It took a moment for her words to sink in, but she wasn't finished.
"There are so many more options you could have worked with.What about some kind of pakora?Cooking with a tandoori oven?A fish fry?"
"What would you have made?"I asked curiously.I'd met very few people who were as passionate about food as she clearly was.
"Probably the latter," she said after a moment's contemplation.
"Would you make it?"I waved to the kitchen behind me.
Ms Mandal stared at me for a moment, seemingly not sure what to make of my request."You want me to cook for you?"
"Yes.If you don't mind."
"I'm not cooking for you here," she said."I'm wearing a dress that's worth half-a-month's rent."
I cleared my throat."Fair enough.Perhaps you could come by theCavalluccio Marinosometime and cook for me there?"
She blinked a couple of times, drawing attention to her dark eyes."You're serious."
"Yes.There are still three weeks left of theAround the Worldmenu.I don't want my customers to continue to be disappointed by one of the courses."
"You're not what I expected," she said.
"Ah, the anger."
"You do have a bit of a reputation."
"It was well-earned," I admitted.
"Can I ask you about it?"
"Will you write it as part of your piece about the event?"
"It wasn't one of the questions I planned on asking," she responded."But it will depend on what you reply."
"If we're going to go down that track, would you let me get you a drink first?"
"It's an open bar."
"Then we can have the drink, but I'll owe you one at another time.Maybe when you return to my restaurant."Given the almost-glowing review she'd given of my menu, I was eager to hear more about what she had to say.I loved praise as much as the next god, but there was always something refreshing about someone who didn't seem to have the same fear of me as other people.
"All right, but there's something you should know first."Her expression turned serious.
"Okay."
"I've met your brother."
"Hades?I'm surprised he's here.He's been even more of a recluse since he and Persephone got back together."There was no doubt what the two of them were getting up to.Thousands of years hadn't put a dampener on their attraction to one another.
"Zeus," she corrected.
"Oh, then I'm sorry."
Her lips quirked up into a smile."I threw a drink over him."
"Is that a promise or a threat?"I asked curiously.
"Both.I'll see you at the bar."She turned around and headed out of the kitchen, not even looking back to see if I was still watching her.
