chapter 31 - cooking or disaster?

Lara's P. O. V. :

"Did I hear you right, Ms. Jones? Am I dreaming? " Ian was shocked again to see Mr. Shane covered in mud from tip to toe.

"Should I pinch you again? " Ash asked sarcastically.

"No! You pinch hard. " Ian said showcasing horrified expression.

Ash chuckled. Again everyone averted their eyes towards the front porch of the two-story typical Chinese wooden house built in Pagoda style, where Mr. Adams and I were standing with our muddy bodies.

"I don't believe you, Ms. Jones. You're trying to say that Shane aka The Shane Adams played in rain and got himself dirtied in the puddle? With you? I just can't believe this. " Jake said still trying to take in the information provided by me.

"Stop overacting, Jake. What's there not to believe in that I played in rain and puddle? It's normal. " Mr. Adams said shrugging his shoulder.

"It is normal for normal people, but you, my brother, aren't any other guy. You are not 'play in the rain' and 'get dirty in puddle' kind of guy. As far as I remember, you never liked playing in the rain you hated rain more than anything. " Jake pointed out.

"I never hated the rain. I just didn't like it much...before," he said the last part looking into my eyes which made me blush.

Stop blushing Lara! I mentally scolded myself and averted my eyes from him.

"Yeah right...." Jake commented sarcastically to which Angie giggled.

She's whipped. No doubt!

"...I remember when we were kids, you used to hide inside the closet so that no one could find you and make you play in the rain. And remember the time when we went to school camping, me and Ian worked our butts off to make you come outside of your tent and play with us in the rain, you faked your fever. "Jake said to remember the good old memories.

"I remember brother. " Ian said excitedly from behind.

Jake looked at Mr. Adams and then at me and smirked.

"So brother, would you mind telling your cousins, what made you come out of your comfort zone and do something opposite of your nature that is, to have fun and live the life. "Jake asked teasingly crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's the effect of lady love that has come in his life, Jake. " we heard a female voice coming from the corner of the house.

We all turned towards the source of the sound and found aunt Suzie standing at the door of a room which I supposed to be the kitchen. She had a tray full of bowls and chopsticks in her hands.

I smiled when I saw her which she returned with the same honesty.

She walked towards us with her signature elegance and motherly smile and stood in front of me and Mr. Adams.

Angie took the tray from her hands and stood next to Jake.

"So what were you saying, Mrs. Chang? " Ian asked winking at Mr. Adams who glared in return.

"Firstly, no one and I repeat, no one will call me Mrs. Chang. Everyone will call me aunt. Is that clear? " she said in a commanding tone.

All six of us bent our heads and nodded our heads like children who are being warned by their elders not to do the mistake again.

Aunt Suzie laughed which made all of us look at her.

"Oh, it feels so good to scold you, children. My desires are being fulfilled by you guys," she said smiling. I could see tears in her eyes. But that was the tear of joy and satisfaction.

"So, what I was saying is that Shane is changing in a good way because of Lara, his love, his life. " aunt said looking at me lovingly.

Mr. Adams choked at that and the remaining people just tried to hide their mischievous laughs.

"When a woman enters into the life of a busy man, she changes her man for good. She teaches him how to be happy with the small things, how to find peace, and how to love," she said looking at both of us.

We both just stood there like a mannequin trying not to react to whatever she said.

I don't know about Mr. Adams, but I got shivers down my spine when she said all these things. Is this true? Am I that woman in his life who is changing him for good? I asked mentally to myself taking a few glances at Mr. Adams who was looking straight nowhere in particular with an expressionless face.

Is he thinking the same thing as I am?

Suddenly, I had this urge to sneeze which I did. Uh-this cold! I mentally slapped myself for playing in the rain for such a long time. I just couldn't stop myself from playing in the rain and his presence and company added to my excitement.

"Bless you, my dear. Now both of you go to your room and get freshen up before you both catch a severe cold. Bai has placed your bags in your rooms." Aunt said and turned to the remaining four.

"And you four, follow me. I need to teach you kids some Chinese cultures," she ordered them and walked towards the kitchen I guess.

The four of them nodded their heads and followed her like obedient children

I was about to laugh but before the laughter could come, sneeze came and won the race.

"Ms. Jones, are you fine? " Mr. Adams asked concerned.

