Burning For You

Wirata walked into the kitchen, it was her second time to be in here. Everything looked new and clean as if it was rarely used. Ben was in here. The bodyguard took off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to elbows. He was staring into the large refrigerator and freezer when she came in. He turned to look and gave her a small smile.

"Miss."

Ben greeted. Wirata walked to stand next to him and also looked into the refrigerator and freezer. There were items that she bought last week filled up space.

"Your boss is bad, I hate him."

She said out bluntly, the thing that Ben hadn't expected to hear. Ben gave her a sheepish smile and thought she was as bold and open as the person she hated, so they suited each other. Ben looked at the slim figure who's standing next to him crossing her arms, her pretty face frowned, staring at the stuff in the fridge.

"I am glad you are back because James and I, we've been dreaming about the Pad Thai with big king prawns for over a week, if it's longer than this, the dream would have turned to be a nightmare. "

Ben said with a straight face but there was a hint of laughter in his voice.

Wirata turned her head to look at him, then seeing his nice golden whiskey eyes were sparkling with a friendly gesture, and that made she loosen up her mood and posture a little, she sighed.

"Right, Pad Thai with king prawns. What can your boss eat and what are things he can't eat?" Wirata asked to check into the small details about Stefan's taste and liking for food.

"The boss likes Thai food. Especially, Pad Thai with king prawns. Fried rice with king prawns. Stir-fried with king prawns. Well, to be honest, it's anything with king prawns. "

Ben concluded and stepped aside to let Wirata have access to the fridge-freezer.

"And what he doesn't like? " Wirata repeated the question. She started to pick items out of the fridge. Pulled two packages of king prawns out of the freezer. She had to defrost it in the microwave.

"He doesn't eat beef and squids. The rest he can eat but must not be spicy, Miss."

Ben answered. Wirata gathered the information then she grinned. The big powerful mafia doesn't eat spicy food. And he hates squids... Good to know! That was very useful information...!

"Well, looking at the ingredients, I think we should cook seafood fried rice. I'll make Pad Thai for you next time." Wirata said. Ben bowed a little in acknowledging.

"Fried rice can go with soup and fried eggs, I'll make some as well. Are you ready to help me?"

Wirata asked Ben with a cheerful voice.

"Sure, Miss!" Ben returned quickly with the same tone. He went to pick two aprons hanging on the wall and handed one to her. They put it on and looked ready for the mission.

Ben loved Thai love and also liked to learn how to cook it. He had got some cooking skills, even it was not as good as the shooting skills, but for a man who carried a gun daily like it was a pen, he considered himself not a bad cook.

"What about you and James. Can you eat spicy food?" Wirata made friendly conversation while her hands were busy with picking items out and opening the cabinets to find the equipment.

"Yes, we love it, Miss. " Ben answered, he also had loosened up and relaxed now.

Ben looked at Wirata picking up the items and unpacking them then walking and opening the cabinets for bowls, tools, the knives were stored in a drawer, she picked one out and snatched a chopping board from its holder on the wall with fluency.

She seemed to be a quick and resolute decision maker. Her posture of thinking first, before picking and pulling things out, meant she liked using her brain. Her hands opened the cabinets fast but made no noise and stared for a short while, and when she needed something, she turned to the right cabinet and pulled it out.

That was quite amazing to watch. It made Ben admire how good her memory was. Moreover, she was the first stranger who was allowed to mess about in Stefan Mackenzie's private kitchen.

"What can I do for you, Miss? "

Ben asked generously.

"If you could wash the vegetables for me." Wirata pointed at the bowls filled with tomatoes, sweet chilis, broccoli, and cucumbers.

"Sure. " Ben said and hurried to do the job until finished. He carried the bowls to the island. Wirata was busy to defrost and clean the seafood with salt and lime juice until it's had no fishy smell. They were working together and having a light conversation while at the task.

"Ben, can you come out here?" the boss's voice called out.

"Sure, boss. Right away." Ben answered to his boss. Then turned to Wirata.

"I have to go, Miss. " Ben said.

"I want Ben to help me. " Wirata yelled back at the person outside the kitchen who liked giving people orders. Heard the noise before the tall body walked directly into the kitchen.

"Ben, you and James, go take a shower. And then come up here to eat together. We're celebrating. "

Stefan said to Ben who knew the boss celebrated because his mission had accomplished. Stefan grinned, Ignoring the scowling gaze from Wirata who was standing and cutting stuff on the chopping board.

"Okay, boss."

Ben bowed and then left the kitchen. Stefan stared at Wirata. Her face turned serious and her body tensed up when seeing him.

"Okay, I am here. What did you want Ben to do? I'll do it for him."

The tall body walked around the counter to stand next to her. Reaching out to pick up a knife and held it in his hand. The way he was holding the knife, it's like he's ready to stab somebody's ab rather than to cut vegetables!

"You don't have to help me. Please go and wait outside."

She said with a cold voice. Stefan frowned immediately.

"Hey, a minute ago you needed Ben's help, and there is a lot of mess in my kitchen. I want to eat tonight, not tomorrow. So, I will help!"

Stefan scowled, felt displeased with the way she treated him differently from Ben, his dark eyes were staring at her face.

"I am very hungry. When I'm hungry and don't eat, my mood will swing up. And when it's up, do you know what's gonna happen? "

He asked with his eyebrow up. Wirata ignored him, she reached for tomatoes bowls, but then she saw onions!

Well, let see if he could be qualified to be her cooking assistant or not!

"Here! Cut onion if you want."

