51

Ivan

I leaned against the wall in the kitchen while I waited for Jewel. She was taking forever to get ready. Initially I thought she would be out to eat breakfast while I go had my bath but I had to cover the dishes and go get ready myself now; it was better that just waiting for her.

I arranged collar of my shirt as I returned to the kitchen. Jewel wasn't there. She has got to be kidding me with this. How wasn't she here? Maybe she already came out and had breakfast without me then decided to go back to her room and wait for me.

I went and uncovered the dishes to see if my assumption was correct but it wasn't. She hadn't come to the kitchen since I left. I decided to warm up the dishes in the microwave while waiting for her.

I had just gotten them out of the microwave when I heard Jewel walking towards the kitchen. She took a seat on one of the talk stools behind the kitchen counter and arranged her books for school by the side before looking up at me to ask:

"You are also ready to leave?" It made me sigh because I couldn't even start to ask her why she took so much time to prepare herself.

"Took you forever to get ready." I said just to let her know that I wasn't pleased that she took that long.

"What did you make?" She tried to change the topic so I just fell with it.

"I made eggs. Hope you eat eggs?"

"It depends."

"On what?" I asked her.

"Well, basically I would say it depends on the chef or cook, the appearance of the dish, the..." She started to list things, I had to cut her short.

"Can you cook?"

"No?"

"Good. You shouldn't have very specific preferences about your food since you can't cook. And what do you mean 'the chef or cook', I am not your chef."

"But you are cooking for me."

"Don't call me your chef."

"Fine. You are not my chef."

"Yeah, I am not." I clarified before setting her dish in front of her."Eat up, your class starts in twenty five minutes."

"Twenty five minutes? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't know you would spend eternity to get ready."

"You didn't also bother to ask if I wanted to eat egg frittatas for breakfast."she grumbled and clicked her tongue before putting a fork in the dish."Mmmn," she moaned after having some of the frittatas in front of her. I knew she would like it.

"So they are good to your taste buds?" I smiled, proud of the dish I made but she shook her head and made my smile fade.

"No." She said but went ahead to fork some more of it into her mouth.

"But you are eating it," I asked her.

"Well, if you should know, I'm just eating because I'm hungry." She replied with some of the food in her mouth.

She was obviously lying. I wish she could see the expression on her face as she ate on. She was trying to make me feel bad but I wasn't going to let her.

"You don't have to eat it if it doesn't taste good you know," I told her and took the dish just after she put some into her mouth again.

"Hmmn?"

"We can just get you something to eat on our way to your class." I smiled at her as I said that to see what her reaction would be.

"But..." She trailed.

"But what now? Huh?"

"I've already begun eating from it. I could just finish it up."

"No. No, please, I can't have you suffer like that by eating something you don't find tasty."

"When did I say that I didn't find were tasty?" She protested with her lips pursed.

"Do you like the frittatas or not?" I wanted to hear her acknowledge the meal.

"Give me my food, Ivan." She groaned.

"Do you like what you are eating? We're they cooked right?"

"You are being childish, Ivan, really."

"Oh, am I? What, you think you are the only one allowed to be childish?"

"You know what? Keep that plate. I will just eat yours." She reached for my dish and almost put her fork in it but stopped."If I start to eat from this, I will not be able to finish it, just give me back my plate?" She gave me puppy eyes.

I tried to shield myself from it but she broke my walls. I kept her dish back in front of her and watch as she resumed eating.

"Now you know how it feels to not be praised after looking so good or taking effort to cook." She said under her breath with her face down but I could hear her.

"What?"

"Nothing." She smiled at me.

"I asked if you wanted to know why I didn't compliment you that day but you didn't give me a response." I decided to address that since she still thought about it.

"That's because I don't want to know." She said before forking some food into her mouth.

"We were going to a party, where I knew my boss and colleagues would be present. If I had complimented you, you surely would have been full of blushes that night and that wouldn't have being good considering..."

"Hold on," she dropped her fork. I smiled because she had pretended to not be listening as I spoke but now she just interrupted me."You are too full of yourself, do you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Why would you assume that I would be 'full of blushes' in your words, if you had being nice enough to compliment me? Have you never compliment a lady before? Do they blush when you compliment them?"

"You see, I don't compliment ladies...or men either, I don't compliment people but trust me I did want to leave you one that day but the issue with me is that, although I do not compliment people, when I decide to, then it means that person has charmed me beyond my wits and..." I paused because she was no longer eating now. Rather, she was watching me talk with full attention.

"Why did you stop talking?" She demanded to know.

"We are going to be late for your class. Do you want that?"

" Okay. We can continue this conversation in the car then." She jumped off of the stool.

"Where are we going, we have to finish eating first." I called her attention back to her unfinished breakfast. She rolled her eyes and returned to her seat.

I smiled. I knew the car was going to be silent today while we drove to her school.