"Would like to have some pasta?" she suggested.
Immediately the old man got up in surprise and excitement, and so did Helle.
"Sure. Let me take you to the nearby kitchen," the old man said, thrilled. It had been a long time since he had a 'homemade' meal, after all. After his wife's death, he had to indulge in the chef's food, which wasn't bad, but a home-cooked meal was something he adored.
They had small conversations along the way, and he led her to a satellite kitchen situated in the middle of the fenced trees. The small hut-like house had a sliding wooden door and a Japanese-style kitchen, where sushi was often served.
Although the room had the fresh smell of herbs, no dust was collected. The floor and the rest of the things were in perfect condition.
Helle had her eyes glow at the sight of the beautiful little hut. It was as if she had been transported to a separate world! The way the sitting place was kept opposite the chef was something she had only seen on TV or in anime!
"So, may I request Neapolitan pasta? Everything that you'd need has been filled up, so take your time." He had warmth in his actions. Despite knowing each other for a short time, Arthur was kind.
"Sure! Please be seated for a bit." She acted as the confident store owner as if it were a role play in some sort of animation. Oh, how cool it would be to run such a restaurant!
The kitchen was equipped with the latest technology; the tap water was functioning, and an apron was placed on top of the counter. Wrapping it around her waist, Helle tied her hair up and made it in a bun before gathering the ingredients.
Meanwhile, Arthur kept a close eye on the young woman.
Helle added the spaghetti to the boiling water for a portion of two people. On the other stove, she added the butter and garlic to a medium-heat pan. Adding a thinly sliced onion and letting it sauté for a bit, she strained the noodles and then added the capsicum and button mushrooms to the pan. Tossing them for a bit let out a delicious, fragrant aroma.
Adding the spaghetti and ketchup, for the last time she tossed them and then served them on a plate. Garnishing it with chopped leaves of cilantro, Helle served it to Grandpa Arthur.
Piercing his fork though, he wrapped it in a circular motion and took a huge bite that consisted of all the ingredients. The squishiness of the mushroom, the crunch of capsicum, and the sweetness from the ketchup, along with the garlic flavor, caused a burst of simpleton flavours in his mouth.
Simple yet delicious, just the way his wife would have made it. At that moment, he peered at the young woman, who seemed suspicious as she was about to marry his grandson. But she was simply making some oolong tea and even served it.
"You are a good young woman." He complimented. It was a blurt of words that skipped his mouth. Helle was almost done with hand washing the dishes and wiping the stoves.
"Thank you for your kind words" was the only thing she could say after all; she was far from kind she knew. She was selfish and greedy, thus the reason why she was there in the first place.
"So, would you like to use this restaurant as your own?" Arthur asked while wiping his lips with the tissue.
'?!'
"Hhahahaa, don't give me that surprised look, dear. You see, it belonged to my wife, and she loved to cook here, but now that she is no more, this restaurant has started to perish, so why don't you use it? It seems that you have grown to love it."
"BU- but how could I?"
"Why not? It's on your fiancé's premises. So, the next time I come, I will have a place to have my meal at my favourite place. I shall go now; it's getting late for this old man." Arthur bid his farewell and handed the key. It was the door key that only opened the kitchen but not the other rooms inside the hut.
Closing the door, she walked beside Arthur in case he needed her help. At the front gate, a car waited. Bidding his farewell, Arthur got in.
~
"Um... she's not as suspicious as we had initially thought," Arthur muttered, and a young woman in her early twenties glared at the old man. Her sharp sky-blue eyes were full of fury, and her hands crossed in front.
"You're too kind, Grandpa. Just because she has an innocent face doesn't mean she's not a fox inside. Who knows what kind of intentions she holds? I do not agree with this. Tsk, if only Orion wasn't a fool and married Selah." Her words were harsh, and she meant it.
"Oh, Leah, I might be kind, but after living for so long, I know how to judge the morals of a person. Trust this old man. Trust Orion's judgment: if not for me, he would never take any decisions that brought him loss." Arthur tried to take out a cigarette from his pocket, but that very instant Leah snatched it from his hands.
"What do you think you're doing? Didn't I tell you to quit smoking?! This is why I can't trust you!"
She threw it out of the car's window, and the old man could only mourn for his unused, high-quality cigarettes.
"As for Orion, he's too insensitive to even think about anything else but profit. That idiot." Leah rolled her eyes.