"Did she say something to you about me?" Stuart was hopeful, wishing that Marie had managed to keep her mouth shut about his life for the first time, but his hopes were dashed when he saw the smile that appeared on Berry's face. He was smiling absentmindedly, as if recalling an amusing event he had witnessed. Stuart was more than certain that Marie had laid out his whole life on her desk for Berry.
While unintentionally grinning foolishly, Berry replied, "We only spoke about work. Nothing was said about you." He was evading the truth, and Stuart knew it but chose not to confront him and pursed his lips instead.
"Never mind. Now stand back; I need to work," said Stuart, while his hand rose to Berry's chest to push him away. Berry caught his hand tightly instead and said, "Fine, I will leave, but that will be after you tell me what you want for lunch. Just name what you want, and I will make it in seconds."
Stuart stared at Berry as if he were daft. It was way past lunchtime, and he had already eaten lunch, so he said, "I am not hungry," dismissively, waving his other hand to signal Berry to leave. Berry's face fell when he heard this. He had waited all noon to have lunch with Stuart, and now this man would go ahead and eat without him. But that was fine; if he learnt anything about Stuart from Marie, it was that the man couldnt say no to food and he knew how to press Stuart's buttons.
"Too bad, I wanted to eat with you, so I didn't bother making anything for lunch myself," Berry explained pitifully, his lips pursed, and his eyes beady. Stuart was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to do now with those puppy dog eyes trained on him? He had already eaten, but now, he was hungry again and didn't want Berry to go hungry.
"Fine, prepare anything; I will eat with you," he relented and was rewarded by Berry's bright smile. Berry clapped lightly before hopping away to the break room like he had been there many times before. Stuart shook his head, wondering just how many things Marie had said to Berry for him to navigate around the office so easily.
He heard the door close with a small click as Berry entered the break room, and he went back to work. Then he paused. No matter what Marie had said to him, this was still Berry's first time in the room. There were still many things he didn't know, so he stood up and went into the break room, thinking that it would do no harm if he stayed with Berry to cook.
Although it was a break room, this room could be compared to a one-bedroom apartment. It had its own living room, decorated with high-quality and elegant artwork to create a sophisticated ambiance, plush chairs, and a relaxing dining area. It had a separate kitchen and a bedroom.
When Stuart walked in, Berry was already moving around in the kitchen. Once again, Stuart was amazed by this man's ability to find his way around any kitchen. He knew it must have been because of his experience as a chef, but Stuart was fascinated nonetheless.
"Do you need my help?" Stuart asked, already inside the kitchen and leaning on the counter, patiently waiting for Berry to look at him. But Berry replied instead, "You should go back to work; I will call you when I am done."
"I don't feel like working anymore, so I will just stay here with you instead," Stuart said, making himself comfortable on the kitchen counter. Immediately he sat, he felt the hair on his neck rise as Berry glared at him like he wanted to end his life.
Quick as a flash, Berry approached him with a wooden spoon in hand, ready to reprimand him. Stuart jumped down immediately, not willing to face a culinary assault. He didn't stop walking until he was outside the kitchen, with Berry pointing the spoon at his nose. "Stay out!"
Stuart crossed his arms in front of him and pursed his lips sadly. He badly wanted to remind Berry that the break room and kitchen were his and he should not be kicked out of his own domain, but judging by how stern Berry looked, he realized that it would be better to stay quiet.
"Fine! I will go back to work!" he said, a bit too loudly to get Berry's attention because the man seemed bothered by something, probably because of the absence of a door at the kitchen entrance. He did look relieved, though, when Stuart offered to leave, so he went back to work himself.
Though Stuart was going to leave, when he heard the sound of utensils clinking together, he found himself staying back. He could only watch from the door as Berry cooked wordlessly. This was the second time he was actually seeing Berry cook for him. The first time had ended badly because he was foolish enough not to taste while eating. So now, he reminded himself to taste the food and eat slowly to avoid upsetting Berry, like the first time.