Don't judge a book by its cover (3)

Ben and Jame eyed each other. There were a lot of things they shouldn't say out. So they would keep it to themselves the way they had kept it all these years. Like the saying, you couldn't judge a book by its cover. Stefan Mackenzie's cover would be quite scary but inside might not be like what people thought it would be.

"You two are his bodyguards. So you must protect him I understand. But I look at him differently than his own people." Wirata said.

"If you wanna talk about me in my own home, you should wait until I go out first for the sake of manners!"

The harsh voice announced before the tall figure strode into the kitchen. Ben and James jumped a little and sent their boss sheepish smile.

Stefan was wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of sport shorts. His face was soaking with sweat. He used a small towel to wipe it off. Summer was at his feet.

"Oh, er, wow! one hour already, boss." James said out first since nobody responded to the boss.

"Yeah." He answered with one word. His eyes were staring at the back of the chef who focused on stirring something on the stove and didn't bother to turn to greet him.

"You two go take a shower." He said to Ben and James. They didn't hesitate to leave right on cue.

The smell of the food delivered the scent that reminded Stefan of his mother's home. The meaning of the word "home" for Stefan, it must be warm and with the smell of cooking throughout the place like this. He smiled a little when thinking of his mother. It had been a while since his last visit. He would give her a call soon.

"Don't put too much chili. I don't like spicy food."

He said when seeing her put something red into the pan. Stefan walked to stand behind the slender figure. Put his chin above her shoulder to look into the pan.

It contained colourful vegetables, green, red, yellow, orange. It looked very nice and smelled delicious.

"Do you know that chili is good for your health?"

She turned to asked which made her cheek touched his tall nose as he intended to smell her skin to compare with the food to decide which one was more edible.

"If it is too spicy it'll burn my tongue and I can't get the real taste of the food. When you can't taste the food, you won't enjoy it. Understand?"

He told her the reason. Wirata listened. It seemed like he had cooled down after spending one hour to burn his bad-tempered out in the fitness room.

"This is called vegetable stir-fried. And this is sweet chilli, it isn't spicy but the real chilli is like this one." She pointed the red hot chilli.

"However, it isn't too spicy but only will give you a little sweat on your nose." She explained. Wirata thought she had to lecture him sometimes about the benefits of eating chili. This big tall man wasn't scared of a bullet, but moaning too much about chili which was nothing compared with a bullet!

He was standing behind her like that until she finished cooking. Wirata turned the stove off.

"Okay. Everything is done. You can do the washing up." The chef ordered. Stefan frowned immediately.

"What?! Why me?" He scowled, thinking she was messing up with him again, just like last night.

"Look! Everybody has to give hands and do something in the kitchen. Ben and James and me, we all helped to make all this nice food. And what about you? Have you done anything yet, huh?"

She asked with a scolded voice like talking to a child.

Stefan made a sullen face.

"Not yet!"

"Good answer! So you do the washing up. That's called FAIR, okay?"

Wirata said. Stefan knitted his eyebrows.

"I want to use the dishwasher this time. My hands are too big. I don't want to drop the plates."

He said and continued to skew his face.

"No. You can't use the dishwasher just for only a few plates and bowls. It takes too long and wasting time. For the best use of the machine. You should do it when you have a lot for the load for the best value."

"I have money to pay for electricity."

"I am not talking about money, but the value of the environment. Saving electricity is helping the environment, don't you know that? You are rich but don't mean that you have the right to ignore the world and the other livings. The best use of the dishwasher is when you have a lot to wash."

She concluded. Wirata recalled that she already said something like this to him last night but didn't think a man like Stefan would understand about the environment and stuff. He just thought he had money, he could pay bills and could do anything as he pleased.

"Okay. Then we can wait until we have a lot." He said bluntly.

"No, we don't leave dirty plates overnight. It isn't healthy."

She disagreed. Stefan scowled with a very unhappy expression. He just did it last night. Why it had to be him again. How could it be fair?

"Alright. Give it to me." But he accepted it finally. Because he knew she wouldn't let him off. This woman was a maniac, loved to lecture him to show her knowledge.

But however, he would let her be sure of herself just for now. Let her think she could have power over him and then he would teach her some good lessons later to make her realize that nobody could overpower Stefan Mackenzie!

Wirata helped to put dirty bowls and stuff in the sinks. She watched him do it. He still struggled but a bit better than last night, good to see small progress, however!

Summer ran to Stefan's feet he looked down then his face loosened up and he smiled to the puppy.

"Summer was running on the treadmill. He is very good." Stefan turned to tell her. She was watching him and watching Summer.

"He is still a baby, don't force him too much."

She said and couldn't help to smile when picturing the puppy with its short small legs running fast on the treadmill.

"Who forces him? Don't talk rubbish. He has got his own brain and can think for himself!"

He said with his sullen face, unhappy with her words. She really liked to think that he forced everybody!

Wirata sighed. She ran out of words. He was really strange and had a confusing personality and she was a bit confused too, with his on and off, up and down moods.

However, he managed to wash all the things she gave him. Then she allowed him to go to take a shower. He took Summer to his fancy room. the puppy knew his time for a nap.

At the table. The four people sat and had their dinner. Wirata saw that the boss seemed to like the Masman Chicken Curry so she put some on his plate and since the wine bottle was near her, she filled his glass up for him as well. She also put the omelette he had half left on his plate, he ate it without noticing it was the leftover.

Ben and James glanced at each other, glad to see some nice progress on the second night of the boss's new relationship with Miss Wirata. The boss looked relaxed after the shower and his handsome face had a small smile when seeing Miss Wirata pour him some wine.

When they finished. Ben and James took a turn for the cleaning.

"Don't use the dishwasher, there are only a few plates to wash. Just do it by hand. You have to learn to save the earth and the environment."

The boss said to the bodyguards with his serious face. Ben and James gasped with a shock to hear such the very alien words to their ears from their boss!

"What?!!"

They exclaimed in the same tune. Then seeing the boss's daggered glare, they suddenly bowed and shut their mouths up.

"Yes. Boss! Definitely!" The bodyguards said at the same time again.

"Good!" Stefan praised his men then dragged Wirata out of the kitchen.

Ben and James ran to hide behind the door to see the boss put his arm on Miss Wirata's shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. Miss Wirata pushed him away. He was laughing and bent down to pick her up into his arms then walked to his master bedroom.

"Since when our boss learned to love the world and the environment? Last time I remember, it was when he was dating a Miss Universe." James murmured to his friend.

"Well, now he's dating the future Mrs. Mackenzie. I have a very strong hunch that she will be the one." Ben responded while they were helping each other to wash the dishes.