I stepped out of his office, my face burning red. Slowly, I made my way to the restroom to wash my face. Before I could get there, Amara stopped me.
"Judging by your expression, he heard the conversation, didn't he?"
"You're right," I replied quietly.
"He won't let this slide,"I added.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"It's okay," I told her before walking away.
When I reached the restroom, I splashed cold water on my face and leaned against the sink. Chakk's words echoed in my mind:
"You smiled while talking about me."
"I just smiled... or is even that against his rules?" I wondered.
I quickly returned to my desk and started writing about chocolate.
--30 minutes later --
I noticed a message on my phone. Picking it up, I saw Chak's text:
"Meet me at the car in five minutes."
I had almost forgotten—I needed to cook lunch for him. What will he want? I wondered.
Three minutes later, I stood up and headed to his car. When I arrived, he wasn't there yet. I waited briefly, and when he finally arrived, he simply gestured for me to get in.
Nervously, I sat down and buckled my seatbelt. Chak started the engine, and we drove home in complete silence.
When we arrived, he parked in the driveway. I followed him inside and hesitantly asked:
"What would you like for lunch, sir?"
He looked at me, and I quickly averted my gaze.
"Look at me," he ordered coldly.
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to meet his deep brown ones.
"Cook me Khao Moo Daeng," he said.
"Oh no," I thought. I hope I can pull this off.
"Is something wrong?" he asked in his usual cold tone.
"No, not at all," I lied. If only he knew...
I went to the kitchen and started preparing lunch. I opened the fridge and took out a piece of meat and some vegetables. Chak followed, sitting at the counter, watching my every move.
"You have 30 minutes,"he stated.
"O-okay," I stammered.
I don't even know how to cook this! I only know how to make rice!
Taking a deep breath, I continued.
The meat gave me the most trouble—I wasn't sure how to cut it properly. In the end, I simply seared it on both sides.
The heat from the pan was intense, but the pressure of Chak's gaze was even hotter.
When the meat was ready, I carefully placed it on a plate. Now, it was time for the sauce.
Soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, garlic… Did I forget something?
I glanced at Chak, but he remained expressionless.
I clenched my jaw and continued. Once the sauce had thickened, I poured it over the meat and garnished the dish with scallions.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped back.
"Sir, lunch is ready," I said quietly.
Chak stood up, his face unreadable.
My heart pounded. Will he accept it?
He approached the plate and eyed it suspiciously.