As they were enjoying the dinner prepared for them, "How long have you known each other?" Maggie intriguingly asked.
Landon and his friends looked at one another trying to feel each other on who would narrate to Lea and her friends how their friendship blossomed. In the end, the task was taken over by Abby. "Well, Landon, Enrico and I have known each other since grade school." She scathingly glanced at Landon. "He was actually from big apple but stayed in Myrtle every vacation."
"Hey now, my residence from the start has always been Myrtle. I was born and raised here," Landon corrected.
"Technically, yes. But you didn't actually study here," Enrico refuted him.
"Yes, I did!"
"Oh really now?" Lea mockingly remarked.
"Back when we were in first grade, we're even classmate then. Don't you remember?"
"For heaven sake! You didn't complete the school year. You went back to New York after a month, remember?"
Abby has the sharpest memory among them. Maybe it was because of her work being an event coordinator or maybe because of her being a bookworm. Whatever the reason was, all of them knew that they have already tested Abby's memory in time passed.
"C'mon Landon! You know you wouldn't win over Abby. Just let her continue. Besides, no one has ever won in a discussion with her," Alfonso reminded Landon.
Lea and her friends were just silently watching them as they were seeing themselves in Landon and his friends. They were similar in many ways especially on what they were currently seeing and hearing. Friendly discussions and arguments have made their friendship even stronger that it had became part of their friendship routines which some couldn't comprehend.
"Could I continue now?" Abby asked.
"Go ahead." Landon smiled.
"Where was I?" She paused. "Ahhh yes. Then on our college years, Mr. Big shot over there..." She pointed at Landon, "...studied in what's the name again of the culinary school of yours?" she derisively solicited.
"It's Institute of Culinary Education," Alfonso answered.
"That's right! The world-class and renowned I.C.E." Abby showed a little beam. "While crushing the institute's curriculum, Landon met Alfonso in one of his classes. Am I right?" She peaked at Alfonso who was at the other end.
"We became close to each other after finding out that we're both from Myrtle. Then in one of our vacations, he introduced me to those lovely couples over there." Alfonso motioned at Enrico and Abby.
Reading their minds, Enrico quickly denied Alfonso's claim about them, Abby and him being a couple. "Hold on. We're not a couple. As a matter of fact, just to give you an excursus, Abby had a crush on Alfonso the moment Landon introduced him to us." He turned his attention and stared at Abby as if warning her not to deny what he just revealed.
It wasn't a secret among them that Abby had always like attractive men, those who have sensed of fashion and charm. Their status and background were only secondary to looks for Abby. Within her circles of friends, it was always a mystery why she never had a crush on Enrico and Landon. Many of her girlfriends have already pointed it out to her but Abby herself doesn't see them like those she had dated. Some of her girlfriends were even jealous of her since they saw her being lucky to be within the company of attractive men, Landon, Enrico, Alfonso, Ricky and Marco.
"Well, it's the truth. Just look at him. He has the face that ladies would die for," Abby added.
Julie, Shira and Maggie nodded as they were agreeing on what Abby just said regarding how attractive Alfonso was.
Lea and her girlfriends may have different taste on men to date with but if there's one thing they all agreed regarding men, it's what comprises a man to be considered attractive. To be a good-looking man, all of them believe that it only takes them one look to be enchanted as if they're in heaven or dreamland they have always wanted. Abby's friends have all passed that test. Unfortunately though, Ricky and Alfonso were scratched from their list since they have similar taste with them.
"Hold on! I didn't know that," Ricky voiced out.
"Yes, you did. Abby told you about it right before the ceremony of our wedding. Have you forgotten about it?" Alfonso clarified.
"I do remember. But back then, I thought it was only a joke."
"Now you know," Alfonso said and the rest laughed about it.
"Wait a minute! Are there no desserts or what?" Enrico inquired, trying to divert the topic.
Alfonso and Ricky glanced at each other. "Actually, we didn't prepare any," Alfonso contentedly notified.
"We're hoping that the other chef here..." Ricky stared at Landon. "...Could grace us with one of his creations."
"Whooh! Hold on for a second. I think I know where's this topic is heading." Landon complained.
"And you're not wrong about that." Enrico innocently giggled.
"Don't you want to have a taste of one or two of his delectable desserts?" Abby asked Lea and her friends as she tried to gain support from them.
"We would love to." Ryan said while the rest nodded in agreement.
"If it wouldn't be a burden, that would be great," Maggie seconded.
"You would surely love whatever Dad would make," Mavis said to Lea.
Lea just smiled at Mavis.
"I haven't held any kitchenware for ages," Landon tried to give an excuse.
It's not that he didn't want to entice them with his dish. It was just that since losing Theresa, he couldn't find the inspiration to go back to the kitchen. Being a chef was his life before he met her. When they became one and had Mavis, his time and energy were transferred to them since they have become his life. Despite having Mavis still by his side, he didn't know where he should try to go. He, at first, planned to cook for them in the morning in order to see if the so-called miracle hands were still with him but it didn't happen.
Preparing a dish for people other than Mavis and Deanna is a plain terrible idea. It would be placing not only his name as a chef but also the MTL Palace's positive record in a cliff. He appreciated his friend's confidence in him. If it would only be them, he knew they would understand the taste, whether good or bad. But having Lea and her friends too is another sensitive case.
