Chapter 246   - Morally Support A Friend

"Oh! So you can use a knife like this, as well!" Laurence sounded like a child in a candy shop. Katherine snickered as she pulled up the lemon and cut it into two halves. Next she prepared the parsley and black pepper.

"I've prepared the rest of the ingredients, as well," she announced. She turned to the skillet and saw that the oil was hot, just to be sure, she put her hand over the skillet to see if the heat was right. She nodded, satisfied and then put the shrimps in.

"Proteins are so hard to cook. I don't think I have ever had a piece of cooked meat that was not over cooked or under cooked," Laurence said in a small voice.

"Not even all the takeout you eat?" Katherine asked. "For shrimp, it will take about two minutes for it to become a bright pink. This is when you know it is cooked to perfection. There might be a slightly golden brown tinge to it. At this point, we need to add the garlic." She pushed all the shrimps to a side and then tilted the skillet so that a pool of oil was formed. While she had used very little oil, it was enough to put the garlic and douse it with the heated oil.

"This already looks amazing. Can I just pop one into my mouth?" Laurence asked.

"Don't be greedy. Good things come to those who wait," she reprimanded softly.

"Okay, mom," Laurence teased. Angelina, Lily and Laurence's friend tried their best to keep their laughter at bay.

Soon, the garlic started to become golden brown. "You see this color?" Katherine asked. Lily panned down so that the exact color could be captured by the camera. On the other hand, Laurence's friend was focusing on Katherine and Laurence conversing. "This is what you should aim for. If you have this color and the scrumptious scent of the garlic mixed in, stir it with the shrimps. You need to infuse the flavor. After coating the shrimp just distribute them evenly over the skillet."

Laurence 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed at exactly the right moments.

"Why don't you squeeze the lemon over the dish?" she asked with a raised brow. Laurence looked surprised but nodded eagerly as he reached for the lemon. He tried his best to squeeze and did a pretty good job at it.

"Excellent," Katherine complimented. "Maybe you aren't as hopeless as you thought!" she raised for good measure.

"I think this miracle has taken place because you are the teacher," the insinuation was clear. Slightly flirtatious, slightly teasing. Katherine didn't know how to respond. Flirting was obviously not what she wanted, instead she could play along with his joke in a friendly manner.

She moved away from the skillet. "Indeed, I have always been a good teacher, but you are also a good pupil. So, now stir it a little before adding the parsley and black pepper."

He jerked forward and took the handle gingerly. She tentatively stirred and looked over at her for her approval. Katherine urged him on and helped him out until the dish was plated.

"And that is how you cook lemon garlic shrimp! It's nutritious and in combination with other dishes it makes for a very balanced meal." Laurence nodded.

"Are you on a diet?" he asked casually, looking at her passively. "You don't need it," he complimented. Katherine blinked, her mind blanking for a moment before she regained her thought and broke into free laughter.

"Thank you for showering me with compliments but no, I am not dieting. I am actually trying to morally support a friend in their journey." Well, the word 'boyfriend' did have the word friend in it. It wasn't a complete lie.

Angelina coughed from behind her and Katherine turned to glare at her from over her shoulder.

"You didn't cook enough for all of us," Angelina commented, looking longingly at the plated food.

"Didn't you say you were gaining fat from my cooking? The ones who complained don't get food. Obviously the guests do." She gave a saccharine smile towards Laurence and his friend (whose name turned out to be Ian).

"I don't think I live this evil Katherine much. You've changed, my friend." The catalyst of her change remained unknown.

"I've always been this way," Katherine informed, wriggling her eyebrows to make a silly face. Angelina pulled her cellphone up to her face and clicked a picture of Katherine with a sweet smile.

"Every face you make garners a thousand pictures. Ah, I feel like plastering this all over social media and sent it to everyone who loves you." Angelina sighed. Lily wanted to roll her eyes. The words between the lines were so subtle that these outsiders might not have understood what was happening.

"Okay, you two. No more fighting. Let's eat!" Lily called out.

Angelina smirked as she sent the message over and waited for the response. All she got was an emoji from Stephen, but the message was clear. The picture would be relayed to Cage when he had time. That's all she needed to do. She had been in charge of supervising, so a little picture wouldn't hurt. It was just considered reporting to one's superior.

"Lily, Angelina. I already have food for you cooked," Katherine informed without looking at them. "It's in the microwave. Just heat it and serve it to yourselves." She huffed as she turned to Laurence.

"Okay, should we have dinner first or do you want to do it my style and play while we eat?" The choice was his. He thought about it for a moment before replying.

"I'll eat first. Let's sit down." He pulled out a chair and sat down on it. He had already done the set-up so they just needed to sit down and enjoy the food. "These smell amazing," he commented as he buried his nose closer and sucked in a huge breath.

"I also made pasta, so I'll bring that in." Katherine pointed towards the kitchen and scurried away. From further away, Laurence heard her ask if he liked it a little spicy.