The Kitchen Serenade (1)

Casper glanced back from the driver's seat, a smirk playing on his lips. "Hey, did she just call you Mr. Frosty? What's the funny story behind that?"

Cillian shot him a warning look. "Not now, Casper."

Casper chuckled but didn't press further on the issue anymore.

Soon, they arrived at the house, and as they stepped out of the car, Cillian turned to Eileen.

"I'll come up with a name for you later, but for now, since you're back and claiming to be a skilled cook, I've got some ingredients ready in the kitchen. Go ahead and whip up something for us. Just the two of us."

Eileen's heart sank. What?! She was clueless in the kitchen! But she couldn't let them know that, could she?

"Of course, Mr. Frosty," she replied, struggling to keep her voice as steady as possible, despite the panic rising inside her.

As she marched towards the kitchen, a wild idea struck her, and she decided to embrace it. She began to mimic the stiff, mechanical movements of a robot, walking with an exaggerated, artificial gait, just like she'd seen in movies.

Exactly! That was her crazy idea. Since they wanted a doll, she'd give them a doll.

What next? The food!

The brothers' conversation faded into background noise as her mind raced with the daunting task ahead. She was too busy plotting her culinary survival strategy to worry about their chatter.

As Eileen entered the kitchen, she maintained her robotic charade, exaggerating her movements to mimic the stiff, awkward gait of a mummy from the movies.

Casper's smirk grew wider as he turned to Cillian. "Check her out! She's walking like a reanimated corpse. You're sure she's a doll?"

Cillian crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on Eileen until she vanished into the kitchen.

"I'm not entirely convinced she's a doll, either. But think about it, Casper. If she were human, she'd have made a run for it by now."

He turned to face Casper, his expression thoughtful. "Remember, you said the technology behind these advanced dolls was cutting-edge, designed to make them almost indistinguishable from humans."

Casper rubbed his head, looking childishly guilty. "Hey, I'm just passing on what I was told, bro."

He caught Cillian's eye-roll and shot back a playful glare. "Hey, I'm just trying to help! You're not exactly the ladies' man, you know."

He flashed a charming smile, his white teeth gleaming. "But think about it, if she's one of those cutting-edge models, she could be worth a pretty penny. We should keep her close, just in case."

Cillian nodded, exhaling a sigh. "Hmm, you're right, I suppose."

He couldn't help but feel frustrated with his little brother, but he couldn't send him away just yet. Who would handle the tasks Aunt Noina usually took care of until she returned?

"If she messes up, it's on you," Cillian said, heading to his room and loosening his tie.

Casper's smile was tight-lipped, but his eyes gleamed with determination. "I'll take full responsibility. And if she impresses you, you'll grant my one wish, like we agreed. Let's just see how this plays out, for now."

Eileen burst into the kitchen, her mind reeling as she scanned the unfamiliar terrain of ingredients and utensils.

She could barely keep up with the robotic doll act, but at same time she had to because she didn't even have a standing in the city yet. Panic was seeping in right then and there.

"What the hell am I supposed to make now?" she whispered to herself, her eyes darting around the room in desperation. "God, what have I gotten myself into?"

She rummaged through the pantry, grabbing random items without a clue what to do with them. "Should I call Jo.... Oh crap! Where's my phone?" she suddenly realized.

"No, no, no! It better not be in that box! Shit!"

Eileen's heart pounded as she realized the potential disaster. "I need to go and get it before he sees it. I mean, what doll uses a phone?!"

As Eileen hastily turned to exit the kitchen to go get her phone, she almost collided with Casper at the door.

Her eyes widening in surprise, she muttered "Shit!" under her breath, her hand flying up to her mouth in shock.

"Hey, what's that I heard? Did you just curse?" Casper asked, amused for a moment.

Eileen stuttered, caught off guard. "Uh, I... uh..."

Casper's tone turned playful. "Ah, come on! You said it! You said shit!" He sounded more teasing than reproachful.

"Negative, Mr. Frosty's friend," Eileen said quickly, trying to cover. "I am not programmed to curse... just yet. I said 'shift', not 'shit'."

Casper chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, okay! Well, just so you know, my brother doesn't eat garlic, but Aunt Noina had them available in the kitchen, so maybe avoid using them in the food, yeah?"

Eileen heaved a sigh of relief as she saw he had moved on and passed the topic of her cursing.

'Brother? But they don't even look alike,' she thought, before realizing, 'And I can't even cook, let alone understand how to use garlic.'

"Information received and stored," she replied, hoping to sound as convincing as a robot.

Casper raised an eyebrow, his gaze skeptical. "Yeah, oh, and I thought you were a realistic doll. Why do you walk and sometimes talk like a robot?" he asked, his tone playful but curious.

"Hmm?" Eileen hesitated, her thoughts racing like a rabbit on caffeine. 'Is he testing me or just messing with me? Please, I'm the legendary genius of the Sterling family... or at least, that's what I keep telling myself!'

Out loud, she said, "I am a doll, yes, but my actions and behavior are simply a result of my programming or my master's instructions... or my own sheer brilliance, of course."

Casper looked thoughtful, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Really? Hmmmm."

He seemed like he was considering something, then nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you to it... and try not to laugh too hard when you inevitably set the kitchen on fire."

Eileen watched him walk away, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding... along with a silent prayer that she wouldn't actually set the kitchen on fire.

'I need to get that phone before this suspicious guy finds it,' she thought, her mind already plotting her next move... and her escape route, just in case.