CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR
After that day, the relationship between Desi and Michael greatly improved. They no longer looked at each other as housemates. Michael developed a self consciousness of being home early so as to have dinner with his wife.
And so it happened one day, Desi decided to play a prank on Micheal. She went to the carefully laid out suit Michael had prepared to wear for work. She applied a large amount of her red lip gloss on her lips and smeared it directly on the collar of his white shirt, casting a full lips mark on it.
After Breakfast she left for school joyfully and Michael went to his office. All the employees all stared at him and discussed in hushed tones. Michael wasn't perturbed by such behavior because he had already gotten used to their admiration. But, this day their gazes were so intense. Michael thought about it and concluded that perhaps he chose the perfect suit today.
The strange thing was that he noticed that gaze from Humphrey too, and Humphrey had never admired his outfit. He shrugged of thoughts about it and went directly to his office.
Inside the office there was a deafening silence. The only person who breathed normally was Michael. Humphrey was afraid of breathing loudly incase Master picked an offense in it.
Unable to contain the question that ran through his mind he voiced it out.
"Sir, are you aware of the rumor that is going round the office now?"
"What rumor?"
"The employees thinks that you now have a woman, who had the liberty of touching you all the time. They concluded that it was why you were normally delayed for work."
Michael's eyes turned sharp. He hated this type of gossip. What if Desi caught a wind of it? She was going to keep giving him cold shoulders.
" Who started the rumor?" He asked firmly.
Looking at the red bright lip mark on his masters immaculate white shirt. Humphrey muttered under his breath.
"It was you sir." He declared and Michael struck his head with a document.
"I'm not in for jokes now, who started the rumor?"
Did he just say that he wasn't in for jokes now? When had he ever had time for jokes.
"It was you sir? There's a lip stain on your shirt. It's clearly that of a woman."
Michael swiftly moved in front of the mirror and saw it. How come he didn't see this before? He normally checked himself all over again in front of the mirror at home .... Oh.. that's right. Desi had made sure he didn't go to the mirror. She told him that he looked dashing! And that was it, she had played him!
"You can leave now Humphrey."
After he left, Michael sneered to himself. Desiree Le grande, watch how I slowly kill you.
That day, Michael made a call to the Burtler and the whole of the kitchen was filled with nothing but potatoes. He had noticed that one of dishes she hated was potato. Since she was a food monger. Let's see how she's going to survive tonight without food.
Desi came back from school very exhausted. She normally came around six pm. This had become a norm. She hated doing her assignments at home, so she preferred doing it at school. Well, with the school Wi-Fi.
When she entered the Burtler collected her bag. She stretched herself and started pulling off her shoes, one after the other. The fact that she wore expensive things to school was what made most of the students to try associating with her.
Her hand bags, shoes, clothes, earrings and even belts would feed a small town for five years. This earned her a level of unwanted respect.
This particular shoe made her uncomfortable and she wanted to give it out. After pulling it off her feet she climbed the stairs with ease as she was now barefooted.
She entered her room and washed up. She wanted to try out a new pajamas.
The pajamas was quite tight which was strange.
She tried it on when she bought it and it was so free. This only meant one thing, she had gained weight again!
She panicked, her early morning jogging was going to resume. She felt very hungry and she found her flip-flops. Then, off she went to the dining table.
As usual Michael was there already there as she walked down. Totally forgetting what she did in the morning, she had wanted to tease him with something but she suddenly felt nauseous. What was that smell? Potatoes! She ran to the nearest restroom close to the dining and emptied her bowel.
Of all the dishes in the world, why did they have to cook potatoes? She remembered that this was Michael Kingston's place. They just couldn't prepare one kind of meal. There must be varieties!
She darted back to the dining room and got the shock of her life. The whole table was filled with potato porridge. She suddenly felt like crying. The kitchen could not just prepare potatoes alone unless they were instructed to. She widened her eyes and stared at the amazing figure at the other end of the table. Michael Kingston!!
She went to the refrigerator, just potatoes. She went to the cupboard, just potatoes. She went to the Kitchen store, inside it laid different sixes of potato bags.
Not knowing what to do, her hunger increased and she rushed to her room. She had always kept cartons of noodles for emergencies.
She took out only two packs and dashed to the kitchen. She found some useful spices and tomatoes. With a left over chicken lap from the kitchen fridge.
She didn't know how to cook, but her noodles had always remained the best.
She boiled the meat till it was tender. She took a knife and started cutting it into small bits. When she was almost done preparing the noodles, she added the chicken to it and they were all mixed together.
Inside the living room, Michael perceived the nice aroma that wafted the air. He became hungrier, but not with potatoes, but with the food that gave off that aroma. Soon Desi came out with a full plate of noodles and chicken.
However, before she could start eating Michael requested for his own share. Desi blatantly told him that it was finished already. He requested to share hers with her and she refused. She spooned up the first portion and the taste was great!
She started eating it slowly and gracefully in front of Michael, She savored the taste which made Michael gulp down his spit. His Adam's apple danced up and down.
Out of reflex he snatched the food from Desi's hands.
"If I don't have a share, then no one is eating today!"