"Yes, I am fine. Just mild symptoms of cold" I assured.

"Let's go inside," he said and gestured me to walk first like a gentleman.

*****

After taking a hot shower, Mr. Adams and I walked downstairs to join others.

"Here comes our star couple. I wonder what took you guys so long to come down." Ash teased as soon as we entered the dining hall.

I glared at her and Mr. Adams coughed.

Ash and Angie were busy setting the bowls of food on the low dining table which had several cushions like things which I guess was for sitting.

"Where are Jake and Ian? " Mr. Adams asked looking around for his brothers

Ash chuckled mischievously while Angie giggled shyly.

Why?

"You'll know in a few moments," Ash said and continued doing her work.

I walked to them and helped them with their work.

I was busy arranging the expensive-looking Chinese crockeries on the table when I heard Mr. Adams laughter.

I looked up to find him looking somewhere and laughing hard.

I followed the direction in which he was looking and what I found was funny.

The Dormann brothers had kitchen apron on them. Their hair was all messy and covered with white flour. They had a sticky substance like batter on their faces. They looked funny. It seems like they were experimenting in the kitchen.

I bit my tongue trying not to laugh. But I couldn't control my laughter when Ash and Angie joined Mr. Adams and I started laughing at them.

Aunt Suzie stood next to them with a tray containing a large burnt chocolate cake that wasn't in the condition to be called a cake.

She had an angry expression on her face.

"You men don't know even how to hold a knife. God, what was I thinking when I told you to prepare the cake?! " she said glaring at them.

"My kitchen is no more in the condition to be considered as a kitchen. " she continued.

Both the brothers bent their heads like kids who are being scolded by their mother after messing the house.

This added more laughter.

"Look at you guys, you look so funny. Let me snap some pictures of you both." Mr. Adams said whilst snapping their photos with his phone

Both of them glared at him.

"What made you make them work in the kitchen, aunt? " Ash asked clutching her stomach and trying to control her laughter.

"Don't ask me, dear. I thought of baking a chocolate cake for dessert. Since there's only two help in this entire house one of which has gone out to buy groceries from the market and another is busy with the backyard cleaning, I thought of asking help from you girls, but since you both were busy in arranging the dining table, I dismissed the idea of baking. Then Jake and Ian came from nowhere and offered to help. And then my beloved kitchen started turning into a mess. Flour everywhere on the floor, batter spread everywhere on the kitchen isle and my kitchen almost caught fire due to the overheating of the oven." Aunt Suzie complained about remembering the whole havoc created by the Dormann brothers.

"I pity you, aunt Suzie." Mr. Adams said looking at his cousins who were giving him death glares

"Oh come on, Shane. You're talking as if you know how to cook." Jake hissed which suddenly made the color of Mr. Adams vanish from his face.

He glared at Jake to tell him not to speak further but as we know Jake loves pulling his younger cousin's leg almost all the time he didn't stop.

"Oh, how can I forget. You won the best chef award while we were in high school, didn't you? " Jake asked smiling devilishly.

I could guess that he was lying by his mischievous grin.

Mr. Adams opened his mouth to object when suddenly Mr. Chang entered the dining room.

"Honey, why are you furious?... Oh my dear lord, what happened to both of you? " he asked the former question to aunt Suzie whereas the latter to Jake and Ian.

The Dormann brothers looked at each other than at aunt Suzie pleading with their eyes not to tell about their mess.

Aunt Suzie remained quite but my Ash being an ass, she spilled everything which made Mr. Chang laugh like there's no tomorrow.

"You guys remind me of my old days when I was still a bachelor. How I used to make a mess of my mom's kitchen and how she would get angry with me and make me clean the whole mess. " Mr. Chang said remembering his days.

The Dormann brothers somehow looked terrified maybe because of the 'cleaning' portion of Mr. Chang's story, which made everyone in the room burst in to laughter again.

"Don't worry, you guys don't need to clean the mess. I've informed my help, she'll clean it in no time. Everyone let's get started with the lunch. " aunt Suzie said and walked towards the table. We all followed her and everyone sat around the long floor table.

We had to seat on the cushion which was placed around the table by folding our legs in Chinese style.

I and aunt helped to serve the food on the plates. There were different Chinese cuisines like dumplings, chowmein, tofu, spring rolls, sweet and sour pork.