"You could use my kitchen. It has just been refilled," Ricky offered.
"The four of you set this up, didn't you?" Landon quickly turned his glance from Alfonso and Ricky to Enrico and Abby.
The four of them just smiled. Enrico suggested the plan when they arrived early at Villa Maria. It was a way for him to encourage Landon to start surprising them with his dishes and take over the MTL's restaurant again. It was actually one of the promises that Theresa asked him as one of the closest friend of Landon. It was one of his promises; he intended to keep not just because of Theresa but also as a friend to Landon.
Enrico looked up to Landon than any other person. The goodness of Landon's heart and his selfless dedication for others were some of what Enrico admired about him. Enrico couldn't forget the days he was grieving over the lost of some of his babies. To others, they saw him as someone who was too obsessed with his orchids. It was only Landon who tirelessly listen to his reminiscent moments with hi babies. Landon never complained about him being like a one-track song that's repeatedly being played. He was there when no one wanted to listen to him. Enrico has always been truly grateful to Landon for such moments besides partnering his small House of Flowers whenever the MTL hosting an event, big or small.
"Even Mavis wanted you to do it," Enrico informed.
"Yeah Dad. Remember, you're supposed to cook lunch--"
Lea cleared her throat, as she knew what was coming. She didn't want to return to that topic for the end time. Her friends would surely grill her on the spot again.
Anticipating what Mavis would say next, Landon interrupted, "Alright! Okay! I would do it..." he paused "...But I need an assistant." He stared at Enrico and Abby, waiting for a volunteer among them.
"I'll do..." Julie was about to volunteer when Shira quickly suggested that Lea would be the one. "Let Lea help you."
Lea was shocked by what she just heard. She was anticipating that she would be grilled by her friends soon but didn't expect to be volunteered to help Landon in preparing a dessert instead. Even without looking at their faces, Lea knew that her friends were laughing inside. It's a common knowledge that Lea has no talent in cooking. Every time, she tries something, even simple pasta, disaster has always been by her side.
"Why me?"
"Yeah, why her? She's the queen of microwaves," Julie pointed out.
"Thank you for bringing that up," Lea embarrassedly said.
"That's the point. Hopefully, Lea would learn a thing or two in making a dessert," Ryan clarified.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you would enjoy learning from the Landon," Abby interrupted.
Lea didn't say a word anymore. She knew she couldn't win with them ganging up on her.
"That's settled then." Ricky called one of his staff to show Landon and Lea the way to his private kitchen.
"Don't blame me then if your dessert would be a disaster," Lea warned them as she and Landon stood up while her friends were obviously controlling themselves not to laugh.
Lea was aware of her limitation in cooking. Who could blame her if she grew up having no one to teach her how to do it? She was exposed with the pizza and Chinese food orders for meals in the four corners of the radio station of her parents. Her mother was more like a second father than a mother. She was brilliant in auditing and management but never in cooking.
"Wait, what do you want me to make?" Landon asked.
The rest of them looked at each other waiting for someone to suggest something. "Just surprise us like always," Enrico suggested.
"If you say so." Landon turned his attention to Mavis who was occupied enjoying his frosty. "Mavis, behave, okay?" he instructed.
"No worries. We'll watch over him," Abby assured.
Landon knew that Mavis would be just fine with them. Mavis may not be related by blood to any of Landon's friends but they're closer to him than his other relatives. Mavis was pretty much absorbed by the usual treat of Alfonso's fries and frosty. As long as Mavis has them, Landon was assured that Mavis would conduct himself properly.
When Landon and Lea were out of sight, Abby asked Julie and the rest of them, "Was she really that bad?" She was referring to Lea as they called her the queen of microwaves.
Julie and the others giggled and laughed recalling moments they had seen Lea trying to cook that turned into a disaster.
"You don't have any idea how bad it would surely be," Ryan remarked.
"Let me give you an example. Just last year in my apartment, we were supposed to have a dinner and movie marathon afterwards. Lea and I were preparing baked ravioli. I gave her the instruction to preheat the oven first since I would buy a seasoning we have forgotten for the salad before the rest of them could show up. When I returned the ravioli turned to coal and we end up ordering Chinese food instead," Maggie explained.
Everyone laughed about it. "Every dish she tried to touch, instead of becoming a diamond, they end up as charcoal instead," Shira added and everyone burst into louder laughter.
"I wouldn't be worried about that. I'm sure everything would be fine," Alfonso confidently said.
"My Dad's a great cook," Mavis proudly reminded them.
Abby took her glass. "Yes he is. I'm sure your friend--"
"She's Lea," Mavis interrupted.
Everyone smiled at how Mavis innocently said her name.
"Yeah, Lea would surely learn from Landon." Abby completed her statement.
"I actually learned how to cook from him," Enrico boasted.
"Are you sure you really did learn something?" Abby sarcastically asked.
"Why don't you just back me up, would you?"
They continued to chat and enjoying sipping some of the South Carolina's best wines that Villa Maria usually offers to their VIP guests while waiting for Landon and Lea.