'pwoooh!'
Each inhalation of smoke resulted in large puffs as Jared peered at his own reflection in the moving water of the river.
Standing on the edge of the bridge, his arms drooping over with a dull expression on his face, took a deep breath and sighed heavily.
After considering what he should do about the task at hand, he decided to look for an alternative job to cover the gap. Even if the system did not set him a period limit, it was inconvenient for him. In the end, he ran around trying to find what would work most beneficial to him, but his efforts resulted in nothing.
The time of work is not suitable for him, plus there are men in the area who gaze at him with extreme displeasure because of the female workers. His looks were too good to bring trouble and he didn't want to experience them again.
As he was pondering with his mind occupied with different thoughts, someone from afar was observing him with a deeply worried face.
With her shoulder-length hair flowing by the lovely breeze, eyes filled with worry and admiration, lips pursed, and thoughts debating on whether or not she should approach Jared. She gripped the hem of her dress then shook her head and took the first step, walking towards the man.
Her hand was clenching her dress, her chest was thumping hard and her toes were shaking from nervousness. Though she was experiencing a rollercoaster kind-of-feeling, she managed to call out his name.
"Ja---Jared" he tilted his head to the person who called him only to see the girl who used to give food with a stoic face. He already forgot about her since he never expected anything from anyone, but from what he remembered, the girl who used to avoid him and gave him a blank face seems to be different.
Her blue flowered dress sways gently in the light wind. Her beautiful brown eyes gleam in the sun, as do her lips, which are painted a shimmering delicate pinkish colour. The female in front of him had a strange expression, which surprised him. She continues to avert her gaze, but the rosy colour in her cheeks is obvious. Her demeanour and features make her appear more delicate.
Monica's mouth gape open when she finally stopped in front of him.
'wow. How could someone be this perfect. Was he like this before?'
He didn't know.
'he changed a lot. He looks so perfect'
He had no idea what the girl was thinking.
"Monica"
For a moment, her heart was pounding harder. She was astonished she was holding her chest. She feels that his voice, as well as his appearance, changed. It was more masculine than she remembers.
"U-uh. I heard you got fired," she said, walking forward till she came to a stop near him. "i-i went to work the next day but they say you got fired because you stole something" . Her speech has a worried tone as she continues to fidget.
Jared let out a sigh and placed the cigarette between his lips. He responded with indifferent words, "Yeah. Things just happened." He doesn't want to dwell on the past, and he has already forgotten about it, but he couldn't understand why the girl next to him spoke as if she was concerned.
"Uhm...if you want, i know a job, though it's just a one-night, the payment is a sure win. My friend is hiring a part-time job for the evening. The kitchen is lacking in help, so...so maybe you wanted to try?" She asked shyly, embarrassed to show her face.
Not knowing what Monica was feeling at the moment, Jared's mind is occupied by the one-time job he was offered. Though one-time is not enough, the thoughts of wanting to get a job weighs heavily.
"Okay. When?" He asked Monica who didn't waste time and immediately replied, "tomorrow night"
Since he had no schedule and nothing to do besides running around looking for a way to finish the mission, he might as well agree.
"Okay" he promptly replied which made her smile. She tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded shyly, "s-sure, i'll let her know"
A period of silence engulfed them. Jared has nothing more to say, but the girl in front of him seemed to want to say something. "Is there anything else you want to say?" He asked, frowning. Monica's face quickly turned red.
"Uh---can I invite you for a late lunch? I haven't eaten yet," she murmured hesitantly, attempting to hide her embarrassed reddish face. It's now almost two p.m., and she hadn't had lunch yet and was about to, but when she saw Jared on the bridge, she immediately stopped the taxi driver to drop her off, which he did. She was enraged when she learnt that Jared had been kicked out because of Kevin, knowing that Jared would never do such a thing. She's also aware that Kevin has feelings for her, which she chooses to ignore because of Jared. Kevin, a conniving guy, has no place in her heart. Only the man in front of her does.
Jared contemplated for a moment, but seeing the eyes of the girl eagerly waiting for his reply, he promptly nodded. "sure. Though..." He pointed at the bicycle beside him. He just bought it because his car attracted more attention and he didn't like that at the moment. "are you okay with riding a bike?" He asked while looking at Monica from head to toe.
