hidden behind the red spots on my face. Elenita sighed in relief, getting a clean plate to prepare the pasta. She was almost done when another maid came in.
“Elenita, the young Mr. Mars is looking for Angela,” she told her, glancing at me. When I looked at her, she looked down, avoiding my eyes. I shrugged, wondering if I was really looking hideous that she didn‘t want to look at me.
“You don‘t get to address her just by her name, Nina. You have to call her – ” “Oh, please,” I cut in, my eyes gaping at Elenita. “Angela‘s fine.” I turned to the maid. “Where is he?”
“In the study room,” She answered, looking down at her fidgeting hands.
I tapped her on the shoulder. “It‘s okay to look at me, Nina. I‘m not Medusa that you‘d turn into stone when you look me in the eyes.” I reminded her as I walked toward the room she mentioned.
I wish to roam around the mansion while I am here, but with Sky calling me, I can feel my heart palpitating, making me dizzy as I walk in the direction of the study room. When I opened the door, I found him sitting on an executive chair with a document in his hand, not even
bothering to glance at me.
“Tell Elenita to prepare me a Chicken Caesar Sandwich,” he said without looking at me. “I changed my mind about the crab linguine.” My eyebrows raised, thinking I heard it wrong. I blinked a few times before breathing hard.“ But your food is almost prepared, sky. Come on, we took effort in preparing it,” I cried. My skin even got allergies because of the crab, and now he was telling me he wanted to eat different food.
“That‘s why I changed my mind,” he said, giving me a sullen look. “I don‘t want anyone preparing my food, especially you.” I sneered at him. “You think I‘ll poison you?” I snarled, glaring at him and hoping he would get the message that I would really do it if I were given a chance. “Hmm...” He stared at me, meeting my eyes, and then nodded. “Yes.”
“I would really do it if I had the chance,” I clenched my fists and whispered, annoyed at his handsome face.
His eyes flickered at me. “What did you say?” His eyes squinted at me suspiciously as he asked.
I smiled smugly at him. “Nothing,” I said, puckering my lips and blowing him a kiss. He twitched his lips, disgusted with what I did.
“Bring me a cup of coffee,” he said, now his eyes were fixed on the screen of his laptop. “Should I prepare the coffee or have Elenita make that too?” I asked, at least wanting to be clear because I hated it when someone wasted food or drinks. He heaved a deep sigh and stopped typing to look at me. “Are you really that stupid for you not to understand?”
My lips formed a smile before curling my lips. “I‘ll go and tell Elenita now you changed your mind about the food.”
I was about to open the door when he called me. I turned to him and saw him looking at me, his arms crossing his chest and his back leaning on the chair‘s backrest.
“Angela, I don‘t want you wearing that when you see me. Take that off.” He said in an annoyed tone, sighing as he waited for me.
My body froze, and my eyes went round. “Now?” “Yes, now!” He answered. “Or do you want me to take that off for you?” He rose to his feet, and as he walked toward me, I breathed hard as I was not ready to get naked in front of him without being drunk.