Chapter 481
Chapter 481:
“Not at all,” Fernanda assured him confidently.
Bobby seemed somewhat relieved until she added, “Maybe just five.” With a resigned shrug, he started the car, sighing. “Well, if I’m going to put on weight, it might as well be for something as good as Meilani’s cooking. I’ll cut back tomorrow. But honestly, nothing beats what she whips up. The usual stuff I get, made by our housekeeper, doesn’t even come close.”
“Meilani’s always been a wizard in the kitchen,” Fernanda chimed in nostalgically. “Back when I was a kid, every time she cooked up something special, she’d send a heaping bowl over to me and Hiram.”
Bobby turned to her, curious. “They did? Did you and Hiram enjoy it regularly?”
Fernanda shook her head. “When I was little, Hiram was almost seventy, and with no income, we couldn’t really afford much good food. Some dishes were just too fancy to attempt, and I didn’t want to overburden him. But as I got older, I picked up cooking to help out. By then, though, he was too old and had lost his teeth, so he couldn’t really enjoy the meals.”
Bobby rarely heard Fernanda open up about her childhood, and the bittersweet details took him by surprise.
He found himself reflecting on Meilani’s earlier words about Fernanda’s childhood struggles, which stirred a sad chord within him. Damn, why hadn’t the Morgans taken better care of Fernanda? If they had, she wouldn’t have gone missing and suffered so much.
Wary of dredging up memories that might upset Fernanda, Bobby quickly steered the conversation elsewhere with a lighter touch. “By the way, why didn’t you mention we were coming here? I could’ve brought something. Feels kind of awkward showing up empty-handed, making Jalen and Meilani work all afternoon.”
“It’s fine,” Fernanda assured him with a smile. “Jalen and Meilani aren’t big on formalities. Plus, I didn’t bring anything either. We’ll just make it up to them next time.”
At the mention of “next time,” Bobby’s face brightened. Did this mean he’d get another shot at Meilani’s cooking?
That would be fantastic!
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After dropping Fernanda off at her place, Bobby hummed a tune all the way home.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he flicked on his Bluetooth headset.
As soon as he answered, he gushed, “Hey, Cristian, you won’t believe where I was with Fernanda today! It felt like meeting her family, and I was thrilled!”
Cristian’s voice came through coolly. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Eager to prove his point, Bobby excitedly detailed the day’s events to Cristian, lavishing praise on the delicious meal he’d enjoyed.
There was a brief silence from Cristian before he asked, “You went to a dress shop?”
“Yes. Oh, come on, that’s not the main point here. I’m talking about the food. You’ve no idea…”
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