She said. Stefan loosened his frowned face, nodded and grabbed the onion. He looked at it for a minute, not sure where to start because it was the first time in his life to cut an onion! He saw some peeled onions were soaking in a bowl.

"This is the last one. "

Wirata said when seeing he was looking at the onion's bowl she was soaking them in cold water so that when cutting it, it wouldn't make the tears come out. His eyebrows knotted, he might have thought why she handed him the one that not been cut and peeled.

"Cut the top and bottom off. "

Wirata told the unwanted helper when seeing that he didn't know where to start. She was hiding her grin under her indifferent expression. Stefan followed the chef's advice. He used the knife to cut the onion as she instructed.

"Then lift it up near your eyes, peel it carefully and count how many layers there are."

"What?! Why?" Stefan asked in a surprised voice, didn't know that they had to count onion layers.

"This is my family secret. Every kitchen has its own ways of cooking and secret ingredients. Counting onion layers to make sure it is a good size and 8 layers, that's my magic number."

Wirata said with a straight face. Stefan nodded in understanding and started to do what she told him to do.

He lifted the onion up close, peeling the skin carefully. Wirata watched him and turned her face away to hide the amusement, trying very hard to hold the giggles. His big hands looked awkward the way he handling the knife and the onion. He was counting with concentration!

Stefan started to blink rapidly, his eyes felt hot and sore. He stopped counting, using his hand to touch his eyes.

"Only six layers. What does that mean? Oh, my eyes are burning. it hurts my eyes."

Stefan said. He put down the knife and used his both hands to rub his eyes and blinking and blinking and cursing with pain.

"It means yours is not a good size."

"My size is incredible, thick and long. You have already seen it. And tonight you will...Oh, my eyes."

Stefan couldn't finish his sentence. His eyes were burning like hell and tears started to come out.

Wirata blushed at his statement. She snatched his hands off his eyes.

"Don't rub! You put it too close to your eyes. Go to wash your face at the sink now. Do you see now?... Behind the delicious meals you have at a restaurant, chefs and cooks are suffering just like this."

Wirata lectured and pointed to the sink. Seeing him closed his eyes and walked, she felt satisfied. He definitely deserved it!

When he blindly walked into the counter corner and cursed fiercely. Wirata lifted a corner of her mouth in a smirk, was pleased to see him suffer. This was nothing compared to the things he had done to her.

"Ouch! Fuck! " He cursed, still closed his eyes, using one hand rubbing them and the other to touch the counter trying to avoid walking into things but his big foot still kicked the lower drawer of the cabinet.

Wirata managed to keep the giggles in her throat, enjoying the scene so far. When he kicked the drawer again, she shook her head and decided to drag him to the sink. Turned on the faucet and let him wash his face.

She had just noticed the face of the mad mafia dog had scratches and faint green bruises more than the last time when she saw him. he must have had another fight with other dogs. Stefan used his sleeve to wipe his face. Feeling pain in both eyes.

Wirata watched him, the way he was using his shirt sleeve to wipe his grumpy face, he looked like the big kid rather than the big mafia. She let a satisfied smirk out.

Here we came! The powerful Godfather didn't know the power of an onion!

That was the warm-up lesson for the man who liked to point his fingers around but he couldn't even be able to peel an onion!

"Don't you dare to laugh at me! "

He sneered at her when opened his eyes and saw she was smiling with amusement. Wirata suddenly wiped out the smile off her face, shrugged and walked back to the island. She picked onion and slice it very quickly. Stefan walked to her and watched. His eyes were still sore.

James and Ben were hiding behind the kitchen door with curiosity. Never saw the boss interested in spending his time in the kitchen before. They usually ordered food from the hotel restaurant or from delivery or eating out. James used his phone to record a video of the boss peeling an onion and then cried and cursed. It was so entertaining!

"Why aren't you crying?"

Stefan asked. She was handling the knife very efficiently. Stefan stared at her face, she wasn't crying. She was okay with her eyes.

"Because I am great and you are not."

She said without hesitation and fear. Stefan's face turned grumpy immediately, didn't like the sarcastic tone she was mocking him. Stefan Mackenzie usually was great at many things. He grabbed the knife and looked at the onions with a serious expression, then he reached to the tomatoes bowl instead!

"I'll help you with the tomatoes!"

Then the big hands used his knife to slice the tomatoes which a lot easier, it's just like apples. Stefan grinned with a satisfied feeling. He used apples as the knife-throwing target very often!

"Look, Stefan. You slow me down. If you want to eat before midnight, let me do it on my own." Wirata complained. She glanced at the way he chopped the tomatoes, the knife hit the chopping board very loudly and it was so annoying. It was like he hated the tomatoes so much and wanted to chop it to death!

The big hands immediately stopped in the air. His face was sulky.

"How come? Two people must be better than one and I help you because I am starving to death. You shut up and do the cooking, not the complaining."

Stefan scowled. Felt displeased with her low gratitude. She obviously didn't know that a man like Stefan never helped any woman in the kitchen before. She should be thankful instead of fussy!

Stefan lifted his eyes to look at the door when seeing something flashing out.

"Damn you! James! You two stopping being bastard sneaking behind my back!"

Stefan shouted at his men who were hiding behind the door with the phone on the flashlight and it reflected making Stefan able to see.

"Don't put my pictures on the internet! Or, I will chop your heads off just like these tomatoes!"

Stefan threatened. Ben and James quickly popped up and gave their boss the sheepish smile. Then hurried to walked out of the penthouse before the boss throwing the knife at their back!.

"Holy smoke! The boss isn't looking good, man." Ben said to James.

"I agree. I hope he won't burn the kitchen down by the time we come back." James said with a sigh.