'Why is she looking at me like that?' he wondered as he felt her deep gaze continuously lingering on him as he skinned the rabbits just as she instructed a while ago.
Calista was beaming brightly as she watched the man who had returned home. How could she not be happy upon seeing that he had returned when she thought for a moment that he had escaped?
"Dear, you won't regret this decision of yours, I promise!" she said out loud as she stood up from the stool she was sitting on with a smile.
Orson paused his actions as he turned to face Calista, wondering what she was talking about.
Unfortunately, Calista didn't bother to elaborate further but simply grinned mischievously before swaying her body as she made her way to the kitchen.
With her man back, Calista finally had the energy to prepare some food and since a big decision had been made, she felt like making a feast.
As for the rabbits that he was skinning, she would prepare them the next day. But for that night, making a quick, delicious meal would suffice.
Inside the kitchen, Whitey followed her as he meowed at her but she ignored him. After eating two of her fish, this little rascal wanted to have more. How was she supposed to pad her stomach if she were to give all the delicacies to him?
Calista rekindled the fire and put a cauldron of water on the stove before going to the treehouse where she went to the kitchen.
Calista looked at the several pots, woks and pans available for her to use before she picked a medium-sized wok with a wooden handle.
After getting the wok, she walked to the pantry where she picked seven large potatoes and placed them in a food basket.
She also picked some cooking oil and spices she purchased before when she was in Silverbroke town.
After getting everything, she wanted, she returned to the outside kitchen where she started getting busy.
Calista sat down on the stone bench and began to peel the potatoes with a sharp iron knife, that cost an arm and leg when she purchased it in the city one year ago.
As peeling was an action that she was very familiar with, it didn't take much time before all the potatoes were peeled. She took the cutting board made from an oak tree. One of the most popular trees that were scattered all over the mountains and forests.
Calista diced the potatoes into strips and when all standard cut strips were done, she washed the potatoes before taking them out and placing them in another basket to allow them to dry.
With the potatoes done, Calista took the wok and poured a lot of oil in it before removing the cauldron with water from the stove and replacing it with the wok.
After placing the wok with oil over the fire, Calista didn't rest but left the kitchen and returned to the tree house once again.
From the pantry, she picked several oranges she had in the store and a strange metal container before bringing it to the outside kitchen.
When she arrived, the oil in the wok was now hot and ready to be used for cooking. Calista started to carefully add the potatoes to the wok and seeing the oil boiling while the potatoes floated, a smile appeared on her face.
Outside, Orson was in the middle of washing the skinned rabbits when the fragrance of whatever his beautiful scammer was cooking overwhelmed him.
'What is she cooking again?' he wondered as he looked over to the kitchen.
"Meow."
As he was in a daze, Whitey, the kitten, the little thing that he nearly forgot about meowed just a distance closer to where he was. His big and cute eyes stared at the rabbits he had just finished washing.
"Whitey. This is not for you. You have to wait for Mommy if you want to eat. I am not sure what you are supposed to eat!" he softly said as he looked at the kitten though he was very certain that the kitten wouldn't understand a thing.
"Meow." The kitten cried stubbornly as it glared at him but Orson simply ignored it as he carried the washed rabbits bringing them to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, Calista watched as the potatoes turned golden, just the way she liked it before scooping them out of the wok.
As she was adding another batch to the hot oil, she heard someone approaching.
With the array now on, only one person could roam around her hill freely and that person was Orson.
She didn't raise her head as adding potatoes was more important.
When Orson entered the kitchen, the sight of Calista busying herself as she cooked over the fire attracted him.
If he hadn't seen her being so serious and dedicated like that, he wouldn't even place the person he was seeing right now as the same person who scammed him into marriage the previous night.
"Lady Cali_" Before he could finish, Calista cut him off as she raised her head to look at him.
"We will be married in a few days. If you keep on calling me, Lady, won't that be alienation?" she playfully asked as her lips curled.
"I … what do you want me to call you?" Orson bit the bullet as he looked at her hesitatingly, his ears reddening on the spot.
Fortunately for him, Calista didn't see a thing otherwise she would have had a field day because of it.
Calista was obviously happy to see Orson relenting and acquiescing at the same time. She would be in a tight spot if he tried making things difficult for her.
"Since I call you dear or hubby, why don't you call me, babe or wifey?" she shamelessly suggested as she looked at him with her back straightened since she was no longer crouching but standing with her arms on her waist.
When he heard that, 'boom,' an explosion occurred in his head. He had seen shameless people before. In fact, he lived with some and even got accustomed to them but Calista's level was simply a crazy one that always gets refreshed the more he gets into contact with her.
How could a woman be so opinionated and reckless to suggest something like that?
"Oh! Is it that difficult to call? In three days, we will be married and even required to share the same bed and do naughty. Why are you all acting like some virgin scholar who hasn't even read a single yellow-page book or been intimate with a woman?" Calista asked curiously with a teasing smile on her face, wondering what really going on in his head.
Orson scratched his head as he listened to the accusations being thrown at him. How could she still talk about yellow-page books at a time like that? Didn't she learn that as a woman she needed to be restrained and avoid being vulgar like that?
Unfortunately, the beautiful scammer he knew wasn't someone who cared about etiquette or anything. Otherwise, she wouldn't have threatened him after saving him.
"I ….. can you please give me some time?" in the end, Orson could only think of this option.
Calista observed the shy man for a moment and sighed helplessly at how naïve he was before she looked at the wok which had golden potatoes rolling in the oil.
"Fine, you better start training your tongue. On our wedding, you better not disappoint me!"