She shifted her eyes to the white bicycle beside Jared and immediately responded, "of course. Thank you" she eagerly replied. Jared's eyebrows frowned in confusion, wondering why this girl in front of her was acting strange. He shook his head and gestured Monica.
Monica couldn't help but shake with excitement and nervousness as they strode down the road, but the oblivious Jared kept stepping the pedal until they arrived.
The bustling establishment greets them as soon as they arrive. The restaurant in front of them was not one like Central's high-end restaurants, where cuisine is presented with elaborate plating and serene music plays in the background. This neighbourhood restaurant is well-known and frequented by locals. Not only were the dishes they served enjoyable and cheap, but the long-standing heritage has been passed down through generations.
Individuals passing by could not help but salivate especially when the fragrant scent filled the air. "Wow. It smells so good," Monica exclaimed, inhaling the air packed with a mellow, sweet, sour, and spicy combination of that lingered inside the restaurant.
Jared comes here often to eat whenever he has time, but today he was here to eat with someone.
They sat down on an empty table for two people and flipped the menu on the table. Jared already knew the dishes he wanted to order and just lazily flipping the pages, waiting for Monica to make up her mind.
"Wow. This looks good, i don't know what to order" she said with eyes scanning the dishes in the menu one after another.
"Okay, i think i will go with this..."
After ordering the food, they waited a few minutes for the dishes to arrive at their table. The two wasted no time and ate their meals right away. Jared could not help but nod his head. The excellent aroma of the meal matched its flavour.
What you smell is what you taste.
The savoury aroma of the dish did not disappoint him. The crispy fresh stir-fry vegetables and tender meat, along with the not-too-thick red brown sauce, glide and dance in his mouth. He ate constantly. Though he learnt various recipes through the system, the ones he eats taste different. These must be original recipes passed down through generations.
Monica stared at him with admiration as he continued to eat. She used to steal glances at him at the restaurant where they worked, but she'd never seen him enjoy his food as much as he does now. She couldn't stop smiling before swallowing the food in her mouth.
"By the way. The one you will be working with, was my friend. The head chef is in the hospital so they left the task to her since her cooking talent is not that far from the head chef. Don't worry, the payment is a sure win" she stated and Jared just nodded as a reply.
"Okay. Is it only for one night?"
"Yeah. They are hosting a birthday event for an old grandfather"
After eating late lunch, Monica asked him to meet with her friend and Jared agreed since he has nothing to do the whole day.
When they arrived at the place, Jared immediately sensed the luxury of the restaurant with its decorations through the glass windows. The name 'Apricot Maine Restaurant' was engraved on the black marble tiles on the restaurant front.
Monica guided Jared all the way to the kitchen where they find a woman wearing a clean white chef attire busy slicing the ingredients and other kitchen staff doing their own work. Her hair was tied in a clean bun with a scarf tied around her head.
"Sandra" the woman tilts her head towards Monica. She immediately smiled at her and walkes towards them. Monica quickly introduced Jared as soon as Sandra stopped in front of them.
"I'm going to help you. This guy will do. He will be a big help"
Sandra examined Jared who was beside Monica, but his eyes roams around the entire kitchen. When Sandra saw his eyes wandering around, she cleared her throat that made Jared look at her and immediately scratch his nape out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, i was too captivated by the entire surroundings. The scent of herbs in your hands is enticing, i couldn't help myself"
Sandra's pupils moved in surprised. She was working on her dish and yes, she was preparing the herbs when Jared and Monica came in, but surprisingly for Sandra, the man in front of her has a keen sense of smell.
"I think i'm starting to like him" Sandra said in daze. Not only the man in front of her has a strong sense of smell, but he was also tall and handsomely captivating.
"Don't worry Sandra, he is capable of doing kitchen work" Monica said in assurance.
She smiled at Monica and quickly shifted her eyes on Jared. "Sure, but i need to test him first"
Jared is not a bit least nervous or afraid because the system gave him an entire book to master in a matter of seconds, and preparing dishes for guests is like preparing his own food. The preparations and mastery of cooking, he has it all.
And since Jared mastered the knife works and cooking, he immediately responded without hesitation.
"I don't mind"