Lost in the Maze: Elias de Marcel

Kabanata 4

KABANATA 4

Atasha's POV

I waited for Elias to arrive, and after an hour, he was finally there. He looked puzzled, observing the kitchen environment, especially my preparations. I stood up and approached him.

"What's happening? Did I miss something special?" he asked before I kissed him on the cheek.

"Nothing special. I just wanted to make it special," I said with a captivating smile. "Dinner date."

A unique smile appeared on his lips as he looked at me. "Well, I like it," he said, sliding his hand around my waist and pulling me closer. He kissed my shoulder and then smelled the back of my neck. "Damn it, Shang. You always make me fall in love with you," he whispered.

A smile crept onto my lips, but it quickly faded. I wanted to feel happy, but the thoughts I read in an article about him crossed my mind. Damn! I told myself I wouldn't let it affect me because I knew Elias would come back to me. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but focus on it.

I took a deep breath before smiling naturally at Elias. "Let's have a seat," I said. He pulled out a chair, making me smile.

"You are something, Shang. I'm really surprised," Elias said with a smile.

"I told you so," I replied before standing up to get the cooked food. "You know, I love surprises, Elias," I added before placing the eggplant Parmigiana I prepared in front of him. I served our plates before sitting in front of him.

Elias examined the dish. "What is this? It doesn't look like chicken Parmigiana."

I poured wine into his glass before staring at him. "This is eggplant Parmigiana, another Italian dish. I thought of trying something different today. I always cook and feed you chicken Parmigiana. So, why don't you try this?" I said, pointing to the food in front of him.

He picked up the fork and took a bite before savoring it. I watched as he chewed until he finished it. I poured wine into my glass and took a sip before looking at him again. He seemed to enjoy what I cooked because he had almost finished his plate.

Of course, isang head chef ang girlfriend niya. So, what did he expect? Isa ito sa mga pinakamabentang putahe ko sa restaurant, ang Italian dish. Kaya hindi na ako dapat magtaka dahil tuwing magluluto ako para sa kanya, halos maubos niya ang kanyang plato bago magbigay ng komento.

"Kumusta ang lasa? Masarap ba ang ibang putahe, Elias?" tanong ko nang hindi sinasadya. Alam kong may iba itong kahulugan dahil muntik na siyang mabulunan sa narinig mula sa akin.

Agad siyang uminom ng wine bago pinunasan ang kanyang labi. "Heaven. You're great at cooking," he said, trying to hide his discomfort in front of me, but he wasn't successful.

A gentle smile appeared on my lips upon hearing Elias' words. Heaven? That means Jocelle made you experience something heavenly, explaining why you arrived home early in the morning. Suddenly, the atmosphere felt a bit awkward.

I played with the wine glass in my hand, swirling it around. I looked at Elias, "Do you want more? I cooked a lot," I said before standing up and getting another dish. I placed it on his plate. "These are Stuffed Mushrooms," I added and sat back in front of him.

He tasted it, and I waited for his comment. "Wow! This tasted good. You are such a great chef, I'm so lucky that you are my girlfriend," he praised with a smile on his face, holding my hand resting on the table.

I coughed and took another sip of wine. "Of course, I'm not just girlfriend material but wife material," I replied, enjoying the food on my plate. "So, Elias, I have a question. Which one tastes better, the old one you've tried or this new one?" I asked seriously while looking at him.