We all started eating. The food was delicious and the fact that we were eating them with chopsticks, was adding more taste to them.

It was funny to watch Ash struggling to eat with the chopsticks. She was having a hard time with her chopsticks. Finally, she dumped the chopsticks and started eating with the fork.

"I forgot to ask you, Lara dear about your journey from the airport to our house. How was it? I guess you both enjoyed your trip. " she said smilingly. I could see a hint of tease in her voice which made my cheeks go red a little.

I was about to reply when Mr. Adams cut into.

"We had fun aunt Suzie. I never thought that rain could be so much fun. " he smiled looking at me which made me blush.

"I'm glad you enjoyed," Aunt said giving a triumph smile.

Shane's P. O. V. :

"The lunch was delicious, aunt." Ms. Jones complimented once we all were seated in their drawing-room after having lunch.

"Thank you, dear." She said smiling

"You all talk to each other while I go and make a chocolate cake for you all because the cake which Ian and Jake baked is as good as a rock." She said taunting Jake and Ian.

Trust me the expression on their faces was worth million dollars. I have always enjoyed seeing them getting scoldings but the taunts of aunt Suzie cannot be compared to any of the scoldings they've ever got.

We all laughed at that. Jake and Ian glared at me.

I looked at them, raising the eyebrows they were glaring at me as if this all is happening because of me. I mean, Who told them to act over smart and do something which they haven't done in their lives even for once.

Even I don't know how to cook anything but at least I don't try to do something which is totally out of my league.

Aunt was about to stand to go and bake the cake when Jake spoke.

"Aunt Suzie, don't you worry. We agree that we The Dormann brothers are not so good at cooking.. " he said to which we all raised our eyebrows questioningly. 'Not so good? ' Seriously? The Dormann brothers are not good at all in cooking.

"...okay fine. I mean we are hopeless in the kitchen..." he corrected himself to which we all nodded our head in agreement, Now my boy is talking.

"....but trust me, our Shane is an expert in the kitchen. And his baking is just world-class." He said which made me choke on my wine which I was sipping

What the hell?!!!

When did I win the best chef competition? Leave that. The important thing is when the hell did I take part in any such competition?

I couldn't stop myself from glaring at my idiotic cousin. I gave him the death glare which he returned with an evil smirk.

"Really, Shane? " Aunt asked, impressed with the little 'fake' information which she received

"Uh..." I didn't know what to say.

The girls along with Ms. Jones and Mr. Chang looked at me with disbelief. They had the expression on their faces which depicted that they can't believe I could cook.

Trust me, neither could I trust.

Now, what am I supposed to say?

But whatever it is, I am not gonna lie and try to do something which I have no idea about.

I gave Jake a last glare and looked at aunt Suzie who was looking at me with excitement

"No....he's just exaggerating things. I really can't-" I was cut off in the midway of my sentence when Ian spoke

"Don't be like this brother. You're a fantastic Baker. You used to bake for us during Christmas. Don't you remember? " Do remind me to smash your face once we are alone, Ian. I will surely make you eat my punch cake.

I'll take care of both of you later. But first, let me handle this situation. I thought of looking at my evil cousins who were smiling mischievously.

"I don't know how to bake aunt-" I was cut off again when we heard the opening of the door of the room.

Two Chinese girls around Ms. Jones' age and a guy of around my age along with a little boy of maybe 5-6 years entered the room and greeted us in Chinese whilst bending their upper body.

One of the girls was about 5'9" with a slender body and well-structured features and the other girl was about 5'5" with a petite figure and baby like face. Whereas the man looked like a model. He was of around my height with a well built muscular body. He looked like a typical Casanova-charming type of guy over whom all the girls drool.

I don't know why but looking at this man, I was getting weird feelings. I don't know why but as soon as I studied this man's appearance fully, I turned my head to look at Ms Jones. Thank god, she isn't drooling over him like her friend Ashley.

I sighed in relief.

"Glad you all made time out of your busy schedule and came." Aunt Suzie said and hugged each one of them and kissed the little Chinese boy's cheeks. They all smiled at her. The man kissed her cheek and smiled at her charmingly.

This guy knows exactly how to act charming. I thought

The man then acknowledged us and smiled at us. His gaze then shifted to the girls and stopped at her.

What the hell? Why is he looking at her as if he's gonna eat her alive? How dare he look at her like that?